Home cleaning mixtures the DIY way?

Back in the days home owners did not have the high-class cleaning solutions we use today, so what did they use to mix at home to clean with?

The same way professional cleaners use high-end products with special formulas, people back in the days had their own secret remedies to house cleaning and hygiene chores. Among the advantages of home made domestic detergents is how safe and eco-friendly they actually are.

In case you also support the idea of home made domestic cleaning solutions, here’s a handful of great ideas on how to clean your home toxic free!

Back to cleaning basics

Before the industrial revolutions there was no commercial home cleaning services at all, no tight end of tenancy housing clean, only full 100% domestic chores and responsibility. People used to solve this with simple, elegant and yet efficient solutions to make the house clean. If by some reason you to become a fantastic cleaner by only using older techniques, here’s’ what you should try to clean with first:

What is there to know about these organic solutions?

• Baking soda
• Washing soda
• White vinegar
• Lemon juice

1. What is there to baking soda and cleaning?

It is one of the common organic substances available and basically it has been used mostly for cooking and occasionally for medicinal purposes. Now that’s great, but there’s more.

Simple and eco-friendly:

• Baking soda has also been used as an effective and at the same time low cost and eco-friendly cleansing agent for the variety of domestic chores people had to tackle on their own.
• In kitchens it was used to clean and wash various tableware for the royal court.
• In the cleaning the bathroom, soda was a solution for clogged drain prevention, including scrubbing and polishing. When it comes to home cleaning, nowadays myths still circle around. Soda is useful when cleaning the inner side of microwaves, worktops and countertops, hobs, ovens, fans and etc.
• Sip some baking soda on piece of warm damp cloth, make sure you give it a good wipe. This used to be a great way to fight grease and various scuff. Some recommend to make your own cleaning paste, by mixing soda and water 3 to 1. This one is mostly used for cleaning silverware.

2. How is white vinegar used for cleaning?

The natural acidity of white vinegar  makes it an excellent natural antifungal and antibacterial agent. Beside that it is a eco-friendly, non-toxic degreaser. White vinegar is great for cleaning stains & molds.

Here’s a handy recipe:

• Blend it with equivalent amounts of water and soda in a spray bottle for cleaning of mirrors and windows throughout the entire house. Such a home made solutions is also suitable for wooden floors and plastic waste compartments to sterilize and freshen up. What’s more, it actually cleans persistent mould from shower heads and faucets.
• Dunk a pieces of cotton material in a mixture of white vinegar and olive oil 50:50. This mix will help you expel water ring leftovers from wooden table tops. This cleaning mix can also be successfully applied to achieve a delightful matte finish to any old furnishing in your home.

3. Lemon juice can be as strong cleaning solution.

Lemons are often called nature’s little hand brushes. They are the ideal regular bleaching solution and deodorizers that adds to your home the great fresh scent. It’s juice cleans of both mould and mildew effectively.  All you have to do is slice through the oil and expel the stains leaving the hard surface with an excellent sparkle. Lemon juice is so strong, it can cut through grease and clean most stains leaving your worktop with a beautiful shine.

But how?

• Dilute some lemon juice with water to clean the stains and to kill the germs on the cutting board. But, when it comes to removing the stains from butcher block counter tops, it can be considered a big challenge. To remove the light stain, sprinkle salt and squeeze lemon juice over the stain. Scrub it with the pulp side of the lemon. Let it sit overnight and then rinse with water.
• Mix lemon juice and water. This simple recipe is amazing when it comes down to cleaning stains and germs. People don’t even suspect the great number of germs in kitchen worktops and bathroom tubs. You can remove light stains, sprinkle a dash of salt, squeeze lemon juice over the stain and of course give it a good scrub with the pulp side of the lemon. Go away overnight and then rinse with water.
• To expel harder stains, similar to red wine, try to clean those with hydrogen peroxide with warm water. Simply dab onto the stain with a cotton swab or other fabric and then wipe and polish for immediate result. If you have to polish metal areas, or simply tableware – try mixing lemon juice and salt. This cleaning solution is perfect for old dirty dishes and even blenders.

4.Washing soda to.. wash and clean?

Washing soda is quite popular as sodium carbonate decahydrate or soda ashes. It is often mistaken with to baking soda.It is a natural solution to literally break down grease and thus removing various stains, while at the same time softens water.  

Here are two other great ways to use it’s cleaning power:

• Clean fireplace smoke and soot. The cleaning procedure is pretty simple. All you’ll need is a bucket of warm water, and half a cup of washing soda. You better wear gloves of course. Apply to your chosen surface and rinse it afterwards. This homemade cleaning solution is so strong it could peel wax of wooden flooring. Nota Bene – never apply to aluminium. It’s highly recommended to only clean glass, i.e. windows, brick, stone or wood before it’s painted.
• Cleaning your BBQ – most kings of the grill narrow down their bbq clean to merely a steel brush. Anybody who’s done it is aware of the amount of dirt and grease in there. If you’re determined to save yourself that amount of scrubbing next time – mix a gallon of water with one or two cups of washing soda. Give some time for the cleaning power to kick in, let’s say a night and on the other day you can simply finish it with a light soap and water wash.

Now you have a handful of great homemade cleaning hacks in case you run out modern products!