6 SIMPLE HOME CLEANING RECIPES YOU CAN CONCOCT IN THE KITCHEN

Image credit: The appliance judge.

Nowadays, there’s loads of commercially available home cleaners that can be conveniently purchased in stores with no issues. Unfortunately, these products also contain a lot of toxic chemicals and hazardous substances. More and more people are becoming aware that these chemical cleaners are dangerous to our health in the long run, and many more people have made the switch to using homemade cleaning products that are organic and safe to use.

The US National Center for Health Statistics has discovered that one in three people suffers from ailments such as allergies, asthma, bronchitis, or sinusitis. Some chemical-based cleaners have been found to trigger these conditions. Unfortunately, these common cleaning agents are still widely used, especially since manufacturers are not required to list down all the ingredients they use.

Here are some homemade cleaners that can be made using ingredients found in the kitchen:

All-Purpose Cleaner

• 1 part white vinegar

•  1 part water

•    Rosemary sprigs

• lemon rind

Mix all the ingredients together and pour into a spray bottle. Shake the bottle to mix thoroughly. Make the mixture more potent by leaving the bottle untouched for a week to allow the ingredients to steep before using it.

The solution can get rid of hard water stains and wall smudges. It can also clean trash cans and most surfaces.

Clothing Stain Remover

• 1 gallon hot water

• 1 cup regular liquid chlorine bleach (avoid ultra or concentrate)

• 1 cup powdered dishwasher detergent

Take precaution when using this DIY home cleaning recipe because it should only be used as a last resort on badly stained white clothes. Use bowls that are made of plastic, stainless steel, or enamel. Avoid aluminum bowls because it reacts with chlorine.

The clothes may be soaked in the prepared solution for 15-20 minutes. Once done, check if the stain is still in the garment. If it is already removed, wash the item regularly.

Disinfectant Wipes

• 1 cup water

• ¼ cup white vinegar

• 8 drops Eucalyptus essential oil

• 8 drops Tea Tree oil

• 8 drops lemon essential oil

• Old t-shirt or dish towels, cut into squares

 Mix all the liquid-based ingredients thoroughly before pouring into an empty container with the cut cloth squares placed inside. It helps to reuse an empty container so it is easy to pull out the cloth for use anytime.

 Homemade cloth disinfectant wipes are economical and environmentally friendly because they can be reused several times. There is no need to waste paper towels because the cloth can be washed and dried and used anew.

Glass Cleaner

• 2 cups water

• ½ cup white vinegar

• ¼ cup 70% rubbing alcohol

• 1-2 drops Orange essential oil (optional)

Windows and mirrors should be kept clean. The ingredients above can be mixed in a spray bottle to make a homemade glass cleaner. Apply the solution on the surface and use a paper towel or soft cloth to wipe.

 Remember that when using this solution, avoid cleaning windows on a hot, sunny day. The solution dries up too quickly and will leave behind lots of streaks.

Kitchen Cleaner and Deodorizer

• 4 tbsp baking soda

•   1 qt warm water

The insides of a refrigerator and surface of kitchen counters and appliances need to be cleaned periodically to stunt the growth of nasty bacteria and fungi. Fortunately, these microorganisms are no match for the mighty baking soda. Mix it with warm water to make stainless steel sinks and appliances shine.

The solution needs to be poured onto a clean sponge before wiping the surface. The mixture also has a deodorising effect.

Liquid Dish Soap

• ¼ cup warm distilled water

•   2 tsp kosher salt

• ½ cup white vinegar

• 1 tsp lemon juice

• ½ cup Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds

• 10-15 drops lemon essential oil (optional)

In a container, combine water with salt until dissolved completely. Use another bowl to mix the vinegar, Sal Suds, and lemon juice. Pour into the water-salt mixture and stir until it becomes thick.

What to Do With These Recipes

Making home cleaning supplies saves time and money because you no longer have to go to the supermarket. You can whip up a batch or two quickly just as long as all the ingredients are available. Apart from being convenient and cheap, these recipes may also be used to sell items online and start a business.

Creating your own organic home cleaning recipes helps ensure that the products are safe for animals and humans.  

Do you have a favourite home cleaning recipe that you love to use? Feel free to share it in the comments

CREATING A SUSTAINABLE KITCHEN WITH DUALIT

Dualit Classic Kettle and new gen toaster.

It's 5.30am at the weekend and my 14-month-old is full of the joys of spring. It's my turn to give the husband a lie in and I'm keen to get downstairs and start the day. Take on the world. carpe diem? or something like that. Anyhow, what better way to kick off the day than to make myself a cup of coffee and get that first caffeine fix using my new Dualit coffee bags.   

My Dualit Classic Kettle

Having tended to the wee man (not literally) and ensuring he is tucking into his brekkie (2 weetabix!!) in his high chair, I head to my Classic Dualit Kettle. Ah. There she is. In all her finery. What a beauty. It's not just the polished, stainless steel finish that shimmers in the early morning light that makes me love this kettle so much. It's the fact it's so darn quiet when the water is boiling. It's not like my old one that resembled a rocket launch every time I boiled it to make a cuppa. So, what makes it so quiet? well, the clever folk at Dualit have come up with a game changer patent; Whisper Boil Function. Don't ask me how it works, all I know is my quiet, serene, tranquil start to the day remains just that. By quiet, serene, tranquil I mean listening to bubba munch away on his weetbix and guzzle down his bottle of milk without taking a breather. That is the sound of one satisfied baby! 

Dualit compostable coffee bags

Now the kettle has boiled (in under 1 minute) I pour the boiled water into my favourite coffee cup – A 70s retro paisley pattern and I enjoy the Dualit Coffee which give that intense cafetière flavoured coffee I love minus the fuss and time of using a cafetière. Time is precious with a 14-month-old on the loose and the less work I have to do the easier my life is. And did I mention the flavours? Today I am having the Dualit Sumatra Mandheling, but I’ve also had the Dualit Intense compostable coffee bags and the Dualit Decaf Blend. Game changer right there. These coffees are strong and rich in flavour and the coffee bags are all compostable making them more sustainable for the environment. They even come in recycled cardboard boxes which is refreshing in itself to not have wasteful packaging. Thanks’ Dualit for giving me a Barista style coffee ready in 60 seconds from my own kettle is an absolute revelation.

Dualit compostable coffee bags.

One final thing, and in my book a crucial thing to note. The longevity, sustainability and value for money which this Classic Dualit Kettle has been so smartly designed.  It has a replacement element that ensures the kettle perpetually makes my favourite coffee. Having a replacement element means that when it does eventually fail (after all the use it gets in my house) you don't need to chuck the kettle out. You just order a replacement element from Dualit and connect it up and you're good to go and carry on getting that caffeine fix!

Dualit classic Toaster and New Gen Toaster.

Alongside my kettle I have been using my Dualit 2 Slice NewGen Toaster to make mine and little Jimmy's soldiers in the mornings to accompany our coffee, bottles of milk and Weetabix. This toaster has been with us since we moved into our house 8 years ago and bubba was just a twinkle in our eyes. The toaster, like the kettle has been designed with a replaceable element so you are on to a winner. Plus, like the kettle design, the toaster is also a design classic; curved stainless steel, retro, timeless design which is yet to fail me in its performance. No one makes a kettle or toaster quite like Dualit do. Built to last a lifetime and more sustainable for all of us. I’m sure we’ll still be talking about their timeless, clever design for many years to come.

Now, to cease the day! (carpe diem).

This post was sponsored by Dualit, however all opinions are 100% my own.