Sustainable house cleaning
Sustainable house cleaning
Unfortunately, house cleaning is a task that we will continue to do for the rest of our lives. We are all guilty of stocking up on the cheapest products or buying bulk when our favourite one is on sale. However, just because these products are good for our wallet doesn’t mean they are good for our health or the environment.
Did you know these cleaning products contain harmful chemicals that can trigger or cause allergies and also leave you with long term health problems? Next time, instead of reaching for your favourite store bought all-purpose spray & antiseptic wipes, consider swapping to one or more of the below Eco & family-friendly cleaning solutions.
Lemon
Lemons will become your new best friend! Lemons are natures antiseptic and odour control. Due to their high acidic content they can be used in all areas of your home. How you can incorporate lemons into your cleaning routine:
- Dipping a half cut lemon in salt can give your copper/silver pots their shine back after a good scrub
- Marinate lemon peel & white vinegar in a jar or bottle for a couple of days and enjoy a fresh smelling, powerful all purpose cleaner (remove the peel before use)
- Use slices of lemon to disinfect surfaces such as your chopping boards
Baking soda- otherwise known as Bi Carb Soda
Due to the mildly alkaline nature of baking soda, you can use this product to remove baked on grime, food and rust. Due to baking soda’s absorbent nature using this method on greasy areas will be a walk in the park. Baking soda uses:
- Stove, pot & baking trays: Combined with water or vinegar, create a small paste and scrub on affected areas. If you are needed a more powerful solution leave the paste on the affected areas for a few hours and scrub off.
- Oven cleaning: A great family friendly oven cleaning method is to create a thick paste of baking soda and water, apply it all over your oven (or just the affected areas) leave over night before scraping off and wiping down – No more harmful chemical near your food!
- Carpet & Mattress Cleaning: To keep your carpets & mattresses smelling and looking fresh, sprinkle some baking soda and let it rest for 15 minutes or more before vacuuming. The baking soda absorbs odour quickly and effectively.
Vinegar
The one and only champion of Eco-friendly cleaning! Due to vinegar’s acidity is makes for a great cleaner, dissolving soap scum, streak free glass cleaning and much more.
Here are some of our top vinegar cleaning tips:
- By combining equal parts vinegar and baking soda you can scrub away tough stains such as coffee and red wine from cups.
- Run vinegar through your dishwasher and washing machine monthly to keep them clean.
- Pour a cup of diluted white vinegar in the toilet bowl and leave over night before scrubbing and watch it return to a pearly white state
Cloths
Another area of Eco-Cleaning revolves around what you use to wipe and wash surfaces with. Disinfectant wipes can be handy as they are both a cloth and spray in one. However, they overflow land fill (as they are single use) and have harmful chemicals in them. Options for biodegradable wash cloths can be using old face towels, using biodegradable cloths from speciality online stores or for a cheaper option reuse your Chux (wash them in the washing machine after a few washes to clean them before reusing them).
Store bought products
Although mainstream supermarkets don’t have a wide or any Eco-Friendly cleaning product range doesn’t mean they don’t exist! You can purchase family and environmentally friendly products from independent supermarkets, health food stores and online. A quick “Eco-Friendly cleaning products” search will bring up 100s of products that you can get delivered to your door!
Jim’s Cleaning has developed a range of family and environmentally safe products that are used by our professional cleaners on a daily basis. These products are enzyme cleaners, meaning they won’t trigger allergies and won’t damage any surfaces while still providing an excellent clean. You can purchase your Jim’s Cleaning products at Godfreys, in store or online here: Jim’s Cleaning Product Range