By Sumaiyya Naseem
Detergents and store-bought cleaning products work well but they’re also bad for the environment.
The waste water after cleaning is filled with strong chemicals that spoil the earth and sometimes mix in the sea. Reduce (or completely eliminate) the use of chemicals by making natural disinfectants at home.
1. Kitchen and Bathroom Detergent: Baking soda and water can be mixed to create a cleaner for porcelain tiles, bathroom surfaces, kitchen counters and stainless steel sinks.
2. De-greasers: Make a paste using baking soda and water and leave it for a while on the area that needs to be cleaned. Lemon and vinegar’s acidic quality is perfect for de-greasing as well.
3. Tarnish remover: Use lemon juice and baking soda to clean and polish your silverware and jewelry.
4. Toilet Cleaner: Combine vinegar with baking soda to use as a toilet cleaner.
5. Mop floor: Add vinegar to the water you’ll use for floor mopping.
6. Bleach: If your white clothes needs bleaching soak them in lemon juice mixed with water and leave it out in the sun for a few hours.
7. Harmless disinfectant: Combine two cups of water, three tablespoons of liquid soap and 20-30 drops of tea tree oil to make an environment friendly disinfectant.
8. Scouring powder: Mix one cup of baking soda with half cup salt and half cup of borax. It will work wonders in cleaning soap scum from tubs. You can use it for removing other nasty sticky stains from floors and tile surfaces.
9. Dishwasher cleaner: Fill a dishwasher safe bowl with 2 cups of vinegar and place in the top rack of the dishwasher. Set the dishwasher on one round of the hot cycle to remove the stains and odor.
10. Mud stain remover: After the mud dries wash it with a paste of borax and water.
