With the weather being as harsh and cold as it has been the last few weeks, it's almost hard to believe that spring is actually around the corner. To children, and your husband more than likely, spring is all about enjoyable weather with endless activities. For the ladies however, it is the time of year we naturally begin decluttering and Spring cleaning. This is also the time of year that the household product market sees a significant upward trend in the sales of cleaning products. Americans spend millions upon millions each year in products they believe to be the best for cleaning their home. However, are these truly the best products you can use to clean your home or are the marketing strategies used by manufacturers influencing what you use?
Truth is, through the years, our society has focused more on technology, academics and extracurricular activities. As these things are great, being taught how to clean and what products to use and when, along with other important life skills have slowly fell by the wayside.
Sometimes the best products to use in cleaning are also products found around the house. Here are a few products I use religiously in cleaning and a few, but not all of their many uses. Using products that have multi uses can save money and space and let's face it, both space and money are in high demand in any home.
Borax - Borax is a naturally occurring mineral compound that contains boron, sodium and oxygen. It doesn't sound very complex with so few ingredients but it's uses are endless! I use borax in a multitude of ways; including but not limited to slime - thanks to my grade school daughters. Growing up I remember seeing the borax box several places in my grandmother's home. I never did get the opportunity to learn it's uses straight from the generation that used it most, but I have researched (and tried) these uses and find them to be very useful. Borax kills and repels insects. This should be mandatory for those who have dust mite allergies. Sprinkle borax on the carpet, let it sit for 20 mins and then vacuum up. It kills the dust mites already present and repels new dust mites from the area. It also helps neutralize odors in the carpet. Sugar ants in the summer, especially in the south, can be a nuisance - sprinkling a little borax around the bottom of your cabinets and doors will help repel them from your home.
Vinegar - Vinegar is a very potent cleaner that can be used in multiple ways: degreaser, sanitizer, odor neutralizer, etc. I use a vinegar solution when cleaning my hardwood floor almost always. Vinegar is a great laundry addition to your regimen - it helps neutralize odors in clothing, such as cigarette smoke and sweat and helps brighten your whites and it also keeps reds from running - bleeding onto other colors - which happens frequently in our house when my husband tries to "help" do laundry! Vinegar has multiple kitchen uses - canning, food and vegetable wash, cooking. Many people don't use it very often in cleaning because of it's strong smell but a couple drops of lemon essential oil (
Baking Soda - I love baking soda - and back to my previous mention of my grandmother - she used it for everything...!!! Indigestion - "make some soda water", (neturalizes acid to minimize heart burn), Cleaning hardwood floors - "baking soda"; Refrigerator smells bad - "Put a box of baking soda in it", can't get the sour gym smell out of clothes or towels - "put baking soda in the wash water", shoes smell awful - "sprinkle some baking soda in them and set them out in the sun", got caked on grease on stainless steel pans - "use baking soda and scrub them" my dog stinks even after I bathe him - "use baking soda in bath water or use dry baking soda and sprinkle on coat in between baths to help neutralize the odor" - also this helps kill fleas and parasites. Ice on front porch steps - "Sprinkle baking soda - provides traction and melts ice" , water bugs or household roaches under the sink - "sprinkle a little baking soda - they eat the baking soda dehydrate and die" - she had answers for any way you could use baking soda. Now, almost every grocery trip includes one or two boxes of baking soda.
Rubbing alcohol - Many people only associate rubbing alcohol with wounds or antiseptic. However, rubbing alcohol excels in the cleaning department. It's an awesome glass and stainless-steel cleaner. It removes oils efficiently. If you have adhesive (such as a sticker residue) a surface that you find difficult to remove - soak it in rubbing alcohol - it dissolves the adhesive. Rubbing alcohol removes pen and permanent marker stains from most surfaces, with the exception being things that have a surface with flat paint. If you have fruit flies, which are another nuisance in summers beneath the Mason Dixon line, a fine mist of rubbing alcohol misted over them will kill them, and it works - Praise the Lord. I don't know who all needs to hear this, since we don't normally deal with ice/snow but if your windshield has frost on it - don't waste your time getting soaking wet with the water hose or a pitcher of water, pour a little rubbing alcohol on it - you don't have to be concerned that the temperature difference will crack the windshield, you don't have to get soaking wet with water before work/school and it also leaves your windshield kind of clean!
Hydrogen Peroxide - Hydrogen peroxide is a great antibacterial. It also kills fungi and yeast making this a great alternative to the cleaning and sanitizing powers of bleach. Bleach is harsh chemical to inhale - hydrogen peroxide is a much safer alternative bleach. Hydrogen peroxide and dawn dishwashing liquid make a great laundry stain remover and much cheaper than most stain treatment
