Household Items That Are Also Great Cleaners

• Category: Apartment Living, Apartment Maintenance, Being Environmentally Friendly, Feeling Great in Your Home
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Common chemical based cleaners can do a great job at cleaning, however, they can also be quite expensive, harmful to the environment, and potentially harmful to you and your pets. Below are some household items that can also be great cleaning products. Before cleaning your apartment with any of these items, we suggest that you do a spot test to make sure that these products will not cause damage on particular items. In addition, if you are intending to use these products on your apartment floor, walls, appliances, bathrooms, fixtures, etc. we recommend that you verify with your property management staff that these products will not damage the apartment.

Apple Cider Vinegar: Believe it or not, apple cider vinegar can work wonders on hard wood floors.

Baking Soda: Baking soda can be used in many ways.

1. To absorb odors in carpet, leave some baking soda on the section of carpet overnight, and vacuum it in the morning.
2. Add two tablespoons of baking soda to boiling water and pour this mixture over pans or dishes that have food stuck to them. Let this baking soda mixture sit for ten minutes before rinsing.
3. Combine baking soda and water to rinse hair combs and brushes.
4. Sprinkling some baking soda can reduce odors in garbage cans, diaper pails, shoes, and litter boxes.
5. Sprinkle on a wet sponge to use on pots and pans.

 

Club Soda: Club soda is great to use after a spill to avoid a stain setting. In addition, club soda can be useful for making countertops shine.

Lemon: When wiping the refrigerator down with water, add some lemon juice to create a fresh smell. Fresh cut lemon is also great for removing light stains from porcelain sinks, and removing stuck particles from glassware.

Pine Essential Oil: When diluted, pine essential oil is a great all purpose cleaner, and works especially well on tile and linoleum floors. Use caution with all essential oils as some people may have allergic reactions to the oils.

Vanilla Extract: Put just a tad of vanilla on a cloth to add a nice scent to whatever you are cleaning.

White Vinegar: White vinegar can be used in many ways.

1. To absorb odors, leave a cub of vinegar standing for a few hours.
2. When added to the final rinse cycle on a dishwasher, white vinegar will help prevent and remove water spots from glassware.
3. Dampen a cloth with white vinegar to use on stainless steel to remove water spots.
4. To remove hard water residue from a coffee pot, run vinegar through the coffee pot and then run 3 or more pots of water only.
5. For cleaning windows, add 2-3 tablespoons of vinegar per 1 gallon of water.
6. To remove soap residue in the shower or tub, use some white vinegar on a moistened sponge.