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This month Annette King from Kingswood Eco Cleaning gives us some tips for how to keep our homes clean and fresh using natural products.

We all need a helping hand sometimes with our cleaning, especially when it comes to stains and stubborn marks.

Usually we just reach out for conventional cleaners from the supermarket shelves. If we believed all they told us our cupboards would be overflowing with cleaning products (I suspect that most of them are). The only reason they want us to believe this is so they can continue to make a profit.

There are many natural products that you can buy to carry out all your cleaning needs. The most useful are Bicarbonate of Soda, Vinegar, Lemons, essential oils and olive oil. Armed
with these ingredients you can clean in an earth friendly way. You will also have more room under the kitchen sink!

Whitener for Grout
If your grout is looking a bit grubby between the tiles, mix a small amount of Bicarbonate of Soda with a little distilled malt vinegar (the white one) to a smooth paste. Press into the grouted area and leave for 1 hour, scrub the paste out with a tooth brush, the results will amaze you.
Cleaning a Smelly Sink
Sinks can sometimes become very smelly over time. Instead of reaching for the 'heavy duty' sink cleaner, try this; take 150gms of Bicarbonate of Soda and pour down the offending sink, to this add ½ cup of Distilled Vinegar and a few drops of Lemon Oil. It will bubble and hiss,
(the kids love it!) Leave for about an hour or overnight if possible, then pour a kettle of Hot water down the sink and the smell will be gone.
Cleaning the Inside of a Microwave
Our microwaves can become quite mucky and a good way to clean them is to place half a fresh lemon in a dish with a little water. Place in the microwave and cook on high for about 10 seconds (for an 800w oven). The steam from the water, mixed with the acidic acid from the lemon will help soften the grease and baked on stains. Just wipe off with a damp cloth and rinse!
Make Your Own Furniture Polish

Conventional Polish can be quite potent, but you can make your own: using a plastic spray bottle, put in a ¼ of a cup of olive oil and 12 drops of lemon oil mixed with water, shake and spray a little onto a cloth and wipe the furniture. Buff off with a clean dry cloth.
Remember to shake the bottle before each use. This is not suitable for plastic, Formica or glass furniture because of the oil, but you can use a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water with just a few drops of Lavender oil in another spray bottle and then buff with a dry cloth after spraying.

Make Your Own Natural Air Freshener
Once you have carried out all your cleaning, you will want to create a nice relaxing atmosphere. Why not make your own Air-Freshener, much better than the toxic variety! Take a small spray bottle and fill with cold water. Add to this about 12 drops of Organic Lavender Oil and a ¼ teaspoon of Bicarbonate of Soda, shake gently and spray. Ohhh lovely!

For more hints and tips visit www.kingswoodecocleaning.com/cleaning-tips.php

© Ethical Earth Limited / Kingswood Eco Cleaning 1st January 2008

 

 

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