How to Keep You Home Clean and Green

As we move away from the sluggish winter season we start looking forward to all the green and new possibilities of Spring and Summer. Most of us are familiar with spring cleaning rituals, but this year my ritual has changed and I have adopted a new way of cleaning which involves using only natural ingredients and hot steam.

The web is full of natural cleaning solutions and steam cleaning mops that can help keep your home clean and green but I will list some of the things I have tried that have worked and I stick by.

I have found that to clean green you will need the following containers

What you need:

• Plastic squirt bottles of various sizes.

• Plastic spray bottles.

• Misters (plastic pump spray bottles).

• Coffee cans with lids.

• Cotton cloths (to use instead of paper towels).

Natural Cleaning ingredients.

Warning beforehand: If you use natural ingredients like tea tree oil, lemon, vinegar, or baking soda keep in mind that you should treat them as you would commercial cleaners where you put on gloves when you are washing or scrubbing and you do not swallow any of the natural cleaning solutions.

Cleaning with natural ingredients brings you closer to mother nature and allows you to feel easier about cleaning your home especially when you have babies or toddlers that are still crawling around floors and carpets and put almost anything in their mouths. Natural cleaning ingredients I use are lemons, hot water and vinegar. I usually mix it all together and put it to a spray bottle. It can help clean and sanitize counter tops and sinks after preparing raw meat and chicken. However, for the latter, I use my steam cleaner and convert it into a hand steamer and load the top tank with lemon, water and vinegar so that I can get a proper steam cleaning in my kitchen. A simple and effective way to freshen up your kitchen is to cut a lemon in half and just scrub the sink and counter top with it.

This is my favorite dishwashing recipe, I know there are so many out there but if you have any please me know your favorite.

DIY Natural Dishwashing liquid

1/4 cup soap flakes

2 cups hot water

1/4 cup glycerin

1/2 teaspoon lemon essential oil

Directions.

1) In bowl combine soap flakes and water and stir until the soap is dissolved.

2) Stir in the glycerin and the essential oil, leave to cool. As it cools it will form a loose gel. Stir with a fork and break up the gel and then pour into an old shampoo bottle or any other similar shaped container.

3) To use, squirt 3 teaspoonfuls into hot running water.

Tea Tree Oil

My personal favorite natural cleaning agent is Australian tea tree oil. Australian tea tree oil is broad in its function that its a germicide, fungicide and a bactericide. Tea tree oil helps kill mold and mildew by just mixing in two teaspoons of Australian tea tree oil in a spray bottle with two cups of warm water. When you spray you shouldn't scrub but let the smell and solution absorb for a few days.Tea Tree oil and essential oils are a great way to add scent and disinfect stains and messes. You can use lemon essential oil to clean your microwave

What you will need.

1/4 cup baking soda

1 teaspoon vinegar

5-6 drops thyme, lemongrass, or lemon essential oil

Combine all ingredients to make a paste. Apply to the walls and floor of the microwave with a soft cloth or sponge. Rinse well and leave the microwave door open to air-dry for about 25-minutes.

Make Your own Natural Healthy Disinfectant Spray:

2 Cups Water

1/4 Cup White Vinegar

1/4 tsp. Tea Tree Oil

1/4 tsp. Lavender Oil

Combine and store in a spray bottle. Shake occasionally. Use wherever a disinfectant spray is needed.

As a busy mother of 3 my cleaning time is always cut short so what I do with tea tree oil and my steam cleaner is I put 3 teaspoons of tea oil in the front tank and steam spray my tea tree oil solution into the grout in the shower. This helps repel mold and mildew. If you don't use a steam cleaner, then what will happens is that it will kill the mold but it won't take away the mold discoloration.

I also use tea tree oil in the laundry. I add ½ teaspoon of tea tree oil to towels and bedding and other fabrics that are prone to getting moldy.

There are a lot of natural remedies out there that do work but require more elbow work then most commercial cleaners which means you can be cleaning for longer.I suggest investing in a steam cleaning mop that uses hot steam to help clean and disinfect your home. A good carpet steam cleaner or handheld steam cleaner only uses water and no other detergent. If you are interested in getting one the best thing to do is check out steaming cleaning mop reviews and find out which steam cleaner would be good for you. I myself have purchased many in the past so I always try to look up reviews when I'm getting a new one. The steam cleaner I use now which works wonders and uses nothing but regular warm tap water and anything else I add to it.

So there you have it, simple solutions to keeping your home clean and green.

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Floor Cleaning: Tips on How to Clean and Maintain Your Floor

A beautiful floor can provide extra attraction to your house especially when it is properly maintained. Whether your floor is made of tiles, hardwood or stone, cleaning it requires proper application. If you wish to clean your own floor, follow the tips below and you will surely keep your floor look pretty for the years to come.

Vinegar Solution

If your floor requires quick maintenance use a vinegar solution. Mix a half gallon of warm water to 3 cups vinegar (the ratio will depend on the size of the area you are going to clean) and then use a mop to clean the area. If your floor looks listless and dull then you definitely need to mop it with a vinegar solution.

You can use this cleaning agent to all types of floor except marble floors. Floor experts believe that vinegar won't work on hardwood floors as well. On the other hand, some home owners find this to be untrue. If you're curious about this, the best thing for you to do is test it yourself.

Cleaning Ceramic Floors with Squeegee

Like any other types of floors, ceramic floors are functional and beautiful only when it's new. As it ages, ceramic floors will eventually look dull. Cleaning it with vinegar solution is fine but cleaning with a squeegee can be better. Squeegee is used for window cleaning, but least assured that it can also clean your floor just as fine.

To clean, mop the area first with soap mixed with warm water. After which, improvise a pole where you will attach your squeegee (this is so that you won't hurt your back in the long run). Draw the pole across the floor removing the soapy solution as this will make the floor clean. Clean the squeegee with a dry cloth after every stroke.

Candle Wax Stain and Gum Stain

To remove this kind of stain on your floor you need the following: ice cubes, a dull knife, paper towels and iron. First you need to apply cold pressure using ice cube. See to it that the wax is still wet before you apply. After which, scrape the wax using a dull knife and cover the affected area with several layers of paper towel. Lastly, run a warm iron on top of the paper towels. This will allow the candle wax to soften and seep into the towels.

On the other hand, gum that finds its way on your floor can be troublesome if not treated right. To remove gum on your floor, simply apply cold pressure using ice cube and it will eventually harden. If you're sure that it's hard enough, scrape it off using a dull knife.

As tedious as it may seem, cleaning and maintaining your floor is not that bad. If you can find the passion to do so, you may as well enjoy a beautiful and shiny floor for as long as you wanted. Learning the tips above will surely help a lot, or if not give you added information on how to maintain your floor effectively.

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Butcher Chopping Block Maintenance: How to Clean and Oil in Five Easy Steps

Wooden counter tops add warmth and beauty to any kitchen. Unlike other trendy counter top surfaces, wooden counter tops are timeless and never go out of style. They also add functional value to a kitchen that appeals to chefs and foodies. However, they are not completely care free. They need to be kept clean and sealed in order to maintain the surface. Proper maintenance will not only lengthen the life of your counter top, but will keep it hygienic. Five easy steps for maintaining all of your wooden cutting surfaces, including counter tops and chopping blocks are listed below.

You will need:

Dish detergent

Scrubby sponge

White vinegar

Either lemon juice and salt Or water and baking soda

Mineral oil

Step one - Clean.

Cleaning the board with warm soapy water and a scrubbing sponge will get off any visible debris and will remove a small amount of oil from the board. Use warm water and scrub gently. You aren't trying to sanitize with this step so don't use hot water. Hot water is unnecessarily aggressive and will damage the board over time. Rinse all of the soap off when the surface is clean.

A word of caution - do not submerge portable boards in water. Water will soak into the wood fibers causing the wood to swell and warp. This breaks the glue bond in the lamination. Then as the wood dries, it cracks.

Step two - Sanitize.

Sanitize your butcher board by wiping it down with full strength white vinegar. Why vinegar? Vinegar is an effective disinfectant against common kitchen bugs such as e.coli, staphylococcus, and salmonella. Vinegar is not damaging to the wood fibers like chlorine bleach. Chlorine bleach is corrosive and it's effects are accumulative. Over time it changes the color of the wood and it breaks down the lignan (the natural glue between the fibers). The wood will look ashy even after it is oiled and the fibers will have microscopic tatters for bacteria to hide in. It's a good idea to keep a spray bottle of vinegar handy to use as a regular sanitizer for your wooden cutting surfaces.

I use vinegar and air drying to sanitize my wooden counter tops and it works great. However, if you need extra assurances, you can allow your butcher board to dry after the vinegar treatment, then wipe it down with 3% hydrogen peroxide.

After sanitizing, you can move to steps four and five, allowing the board to dry and then oiling it. Or you can do some additional deep cleaning as in step three if you have a heavy build up of oils, odors, or stains.

Step three - Deep Cleaning

Make a paste of salt and lemon juice OR water and baking soda. Using a scrubby sponge, lightly swirl the paste around focusing on stains if you have any. This paste mixture will lightly strip away old oils. It will also deodorize the wood and lighten stains. Both lemon juice and baking soda are aggressive cleaners so don't allow them to just sit on the board for hours. Just gently scrub the paste around for a few minutes and rinse it completely away when you are done.

Step four - Dry

Allow block to dry completely....over night is best. A dry environment is the best defense against bacteria, mold and virus. Allowing the board to dry completely before oiling it helps to lock moisture OUT rather than sealing it in. Also, the dryer the wood is, the more easily it will soak up oil.

Before you oil your butcher board look it over. If you still have stains use a sanding block to remove light stains or use a palm sander with a fine grit paper to sand down the entire board.

Step five - Seal with oil

Oil your butcher board. Oiling your wooden counter tops and cutting boards helps to protect the wood from damage and keeps the surface hygienic. The oil creates a water resistant barrier. It keeps the wood dry and keeps bacteria out. The best oil to use is food grade mineral oil as it will not go rancid the way vegetable based oils will. This can be found in the laxative department of your local drug store or you may find it also at your local hardware store. Just pour a little onto the board and rub it in with your clean hands or use a clean lint free rag. If you really want to pump up the water resistance of your oil, you can warm it and add bees wax or paraffin to it. Use a ratio of one part wax to nine parts oil. When this oil has soaked into your wood, it will leave behind a thin waxy layer that is even more water resistant!

Every type of counter top needs basic maintenance. Granite needs polishing. The grout in a tile counter top needs scrubbing. A wooden counter top or butcher chopping block needs to be cleaned and oiled. With a little bit of care your wooden cutting surfaces can last life times and add functional value to your kitchen.

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Tips on How to Clean Your Windows

Window cleaning is an important way to ensure that your home and business look their best. Not only will this provide you with a warm and welcoming appearance, but it can also help to preserve the glass of your windows, since the dirt and grime that can build up on them can cause scratching.

There are some simple ways that you can keep your windows clean outside of hiring a window washing company. Take a moment to consider these tips are being some of the things you can do.

To begin with, you will want to use clean water with just a little soap when possible. A mild soap is going to help to break down the grease that can build up on your windows and leave them looking cleaner, without the dangerous chemicals that are often found in industrial solutions. Of course, you will need to ensure that right after your window cleaning that you do dry off the windows with a squeegee to prevent streaking.

Something to keep in mind when you are window washing is that your water is going to need to be changed regularly. If the water becomes too dirty, you are going to find that you end up spreading around the dirt, rather than ever getting it clean. A little discoloring isn't going to be an issue in the water, but as soon as it becomes murky, you will want to replace it.

Another important part of window washing will be to use a scraper to remove buildup on the windows before you wash it. If you try to wash the window while the hard buildup is there, it will be possible that you end up smearing the dirt and creating a bigger mess. Just make sure that you are being gentle as you scrape the glass to avoid putting scratches on it.

An important part of window cleaning that is often overlooked is how to proceed with the window washing. It is important that you begin outside and work to the inside of windows to ensure that you are getting the best results possible. With that, you will also want to clean from the top of your windows to the bottom to ensure that you are pushing down the mess, rather than from side to side instead. After all, what you are looking for is to have the cleanest windows possible.

As you are window cleaning, make sure that you do wash in a circular motion, and then dry with the squeegee from the top of the window to the base. The circular motion is going to break down the dirt better and help to ensure that window streaking is reduced.

Keep these simple steps in mind when you are looking to wash your windows. By following this advice, you do increase the chance you have for success and ensure that your windows are going to look great every time you set out to wash them.

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Inexpensive Ways to Clean Your Toilet

Baking Soda:

To clean your toilet bowl naturally, dump in half a box of baking soda and let it stand in the bowl overnight. In the morning, flush the toilet several times to remove all the dirt and grime. Run a brush around the ring to loosen any part of the ring that remains. Flush again and that's it!

With this toilet cleaning method, you can be the Queen of Green by using the baking soda that you've had open in the fridge to soak up musty odors and moisture. Just open a new box of baking soda and place it in the back of the refrigerator. Take the old box and put 1/2 box in your toilet bowl. If your home has two toilets, you can clean both of them at the same time, using 1/2 box in one toilet and 1/2 box in the other.

Baking Soda and Vinegar:

Pour one cup of white vinegar into your toilet and let it soak for half an hour. Now dip your toilet brush in the toilet bowl and sprinkle it with baking soda. Scrub the inside of the toilet bowl. Re-sprinkle the brush with baking soda a couple more times. Flush twice, and your toilet will glisten.

Note that vinegar is an excellent fungus and mold killer. If you have black mold in your toilet, especially under the rim, be sure to dip your brush in the vinegar and run the brush under the rim. Wait 30 minutes and scrub with baking soda and brush.

Borax:

If you were a child in the '50s or '60s, you may remember 20-Mule-Team Borax. This stuff will blast through lime deposits and black mold. Make a paste of Borax and lemon juice or white vinegar and rub under the toilet bowl rim and on ring. Let it sit on porcelain for awhile, scrub and rinse.

Tea Tree Oil:

Tea Tree Oil is a natural disinfectant and cleanser. Add one tablespoon to a gallon of warm water. Pour in the bowl for a few minutes. Scrub and swish. It smells good, too. You can put some of the liquid into a spray bottle and use it on the outside of the toilet, too. Since tea tree oil is an essential oil, you can buy it anywhere that natural cleaning products, essential oils and supplements are sold. A little tea tree oil goes a long way.

What About the Ring?

Bleach, Vinegar and Borax Power will obliterate a toilet bowl ring. So will scrubbing a toilet bowl ring with a pumuce stone.

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