We all know with spring comes spring cleaning and we may not always have the necessary supplies on hand to really get down to grit and grime. So here are some helpful DIY cleaning solutions to help you get your home Spring ready!
Thanks to Hello Homestead, for putting together this list of DIY Natural Stove Top Cleaners and testing them out, so we don't have to.
1/4 c. Dish Soap + 1/2 c. Baking Soda + 1/4 c. Hydrogen Peroxide
Remove coil from your stove-top, if applicable
Drizzle the dish soap over the affected areas
Sprinkle soapy spots with baking soda
Drizzle the hydrogen peroxide over the dish soap and baking soda paste
Let sit for 15-30 minutes
Scrub with a scrubbing pad
Wipe clean with a damp cloth or rinse and dry.
The paste can be a little messy and difficult to remove and it may take a fair amount of scrubbing. It may wipe up crusty bits underneath the burners as well.
1 T. Salt + 1 T. Baking Soda + 1 T. Water
1/2 c. Distilled White Vinegar + 1/2 c. Water
1 c. Distilled White Vinegar + 1/2 c. Lemon Juice + 1 t. Baking Soda
Not only did we try out recipes from Hello Homestead, but we researched and researched to find multiple kinds of natural cleaning options from all sorts of different sources. We even came up with a couple cleaning solutions for ourselves.
All Purpose Cleaner
This all purpose cleaner can be used all over the home to wipe down surfaces, and sanitize your home. Equal parts white vinegar and water. Add around 10 drops of essential oils to offset the vinegar smell, however this smell should disappear soon after cleaning down surfaces. You can also try infusing your vinegar with the rind of lemons or oranges to offset the scent. You can do this by adding citrus rinds to a jar, cover with white vinegar, seal and store in a cupboard for 2-4 weeks. Once the vinegar has infused, strain and use alongside normal vinegar in this mixture to add a fresh scent (this is a concentrated liquid so you don't need much of it to get a nice smell). Avoid use on marble, stone or granite surfaces.
Stain Remover
1/4 c. White Vinegar
1/4 c. bicarbonate of soda
Castile Soap (or any liquid soap)
2 c. Water
Spray Bottle
Mix together the above listed ingredients and store in a spray bottle, we like glass spray bottles. Give it a good shake and use whenever you have a tough stain on your clothes, carpet or rugs.
Carpet Deodorizer
Fill a jar with bicarbonate of soda and 10 drops of essential oil. Shake together and store for use on carpets when they need freshening up. Shake over carpet, leave for up to 30 minutes and simply vacuum. Your carpets should smell really lovely and fresh. The great thing about this recipe is its simplicity and effectiveness!
Drain Cleaner
Dealing with blocked drains happens more often than you may think when managing vacation home rentals. Unfortunately, you'll have guests put food, grease, hair and much more questionable items down the drains that simply need to go in the trash. Simply pour bicarbonate of soda followed by some white vinegar down your drain. These two ingredients react together to break down any dirt, grime and grease clogging the drain. After 10-15 minutes, pouring boiling hot water down the drain to clean everything out. Keep note that pouring boiling water down the pipes could melt plastic pipes, so only do so with metal pipes. If you have plastic pipes, turn the hot water tap on and that should do the trick.
Floor Cleaner
Vinegar is so versatile and can be used to clean and disinfect in so many areas of the home! Simply add 1/4 c. to your bucket of hot water with a squeeze of castile soap and scrub away!
Oven Cleaner
1/4 c. bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon salt
water
Keep adding water bit by bit until you create a paste with the bicarbonate of soda and salt. Cover your oven in the mixture and let it sit overnight. Scrub and wipe clean the next day with a damp cloth! Voila, sparkling oven!
Microwave Cleaner
Place a small cup of vinegar and the juice of a lemon in the microwave and switch it on for 2 minutes. Leave the door closed for another minute or so to steam, then open the door and simply wipe down the inside with a damp cloth.
Chopping Board Cleaner
To disinfect your chopping boards, especially wooden, chop a lemon in half and rub over the surface of your chopping board and wipe clean. If you have any tough stains, you can squeeze some lemon juice onto the chopping board and let it sit for a few minutes before wiping it off.
Mold and Mildew
Fill a spray bottle with white vinegar (optional: add tea tree oil for added mold and mildew killing properties) and spray the affected areas. Let it sit for around 30 minutes and rinse off the area with warm water. Scrub off with a cloth if it needs some assistance!
Windows and Mirrors
Mix together 1 part white vinegar to 4 parts water and use on your windows or mirrors to polish and clean. I also add in some essential oils for a fresh scent. My favourite to use for this is lemon. Try to avoid doing this on a hot day as can leave streaks.