Natural Cleaning Agents

Right from your door mat to your fridge to your curtains, sink, washrooms, floors and even utensils and windows, everything gets dirty. Once dirty you need to clean these things and while some like utensils and clothes demand frequent cleaning, others like carpets and curtains may last longer. Whatever the duration of the cleaning requirement, chemical cleaning agents find their way into our homes sooner or later.

The chemicals damage us in more ways than one and are extremely harmful for the environment too. With just a bit of caution and some well planning we can eliminate chemicals from our cleaning system and yet enjoy fantastic results.

Some natural substances that help clean dirt are detailed below with some tips on how to use them:

• Vinegar – This is a very strong cleaning agent and does not have any negative side effects for either the user or the environment. The trick however is to learn how to use this substance in order to clean and disinfect. Understand first that when using vinegar as a cleaning agent; always opt for the white variety. Black vinegar stains and will ruin your cleaning process. Vinegar mixed some water and boiled in a coffee pot will clean it like a whistle. Vinegar works well to clean brass also and it is very handy in fighting odors that may have set in the microwave or the dishwasher.
• Baking soda – This one is another great cleaning agent that works great on various types of stains. Baking soda mixed with some salt and some borax powder will make a fantastic floor cleaner. Simply scrub the mixture on the floor in circular motions and wash clean with water. In no time you will find your floors clean and sparkling and that too without a drop of chemicals.
• Lemon – This tangy fruit is a great cleaning agent too and works fantastically in cases where apart from the dirt; one has to fight the smelly odors too. The juice of the lemon helps keep glass clean and stain free. Mixed with some lemon grass oil and hot water, lemon juice is great as a room fresher too. The peel of lemon works beautifully to clean the bath tub and also to remove odors from the fridge.
• Salt – This white powder helps make out food taste better but it is also great as a cleaning agent. Be it wooden floors, pots or even slime ridden under the basin dirt, salts works well to cut it all. This is also the reason why most homemade cleaning formulas will adopt salt as one of its ingredients. Using salt in warm water tends to intensify the effects of this powder and clean much better.

There are many other similar natural substances that have multipurpose cleaning use. The trick is simply learning what product to use to clean which dirt. Remember even before chemical cleaners were adopted, houses were being cleaned. So the trick is simply to stick with the natural cleaners and kick the chemical ones.