A brand new year is nearing, it’s that time of the year where we do a lot of cleaning at home. Our home is an adventure cove for our little explorers who want to see what’s up, down and all around. In this article, we list some cleaning products that are not just child-safe, but also environmentally-friendly.
Window Cleaner
Mix water and white vinegar in a spray bottle. Use one tablespoon of vinegar per cup of water. Use newspaper as a lint-free “cloth” to wipe the windows clean. Microfibre cloths work as well if you don’t have an old newspaper. To remove a scratch from the window or glass, try rubbing a little toothpaste into it and polish. If vinegar and water cause your windows to look streaky, there is probably a wax buildup on your windows from previous commercial window cleaners. Remove the wax with rubbing alcohol. Vinegar and water will then work beautifully.
Bathroom Cleaner
Use plain white vinegar to clean your bathroom—it disinfects and gets rid of soap scum buildup. In a spray bottle, mix equal parts vinegar and water. Use the solution to clean bathroom fixtures, floor, bathtub, tiles and shower curtain. Rinse with water. To remove soap scum, mildew and bathtub grime, wipe with undiluted white vinegar and then scrub with baking soda on a damp sponge. Rinse with water.
Remove hard lime deposits around taps by covering with vinegar-soaked paper towels. Let it sit for an hour before cleaning. Chrome will be clean and shiny. Soak a clogged shower head in vinegar and water to remove deposits.
Kitchen Cleaner
As with the bathroom, baking soda and vinegar can be used on kitchen sinks and taps. To make your countertops sparkle, pour club soda on them, clean with a wipe-up towel, rinse with water and wipe dry.
Oven Cleaner
If you don’t have a self-cleaning oven, it’s probably better to have a dirty oven than to use commercial oven cleaners. Like drain cleaners, they contain lye, ammonia and other poisons. Here is a safer way of cleaning the oven: in a spray bottle, mix 2 tablespoons of liquid soap (not detergent), 2 teaspoons of borax (available at www.qoo10.sg) and fill to the top with warm water. Shake well until completely dissolved to prevent squirt device from clogging.
With rubber gloves and safety glasses, spray very close to the inside surfaces of the oven so that the solution does not disperse into the air. Let it sit for 20 minutes and scrub with steel wool and non-chlorine scouring powder. Prevent oven stains on your oven by lining the oven floor with aluminum foil. Place foil under the burner, but don’t let the foil touch the burner.
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