7 House Cleaning Tips for the Environmentally-Friendly Mom

Vinegar can do more than just aid in the odd recipe, and luckily, it’s a kitchen staple that you may already have in stock. Believe it or not, distilled vinegar can be particularly effective for cleaning purposes as an eco-friendly liquid capable of killing germs around your home. Housekeeping services often utilize vinegar as well for nontoxic cleaning purposes—because it works!

You can create your own germ-killing vinegar solution by simply mixing white vinegar with water in a 1:1 ratio, and storing it in a spray bottle for convenient use. In addition to breaking up grease, this solution dries quickly and will leave an attractive shine on the various surfaces of your home.

If you have a baby in your household, you are familiar with the struggle of what may feel like endless diaper runs to the store. Unfortunately, the mountains of soiled diapers this creates can be detrimental to the environment, as it adds to the massive paper waste sent to local landfills. This is why cloth diapers have become more popular as an eco-friendly alternative to normal diapers, as they can be washed regularly and reused. However, if the responsibility of regularly washing these diapers feels like too much work, there are a number of diaper brands with their products available online that offer biodegradable or disposable products.

Unlike artificial air fresheners, having plants in your home can provide both a fresh, pleasant scent while also naturally filtering the air. Plants such as English ivies, peace lilies, and spider plants serve this purpose most effectively. Plus, in addition to acting as natural air filters, houseplants can serve as lovely decorations for your home.

Using reusable shopping bags for your trips to the store is a simple, yet impactful way to reduce your plastic waste. Reusable bags are highly available, usually for sale at the fronts of stores or online in a variety of different sizes, colors, and designs. Store them in a closet or in your car to ensure that they are easily available for you to use even for your rushed trips out to the store.

If you were surprised by the cleaning capabilities of vinegar, wait until you try adding lemon juice to your cleaning routine! To adequately polish hardwood floor, simply mix half a cup of lemon juice with one cup of olive oil to create a pleasantly fragrant, effective polishing solution. In addition, undiluted lemon juice can also be used to remove marks in your bathtub, as well as clear away stains on your furniture, kitchen counters, and carpets.

Make use of the old newspapers you may have lying around your home by using them to wipe down surfaces. As an alternative to paper towels, newspapers can be used to wipe down windows and mirrors without leaving grimy streaks or pieces of lint behind on their surfaces.

Eradicate the irritating populations of fruit flies in your home by creating your own homemade fruit fly repellant. By taking a mason jar or a similar container and mixing equal parts dish soap and apple cider vinegar, you can rid your home of fruit flies without resorting to chemical fly traps or fly tape. The flies will be attracted to the vinegar, and then the soap will be able to trap them within the solution. This may be particularly helpful during the summer when their numbers are growing rampant!