Tag: cleaning products

Spring-clean your home naturally: Ditch the chemicals for a sparkling clean (and healthy!) home

Spring-clean your home naturally: Ditch the chemicals for a sparkling clean (and healthy!) home

At long last, spring is in the air! Birds are chirping, flowers are emerging and that nagging feeling to deep clean your home is probably kicking in. But before you reach for those harsh, chemical-laden cleaning products, consider a gentler, more eco-friendly approach. Natural cleaning products are not only better for the environment, but they’re often safer for your family and pets and can be just as effective!

Here’s how to spring-clean your home naturally using everyday ingredients you likely already have in your larder:

The powerhouse ingredients

  • White vinegar: A versatile disinfectant, deodoriser and degreaser.
  • Baking soda: A mild abrasive, deodoriser and all-around cleaner.
  • Lemon juice: A natural disinfectant, brightener and delightful scent booster.
  • Essential oils: Add fragrance and antimicrobial properties (lavender, tea tree, clary sage and eucalyptus are popular choices).
  • Olive oil: Excellent for polishing wood furniture.
  • Castile soap: A gentle, all-purpose cleanser.

Your natural spring-cleaning checklist

1. Kitchen sparkle

  • Worktops: Wipe down with a solution of equal parts white vinegar and water. For tougher stains, sprinkle baking soda and scrub gently.
  • Oven: Create a paste of baking soda and water, apply it inside the oven and let it sit overnight. The following day, scrub and wipe clean.
  • Microwave: Heat a cup of water with a few tablespoons of lemon juice for a few minutes. The steam will loosen grime for easy wiping.
  • Dishwasher: Run an empty cycle with a cup of white vinegar in the top rack.
  • Sink: Sprinkle baking soda in the sink, scrub and rinse with vinegar, followed by hot water.

2. Bathroom bliss

  • Toilet: Pour a cup of white vinegar into the bowl and let it sit for at least 30 minutes before scrubbing.
  • Shower & bath: Spray with a solution of equal parts white vinegar and water. For soap scum, create a paste of baking soda and water, apply and scrub.
  • Mirrors & glass: Combine equal parts white vinegar and water in a spray bottle and use a microfibre cloth for streak-free cleaning.

3. Living room refresh

  • Dusting: Use a microfibre cloth dampened with water or a few drops of essential oil for dusting furniture.
  • Wood furniture: Polish with a solution of olive oil and lemon juice (a few drops of each mixed together).
  • Carpets & rugs: Sprinkle baking soda on carpets and rugs, let it sit for 15-30 minutes, then vacuum.

4. Bedroom renewal:

  • Mattress: Sprinkle baking soda on the mattress, let it sit for a few hours to absorb odours, then vacuum thoroughly.
  • Laundry: Use natural laundry detergent and fabric softener alternatives like vinegar or wool dryer balls.

Important tips & considerations

  • Test on an inconspicuous area: Before using any natural cleaning solution, test it on a small, hidden area to ensure it doesn’t damage the surface.
  • Proper ventilation: Always ensure adequate ventilation when cleaning, especially when using vinegar.
  • Storage: Store your homemade cleaning solutions in labelled spray bottles or containers.
  • DIY vs. shop-bought: You can create your own natural cleaning products or purchase pre-made options from reputable brands.

Benefits beyond clean

By choosing natural cleaning products, you’re not only making your home sparkle, you’re also:

  • Protecting your health: Reducing exposure to harmful chemicals.
  • Benefiting the environment: Using biodegradable and sustainable ingredients.
  • Saving money: Many natural cleaning ingredients are budget-friendly.

This spring, ditch the chemicals and embrace the power of nature to create a clean, healthy and vibrant home. Your family, your pets and the planet will thank you!

Creative packaging design: Eco laundry detergent

Selection of eco laundry sheets

Washing powder is one of those long-time stalwarts of marketing and advertising – alongside toothpaste, beer, cigarettes and foreign travel. Detergents were always “new & improved” giving you “whiter whites” and “brighter brights”.

Things have come a long way since the Mad Men mid-century era and before. The 21st century eco laundry detergent buzz words are now ‘plastic free’, ‘refillable’, ‘ocean friendly’, ‘biodegradable’ and ‘cruelty-free’. We’ve never had so much choice! Furthermore, we don’t even have to go to the shops to buy those bulky, heavy boxes of washing powder. Light-as-a-feather laundry strips can be bought on subscription, popping through our letter boxes on a regular or flexible basis.

Sheets & strips

  1. The Lab Co. laundry strips
  2. Wablu laundry sheets
  3. Freddie laundry detergent sheets
  4. Simple Living eco non-bio laundry detergent sheets

Selection of eco liquid laundry detergent

Olive green dotted horizontal line

Selection of eco liquid laundry detergent

Liquid

Image 1:

  1. Eco-Me natural concentrated liquid laundry detergent, Lavender Blossom
  2. Mulieres natural organic laundry liquid – Rose Garden
  3. miniml eco-friendly laundry detergent

Image 2:

  1. Kit & Kin laundry bundle
  2. Faith in Nature aloe vera & rosemary laundry liquid
  3. eco-mate laundry liquid

Selection of eco laundry capsules / pods

Olive green dotted horizontal line

Selection of eco laundry capsules / pods

Pods & capsules

Image 1:

  1. Ocean Saver non-bio laundry detergent pods
  2. Ecover non-bio laundry capsules
  3. Wyx ecological laundry liquid capsules
  4. Laundrythings eco laundry pods

Image 2:

  1. Grab Green, Stoneworks, laundry detergent pods, birch branch
  2. Wilton London botanical eco laundry capsules
  3. smol concentrated laundry capsules

Creative packaging design: Furniture polish

The Original Wood SilkBriwax furniture waxAntiquax Original Wax polish

The preferred furniture polish in my childhood home was Mr Sheen. I can smell its distinct fragrance now!

Now, with a house of my own, I choose to use Wood Silk; a non-silicone beeswax based spray with a wonderful smell.

When it comes to the vintage and antique furniture that we sell in our shop, we apply dealers’ favourite, Bri-wax and buff to bring out the grain and shine in the wood.

Below, we’ve chosen a few of our favourite, eye-catching receptacles for furniture polish in liquid, aerosol and wax forms.

Method Wood PolishHoward Feed-n-Wax wood polishWheeler's Furniture Polish

Left to right:

Method wood polish

Howard Feed-n-Wax wood polish

Wheeler’s Furniture Polish

Rhoose Point Remedies Beeswax Wood Polish & TreatmentAntiquax Original Wax polishFurnitureClinic Beeswax Polish

Left to right:

Rhoose Point Remedies Beeswax Wood Polish & Treatment

Antiquax Original Wax polish

FurnitureClinic Beeswax Polish

The Original Wood SilkMr Sheen Multi surface polishBest Shine Plus furniture polish

Left to right:

The Original Wood Silk

Mr Sheen Multi surface polish

Best Shine Plus furniture polish

Natural cleaning remedies you need to try

Natural cleaning remedies you need to try

If you were to look at your current cleaning products and read what’s actually in them, you’ll find an incredibly long list of chemicals. Some of which can be pretty toxic. More and more people are turning towards natural remedies; they’re cheaper, better for you and are a great eco-friendly alternative. You’ll be happy to know that your kitchen cupboard already contains more natural cleaning remedies than you think.

Baking soda in a jar with wooden spoon

Baking soda

You may already be aware of using baking soda for cleaning. After all, you can use it in pretty much any room of your house. From scrubbing your bathroom and unclogging drains, to loads of laundry and carpet cleaning. Baking soda is such a versatile ingredient and it’s great at getting rid of odours and stains.

Bottle of vinegar, spreay bottle and ladle in front of a potted plant

White vinegar

White vinegar is another great, multi-purpose product. You can use it to get rid of mildew, mould and stains. If you’re worried about the smell, you’ll be happy to know the smell fades pretty quickly or you can add a couple of drops of your favourite essential oil. You can also use white vinegar to create your very own all-purpose cleaner. Use equal parts vinegar and water, then add a few drops of essential oils to offset the smell. Or you could use citrus rinds for a lovely, fresh, scent. As with all cleaning, make sure you wear rubber gloves to protect your hands.

Lemon, lime, baking soda, essential oils, clothes pegs and pile of towels

Lemon juice

Citrus is not just for scent. Lemon juice is an incredible cleaning product. There are so many different ways you can clean your home with lemon juice. You can add sparkle to your stainless steel, get rid of grease from your microwave and even clean your entire oven. Thanks to the natural acidity of lemon juice, it lends itself to being used for cleaning. Plus, its versatility means it can be mixed in with other natural cleaning remedies.

Pile of salt crystals

Salt

Salt is such an everyday kitchen ingredient – it’s mainly used for cooking and seasoning food. However, you can also use salt to help you clean your home. Salt is a mineral that does a fantastic job at helping you scrub off dirt. You can use it to clean grimy pans and get rid of rust. Also, when you combine salt with baking soda or vinegar, it boosts the cleaning effects.

Natural soap, scrubbing brush and cleaning cloth

Castile soap

You possibly won’t find this last product in your kitchen cupboard, but when it comes to sorting out natural cleaning remedies there’s no other product quite like Castile soap. It’s a plant-based soap. You can use it to clean your home, as well as yourself.

Changing up your cleaning cupboard and embracing natural products not only saves you some cash, but it’s also much better for the environment. Do you use any natural cleaning products that you’d recommend?

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