Vinegar, baking soda and salt are your all-natural friends when it comes to bathroom cleanup, says Expert Home Tips. To deep-clean a crusty shower head, for example, put two teaspoons of baking soda and half a cup of vinegar in a sandwich bag and secure it over the shower head using a rubber band. Let the shower head soak overnight, and the following day, that buildup will wipe away effortlessly. And if your bathroom is prone to mildew, soak your shower curtain in salt water before you hang it up— the salt will absorb excess moisture and keep the space odor-free.
Tag: cleaning
Make Your Own All-Natural Cleaning Products
You can make your own all-natural cleaning products, Apartment Therapy says, using only a handful of basic ingredients. For example, an all-purpose tub and tile cleaner can be made from baking soda, liquid soap, vinegar and water. A toilet bowl cleaner is simply borax, baking soda and vinegar, while floor cleaner is borax and water. Glass cleaner? Vinegar and water. Drain cleaner? Baking soda and vinegar. And if you want to add a bit of scent to your homemade cleaning concoctions, simple add a drop of fresh-smelling essential oil such as lemon, mint or lavender.
There’s No Dirt Like Winter Dirt
Many parts of the country that don’t get a lot of snow and ice did earlier this month, and it looks like there’s more to come. Readers who live in the North know how easy it is to bring mud, moisture and salt into the house, and have strategies to keep tracked-in dirt at bay. But some of these strategies bear repeating.
First, encourage everyone who enters your home to remove their shoes. This is the No. 1 way for winter dirt to enter your living space, and even the freshest, whitest snow likely contains salt, sand and other contaminants that will dirty the floors. Place trays or washable throw rugs by all exterior doors to catch the muck melting from footwear.
Throw rugs are often the best defense for high-traffic areas; they catch winter dirt and can be shaken out or thrown into the wash easily. Use them even on top of wall-to-wall carpet, since it’s difficult to get carpeting to look clean and bright again once people track dirty snow onto it.
Leave a towel by the door to wipe down your pets following a walk or romp in the snow, says the Vivint Smart Home blog. Many dogs and cats also develop thicker coats in cold weather, and ultimately shed more. Brush and groom them regularly to prevent that fur from flying everywhere and attaching itself to furniture and clothing.
If you haven’t already, change out the furnace filters, dust the ceiling fan blades, and vacuum refrigerator coils and blinds to keep allergens to a minimum while the house is closed up against the cold, House Logic says. Sheets, blankets and comforters also catch a lot of dust and dirt, so be sure to so wash them frequently.
Be vigilant. You can’t keep every speck of dust and dirt out of your house in winter, but you can keep it from building up, aggravating allergies and causing permanent damage to floors, carpets and other surfaces. Sweep, vacuum and mop frequently to get any dirt that’s brought into the house out quickly.
If the weather forecasts are correct, you’ll be spending lots of time indoors for a few more weeks, so take the appropriate steps to make sure your environment is clean and healthy. Then, count down the days until spring!
Décor for the Fastidious Pet Parent
As a pet parent, your décor can affect how much dirt enters the home and stays, says Modern Dog. To keep dirt from getting in, use doormats and washable throw rugs at entrances to catch some of what those dirty paws track in; you can also keep a paw towel or footbath near the door for rainy days. Put trays under food bowls to catch any overflow or messes. And finally, pick out low-pile rugs, stain-resistant fabrics, and leather or vinyl upholstery, so that hair and stains will present less of a problem.
Confine Dirt to the Litter Box
Even an “indoor” cat can make it difficult to keep the home clean and odor-free. The litter box can become a major source of dirt and odors if you aren’t careful. Make sure that you place your litter box in a place you can access frequently to keep it clean, says IHeartCats. Pick a litter that suits your cleaning style, and make spot-cleaning stray litter and near-misses easy by having a handheld vacuum, broom and paper towels nearby. Mats and plastic liners and can keep the dirty litter confined, the site adds.