As trusted Dallas green home builders for more than 30 years, we know that many people who choose to build homes that are environmentally friendly also look for other ways to improve the earth for future generations. If you’re concerned enough to prefer a home built of natural, recyclable materials, you’re probably concerned about using products to clean your home which may be toxic or contain potentially harmful ingredients. We’ve come up with a few “all natural” cleaning tips, so you can keep that beautiful new home sparkling clean without using harsh chemicals.
Did you know that cooking oils can be used in cleaning? Here are just a few things you can do with vegetable and olive oils:
Clean cast-iron skillets. If you have heavy cast-iron cookware, it’s easy to clean even the toughest cooked-on foods with a paste made using one teaspoon of coarse salt and some vegetable oil. Just scrub using the paste, and rinse with hot water.
Stainless steel, wicker, and rattan furnishings. Sunflower or olive oils make great cleaners. Stainless steel surfaces will sparkle when buffed with a soft cloth with a dab of olive oil. Furnishings which tend to become dry or crack (such as rattan and wicker) will glow when you brush a light coat of sunflower oil on the surface, then rub gently with a clean, soft cloth. To make application easier, warm oil on the stovetop before applying.
Essential oils like those you buy in health-food stores are not only great for cleaning, they kill mold and bacteria as well. Here are a few tips:
Prevent scum build-up on shower doors. A few drops of lemon oil applied to shower doors twice each month will help prevent the build-up of grime.
Toilets are easy to clean, and your bathroom will smell great with tea-tree oil. Mix two cups of water and 2 teaspoons of tea-tree oil in a spray bottle. Shake to mix, then spray along inside rim of toilet and let sit for 30 minutes, then scrub. Love the scent of lavender or other essential oils? A couple of drops placed on the inside of the tube on your toilet paper will make your bathrooms smell lovely every time the paper is used.
Your windows will sparkle and shine with lemongrass and lavender oil! Mix 10 drops of either oil with 2 ounces of water and use a soft, lint-free cloth to clean windows.
Lemons have many uses when it comes to natural cleaning. Use on cutting boards to remove tough stains, and with your dishwashing detergent to help cut the toughest grease. Lemon is also ideal for cleaning grout stains: Just mix 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar with a little lemon juice, apply to stains with a toothbrush, then rinse clean.
Great tips for keeping your Flower Mound home clean without the use of harmful chemicals.
At Bud Bartley Homes, our passion is green homebuilding in the Dallas area – and we’ve been satisfying customers for decades. Thinking of building your own home in the Flower Mound community? Give us a call today.
