* Everyday household products can often work in a pinch
* Standard cleaning products can be costly and full of harsh chemicals
* Read below for 7 environmentally-friendly options
Traditional cleaning products bought at the store can be costly, are often full of chemicals, and can be harsh to the environment. But what can you do when there are stubborn stains to get out, or dirty surfaces to wipe?
We have found a host of common, go-to products that you already have in your cabinets that will work to clean your home, too. Some of these options are tried and true, while the other options might be new. Either way, use of these products will contribute to more money in your pocket, less clutter in your cupboard and an all-over, user-friendly experience.
Add these seven things to your next shopping list and put them to work.
1. Listerine Mouthwash
Our first product hack is using everyone’s favorite mouthwash, Listerine. Listerine contains ingredients such as alcohol, thyme and eucalyptus so it can be a great alternative cleaning product. Ran out of toilet bowl or window cleaner? Listerine will work great as a last-minute replacement. Just use as you would your normal cleaning products and watch the magic happen. Other areas the mouthwash can be useful for is cleaning the garbage disposal, humidifier and it’s great for sanitizing your toothbrushes.
Related Stories
2. Barbasol Shaving Cream
Shaving cream is another product that will be helpful in a pinch. Use it to clean bathroom mirrors and help defog after showers. While you are cleaning the mirrors, you can also use it to remove the soap scum on your glass shower doors as well.
3. Bounce Fabric Softener Sheets
Dryer sheets can be a real life-saver when it comes to cleaning baseboards and any areas where dust tends to collect. When used for your baseboards, it will clean up your dust due to its static cling control and will help repel future hair collection (pet, human, lint etc.) because it coats as it cleans. Simply attach a sheet to your floor cleaning apparatus of choice and start dusting.
4. Bluewater Chemgroup White Vinegar
Vinegar is one of the most versatile products on the market and can be used to replace many harmful and expensive commercial cleaning products. Keeping a bottle of industrial strength vinegar in your home at all times is a must when it comes to last minute or preventive cleaning.
Some of our favorite uses for vinegar include demineralizing irons, faucets and coffee makers, keeping garbage disposals clean and fresh, preventing spots on glassware, wiping away food caked in the microwave and helping to remove stains from furniture and clothes. This is only a handful of uses for vinegar and it’s worth noting that while plain white vinegar from the supermarket will work, an industrial strength one like what we have chosen will work that much harder while still being kind to the environment.
[caption id="attachment_97122" align="aligncenter" width="354"]
Image Courtesy Amazon[/caption]
5. Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
Baking soda is another one of those multi-purpose products that should always be kept around the house. Uses for it include cleaning just about anything around your home that you would clean with general cleaning products, getting grease stains out of fabric or cleaning/shining pure silver products (mix with the vinegar above to create a paste for even better cleaning).
[caption id="attachment_97125" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
Image Courtesy Amazon[/caption]
6. McCormick Cream of Tartar
Cream of Tartar is our next cleaning hack. While this baking essential might not be top of mind when looking for cleaning alternatives, there are a few uses we think are worth mentioning. It helps to remove rust stains when mixed with baking soda (above), cleans your bathtub and tiles, will make your stainless steel sink, pots and pans spotless and is also useful for restoring scratched dinnerware so they will look new again.
7. Schweppes Club Soda
Our last cleaning hack comes in the form of your favorite bubbly beverage, Club Soda. Another go-to product in the cleaning area, club soda is great for polishing bathroom chrome fixtures sans streaks or spots, erasing stubborn coffee or tea stains on your daily mug, removing bird droppings on a car effortlessly and helping keep your old jewelry sparkling like new.
[caption id="attachment_97129" align="aligncenter" width="393"]
Image Courtesy Amazon[/caption]
How to Remove Scratches From Your Car Using Products You Have At Home