Shelves in German supermarkets and drugstores are full of home remedies that are supposed to make our homes sparkling clean. But if you believe expert statements, thorough house cleaning only requires a small amount of food.
Home remedies – ecological and effective
Iris von Stephanitz is an art historian and archaeologist who gives visitors to the Hessenpark open-air museum exciting insights as a “historical housewife”. The expert in historical cleaning methods emphasizes that there is a wide variety of cleaning products that are already available in your own home.
According to information from Öko-Test magazine, the classic household pantry contains all of the most important common cleaning agents that are effective and biodegradable.
Another advantage of these home remedies is that the cleaning products cause less waste than conventional cleaning products. But which home remedies are suitable for which area?
Tips for cleaning floors
To clean floors, the experts recommend a mixture of one tablespoon of soft soap and ten liters of hot water. Using soft soap is also useful for dusting due to its antistatic effect.
If you want to polish wooden furniture to a high shine, you can also use your own furniture polish. All you need to do is prepare a cup with three tea bags of black tea and then mix it with six tablespoons of vegetable or olive oil.
Polish furniture
Then shake the mix in a screw-top jar until the mixture emulsifies. The polish is particularly suitable for dark types of wood such as cherry, beech or oak.
Walnuts, on the other hand, are suitable for removing small scratches on furniture such as tables or cupboards.
For this purpose it is necessary to first break the nut into two parts and then rub the oily inside over the scratches.
Window cleaning with nylon tights
In addition, it is not absolutely necessary to use a glass cleaner to clean windows. For example, it is sufficient to clean windows dirty with rainwater using old nylon tights and a little lemon juice or vinegar in cleaning water.
While lemon or vinegar act as a natural limescale remover, the tights are also effective against stubborn dirt.
Clean the bathroom with baking soda water
If you want to give sinks, tiles, showers or bathtubs a new shine, Iris von Stephanitz recommends mixing water soaked in baking soda. This mix acts like fine emery, effectively removing residues of soap, fat or limescale.
The cleaning solution is even more effective with a little salt. This substance improves the peeling effect.
Make your own cleansing cream
A proven all-rounder for house cleaning is a practical cleaning cream that is enriched with 250 grams of baking soda, several tablespoons of vegetable glycerin and two tablespoons of soft soap. Another possible addition is a fragrance oil that adds a pleasant touch to sinks, bathtubs or shower trays. If mold stains appear in the bathroom joints, baking soda is also helpful. For this purpose, prepare a paste of baking soda and water, which you ideally spread over the damp joints using a toothbrush. Leave this mixture on for an hour before rinsing the substance off.
There is another environmentally friendly home remedy for removing urine scale in toilets. For this purpose, it makes sense to distribute some citric acid as a powder in a toilet bowl. After this mixture has worked overnight, all you have to do is rinse the powder out.
Curd soap for fogged up mirrors
Good to know: Curd soap has also proven effective against fogged up mirrors. After you have spread the soap on the mirrors, remove the soap with a dry cloth. The curd soap ensures that a small film forms on the mirrors. The mirrors then fog up significantly less.
Boiling potato water, on the other hand, is effective for clearing clogged seals. A mixture of baking soda and vinegar is particularly suitable for severe blockages. To do this, drizzle up to four tablespoons of baking soda down the drain and then add another cup of vinegar. Rinse this mix with warm water after leaving it to work for 30 minutes.
Rhubarb against burnt crusts
If you want to consciously avoid using dishwashers, you can use soft soap to wash dishes. Baking soda is a proven home remedy for removing stubborn food residue from trays or pots.
An insider tip among effective home remedies is rhubarb or spinach, which you can use to combat burnt crusts.
First put it in the pot, then add a little water and bring the mixture to the boil. And burnt things come off as if by themselves.
More cleanliness – with the effect of citrus fruits
But lemon peels are also a must as a home remedy. These home remedies are particularly effective for cleaning dishes. Citrus fruits are like a miracle weapon against unpleasant smells in the oven. Use the residual heat in the oven to place squeezed oranges and lemons in it.
This effectively eliminates the smell. Citric acid works effectively to descale kettles or coffee machines.
2024-05-01 20:43:46