More people than ever are exchanging harsh chemicals and dangerous bleach for natural ingredients found in their homes. From the dozens of apple cider vinegar uses to the enticing scents of mint and coconut oil, homeowners are keeping their living areas clean naturally. It’s possible for you to jump on this trend and eliminate hard chemicals (and dirt) from your home. Check out these five cleaning trends that you can follow just by opening your pantry.
Add Apple Cider Vinegar to Everything
Image via Bigstock
One of the biggest trends in natural cleaning right now is the use of apple cider vinegar. There are a million different ways to use apple cider vinegar in your cleaning processes, from removing odors in your dishwasher to eliminating clogged drains in the bathroom. To make the most of all possible ACV uses, create a water-vinegar solution and keep it in a bottle. Then, whenever you need anything ranging from a light polish on your bookshelf to a coaster stain removed on your coffee table, you can use your “miracle mixture” to quickly clean up.
There are also additional uses for apple cider vinegar for your family’s health. You can pour some of your ACV-water mixture into a cup with some orange juice and honey to soothe a sore throat and treat a cold. Keeping a bottle of ACV in your home at all times can help with almost any problem.
Coconut Oil Can Help Around the House
If you thought there were a million different ways to use apple cider vinegar, get excited for all of the uses for coconut oil! A few years ago, this cooking ingredient became wildly popular in America as an alternative to fattier oils and butter. Not only does coconut oil make your shrimp scampi taste better without the fat, it can also be used around the house.
Instead of buying harsh chemicals to keep your wood and leather furniture clean, try using coconut oil. Coconut oil can be used as a DIY furniture polish and can be used to clean leather. This is a particularly good idea if you have kids, as toddlers are known for touching everything and putting things in their mouths. It’s better to accidentally ingest a little coconut oil instead of harsh bleaches and polishes.
Freshen Your Kitchen and Patio with Mint
Along with boosting the taste of your tea and other beverages, mint can be used around the house to keep your home clean. First, there’s the scent. Consider making mint potpourri to freshen the aroma in your home without the harsh chemicals that can irritate sinuses and worsen asthma.
Next, mint scares away “bad bugs,” like mosquitos that carry diseases and cause those annoying, itchy bumps. If you have a few mint pots on your patio, it should be more enjoyable to sit outside in the summer. As a pro-tip: this keeps your home clean, too. The more your family is outside, the less time they have to dirty your home inside!
Deodorize Your Home with Baking Soda
If you have older kids then you might feel like the odors will never leave your home. Not to worry — it’s possible to keep their rooms smelling clean without breaking out harsh chemicals or constantly asking them to clean it. Baking soda is ideal for soft items like clothing, bedding, and carpet. You can leave some in your refrigerator to catch food odors or spread it on the floor before vacuuming.
Some people pick up a box of baking soda whenever they leave items in storage containers or within self-storage facilities. This keeps their items smelling clean and prevents the musty odors that sometimes builds with furniture.
Replace Bleach with Lemons
Lemons are natural lightening agents, which means you can use them as a replacement for bleach. If you have faded socks, shirts, or towels, consider throwing them in a pot for a few hours with a couple of used lemons. (You can use the lemons to make lemonade or a lemon cake before you clean with them.) After a while, your clothes should be lighter without the harshness of bleach. Once you’re done with the lemons, toss some of the peels in the garbage disposal to get rid of any unnecessary odors.
As with ACV, uses for lemon juice vary widely. You can use them to clean your wooden cutting board and even polish copper. Some people keep it on-hand as an all-purpose cleaner in their kitchens because it reduces the likelihood that someone in the family will eat something that contains bleach or other chemicals.
The next time you need to clean up around the house, don’t run to the store to buy the strongest bleaches and laboratory-developed scents. Turn to your pantry instead and look for natural ways to keep your home looking clean and smelling amazing.
