Posted by Maria Dimitrova

Read this if: You want to make good use of the stuff you have at home and avoid buying chemical detergents

Gain: Saved money, healthier and eco-friendly way of doing the housework and boosting your creative thinking

Cost: Using some additional amount of stuff like baking soda and vinegar to do various tasks at home

Have you thought of finding ways to make good use of the stuff you have around the house so you don’t have to buy specialized chemical detergents which you might use once a year? By doing this you’re not only saving money, but at the same time you are deriving some other benefits. One of them is boosting your creative thinking.

Bryan Tracy, a renowned expert on creative thinking, says that creativity is a skill which we can develop by trying to make even the smallest improvements in the things we do every day. This helps us think “out of the box” and opens our mind which pays off when we need to solve a real problem as it will be easier for us to come up with versatile ideas. So next time when you are trying a new way to accomplish something even as ordinary as removing stains, you might consider it training for your mind.

Another benefit of avoiding conventional chemical detergents is achieving a healthy and more eco-friendly way of life. The world is becoming aware of the hazardous substances used in most of the detergents. These chemicals evaporate and enter the human body, weakening immunity and worsening or inducing different diseases like asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis conditions. Some of the substances like phenols are even carcinogens. You will find more about the topic here: http://www.helium.com/items/1679867-green-chemistry-detergents. And just to add insult to injury– these bad boys also contaminate the water supply.

Some of the celebrities are recognising this trend. Such an example is Gisele Bundchen who decided to launch an eco-friendly skin care line. Brad Pitt is teaming  up with cosmetics firm Kiehl’s to develop an ecofriendly body wash and rebuilding over 150 eco-friendly houses in post hurricane Katrina New Orleans.

Another celebrity, Adrian Grenier demonstrates the easy little changes you can make to create a much greener life for yourself on his TV called Alter Eco.

Here are our suggestions how to save money, be more creative and live a healthier, eco-friendly life by using natural substances you have around the house to replace the pricier and harmful chemical products:

1. Uses of baking soda

• Keep away unpleasant odors away, put a box or small bowl of baking soda in the refrigerator, freezer, laundry hamper or any cupboard and sprinkle some of it when changing the bag of the garbage bin
• Clean surfaces, sprinkle baking soda on a damp cloth. Wipe, then rinse with clean water.
• Quickly clean pets and remove “wet dog” odor, sprinkle with baking soda and brush out their fur.
• Remove spills. Blot as much as possible. Then clean as you normally would. When finished, sprinkle with baking soda. Vacuum. This will decrease the chance that some of the spilled item will remain in the carpet and cause unpleasant odors later
• Clean stuck burnt food in the bottom of pots. Sprinkle with baking soda, and then add hot water. Let soak overnight; the dried on food will come loose much more easily.
• Clean hairbrushes and combs in a baking soda solution
• Avoid clogged drains by pouring 1/4 cup baking soda down weekly and rinsing throughly with hot water.
• Keep clothing fresh by replacing half of each measure of laundry detergent with baking soda

2. Uses of vinegar

• Clean sink and tub with full-strength vinegar. Simply apply with a sponge, wipe clean to a sparkly shine
• Clean you ceramic tiles with a solution of 1/4-cup vinegar to one-gallon warm water. If the grout between your tiles is looking hard, dip a toothbrush in full strength vinegar and gently scrub
• Clean windows with a solution of equal amounts of vinegar and water. Dip black and white newspaper pages into the solution and wipe the glass until it’s almost dry. Finish wiping with a dry newspaper page. The streaks will disappear and the window will shine.
• If your animal continues to urinate in a particular place in your home, try spraying vinegar on the spot. The smell should turn him off
• Loosen the dried on glue by soaking a clean cloth in vinegar and saturating the spot until it’s gone.
• Disinfect and clean wood cutting boards by rubbing them with vinegar
• Clean kitchen and bathroom faucets by soaking a paper towel in vinegar then wrapping it around your faucet to remove mineral deposits
• Clean and disinfect the toilet rim: Put straight 5% vinegar in a squirt bottle and use it to clean the rim of the toilet
• Remove rust: To get rid of rust, soak items in vinegar (do not dilute). This will work on any metals.

See how easy it is to unclog a sink drain with vinegar and baking soda:

3. Uses of olive oil

• Use it when shaving as it can provide a closer shave when used in place of shaving cream
• Dust wooden furniture. Apply a bit of oil to a cloth and wipe.
• Unstick a zipper. Using a Q-tip, apply a drop to lubricate the teeth. (Avoid touching the fabric.) The zipper should move up and down freely.
• Moisturize cuticles. Apply a small amount of olive oil to the nail beds.
• Shine stainless steel. Many cleaning standbys, such as ammonia, can dull and even corrode chrome and stainless steel. Olive oil, however, is a safe and effective shining agent
• Prevent wax from sticking to a candle holder. Rub a thin coat on the base of the holder before inserting a candle. Dripped wax should peel away easily.

4. Uses of salt:

• Eliminate sticky residue from an iron. Run the hot iron (no steam) over plain paper sprinkled with salt.
• Clean drains. Pour a hot, strong solution (1/2 cup salt for every quart of water) down the drain.
• Prevent frost from accumulating inside car windows. Rub the glass with a solution of 2 teaspoons of salt in 1 gallon of hot water. Wipe dry

5. Uses of lemons and lemon juice

• Keep the fridge smelling nice with half a lemon in the door rack
• Achieve a fantastic sparkle with a rub over stainless steel cooker tops and sinks with a lemon
• Repel ants by pouring lemon juice around areas that ants appear
• Create a wonderful synthetic chemical-free green air freshener for your home with an equal amount of lemon juice and water added to an atomizer
• Make a powerful toilet cleaner by mixing 1/2 cup borax and a cup of lemon juice
• Clean the windows with 4 tablespoons of lemon juice mixed with half a gallon of water
• Straight lemon juice can be used as a general degreaser.
• Stop bleeding from minor wounds and disinfect an injury by applying a small amount of lemon juice (it will sting a bit).
• Relieve discomfort of itches, poison ivy rashes and wasp stings by applying lemon juice
• Neutralize the smell of fish on your hands

6. Uses of eucalyptus oil

• Remove sticker/decal residue from glass
• Give your washing a fresh scent by adding 1-2 teaspoonfuls of eucalyptus oil to your load of washing. The eucalyptus oil also has anti-microbial benefits
• Remove paint, grease and ink from clothes
• Make a bug repellent for plants by mixing half a teaspoon of the oil with half a litre (half quart) of water
• Make a general disinfectant for toilets etc. The recipe is 50 ml (1.6 oz) of eucalyptus oil mixed with a litre (quart) of water.

Of course, you might come up with a big variety of other uses of these natural substances or some other stuff you have at home. Experiment, be creative and let these small changes make a big difference to your budget and lifestyle.

Further Reading:

Electric Cars – Are They Really “Green”?

A Review of the Best Electric Cars

Why We Should Rethink Before Buying Artificial Sweeteners

Make a Difference for Your Budget and the Environment with Water-Saving Shower heads

How to Reduce Water Consumption

Energy-Efficient Solutions for Your Home

Learn to Live Without Unhealthy Food and Lose Weight Naturally

How to Prepare Tasty Healthy Foods

Why to Stay Away from Certain Food Preservatives