Keeping your house clean can be an expensive and tedious task.
But there are surprising household items you can use to have your home immaculate without spending hours scrubbing away with harmful chemicals.
Australian cleaning quality control expert Javier Bastardo from Fantastic Services has shared 10 all-natural cleaning tricks to help keep your home, health and the environment in tip-top condition.
There are surprising household items you can use to have your home sparkling like new without spending hours scrubbing with nasty chemicals. You can use a piece of white bread to remove stains from walls (stock image)
‘The days of toxic cleaners are over,’ Javier said.
‘We use natural products wherever and whenever we can, and many of them work just as well as their harsher counterparts.
‘And it’s not just the environment that benefits from cleaning with natural products, so does your home, health, pets, appliances and the air. The idea is to never skip cleaning for too long – and you don’t have to with these hacks.’
Clean walls with bread
Javier suggested you can use a piece of white bread to remove stains from walls.
‘Yep, it sounds weird, but it’s not just the kids who like a touch of the old Mighty White! The walls do too – and if you don’t believe me, try gently running a slice over scuffs and marks that don’t come off with a cloth,’ he said.
Rub walnuts on scratched furniture
If you have any scratched wooden furniture, try rubbing walnuts on the surface.
‘By rubbing a walnut on the scratch you’ll give it back that brown-ish colour. At least a bit,’ he said.
Shine chrome with toothpaste
Javier recommended rubbing toothpaste on chrome to achieve gleaming results.
‘Rub a bit of toothpaste on them and then wipe with a wet sponge to remove any water stains and hard water marks from it,’ he said.
If you have any scratched wooden furniture, try rubbing walnuts on the surface (stock image)
Clean mirrors with coffee filters
For a flawless reflection, clean your mirrors with coffee filters.
‘They are better than towels because coffee filters are lint-free,’ he said.
Remove nasty smells from the trash disposal with lemon
If you’re struggling to remove the nasty smells from the trash disposal, try lemon.
‘Rinse some lemon rinds through it and run hot water. The lemon will remove the bad odour,’ he said.
Remove pet odour with baking soda
‘The best way to fight the smell is to spray some baking soda on the animal’s bed.
He suggested allowing the baking soda to up for 15 minutes and then vacuum it.
Javier recommended rubbing toothpaste on chrome to achieve gleaming results (stock image)
For a flawless reflection, clean your mirrors with coffee filters’They are better than towels because coffee filters are lint-free,’ he said (stock image)
Unclog drains with baking soda and vinegar solution
To unclog drains, make a baking soda and vinegar solution.
‘The non-chemical way to unclog your drains consists of 1/2 cup of baking soda, 1 cup vinegar and 1 cup hot water,’ he said.
‘Pour the baking soda down the drain. Then add the vinegar, followed by the hot water last. Cover the drain with either a wet towel or a plug and wait five minutes, then rinse with boiling water.’
Outdoor furniture cleaning with natural soap and hot water
‘You’ll need a bit of natural soap and a bowl of hot water. Wash it thoroughly and rinse with the hose after that. Voila – a squeaky clean patio furniture,’ Javier said.
Clean the windows with vinegar
One thing that can ruin the clean look of a house is dirty windows.
For completely see-through glass, mix two tablespoons of vinegar and a gallon of water, put it in a spray bottle and use the solution on your windows. Wipe with a microfiber cloth.
Clean dishwasher with baking soda
‘From time to time the dishwasher starts to smell, so shake a bit of baking soda on a damp sponge and clean any surfaces that you can reach,’ Javier suggested.