How to clean the house without buying detergents

There is no need to buy expensive detergents, there are many natural remedies that allow us to clean the house without using detergents. Cleaning the house without buying detergents is an environmentally friendly choice that can also help us save money. Among the best natural remedies to sanitize domestic environments, we find bicarbonate, vinegar but also simple hot water.

How to clean the house without buying detergents? Sanitizing environments is always very important, however the spending on detergents often represents a high cost for families. And in most cases not only dangerous chemicals are used, but also environmentally unfriendly solutions.

Is there therefore a way to keep your environments polished, without emptying your wallet and further polluting the planet?

As easy to understand, even that of house cleaning it is an area that can be optimized with the use of a few and cheap products, most of which are of completely natural origin. Here are some tips to improve your home, health and help the environment.

Because it is convenient to clean the house with commonly used products

Before finding out which are the most used remedies to sanitize environments in a really cheap way, we need to answer a question: why it is better to clean the house with commonly used products? There are many reasons that lead us to abandon industrial detergents in favor of more classic and effective remedies.

costs

Compared to the classic bottles of detergent, the use of natural remedies or other cheap ones has extremely low costs. Suffice it to say that, with just over one euro, you can buy a quantity of bicarbonate that will be used for cleaning for whole months;

Environment

Most of the cleaning products available on the market today, with the exception of organic or specially certified ones, are polluting. In fact, they contain substances, such as some surfactants for example, which remain dissolved in water for a long time and can therefore contaminate groundwater, rivers, lakes and seas;

Practicality

Grandma’s remedies for cleaning are very practical, comfortable to use, effective and very space-saving.

Home remedies without detergents

There are really many allies of cleanliness, among natural remedies and other economical solutions, which can be used in the home to clean any surface. From floors to furniture, below are the most used and highly effective stain removers.

Bicarbonate

Sodium bicarbonate can never be missing in homes, because it is a super-economical solution that lends itself to the most varied uses. Speed ​​up household chores and leave a lasting clean. It also absorbs odors, a fact that should not be underestimated when there are smokers, pets and other sources of not particularly pleasant smells in the house.

In powder or mixed with hot water, so as to obtain a soft cream, bicarbonate can be used for:

• sanitize sanitary wareso as to remove encrusted stains and limescale residues;
• clean carpetspouring a little powder on any stains and then collecting everything with the classic vacuum cleaner cycle;
• wash textiles of the house, like the curtains, which can be immersed in water and baking soda to lose bad smells and return to their former glory;
• absorb odorspouring the powder directly into the ashtrays or create potpourri with lavender flowers and bicarbonate to be placed on the windowsills or in the wardrobe.

Vinegar

Polishing, protective and antibacterial: white wine vinegar is one of the main allies of natural and low-cost cleaning. Present in any Italian pantry, it can easily be used for many daily tasks. It can be used pure, both cold and hot, or diluted with water.

Among the best known uses ofwine vinegar to clean, they list:

• polishing of faucets and other metal components of the bath, pure or dissolved in water;
• limescale removalby spraying it directly on the area to be treated or creating a solution with water and bicarbonate to be left on before rinsing;
• remove stains encrusted by sanitary ware, pouring it hot;
• wash the dishesgiven its high degreasing power, or polish dishes;
• soften the laundryboth by hand and in the washing machine, by pouring a couple of teaspoons into the appropriate drawer of the appliance.

Citric acid

As its name suggests, citric acid is a substance that is obtained from the main citrus fruits, as well as one of the main causes of their sour taste. Used at home, it allows you to clean a long series of surfaces, optimally removing stains and ensuring long-lasting sanitized environments. It can be used for:

• detergent and fabric softener for laundry, both by hand and in the washing machine, simply by pouring a couple of teaspoons into the drum or by combining it with bicarbonate;
• glass cleaningby simply dissolving a couple of tablespoons in hot water. Thanks to its polishing effect, it will leave your windows streak-free in just one pass;
• brilliant for crockery, to be poured directly into the special housing inside the dishwasher. Removes any halos and makes the glass shine;
• descaler, perhaps combined with vinegar or baking soda. Normally it is dissolved in water and then sprayed on the area to be treated.

Hot water

Maybe not everyone knows it, but even thehot water it is a perfect alternative to clean your home without buying detergents. Not only does it act by softening stains, especially older ones, but thanks to its heat – if you bring the water to a threshold close to boiling – it can also eliminate most of the bacteria.

You can pour it on the floors to refresh them, for example by eliminating small daily stains that do not yet require more aggressive detergents. But also to remove the dust accumulated on the curtains, dissolve drink residues from hard tables and surfaces, clean glass that is not excessively dirty.

Hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is a cheap and very effective solution for treating wounds and preventing the risk of infection. Peels, scratches, small kitchen cuts: this product can never be missing in the home.

Yet not everyone knows that it is a very economical solution also for cleaning environments. The hydrogen peroxide molecules react with the protein residues accumulated on the surfaces, favoring their detachment.

It is mainly used to remove small blood stains or other physiological residues, such as pet droppings, from textiles, but also to restore the original color of tile joints. The formulations normally on sale in supermarkets and pharmacies do not affect the color of the materials, but it is always useful to test on a hidden part of the piece of furniture before cleaning it.

Sodium carbonate and caustic soda

Il sodium carbonate it is a little known ally of house cleaning. Naturally derived from minerals, known for its high purity, this product is very cheap and is mostly used for the same uses as bicarbonate. However, its action is stronger and more effective. Among the best known uses are:

• laundry additivebecause it strengthens normal detergents – or even common Marseille soap – by dissolving stains more easily;
• floor cleanerby simply diluting three tablespoons of carbonate in water;
• glass cleaning and glossy surfaces, dissolving a spoon in water will obtain a streak-free effect;
• kitchen cleaningto remove encrusted dirt both using the powder and diluting it in water.

Difference between soda ash and caustic soda

Since for many decades soda ash was improperly called soda, many confuse it with soda sodium hydroxide. In reality, caustic soda is sodium hydroxide and must be used with extreme caution, because it has a very high irritating power on the skin and mucous membranes, also causing deep and ulcerative wounds. Caustic soda is normally used to unblock clogged drains.

Sodium percarbonate

Not too dissimilar from carbonate and bicarbonate, the sodium percarbonate it is a mineral and ecological solution with a high whitening power. Not surprisingly, it is used in many detergents dedicated to white and resistant laundry.

It can be used for hand washing or in the washing machine, by pouring a couple of teaspoons directly into the basket or into the special dispenser compartment, but also to sanitize recyclable children’s diapers, remove encrusted dirt on dishes, clean tile joints and much more.

Essential oils

Essential oils can come to the rescue of those who want to clean the house without buying detergents. This is because, in addition to the pleasant scents that inebriate the environment, they often have antiseptic and antibacterial properties. Among the best known, three are recommended.

• Lavender essential oil: it’s perfect for refreshing wardrobes and, above all, keeping moths and other parasites away that could damage clothes;
• Tea Tree Oil: extracted from melaleuca, a plant of Australian origin, it has a powerful sanitizing and antibacterial action, eliminates parasites and keeps away the most annoying insects;
• Neem essential oil: the ideal solution for sanitizing textiles, carpets and armchairs for those who host pets, because it is very effective in eliminating parasites such as fleas and ticks.

Loofah

If you are tired of the rubber ones, just switch to the loofah sponge. Obtained from Luffa cylindricaa singular plant that produces fruits with the typical shape of giant courgettes, is the ideal natural alternative to commercial solutions.

The dried fruit really has a spongy consistency, to be used both for personal hygiene and for cleaning the house and, not recently, it is very long-lasting.

Microfiber and Swedish cloths

To reduce dependence on detergents, the home can never be lacking microfiber cloths. Their structure allows not only to absorb large quantities of water, but also to attract and retain dirt, easily removing it from surfaces.

Less known, but enormously effective, are the Swedish cloths. These tea towels are completely natural, as they are made with a particular mix of cotton and cellulose fibres. Invented in the 1940s, they can absorb up to 10 times their weight in water, attract dirt and can be washed normally in the washing machine.

Then, they can also last for years, as they are very resistant and, at the end of their life cycle, they can even be composted.