Locked down households have been offered advice on how to clean their homes with a range of store cupboard staples.
Penny-pinchers from NetVoucherCodes.co.uk have revealed seven products – from baking soda and white vinegar to lemons and salt – that double as natural cleaning alternatives.
By using eco-friendly, natural cleaners, households can be kind to the environment whilst saving some cash along the way.
A spokesperson from NetVoucherCodes.co.uk said: “When it comes to cleaning efficiently and on the cheap, there’s nothing like putting multi-taskers to work.
“Rather than spending your hard-earned cash on purpose made, chemical cleaning solutions with fancy packaging, you can simply use a few common items that you likely already have around your house.”
Baking soda
Baking soda is a hardworking cleaning agent that is both versatile and very inexpensive. You can get approximately 200-300g for just a couple of pounds. Baking soda acts as a cleaning agent because it is a mild alkali and can cause dirt and grease to dissolve easily.
It’s also great for absorbing strong food odours, and as it’s non-toxic, can be used to clean stains off of fridges, ovens, and microwaves.
Distilled white vinegar
Like baking soda, distilled white vinegar is both versatile and inexpensive, and it can be used as a nontoxic disinfecting agent. For rinse-free cleaning, mix around 100ml of white distilled vinegar with 2 litres of warm water.
Hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide has many uses.
Combine two parts hydrogen peroxide and one-part dish liquid to create your own laundry spot remover. Apply to clothing with a soft scrub brush to remove wine, chocolate, grass, blood and armpit stains.
This same spot remover can also be used to treat carpet and upholstery stains. Because hydrogen peroxide is a mild bleach, it’s best to test the treatment on an inconspicuous area first.
Liquid dish soap
Liquid dish soap can be used to do more than the washing up. It works great as a floor cleaner, and to clean worktops and hard surfaces. Dish soap is also one of the best stain removers for oil-based stains on fabrics, and diluted dish soap can be used on dirty glass. Try using diluted dish soap to thoroughly clean glass before going back over the surface with a glass cleaner to shine it up.
Salt
Humble table salt is an all-natural, cost-efficient way to keep your home clean. Thanks to its granular texture, it’s a pretty effective cleaner, and can be used to remove wine stains, clean drains, and even brighten up your laundry. Pour a mixture of salt and hot water down the kitchen sink to deodorize and prevent grease build up, or dip a washcloth in a strong saltwater solution, wring it out and briskly rub faded rugs and curtains to brighten the colours.
Lemon
Lemons contain both acidity found in the juice, along with the grease-cutting oil contained within its skin to create a superb cleaning sidekick.
Its scent is also fresh, clean and energising, and they are quite inexpensive and easy to come by too. Cut lemons can be used to polish copper and knives that have developed rust spots, as well as to remove stains and smells.
Vodka/rubbing alcohol
Rubbing alcohol is a germicide, so is particularly good for hygiene purposes.
From cleaning your blinds to getting our pesky permanent marker stains, it has many uses.
Use it to refresh sponges, clean jewellery, and deodorise shoes.
