Eco-Friendly Cleaning Alternatives: Ways to Clean Your Home Without Chemicals

Nearly every company on the market today offers up some version of an eco-friendly cleaning product. Unfortunately, not all of these products are truly eco-friendly. However, there are plenty of ways to both save money and ensure that you're using an eco-friendly products to clean your home. Here are a few of the products you probably already have in your kitchen that can be used to clean your home.

Freshening the Air

You don't need to use chemically scented air fresheners to clean the air in your home. Just by bringing in a few house plants, you can clean the air in your home naturally.

If you have pets, be sure to choose plants that are safe and non-toxic. Keep in mind that some plants are safe for cats but poisonous to dogs and vice versa. If you own both a cat and a dog, be sure to choose a plant that's safe for both animals. (The ASPCA website offers a searchable list of toxic and non-toxic plants for cats and dogs.)

Eco-Friendly Carpet Cleaning

You can clean a variety of stains in your carpet without ever busting out a toxic chemical. For example, a combination of salt, water and vinegar can be used to clean red wine stains. For red wine, blot up the area and then sprinkle with salt. The salt absorbs the wine over approximately 15 minutes. Finish cleaning the area using a 1 cup mixture of vinegar and water (1/3 cup vinegar and 2/3 cup water.)

However, I personally recommend water. By investing in a hand-held steam cleaning vacuum, you can save yourself a lot of time and money and within a few months to a few years (depending on how much you use it,) it will literally pay for itself. (Honestly, my grandmother bought my husband and I one for Christmas. The following spring, we spilled a gallon of blue paint in our apartment and the steam cleaner took it all up, no problem. Needless to say, we actually got our deposit back, so the vacuum paid for itself.)

Gum or candle wax stuck in your carpet? You can actually harden either one using an ice cube and then scrape it off the carpet without leaving any behind.

There are also a plethora of recipes available on the internet today on using baking soda as a carpet cleaning ingredient. However, I generally avoid these as the reality is that baking soda is not as eco-friendly as it is often touted to be.

Tips for Damaged Furniture: Water Marks

Ever leave a can of soda or a glass of cold water on wood furniture, only to have a ring left behind? Short of refinishing the entire piece, it can be difficult to repair. However, you can make a paste of salad oil and salt that can, in many cases, do the trick. Wipe the paste onto the area, let it sit for a few minutes up to an hour, depending on the severity of the water mark and then buff off gently using a soft cloth.