Cleaning Your Wood Floors Naturally

31. March 2008 · 11 comments · Categories: Cleaning, Money Saving Tips · Tags: , , , , ,

884426_window_light.jpgYou know I like tea. Herbal teas are fantastic for what ails you or just as a comfort. Green tea is a great antioxidant and disease preventative. But what if I told you not to drink your tea? Today my tea advice to you is: Dump it on the floor! That’s right – a safe and natural way to clean your wood floors is with regular black tea. Tannic acid does wonders for wood. Again, this is a cheap, safe, and natural solution that allows you to rid your cupboards of one or two more cleanser bottles.

Here’s what you do: Just boil a quart of water and steep one or two tea bags until the water cools to room temperature. Take out the tea bags and use a soft cloth to dip in the tea. Wring out the cloth well, then wipe down the floors. Replace the cloth once it gets dirty.

Not only will your floors be nice and clean, you’ll also be gently covering some of those little imperfections and Hot Wheels scratches. Now when your two-year-old decides to lick the floor (simply for experimental purposes, mind you), you won’t have to worry about the dirt – or the chemicals.

Cleaning Your Kitchen Naturally

28. March 2008 · 2 comments · Categories: Cleaning, Money Saving Tips · Tags: , , ,


If you want that kitchen sparkling but you don’t want the cabinet under your sink to look like the mad scientist’s laboratory, ditch those nasty bottles of harmful cleansers and replace them with these safe and, might I add, cheap items!

Smelly cutting board? Wet it down and rub a little dry mustard on it. Let it sit a couple minutes and rinse. To disinfect, I keep an old dish soap bottle handy with 1/2 water, 1/2 white vinegar. I squirt some on the board, scrub, and rinse. (This is also a great cleanser for fruits and veggies instead of the costly Fit. One of you blogged about it and now I can’t remember who! Come forward and I’ll give you due credit – it was a great tip.)

Gas Stove Tops: For a great nonabrasive clean, remove your burners and sprinkle on some baking soda. Mist the stove top with vinegar and water. (I use 1/2 and 1/2). With a damp cloth, scrub away the crud, rinse the cloth, and wipe away the baking soda. This is one of my favorite natural cleaning tips – it will outdo any of those expensive cleaners!

Dishwasher Odors: Sprinkle some borax in your dishwasher, particularly in the bottom. Leave it overnight and wipe it away in the morning with a damp cloth. Let the next load of dishes do the rest of the cleaning.

Ways to clean your kitchen naturally, as well as the rest of your house, abound. If you try a natural solution and it doesn’t work for you, don’t give up. I’ve tried and tested many, many solutions and thrown more out the window than I’ve kept. But I’m always pleasantly surprised to find something natural that’s more effective than the usual expensive store-bought solutions. It becomes a fulfilling challenge. The best part? You feel more self-sufficient and you know you’ve got a safe, true clean in your house!