W
hat if the microwave cleaned itself, the shower
never grew mold or stains disappeared from
white clothing? The following green cleaning
hacks deliver the look and fresh feeling of a spic and
span house without harsh chemicals or hard work. In
fact, some of these tricks are so effortless parents can
relax and enjoy some self-care time! Or, since there are
no caustic cleaners, children can help. Either way, spring-
cleaning will be a breeze.
KITCHEN
Remove dried on food particles from the
microwave without scrubbing. Place two
lemon halves and half a cup of water in the
microwave. Heat for five minutes. When the
time is up, wait 15 minutes with the microwave door
shut. Open and wipe with a dry cloth. Watch baked on
food slide off.
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Make a stainless steel sink sparkle by
sprinkling baking soda in it. Gently scrub, then
rinse away. Soak dishrags in white vinegar and
place in your sink and on the faucets. Wait 15
minutes, and then wipe out the sink. The vinegar will
remove water spots and leave the sink shiny.
2
3 Line the bottom of the kitchen garbage can
with newspaper to soak up spills and catch
food scraps.
4 Cover refrigerator shelves with food wrap.
When there is a spill, peel away the food
wrap. No more scrubbing sticky spots out of
the fridge.
5 Put warm water and a few drops of dish
liquid in a dirty blender. With the lid on, turn
on blender. Dump the dirty water, rinse, and
presto! - you’re done.
BATHROOM
Disinfect the toilet by sprinkling baking soda
in the bowl. Scrub the bowl and under the rim
with a toilet brush at night before going to
bed. Pour in a cup of white vinegar causing
a foaming action. While you sleep, let the vinegar and
baking soda do the work! Flush in the morning.
6
Keep mildew from growing in a clean shower
by wiping it down with a dry hand towel after
each use, saving hours of scrubbing later. For
a dirty shower, mix equal parts white vinegar
and dish washing liquid and use a sponge to gently
scrub the shower with the mixture, then rinse. However,
don’t use vinegar on marble or natural stone.
7
Hate mildew on your plastic shower curtain
liner? Wash it in the gentle cycle of your
washing machine on warm and hang to dry.
To keep mildew from growing back, spray the
liner with equal parts of water and vinegar.
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