Lemon And Other Natural Detergents

Vinegar in combination with baking soda and hot water is a good way to clear clogged drains.

Have you ever wondered how our grandmothers and grandfathers used to clean without chemical detergents for the household ?

The answer is simple: you used natural and homemade  household cleaning products. Of course, that doesn’t mean that cleaning with these natural agents was less efficient, on the contrary!

Read the following article to learn more about household cleaning products with natural ingredients.

Make your own natural cleaning products for the household

Ecological all-purpose cleaner

This is a natural soap that can be used in many ways. You can use it to clean a wide variety of surfaces, but also carpets and sinks. You need the following ingredients for this:

• 30% alcohol 
• 20% vinegar

• 50% distilled water
• 20 drops of lemon essential oil

The amount of these ingredients will depend on the size of the container you use for the detergent. However, we advise you to use a large bottle (with a lid) so that the agent lasts a long time.

Put a squirt of this natural detergent in a bucket of hot water and you’re ready to clean as you normally would.

Homemade cleaning agent for tiles or porcelain

This household cleaner can also be used in many ways, but it is  particularly suitable for the bathroom. 

You can use it to clean tiles and the bathtub or sink. This agent is also ideal for cleaning dishes and porcelain and makes them shine again.

All you need is a mixture of lemon juice and water. Dip a clean sponge or cloth in this mixture and use it to clean the surfaces you want.

If these are very dirty, let the mixture soak in and then rub the dirt off with the sponge. At the end, rinse everything off with lukewarm water.

For the toilets, add a little vinegar to this mixture of lemon and water.

It is best to leave everything on overnight and then wash the toilet with lukewarm water the next morning.

Degreaser for mushrooms

There is nothing more arduous than removing grease and grime in the oven.

To avoid chemical degreasers (these are toxic and often contain gasoline, potassium hydroxide, methylene chloride, etc.) and consequently skin, respiratory or eye problems, you can use a natural product. 

First, wipe the oven down with a cloth dampened with hot water.  Then you use a paste made of baking soda and water to clean the surface.

Let this work overnight and wash off the residue with a little water the next day.

Natural detergent

With this cleaning agent you can wash plates, glasses and pans naturally, leaving behind a pleasant lemon smell. In addition, this natural product is cheaper than the commercially available products.

You will need the following ingredients for this:

• 3 lemons
• 200 grams of coarse-grained salt
• 100 ml wine vinegar (white)
• 200 ml of water
• 30 ml polishing agent for dishes (optional)

Wash and cut the lemons and chop them up in a stand or hand blender.

Then add the salt, vinegar, water and, if desired, the polishing agent. Mix everything well and cook the mixture in a saucepan on medium heat for 15 minutes.

Always stir well (preferably with a wooden spoon). Be careful not to let the mixture set. Then let it cool down and fill it into a container with a cap.

The detergent is stored in the refrigerator. Use 2 spoons to wash the dishes.

Ecological cleaning agent made from ash liquor

This ash solution detergent is very easy to manufacture. You can recycle residues from the fireplace or the grill.

Only the ashes of wood or paper can be used for this. The thicker the wood, the better the detergent will be.

Don’t forget to wear gloves and, if necessary, protective goggles. When preparing this detergent, you should avoid direct contact with the skin.

Sieve the ashes to separate them from the charcoal. Then put some hot water in a container and add a fifth of the ash.

Cover the container with a damp cloth for a day or two. Then strain the liquid with a cloth or piece of old cloth.

You can clean your house with this efficient detergent. If you put a potato or an egg in the liquid and they float on the water, the ash liquor is ready.

If this is not the case, you’ll need to add more ash. Now you can use the detergent and mix it with a little water if necessary. Keep it in a well-sealed container.

Ash liquor can be used for washing clothes or anything that needs to be disinfected. It is also often used to wash and disinfect vegetables, roots, legumes, etc.

Homemade, natural fragrance

To eliminate bad smells in the house, you can do without commercial sprays with chemical agents, because these can be harmful to your health.

Make your own natural fragrance. To do this, you need a glass container with a metal lid.

Put 1/4 baking soda in the container and then 8 drops of essential oil of your choice. Close the container. Then shake it to mix the ingredients well.

Then you punch holes in the lid with a nail. Place the container in the apartment. When the liquid has evaporated, you can repeat the preparation.