Cost friendly homemade cleaning solutions

The secret to a freshly- scented neat home, is investing in quality cleaning solutions. PHOTO/rachel mabala

What you need to know:

Say goodbye to all the stains and dirt in your home spaces, using the available homemade cleaning detergents from your pantry. Save costs and time.

Housekeeping only gets easier with the help of DIY (Do It Yourself) cleaners. These definitely make it convenient for one to keep their home spaces appealing. The thought of a possible lockdown during this pandemic is a daunting prospect for Dinah Keirungi because she has to figure out how to get to the store for all her housekeeping needs, especially cleaning detergents. “I am very particular about every little cleaning solution in my home varying from steel, brass to granite and glass cleaners,” she narrates. Keirungi believes the secret to a freshly- scented neat home, is investing in each of these on-shelf store cleaning solutions.

“I became flexible during the lockdown and resorted to using various cost friendly home-made all-purpose cleaners,” she adds.

Keirungi attributes her success in housekeeping to homemade cleaners, largely lemons and baking soda being the natural deodorisers. Here are some homemade cleaning solutions, which cost next to nothing but will leave your home spaces rejuvenated and sparkling.

Rust and hard water stains

To get rid of rusty stains on surfaces, Nelly Nabuuma, a trained housekeeper, says combine a mixture of water, vinegar, lemon and a rosemary sprig. Shake well and keep away for about a week in a spray bottle. Nabuuma explains that the mixture is applied to the rusty surface then wiped off with a dry cloth erasing the dirt and stains completely. She adds that the lemon creates a refreshing scent in one’s home space.

You can never go wrong with a few slices of lemon blended together to give your blender a pleasant scent. Annah Nagooli, a mother of three testifies to this and more. “I use lemon to make natural bleach for my family’s stained white clothing,” she says. Boil and leave the mixture to cool, then place the liquid in a spray bottle and this acts as a natural air freshener and sanitiser for home spaces.

Stained and dirty stainless steel

A poorly handled ceramic sink tends to take on a dirty yellowish appearance which is not only irritating but sickening. Nabuuma advises that one pours baking soda on the surface for a few minutes before cleaning up.

“The solution helps to eliminate any odours from the surface,” she adds. To add a sparkle to your surfaces, Nabuuma recommends that a paste is made of baking soda and water which is then applied to the surface using a damp cloth and thereafter rinsed and dried off. Allen Kamukama, a housewife, attributes her clean flat irons to the continuous use of baking soda detergent and lemon which does the magic in removing dirty burns from the steel surface. “I also apply sand or ash on saucepans and use a steel washer to scrub off the dirty burns,” she adds.

Dusty glass surfaces and mirrors

Ordinarily, one could just rub a mirror surface using a paper, which is not so effective. Keirungi says she resorted to using water, alcohol and vinegar after experiencing scratches on the mirrors from using paper towels.

“The combination is placed in a spray bottle but sprayed on a soft cloth used to wipe the surface,” she explains. However, Keirungi cautions against spraying the solution directly onto the glass surfaces as this leaves streaks on them. To avoid streaks one should use ammonia as it evaporates.

Rusty oven racks, stoves and grill

One thing similar to an oven cleaner detergent would preferably be some liquid soap mixed with water to wipe off the dirt in the oven. However, Nabuuma advises using ammonia and water. She says, “Ammonia easily loosens the grease on the oven racks overnight unlike ordinary detergent.” The surface is rinsed with warm water to leave it clean and rust-free.

Safety Tip.

Never combine ammonia-based cleaners with chlorine bleach, for example powdered detergent, and because this can create offensive smells and the fumes created are dangerous.