Kitchen cleaning with seven pantry products
With so much interest in environmentally friendly cleaning products and chemical-free food, almost every grocery or big box store has at least one aisle devoted to all types of sprays, cleansers, and soaps that tout themselves as 'natural' or 'green.' These products do not include chemical fragrances, chlorine, petroleum distillates, phosphates, solvents, or synthetic dyes. Often these special products come with a hefty price tag. However, those seeking natural cleaning supplies may need to look no further than their own kitchen pantries for simple, low-cost, and environmentally friendly alternatives.Distilled white vinegar – Vinegar is a great grease-cutting agent, and also removes many stains. It is also extremely effective as a window cleaner. Run a cup of vinegar through your coffeemaker, then rinse through several pots of water. Your coffee will taste so much better. Add 1/2 cup vinegar to a gallon of water to clean vinyl floors. Use vinegar in your final rinse water to make clear glassware sparkle. Have a pot with baked on burnt areas on the bottom? Mix vinegar with salt and boil gently on the stove to lift away the food remnants. Vinegar also removes spots from stainless steel cookware.
Baking soda – Toasters, bread boxes, mixers and more can shine again by working a small amount of baking soda into their surfaces. Rinse with a clean sponge and warm water to remove residue. It works great for countertops, too. Refrigerators sparkle when you mix 1/4 cup of baking soda with a quart of warm water as a cleaning agent. Use a wet, clean cotton cloth to rinse. Place a freshly opened box of baking soda in the fridge to help neutralize food odors for weeks, and replace with a new box periodically.
Borax – Great old-fashioned deodorizer that also removes stains. Borax kills mildew and mold, and boosts the cleaning power of soap.
Castile soap – When hand-washing dishes, take a bar of Castile soap and grate it into slivers. Add a small amount to the water.
Salt – Common table salt does wonders for your oven. Try to wipe up any oven spills right away, letting the oven cool before sprinkling salt on the spill. Do this as soon as possible. After a few minutes, the spill should easily scrape away. Rinse area with clean water.
Mineral oil – Stainless steel appliances will shine when you use a damp cloth to apply a small amount of mineral oil to the surface.
Scents – Soak a few cotton balls in vanilla extract, and place in the trash can before putting in the liner. Lemon juice is nice, too. Boil a pan of water on a kitchen stove burner, adding cloves, allspice, cinnamon, or similar spices. Simmer gently to naturally fragrance the air. Essential oils, such as lavender, lemon verbena, etc. can be mixed at a ratio of five drops of oil to one cup of water. Put in a spray bottle to freshen the air in your kitchen.