There’s no doubt about it, cleaning tools and technology have come a long way in the past 50 to 100 years. Where would we be without the invention of the dishwasher, in-home laundry appliances, or vacuum cleaners? Unfortunately, along with all of these amazing advancements has come an increase in the use of harsh, chemical-laden cleaning products. These types of cleaners are full of harmful and unnecessary products that have proven dangerous to those exposed to them. Fresh Tech Maid, an Evanston maid service, remains committed to promoting the benefits of chemical-free! Below we have gathered the best tried-and-true chemical-free cleaning tips from Grandma’s generation, because when it comes to keeping a tidy home Grandma always knows best!
Stock Up On Kitchen Towels
One of the most useful cleaning tools in your arsenal is the simple kitchen towel, sometimes called a tea towel. Tea towels are very inexpensive, and much more environmentally-friendly than paper towels as you can simply wash and reuse them! In the long run, investing in a good stack of kitchen towels will definitely save you money as you don’t have to continuously purchase packs of paper towels. Kitchen towels can be used for a variety of cleaning tasks including wiping up spills, drying dishes, and cleaning the counters and stove. The best part is, tea towels come in a variety of cute colors and patterns so you can have fun customizing your kitchen decor!
Clean Throughout the Day
Especially because they came from a generation of bigger families, this was a golden rule for Grandmas! It still holds true today, as we’ve discussed in our house cleaning Evanston blog about stress-free cleaning tips. When you have children or pets, the house can become a mess very quickly and the easiest way to deal with this is to continuously tackle the messes! This way you only have to deal with small messes one at a time, instead of a whole dirty house.
Repurpose Material
Most of our Grandmas had to be very thrifty when taking care of and cleaning for a big family, and that meant making the most out of supplies. A good way to follow this practice and save money is to reuse old clothing and linens by cutting them into scraps of spare cloth. These cloths can be good for messy tasks that you may not want to use your nicer towels or microfiber cloths on, such as wiping down outdoor areas and the garage, or wiping up extra-messy spills! Another way Grandmas make the most of their cleaning supplies is to cut sponges in half. This way you are getting double use out of your sponge and it dries more quickly, actually making it more sanitary as most bacteria requires a damp environment.
Homemade Cleaning Solutions
Grandmas always know the best cleaning tips and products for every situation, and oftentimes these are common household items! To clean kitchen floors and counters, a mixture of water and baking soda can work wonders. Peanut butter and olive oil are remarkably adept at removing sticky substances like gum, glue, or tar, and did you know that you can actually use toothpaste to shine silverware? This Evanston maid service agrees that there is no need for harsh solvents or chemicals when you have perfectly good cleaning substances at hand in the bathroom and kitchen!