Kitchen is perhaps the most important room in your house as this is where you prepare all those delicious treats for you and your family to ensure good health. However, in order to prepare a hygienic meal, apart from choosing fresh raw materials, you also have to ensure that your kitchen is entirely clean. Although there is no dearth of kitchen cleaning products available in the market, the fact remains that most of these products are made from toxic chemicals, which can pollute the water table and the ecosystem when discarded.
One way you can keep your kitchen clean without using any toxic chemicals is by making use of eco friendly cleaning products. As surprising as it might sound, most of these natural cleaning products will already be a part of your kitchen. Here are some natural and environmentally friendly ways you can keep your kitchen clean, odor-free, and hygienic.
- Use old newspapers to clean windows:
There is no denying that cleaning window glasses in the kitchen is a difficult process. This is the reason we do not think twice before buying those magic cleaning solutions that are laden with chemicals of all types, but virtually guarantee a sparkling finish in just a few minutes. However, if you care for the environment and are willing to spend just a little more time in cleaning kitchen windows, you can use an old newspaper soaked in a 50/50 mixture of water and white vinegar to get the same result, without polluting the ecosystem.
- Fresh lemons keep odors at bay:
There are hundreds of products available in the market with which you can keep your kitchen smelling great. However, as it turns out to be, most of these products are chemical based and hence not the best for your kitchen and the environment. An easier, affordable and natural option is fresh lemons. Fresh lemons can easily help you get rid of most odors, including the odors of garlic, fish and other food items without using any toxic chemicals.
- Salt is a great sanitizer:
In countries such as India, housewives prepare pickles by using handsome quantities of oil and salt as preservatives. This pickle can be used for years as it is, because salt is a natural sanitizer and prevents growth of bacteria. Hence, if you’re looking to clean the cleaning sponges in your kitchen and ensure that they don’t transform into havens for bacteria, you simply can dip them in cold and heavily salted water for a couple of hours. Once the soaking is done, simply wash the sponges with clean water and you are good to go.
- Use lemon and baking soda to clean microwave ovens:
Microwave ovens always have some of crusty food residues that appear un-cleanable on the first look. However, just using a slice of lemon will help you get rid of the stain in no time. As an added benefit, it will also make your microwave smell fresher. However, if there are some even tough stains on which lemon does not seem to work, all you have to do is to prepare a paste of baking soda and clean water and use it to get rid of all the ugly mess of unidentifiable food items.
- Tea tree oil for sanitizing kitchen shelves:
Tea tree oil is known for its antiseptic properties and hence, is an ideal natural cleaner that can be used to kill bacteria, viruses and mold on kitchen shelves, doorknobs and kitchen cabinets. All you have to do to prepare this magic cleaning solution is to take a couple of cups of hot water, a few teaspoons of borax, a teaspoon of dish washing solution and a teaspoon of tea tree oil. Just clean the surface with this solution to keep things hygienic.
