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Eco-Friendly Cleaning Tips (Plus Giveaway and Discounts!)

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I have succumbed to hiring a full time helper at home. I’ve been training her for 2 weeks now, often explaining and showing her how to clean the house the eco-friendly way by using less chemicals / products that could potentially be toxic to young children. Since I’m going through what we use to maintain a clean and green household, I thought I would share it here too.

White distilled vinegar:

Clean the microwave by mixing 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar and 1/2 cup water in a microwave-safe bowl. Bring it to a rolling boil inside the microwave. Baked-on food will be loosened, and odors will disappear. Wipe clean.

Clean kitchen counter tops, shelves and walls of refrigerator and make them smell sweet again with a cloth soaked in undiluted white distilled vinegar. Keeps ants away too.

Kill germs all around the bathroom with a spray of full-strength white distilled vinegar. Wipe clean with a damp cloth.

Mix a cup of white vinegar with half a bucket of water to mop the floor. It removes grease, disinfect and shines your non-waxed floor. It is also fast-drying.

Remove ugly film in narrow-necked glass jars, flower vases, and bottles by letting undiluted white distilled vinegar sit in them for a few hours. Add a little rice or sand and shake vigorously to loosen stubborn stains.

Shine metal eating utensils by soaking them for a couple of hours or overnight in a glass or bowl of undiluted white distilled vinegar. 

To rid grease off exhaust fan grids, soak them in a mixture of half hot water, half vinegar with a little washing liquid before scrubbing.

Deodorize the toilet bowl by allowing 3 cups white distilled vinegar to sit in it for about a half hour before flushing.

Bicarb soda /Baking soda:

cleaning tips

Stop buying Cif. Make your own scouring cleanser by combining ¼ cup baking soda with 1 tablespoon liquid detergent. Add just enough white distilled vinegar to give it a thick but creamy texture.

Get rid of sour milk smell in baby milk bottles by adding a teaspoon of bicarb soda and water after washing. 

Fill some containers with baking soda and place inside to absorb stale smell in the fridge.

Remove stains from coffee and teacups by scrubbing them gently with equal parts of bicarb soda and white distilled vinegar. Rinse clean.

Lemon:

eco cleaning tips

Get rid of lime deposits in a tea kettle by boiling water with a few pieces of quartered lime/lemon in the kettle. Drain the water and lemon before your next use.

Diluted lemon juice not only cleans stains from cutting boards, but helps kill germs as well. Rub the juice full strength onto the stain and let sit until the stain fades. Can be left overnight, then rinsed well and dried.

Soak plastic food storage containers in dilute lemon juice to remove stains and odors. Add baking soda and scrub, rinse and dry.
Remove grease stains from clothing. Rub lemon juice into the spot and let sit overnight and then wash as normal.
Unclog your drain with a mixture of baking soda followed by lemon juice. The foaming action will clear minor clogs.
 

Eco-friendly cleaning products, like Ecover ZERO:
(The good folks at Ecover kindly sent some products to review for the purpose of this eco-friendly post)

No more sour milk / strong detergent smell in my baby milk bottle with Ecover ZERO washing-up liquid. Its fragrant-free and colouring-free formulation cleans well without leaving any harmful residual traces in baby’s bottles. All their products are also safe for sensitive skin. My hands are not sensitive, but god knows how much washing up a mum does in a day, so a gentle formulation for the skin is always welcomed.

Eco-friendly laundry with Ecover ZERO Non Bio laundry liquid This detergent uses natural plant oils and acids to clean clothing, therefore it isn’t packed with phosphates that can wreak havoc on water supplies causing algal blooms and red tide. Washing my clothes was no different with this detergent than any other, put in a cap-full, close the lid and walk away. The clothes felt clean, soft, and had a certain “earthy” smell that I enjoyed. 

Alternative uses for Ecover ZERO fabric conditioner:
Remove hard-water stains Dab fabric conditioner onto the stains and let it soak for 10 minutes. Then wipe the conditioner and stain off the glass with a damp cloth and rinse well,

Float away baked-on grime Forget scrubbing. Fill the casserole with water, add a squirt of fabric conditioner, and soak for an hour, or until residue wipes easily away.

Giveaway:
I’ve got 3 bottles of 500ml Washing Up Liquid by Ecover worth SGD14.85 to give away to one lucky reader. 

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling me what you like to read more on The Chill Mom. Don’t forget to leave your email address as well. If you don’t want to leave your email address here, do leave a comment and email me at mich.hon@gmail.com


Contest will run from 27 June until 10 July 2014. Results will be posted on the The Chill Mom Facebook page on 11 July 2014. So ‘like’ the page to keep yourself updated! 

Bonus for all readers: Ecover is offering The Chill Mom’s readers 20% off all items* with promo code ‘ECV20TCM‘ for the next 2 months!

*Valid from 27/6/2014-31/8/2014

  Promo code is only valid on Ecover website: www.ecover.com.sg
  Except promotional items

Ecover products are being sold at all Home-Fix Singapore outlets as well as on www.ecover.com.sg
For updates on offers, new products etc, follow Ecover Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/EcoverSG

Update: The Giveaway contest winner is Carol Lim! Congrats and check your email!

HELLO! I’M MICHELLE.



I love my family, building successful ventures and helping others achieve their dream motherhood. This blog combines those three loves.

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