Tag Archives: cleaner

Eliminate that ‘boy smell’ in the bathroom

Posted on by Posted in Cleaning Tips .

Last week, I posted a blog about how to keep your tile and grout clean. (Check it out here if you missed it!)

That stemmed a lot of bathroom questions from you, so I decided to answer those questions this week.

The most popular question was how to keep the ‘boy smell’ out of the bathroom. You know what I mean, right? It’s probably the main reason you avoid going into the kids’ bathroom. 😉  Well, let’s help solve that problem.

First, you guessed it; it starts with a deep cleaning.

Step 1: Mix a paste of baking soda and lemon juice.  If you don’t have lemon juice you can use water but lemon juice is a great disinfectant and great for removing odors.  The consistency of the paste should be about that of pancake mix.

lemon baking soda

Step 2: Spread the paste all along the bottom of the toilet {where it meets the floor}, the toilet seat, and any other area that gets a lot of over spray.

 

Let it set for about 10-15 minutes.

 

Step 3: When the timer expires spray the dried paste with white vinegar and let it fizzle.  Once it is done fizzing wipe it up with a damp cloth.

 

It’s very important that you don’t forget about the walls and/or cupboards on either side of the toilet.  It’s easy to remember to wipe the floor and the toilet but the walls and cupboards will also get sprayed and they will need to be wiped down regularly too.  Spray them down with vinegar, let it for a few minutes and wipe them down.

 

Cleaning the toilet, floor and walls at least once a week, with these steps, will keep the smell at bay.

 

Another trick is making mini air fresheners and discreetly placing them in the bathroom cabinets, behind the toilet bowl, or on the top lip of the shower.

air freshener pic

Use old baby food jars or small canning jars. Pour baking soda into jar until 1/4 to 1/2 full. Add 8 to 10 drops of your favorite essential oil(s). Poke holes in jar lid with an awl or ice pick. Decorate the  jars with ribbon, fabric, or however you like. If you’ve lost the lid, cover top with several layers of nylon net, tie with ribbon, and voila! You’ve got DIY room freshener! (Add more essential oil as needed). Shake or stir it every now and then to freshen.

baby jar air fresheners

 

Another freshener trick is to place a few drops of your favorite essential oil in the toilet paper roll, as seen here. Your bathroom will smell pleasant with every roll.

 

TP roll

 

As mentioned in last week’s article, keep antibacterial wipes under your bathroom sink for easy access when messes arrive. These are perfect for quickly wiping the toilet seat, cleaning globs of toothpaste, or a quick countertop wipe down before guests arrive.

 

Here’s a great recipe for making your own antibacterial wipes!

 

Use any type of old towel, rag, tshirt, etc. to cut into rags and finish the edges to make them wipe sized.

Next, fold the wipes and placed them in an old wipes container.

 

Mix:

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup vinegar
  • 10 drops Peppermint Essential Oil

Finally, just pour the water/vinegar/essential oil mixture into the tub, completely saturating the wipes. It might help to flip the pile over one time so that the wipes on the bottom get completely soaked.

make your own baby wipes pic

 

 

There you have it. A few tricks to getting rid of that ‘boy smell’. Did we forget something? What’s your trick? Talk to us about it on Facebook www.facebook.com/Miraclean

12 uses for hydrogen peroxide around your home

Posted on by Posted in Cleaning Tips .

Hydrogen peroxide is a wonderful ingredient for cleaning because it is naturally antibacterial. It is non-toxic to people, plants, household animals and the Earth. Basically, hydrogen peroxide is water with an extra oxygen molecule. It is inexpensive to buy and simplifies the number of different cleaning products you need to keep handy.

Remember, hydrogen peroxide is a natural alternative to bleach.

 

When mixing your own cleaning products, make sure you store any peroxide mixtures in a dark bottle. The light will breakdown the molecules, causing the peroxide to be ineffective.

 

Here are some great cleaning tips to use hydrogen peroxide as a natural cleaner in your home:

 

1.)                When washing a load of whites, add one cup hydrogen peroxide to brighten your threads.

2.)                Make a 50/50 solution using peroxide and water to use around your house. Spray it on countertops and cutting boards to disinfect. Use it as a bathroom cleaner to create a germ-free area. Hydrogen peroxide can also eliminate that “boy” smell from bathrooms.

3.)                Add ½ cup hydrogen peroxide to a sink full of water and use to wash fruit and veggies.

4.)                Got a sickling in your home? Use peroxide to wipe light switches, door handles, toys, or any other surface they may touch.

5.)                Soak your toothbrushes in a cup of peroxide to give them a good cleaning.

6.)                Add an ounce of peroxide to one cup water and spray house plants daily to help prevent fungus growth.

7.)                Gargle and rinse with peroxide as a mouthwash for brighter teeth and a breath freshener.

8.)                Use it to scrub stained grout in the bathroom.

9.)                Hydrogen peroxide can be used as a pre-treater to stains. For example, it can be used to remove blood stains from clothes.

10.)            Combine half cup of peroxide with one gallon of hot water and start mopping. Because it is so mild, it is safe for any floor type and there is no need to rinse. Great for brightening dingy floors.

11.)            Use hydrogen peroxide to clean your mirrors for a streak-free shine, every time.

12.)            Try soaking dentures in a 50/50 peroxide and water solution. I’m not there yet, but reports say it is better than using those tablets, and cheaper!

 

 

Most stores sell the 3% food grade hydrogen peroxide. Some health food stores and pharmacies sell a higher percentage, usually 35%. Keep in mind that this is an alternative for bleach, so the higher the concentrate, the more likely it will stain your fabrics. Be careful!

 

Did I forget something? Let me know at www.facebook.com/Miraclean

 

Vinegar. Yes, it works! But WHY does it work?

Posted on by Posted in Cleaning Tips .

One main ingredient when making your own natural cleaners is distilled white vinegar. Vinegar is a deodorizer, disinfectant and cuts grease, but how and why does it work?

 

Vinegar is a mix of acetic acid and water. The pH of acetic acid is what makes vinegar an excellent cleaner. Think back to high school science class. The acid in vinegar crosses the cell membrane of bacteria and triggers a release of proteins, which causes the cell to die.

 

Basically, acetic acid is what gives vinegar its “power”. Acetic acid is measured in grains. For example, 10-grain vinegar means the vinegar is made up of 1% acetic acid and 99% water. The most common vinegar solution is 50-grain, which is 5% acetic acid and 95% water. Heinz has recently introduced a 6% acetic acid vinegar. They are calling it the “cleaning vinegar” and it is supposed to boost the strength of vinegar by 20% and still maintain a fast dry time with no smell.

 

Enough of the science.

 

Vinegar is able to clean and disinfect bacteria such as salmonella and E. Coli, but it takes a few seconds. Be sure that when you are cleaning with vinegar, you spray and let the vinegar sit on the surface for 30-45 seconds before wiping clean.

 

Here are some quick and easy recipes you can start using around your house today!

 

1.)    To shine chrome sink fixtures that have a lime buildup, use a paste made of 2 tablespoons salt and 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar.

2.)    To clean a grease splattered oven door window, saturate it with full-strength white distilled vinegar. Keep the door open for 10 to 15 minutes before wiping with a sponge.

3.)    Remove soap buildup and odors from the dishwasher by pouring a cup of white distilled vinegar inside the machine and running it through a whole cycle. Run monthly.

4.)    Remove odors from a lunch box by placing inside a slice of bread that has been soaked in white distilled vinegar. Leave overnight.

5.)    Get rid of fruit flies by setting out a small dish of undiluted white distilled vinegar.

6.)    Spray shower doors with full-strength white distilled vinegar after you’ve squeegeed the glass, or before you step in and turn on the water. It will help release the hard water deposits so they don’t remain on the glass.

7.)    To remove paint splatters from windows apply full-strength white distilled vinegar with a clean paintbrush.

8.)    Attack spaghetti, barbecue, or ketchup stains with a white distilled vinegar and water solution.

9.)    Get cleaner and brighter laundry! Add about 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar to the last rinse. The acid in white distilled vinegar is too mild to harm fabrics, yet strong enough to dissolve the alkalies in soaps and detergents. Besides removing soap, white distilled vinegar prevents yellowing, acts as a fabric softener and static cling reducer, and attacks mold and mildew.

10.)                        Remove soap scum and clean the hoses of your washing machine with white distilled vinegar. Periodically run the machine with only a cup of white distilled vinegar in it—nothing else added to the wash cycle.

 

Do you use vinegar around the house? What are some of your secret recipes? Tell us at www.facebook.com/Miraclean