Cleaning Tips for People Who Have Asthma

Call me crazy but one of the things I enjoy most about my home is keeping it tidy. Through the years cleaning products have become pretty harsh. The fumes and toxic nature of some of these things really turns me off. For people who have asthma the idea of using these “so called” wonder products can be potentially harmful. And then there are the so called “green” products…guaranteed not to cause pain, suffering, death and agony…until you see the pricetag!

When you want to get a squeaky clean kitchen here are some basics to get you started asap.

1) Remember this mantra, “baking soda is your friend”. This often overlooked product is simply wonderful. Need to scrub the sink? just sprinkle some of this on a sponge and you have just enough of an abrasive to get an impressive shine in no time. It works as well as commercial scrubbing powders with no smell, no toxic dust and the pricetag is roughly .89 cents a box. Plus you can store it in the fridge to help alleviate food odors. BONUS!!!
Then when the sink needs a scrub just pull it out of the refrigerator and bob’s your uncle.

2) Good old distilled white vinegar. Also a real winner. You can dilute a bit of this in a spray bottle. About half water and half vinegar. Works very well on most surfaces except fine wood and is awesome on glass. If you’re doing windows, just take a piece of newspaper to the glass after the initial wash and dry. Guaranteed to be the best looking windows in the neighborhood. Most window cleaners contain ammonia and there are few things that can set off asthma quicker than ammonia. It’s not a neccessary product…why risk it.

3) But what about germs, cooties and other surface nasties you say. Well here is one of my favorite tricks. You know that hand sanitizer you use that has alcohol in it. It is great for sanitizing surfaces. Just put three or four liberal squirts of it on the counter top and use a paper towel to wipe it down. No bleach products needed and the alcohol smell evaporates very quickly. Then pitch the paper towel and you have a nice clean counter. One other thing that this works wonders on, is faucets, especially stainless. If you want super shiney sink fixtures on the hurry up, just put a squirt of this on a paper towel and rub down the faucet. You’ll need to wear shades!

4) And then there is…wait for it…WATER. So many of us have been conned into thinking that we have to use radioactive waste to keep our homes clean. What a bunch of hooey. Good old water and a paper towel can freshen up most surfaces. Unless you’ve been prepping raw chicken or something that requires the alcohol to sanitize, then water works pretty darn well. Good for fingerprints on the fridge, cooking spoon spots left on the stove top and a slightly damp paper towel is great for spiffing up wood surfaces like the kitchen table, etc.

5) When you want to really impress the in-laws or just pamper yourself with a wonderful aroma grab an orange out of the fridge and do the following. Get your grater out and grate the orange peel into a bowl. Then cut the orange in half and squeeze the juice over the zest and set out into the middle of your kitchen. There is nothing more invigorating than fresh citrus scent!! There are even studies that link the smell of lemon and orange with the perception of cleanliness. So if your in a big hurry and can’t do the actual cleaning, use the citrus trick and everyone will think you are the mack daddy of clean.

So there are a few of my favorite tips and tricks for making short work of your kitchen cleaning duties. Try these tips, even if you’re used to using the commercial stuff. You will be pleased, possibly healthier and save money in the meantime…can’t beat that! Thanks for taking time to read this and have a wonderful day!