Wellness Wednesday: 5 Eco-Friendly Ways to Clean the House

It’s often easy to forget the harmful effects of household cleaning products we use on a regular basis. Choosing more natural products and removing toxic ones goes a long way to ensure you’re breathing fresh, clean air.

Looking for alternative methods? Here’s how you can get started now:

Look under your kitchen sink. Glance over the products you have - eliminate the toxic ones. Place these in a locked storage bin for your community’s next Household Hazardous Pickup Day. Chemical-free products create a safer environment for the whole family.

Replace toxic products. Choose non-toxic substitutes. Look for “Signal Words” on labels - danger, warning, poison, caution - all indications of health concerns and products that you should avoid using in your home. Try alternatives like baking soda or lemon juice. Click here for a list of chemical-free recipes you can try this season.

Recycle cleaning materials. Save money and help the environment! Reusable mops, safer sponges, rags (instead of paper), and HEPA vacuums provide your home with clean air.

Clean indoor air with plants. Plants are an organic way to reduce indoor air pollution in your home - add a lightly lavender antibacterial spray for a lovely, clean scent that disinfects. Not to mention, houseplants add more oxygen too!

Use your senses. Smell, hear, feel - if your nose detects rotten food or dirty pet products, it may be time for a cleaning. Floors feel sticky? Grab a clean rag or mop. Your senses will tell you which household areas need to be attended to.

For more eco-friendly cleaning methods or help installing energy efficient appliances in your home, call NY Plumbing and Sewer Rooter at 718-514-7145! We can help you make a difference.

Deep Clean Your Kitchen!

Tomorrow is Clean Your Kitchen Day and a perfect time to give your kitchen that deep clean it's been hoping for. While you probably wipe down and around your kitchen each and every day, getting into the nooks and crannies of your entire kitchen calls for a checklist.

Use this chilly Saturday to buckle down and make your kitchen sparkle. Turn to this guide below for a little inspiration:

Cupboards and surfaces. Clear out all of your Tupperware, utensils and knickknacks so you have nothing left but empty spaces to attack. Wipe down all interiors with a disinfectant spray - including hard to reach areas like high shelves and extractor fans. Wipe down cabinet exteriors with warm, soapy water unless the material calls for a special cleaner. If handles are particularly greasy, consider removing them and soaking them in a bowl.

Kitchen appliances. The biggest jobs include the oven and the fridge. To clean the oven, first unplug it. Then, remove all shelves and scrub down the inside and the door with an oven cleaner spray. Soak the shelves in the sink in the meantime.

Unplug the fridge before cleaning it, as well. Remove all the contents - chucking food that is moldy or old and placing perishables in a cooler. Remove all shelving and let that soak in the sink too. Thoroughly wipe down walls with a bacterial spray. The fridge is a perfect place for bacteria to build up if not cleaned regularly.

Finishing touches. Now that all of the big projects are complete, refocus your attention to the sink and the floor - two spots that probably got even dirtier in the process. Fill the sink with warm water and bleach or limescale remover. Let it soak for a bit before draining and wiping it down until it's completely clean. Lastly, sweep and or vacuum the floor and fill up a bucket with floor-cleaning solution and a little bit of water. Mop the entire floor and then leave the room and allow everything to dry.

Run into a plumbing problem during your cleaning spree? Call us at NY Plumbing & Sewer Rooter! We've been proudly serving plumbing customers in New York for over 50 years. Visit our website for more information.