Hello everyone!! Today we have a guest post from Kacey, a lifestyle and travel blogger. She blogs at The Drifer collective where she shares various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us. If you love to travel, you will love her blog.Go check her out. Today she is sharing, 4 simple DIY recipes to take care of your furniture. You can find almost all the ingredients already in your house. Let's see what Kacey shares.
Whether you’re gathered around the table for a holiday feast or cuddled up on the couch for a Netflix marathon, one thing is for sure: so much of your life happens at home. Because of this, your well-loved furniture will need a cleaning occasionally, to keep it looking its best for as long as possible.
There’s only one problem: many products designed to take on the furniture-cleaning task contain chemicals and other human-made compounds that you don’t want to introduce into your home environment. Mixing your own natural cleaning products is, quite literally, the solution to this issue.
Here are four recipes and techniques that work efficiently while safeguarding your home from human-made products and the toxins that come with them:
1. Olive Oil-Based Wood Cleaner
Pressurized containers of wood cleaner blast away dust and leave a subtle shine, but nothing’s natural about a solution that escapes from a metal cylinder like that. So, swap a store-bought mixture for a homemade version you can pour into a spray bottle, shake up and spritz over any wood furniture that needs refreshing.
You’ll use a combination of white vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice and lavender essential oil, as well as an optional tablespoon of vegetable glycerin. The quarter-cup of olive oil will thoroughly moisturize the wood while leaving behind a protective layer that prevents dirt from building up in the future. On the other hand, vinegar will fight dirt and stains away, and lemon juice helps disinfect the furniture’s surface. If you add the vegetable glycerin, your wood furniture will stay shiny for even longer.
2. Water- or Coconut Oil-Based Leather Care
Acidic soaps or other harsh cleaners can damage leather furniture, regardless of whether it has a protective treatment or coating. In most cases, you just need a damp cloth to keep this material looking clean. But you can also leave stains be and let the leather take care of them: over time, most marks will evaporate from the surface of this material. Just dab away any liquid spill or blemish and wait for nature to take its course.
If you can’t wait that long and water doesn’t seem to be doing the trick, you do have one last resort: coconut oil. Dip a clean cloth into a jar of coconut oil, using about the same amount as you would when polishing your shoes. Wipe down your chair, ottoman or sofa with the help of this fruit-based oil; then, wait a few minutes before wiping away any residual coconut oil. It might smell a little bit tropical, too.
3. Baking Soda-Based Rug Care
It doesn’t take much to refresh the rugs in your home — all you need is a little bit of elbow grease and, potentially, some baking soda and vinegar.
Start by bringing your area rugs outdoors, dangling them over the edge of your deck (or having someone hold them for you) and hitting them to remove dust and dirt. A sturdy brush can help you remove any pet hair that the vacuum leaves behind, too.
Don’t reach for fragranced products if your rugs start to take on the scent of your pet or begin to smell musty, for example. Instead, sprinkle baking soda over the fabric before vacuuming it up and removing the odor. You can also use baking soda and a touch of vinegar to fight stains. Pour the powder over the stain; add vinegar to create dirt-loosening bubbles; dab away residue; and let any remaining baking soda dry before you vacuum it up. Voila!
4. Cornstarch-Based Upholstery Care
Taking care of upholstered furniture is very similar to taking care of carpets — in fact, you can use the above-mentioned techniques to clean your sofa or chairs. However, a well-loved piece might have a stronger scent — or deeper-set stains — than the rug beneath your feet. As such, you can try this overnight solution to refresh your upholstery.
You’ll need a blender to put the following dry solution together: two cups of baking soda, a half-cup each of cornstarch and cornmeal, four bay leaves, one tablespoon of cloves and an optional tablespoon of Borax, if you think your cleaning solution needs even more strength. Sprinkle it on your sofa, loveseat or armchair, leave it overnight, and vacuum it away. Fortunately, the refreshing scent of cloves and bay leaves will stay.
Clean It Cleanly
There’s no point of cleaning your home if you use products that leave behind toxins and residue harmful to you and your family. Instead, the above four tips and other natural cleaning hacks will help you to create a routine that’s just as effective as it would be with the inclusion of chemically based cleansers. And you can breathe easy knowing the only thing left behind is a little sparkle and a hint of fresh scent, which is just what you want from a cleaner — nothing more, nothing less.
Hope you all love those four simple recipes. Do you have any recipes that you want to share with us? Do so in the comments below. As always I will be happy to hear from you.
More about the guest post author:
Follow Kacey on Twitter and subscribe to her blog to keep up with her travels and inspiring posts!
Whether you’re gathered around the table for a holiday feast or cuddled up on the couch for a Netflix marathon, one thing is for sure: so much of your life happens at home. Because of this, your well-loved furniture will need a cleaning occasionally, to keep it looking its best for as long as possible.
There’s only one problem: many products designed to take on the furniture-cleaning task contain chemicals and other human-made compounds that you don’t want to introduce into your home environment. Mixing your own natural cleaning products is, quite literally, the solution to this issue.
Here are four recipes and techniques that work efficiently while safeguarding your home from human-made products and the toxins that come with them:
1. Olive Oil-Based Wood Cleaner
Pressurized containers of wood cleaner blast away dust and leave a subtle shine, but nothing’s natural about a solution that escapes from a metal cylinder like that. So, swap a store-bought mixture for a homemade version you can pour into a spray bottle, shake up and spritz over any wood furniture that needs refreshing.
You’ll use a combination of white vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice and lavender essential oil, as well as an optional tablespoon of vegetable glycerin. The quarter-cup of olive oil will thoroughly moisturize the wood while leaving behind a protective layer that prevents dirt from building up in the future. On the other hand, vinegar will fight dirt and stains away, and lemon juice helps disinfect the furniture’s surface. If you add the vegetable glycerin, your wood furniture will stay shiny for even longer.
2. Water- or Coconut Oil-Based Leather Care
Acidic soaps or other harsh cleaners can damage leather furniture, regardless of whether it has a protective treatment or coating. In most cases, you just need a damp cloth to keep this material looking clean. But you can also leave stains be and let the leather take care of them: over time, most marks will evaporate from the surface of this material. Just dab away any liquid spill or blemish and wait for nature to take its course.
If you can’t wait that long and water doesn’t seem to be doing the trick, you do have one last resort: coconut oil. Dip a clean cloth into a jar of coconut oil, using about the same amount as you would when polishing your shoes. Wipe down your chair, ottoman or sofa with the help of this fruit-based oil; then, wait a few minutes before wiping away any residual coconut oil. It might smell a little bit tropical, too.
3. Baking Soda-Based Rug Care
It doesn’t take much to refresh the rugs in your home — all you need is a little bit of elbow grease and, potentially, some baking soda and vinegar.
Start by bringing your area rugs outdoors, dangling them over the edge of your deck (or having someone hold them for you) and hitting them to remove dust and dirt. A sturdy brush can help you remove any pet hair that the vacuum leaves behind, too.
Don’t reach for fragranced products if your rugs start to take on the scent of your pet or begin to smell musty, for example. Instead, sprinkle baking soda over the fabric before vacuuming it up and removing the odor. You can also use baking soda and a touch of vinegar to fight stains. Pour the powder over the stain; add vinegar to create dirt-loosening bubbles; dab away residue; and let any remaining baking soda dry before you vacuum it up. Voila!
4. Cornstarch-Based Upholstery Care
Taking care of upholstered furniture is very similar to taking care of carpets — in fact, you can use the above-mentioned techniques to clean your sofa or chairs. However, a well-loved piece might have a stronger scent — or deeper-set stains — than the rug beneath your feet. As such, you can try this overnight solution to refresh your upholstery.
You’ll need a blender to put the following dry solution together: two cups of baking soda, a half-cup each of cornstarch and cornmeal, four bay leaves, one tablespoon of cloves and an optional tablespoon of Borax, if you think your cleaning solution needs even more strength. Sprinkle it on your sofa, loveseat or armchair, leave it overnight, and vacuum it away. Fortunately, the refreshing scent of cloves and bay leaves will stay.
Clean It Cleanly
There’s no point of cleaning your home if you use products that leave behind toxins and residue harmful to you and your family. Instead, the above four tips and other natural cleaning hacks will help you to create a routine that’s just as effective as it would be with the inclusion of chemically based cleansers. And you can breathe easy knowing the only thing left behind is a little sparkle and a hint of fresh scent, which is just what you want from a cleaner — nothing more, nothing less.
Hope you all love those four simple recipes. Do you have any recipes that you want to share with us? Do so in the comments below. As always I will be happy to hear from you.
More about the guest post author:
Kacey Bradley is the lifestyle and travel blogger for The Drifter Collective, an eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us. Kacey graduated with a degree in Communications while working for a lifestyle magazine. She has been able to fully embrace herself with the knowledge of nature, the power of exploring other locations and cultures, all while portraying her love for the world around her through her visually pleasing, culturally embracing and inspiring posts. Along with writing for her blog, she frequently writes for sites like US Travel News, Thought Catalog, Style Me Pretty, Tripping.com and more!
Follow Kacey on Twitter and subscribe to her blog to keep up with her travels and inspiring posts!
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I love it when I can use natural products to do my cleaning! It is amazing how many wonderful things you can do with baking soda and vinegar. Thanks for sharing at the #HomeMattersParty :)
ReplyDelete~Lorelai
Life With Lorelai
All of these natural cleaner recipes sound like good ones to try. I want to do the Olive Oil Based Wood Cleaner. #HomeMattersParty
ReplyDeleteNatural products are so much better for furniture than the residue that chemicals leave behind. These are some great tips. #HomeMattersParty
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