Ignite FB Tracking PixelHow to Make Common Home Cleaners - Kimberly Jokela
RE/MAX Hallmark Realty
Kimberly Jokela, RE/MAX Hallmark Realty Phone: (239) 595-8270
Email: [email protected]

How to Make Common Home Cleaners

by Kimberly Jokela 10/04/2020


 Photo by Monfocus via Pixabay

Homemade cleaning solutions aren't just effective. They're also free of irritating chemicals, gentle on delicate surfaces, and easy on the environment. Here are a few recipes for making your own cleaning solutions.

Natural Wood Polish

This is a classic mix:

  • In a small cup, mix one part olive oil to one part lemon juice.
  • Now, use a soft cloth to rub your homemade wood polish into your wood pieces.
  • Buff the wood to its rich, natural glow with a clean cloth. 

What a gentle, protective cleaner! Plus, it smells lemony fresh.

Drain Cleaner and Declogger

A baking soda and vinegar mix can clear out clogs at the first sign of slow draining, before the job gets impossibly hairy. Give these steps a whirl:

  • Boil a pot of water. 
  • Flush the drain with it. (Handle boiling water with care!)
  • Then pour a cup of baking soda and vinegar, in roughly equal parts, down the drain. You'll see the drain bubble up a bit.
  • Close your drain.
  • Wait a few minutes, while boiling a new pot of water. Then carefully pour the boiling water down the drain.

Done! If your clog is in the advanced stages, you might want to bring a plunger into the equation. You'll get there, with eco-friendly flair.

Safe Insect Repellent for Indoor Use

Let chemicals be the last resort. Keep the air fresh and fragrant by giving these ideas a go.

  • For ants on the counter: Try cream of tartar. Use a little of this white powder plus a little water to make a thin paste. Sponge it over kitchen surfaces. (It will be invisible when dry.) Wiping with vinegar can also work well.
  • For moths, spiders, silverfish and others in the corners, nooks, and crannies: Cedar chips or cedar sachets in closets and cupboards deter those rascals while making your closets smell wonderful.
  • To redirect them all, wherever they might be: Use cinnamon sticks! Or put a couple of drops of essential cinnamon oil in a spray bottle filled with water. A spritz here and there repels bugs from seams that the little critters regard as revolving doorways. 

Paste For Making Shiny Things Sparkle

Here's how it's done:

  • Sponge unpainted cabinet knobs and faucets, and other hardware, with lemon juice.
  • Leave on for a time, then gently rub salt over the surface.
  • Rinse, then wipe dry.

To polish brass or other metals that have a protective varnish, use a soft, moistened cloth. Avoid using household chemicals.

These are just a few ways to clean your house and keep it looking new without using chemicals. They're also great ways to get ready for your next open house without having to air out the rooms before your guests arrive.

Looking for more ways to prep your home for an open house or get it ready for the market? Feel free to reach out!

About the Author
Author

Kimberly Jokela

Meet Kimberly Jokela:

With a genuine passion in people Kimberly loves helping her clients make their real estate dreams or needs come to life! Specializing in Luxury, Vacation, Retirement or Investment properties.

Born and raised in the midwest in a family with a strong work ethic, filled with creativity & dedication.

Her determination lead her to attend college at the "Philadelphia Performing Arts" where she had the opportunity to follow her passion in the Arts & to travel. Living in California with her husband Rick for 15 years together they built a successful business. After the birth of her beautiful daughter Brittany, seeking a "small town” coastal lifestyle, they took a trip to Naples Florida & fell in love with all it has to offer and made the jump!

With now over 17 years experience as a licensed Realtor serving Naples, Bonita Springs, Marco Island, Estero & Fort Myers.

A great listener, negotiator & connector, Kimberly is dedicated to helping her clients looking to BUY their ideal Florida property! 

Her warm & friendly personality is present in everything she does on her clients behalf!

Kimberly’s creativity & "out of the box" thinking gives her clients the extra leverage they need when SELLING a property.

Her well organized marketing includes professionally produced photography, video, drone imagery, media presentation in print, numerous online websites & social media!