Cleaning the house is a never-ending task, and we are all looking for shortcuts and tips to make it easier. One homeowner, who specializes in sharing eco-friendly hacks, shared a cleaning ingredient that may help all around your home.
The scoop
The hero ingredient featured in Kate Bamber's (@my_plastic_free_home) Instagram video is citric acid.
"Citric acid is amazing for descaling," Kate explained, demonstrating with her electric kettle.
"Add a couple of tablespoons to your kettle, top up with water and bring it to the boil to get rid of all of that nasty limescale," she continued.
Kate goes on to give a few other ways citric acid can be used for cleaning: "Make a citric acid cleaning solution by adding 2 tablespoons to 500 ml [around two cups] warm water. Mix and add to a spray bottle to use as a natural cleaner all around your home."
In the video, she says the solution is great on tiles and sinks. Citric acid can also be used to get rid of limescale in the toilet — similarly to how it can be used in your kettle.
"Pour it in, add hot water, and let it sit overnight to work its magic," Kate said.
While the video shows a ton of uses for citric acid in your home, there are a few do's and don'ts for using it properly. These tips are listed in the caption of the video and tell us to avoid using it on stone, granite, or wood.
How it's helping
Cleaning the house is an important part of staying healthy; however, not every way we clean is great for the planet or our health. The Environmental Protection Agency wrote about some of the issues with traditional cleaning products, ranging from respiratory irritation to issues with plumbing to toxins released into the environment.
Using bleach to clean mold can also create a harmful chemical reaction.
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Quite simply, natural products — like citric acid, found in citrus fruits, vinegar, and even salt — are a healthier and more eco-friendly way to clean. These alternatives can also be used in several places around the house, giving you tons of value. In addition, a little goes a long way, making natural cleaners more affordable than chemical products.
What everyone's saying
The responses to the post are full of glowing praise.
One person shared that the citric acid finally resolved a frustrating issue: "I want to thank you. I have used it to clean my toilet which I have been battling for several years but I was too stubborn to buy chemicals. Left it overnight and was sparkling clean the next morning. It was like magic."
Another person reinforced the effectiveness of the hack, saying, "I just used this method on my kettle and it worked perfectly [the] first time!!"
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