Buying products for cleaning your furniture can be costly while also taking a toll on the environment.
One Instagram Reel is showing the social media platform's viewers an easy alternative for refreshing their mattresses with some of the most basic items.
The short video was put on display by "declutter, organise, and reuse expert" Nicola Lewis (@thisgirlcanorganise).
"I clean all of ours once a month and that's thanks to my mum, who taught me this super easy natural method when I moved into my first house," the UK Instagrammer who "can organise" wrote.
The scoop
The video begins with Lewis explaining the process, where she starts by adding "six drops of essential oil" to bicarb of soda. She then puts the mixture into a spice jar, and she is adamant about the fact it is being reused.
Lewis sprinkles the solution onto the mattress and leaves it there for an hour or two before vacuuming it off, and then she says, "job done," claiming it also makes the room "smell amazing."
How it's helping
There are many advantages to making these kinds of solutions from home instead of buying them at the store, aside from the obvious financial savings.
Most home cleaning solutions, including those for furniture, come in plastic containers. In 2016, the world produced around 267 tons of plastic waste, which can take hundreds of years to break down in nature.
A substantial portion of these plastics find their way into our waterways and oceans, where they eventually degrade into minuscule particles known as microplastics. Research indicates that the world's oceans currently contain at least 24.4 trillion microplastics.
As a consequence, they pose a grave threat to marine life, including whales, dolphins, and sea turtles, who ingest them, leading to numerous fatalities.
The prevalence of plastic in our surroundings has reached such an extent that a significant percentage of humans now have plastic particles present in their bloodstream, raising serious concerns among health experts.
The use of hacks similar to the one mentioned above can significantly reduce the amount of plastic we put into the environment each year while potentially saving a lot of money as well.
What everyone's saying
Many Instagrammers seemed quite enthused about the new hack.
"That's such a great tip!" one wrote.
"This is brilliant and something I need to do!" another added.
One user wasn't going to waste any time, saying, "I am literally going to do this TONIGHT!"
However, one commenter was not so pleased. "Did this and it totally clogged up my hoover! Too much bicarb maybe?" they expressed.
Whether or not viewers are fully satisfied with this specific hack, using certain DIY methods to keep your furniture and home clean can be well worth the experiment.
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