There are a lot of factors that you need to think about when doing renovations for an eco-friendly property. You have to make sure that the renovations are done in the most environmentally friendly manner possible, while also ensuring they meet your specifications.

This includes making sure that carpets are cleaned with eco-friendly methods. You can’t afford to leave carpet stains or residue during the renovation process, but must make sure that you don’t leave an unnecessary carbon footprint while cleaning.

What steps can you take to clean your carpets in the most environmentally friendly way when renovating a property? You can learn more below.

Eco-Friendly Carpet Cleaning Ideas for Home Renovations

Cleaning your carpet is a necessary part of renovating a home. You can handle this part of the renovation process yourself if you don’t want to pay more.

However, many people may choose to hire professional cleaners as opposed to cleaning the carpet themselves. Here are ten techniques you can use to clean your carpets and maintain a healthy environment at the same time:

1. Steam Cleaning

Using an industrial steam cleaner, especially on carpets that need a deeper clean, is an effective and eco-friendly method of carpet cleaning. Typically steam cleaners use distilled water which leaves no harmful residues behind and they also heat the water to very high temperatures which will kill any germs or bacteria as well as lift out dirt. If you do not own a steamer some companies can send out a professional cleaner who will bring their equipment.

2. Baking Soda

Baking soda is extremely effective at absorbing odors, making it great for cleaning carpets. The best way to use baking soda for carpet cleaning is to sprinkle the area with baking soda and leave it there for 12 hours or even overnight before vacuuming it up. This is a great eco-friendly method for removing stains as well.

3. Hydrogen Peroxide

Mixing hydrogen peroxide with water will create an amazing carpet cleaner that you can use to remove most stains, including blood, wine, and dirt marks. The carpet must be first vacuumed before you treat it as this will help the hydrogen peroxide to penetrate more deeply into the carpet. You should apply some hydrogen peroxide directly onto a stained area and leave it for around 30 minutes before rinsing with cold water.

4. White Vinegar

White vinegar may be one of the best natural cleaners you can use on your carpets. You can spray white vinegar onto your carpet, leave it for an hour before you vacuum the area up to remove dirt and stains. White vinegar has a mild odor which makes it great to use if carpets have a strong smell of dog or smoking. This technique is also fantastic for removing urine smells from carpets as well, making it great for pets.

5. Natural Detergents

Most eco-friendly carpet cleaners on the market are non-toxic and biodegradable. They work by using surfactants found in most soaps to help break down dirt which makes it easier for you to remove it from your carpets. Natural detergents are super effective at removing dirt and stains from carpets so you don’t have to worry about using too much force while cleaning.

6. Baking Soda & Essential Oils

Adding a few drops of your favorite essential oil into baking soda before applying it directly onto the carpet is a great way to get rid of unwanted odors from carpets, including pet smells. Leave the mixture on your carpet for an hour before you vacuum it up and you will be surprised by how well the smell disappears!

7. Cream of Tartar

Using cream of tartar is one of the best ways to get rid of any stubborn stains that are left on your carpets after they have been cleaned. It will help to brighten up your carpets and make them look new again. Mix half a cup of cream of tartar with a few drops of lemon juice in a bottle, shake well, and then spray onto the stains on your carpet before scrubbing in.

8. White Vinegar & Baking Soda

If you want to remove pet stains from your carpets with minimal effort then this is the perfect trick for you. Simply mix equal parts of white vinegar and baking soda into a bowl before sprinkling it onto the stained area on your carpet. Leave there for 10 – 15 minutes before vacuuming up the mixture and the stain should be removed completely.

9. Citrus Peels

Citrus peels contain natural cleaning agents which are great for removing dirt from carpets. You don’t need to wait until you have an orange or lemon peel handy as the skin of any citrus fruit will work. Simply sprinkle some citrus peel onto your carpet and use a brush or broom to scrub it in before vacuuming it up.

10. Detergents made with Palm Oil

A lot of eco-friendly detergents are made with palm oil which is bad for the environment, not to mention that it can also damage your skin. Try to look for natural detergents that are specifically meant for washing clothes or carpets as they are usually more effective. Make sure you also read the label on any cleaning agent before using them, just to make sure they are safe for use.

Use the Best Eco-Friendly Carpet Cleaning Techniques for Home Renovation Projects

You don’t want to leave your carpets looking dirty when you are renovating a property. You also don’t want to clean them in a way that harms the environment. With these simple eco-friendly carpet cleaning tricks, you will have no problem removing any stain or dirt from your carpets as they are all effective methods to use. Some of these techniques can also be used for other surfaces as well so give them a try!

The post 10 Eco-Friendly Carpet Cleaning During Building Renovations appeared first on Green Building Insider.

Keep Your Home Clean and Green at the Same Time

Every health organization around the world associates the health of humans with their well-being. It denotes the significance of specific lifestyle changes. With the novel viruses and bacteria continually looming over us, it has been challenging to maintain a positive outlook towards healthiness. But, we must try our best to warrant a healthier future by making cleanliness and sanitation a part of our daily life.

You need to make cleanliness a priority in any home, even if it is eco-friendly. Some green living practitioners are a little hesitant to clean their homes, because they think that they need to use toxic products. Fortunately, this is not the case. You can keep your home clean without harming the environment.

It all starts at home; to make sure that you contribute to your family’s well-being, keep your indoor clean first. It is understandable that with the schedule getting increasingly busy and tiring, it could be challenging to put lots of hard work into house chores.

But don’t feel bad, you need to work smart. You will find that there are plenty of eco-friendly cleaning tips that are going to make a big difference. Here are some quick and easy cleaning hacks, which could become a part of your everyday life:

Tricks for Tricky Laundry

Laundry can be one of the most time-consuming and difficult chores to complete. But with the use of some hacks, you could turn it into an effortless task. It also doesn’t have to cause any damage to the environment, since there are a lot of great detergents that are eco-friendly. You can read more about them here if you like.

You can also create eco-friendly laundry detergent on your own. You will need to add half a cup of baking soda to each rinse cycle of your laundry to get cleaner and brighter washing. It is a natural disinfectant and deodorizer. It softens the water and saves you some detergent. And, if you come across a stubborn stain on your clothes, then all you need is some salt or shaving cream. Salt has a fantastic property to remove discoloration, and rubbing it on the spoiled fabric with a damp cloth, will help you remove the stain. Shaving cream, on the other hand, has active ingredients just like those of soap. If you spread some on the stain and leave it for some time before wash, the mark would vanish as if it wasn’t even there. Now that you have clean clothes, fold them up and put them into their places as soon as possible!

Just Remove The Junk

Unnecessary pieces of furniture or useless scraps can make your house look untidy. Get rid of the clutter with junk removal services in your area. They professionally take care of everything on their own, and you do not have to do anything. It saves you time, energy, and money. They often recycle it, and this way, you contribute to a sustainable future, too. It allows you to free your house of unnecessary items and sanitize your living space because old and rarely used things are often laden with germs.

In addition to this, take out your trash on time. Leaving it, even if outside the house, can stink up your place. Add a slice of freshly cut lemon in your trash to get a fresh scent. Another one is to clean your trashcan by adding some vinegar to water and scrubbing it with a brush or wipe. Lastly, segregate your trash in glass, plastic, and food waste to guarantee maximum recycling possibilities.

Cleaning the Kitchen

Your kitchen must be the most hygienic and cleanest place in your house. It needs the best of your attention when it comes to cleaning. Fortunately, several useful hacks would help you make your kitchen sparkle! You can always hire a professional cleaning company if you need, but you can follow the tips below to make things easier.

–         Dishes

Let’s start with the dishes; read your dishwasher instructions thoroughly to make the best use of all available spaces. You don’t need to use any harmful chemicals that will damage the environment. Instead, you can put in your sponge along with the dishes to get it cleaned, dried, and bacteria-free. The sponge could also be soaked into water and placed in the microwave for 30 seconds to get one looking like new. Remember that your dishwasher needs cleaning, too; spare a day to wipe off every corner. A tried and tested hack is to pour a full cup of Tang in an empty dishwasher, run it for a full circle. Now, you have disinfected your dishwasher, and your dishes will come out all sparkling and shining.

–         Countertops

If you feel like your kitchen never looks clean, even when you spend hours trying to, try to declutter your countertop. Since it is the most trafficked area in your kitchen, redundant items will mess it up. One useful hack is to make as many sections as possible – for pots, containers, appliances, and other stuff that need to stay in sight. Secondly, Wipe off your countertops with a paper towel every time you work on them. Thirdly, assign different counters for each activity; for instance, if one is for rolling the dough, you should use a different one to cut and chop. It will not only save you space but will also help you in staying organized. Lastly, wipe your appliances and cutting board when required to avoid dirt on your counter. Again, you don’t need to use toxic chemicals that are bad for the environment! One additional tip to get a stainless cutting board is by using a half-cut lemon to scrub on top of it after wrapping it in a paper towel. You’ll be shocked to see the fantastic results!

Sanitize the Restroom

It is okay if you feel demotivated to clean your bathroom, but think about the satisfaction that a spotlessly neat bathroom gives! The best way to get started is from the floor and the walls, scrub them before wiping down to free the tiles from grout. A useful hack would be to make use of baking soda instead of environmentally harmful chemicals like bleach. Next comes the toilet – a helpful trick is to mix soda and vinegar and spread it around the bathroom. Use the toilet brush to push it into places that are difficult to get. Then, scrub and flush after 15 minutes. It would be as clean as new. Lastly, thoroughly clean the shower and bathtub. An expert tip for this would be to unclog the drains first, for which you will need nothing but a mixture of baking soda, hot water, and vinegar. Another tip is to wash your shower curtains in baking soda or wipe the shower screen with tea-tree oil to get it gleaming. 

For Spotless Bedroom

There are plenty of hacks to quickly and most effectively clean your house’s most commonly used room, your bedroom. The best of all tips is to organize it in the best way, only keeping in the things you need in your daily life and throwing away unnecessary items. For this, a hack is to buy containers for your closet and dresser, which will save you so much space! Other than this, try to make your bed daily before you leave your bed and dust off your bedside tables on alternate days. Use natural oil to make your room smell lovely and homey. And lastly, before washing your bed sheets and covers, soak them in boiling water. It will free them of germs and bacteria, leaving them with a pleasant smell after the wash.

Conclusion:

Finally, keeping the house clean can be a testing task, but it is necessary to ensure a healthy lifestyle. The hack above all is to do it on time and make it worthwhile. Keep yourself motivated by the thought of relaxed sleep or a day in after you have thoroughly cleaned the house. And if anything, by staying clean, you are contributing to your share towards an eco-friendly future.

The post Healthy Cleaning Hacks for Your Eco-Friendly Home appeared first on Green Building Insider.