Cleaning with Household Items

It's no secret that this has been one of the harshest winters on record, but it's also taking a toll inside my home as I am sure it is to yours as well.

Our windows sweat as a result of the cold weather outside and the warm temperatures inside our home.  We have a Venmar unit that was added to our heating system to help take some of the moisture out of our home, but this winter it seems it can't keep up to the moisture on our windows and our patio door.  As a result, mold and mildew have started to accumulate on the inside of our windows.

I needed something to keep that at bay, but it had to be something natural without any harsh fumes, especially since my immune system is not up to that of a regular adults since my stem cell transplant three years ago.

With that in mind I turned to some trusted household products, something that all of us most likely have in our homes already...

Baking Soda and vinegar

This is what my patio door track looked like this morning. (sorry for the gross-ness!)  Really, if you have a queasy stomach, don't even look!  I'm ashamed of this...

 In all fairness, I have to admit that I haven't cleaned this a quite a while...probably at least five years

 - BUT -

 before you judge, remember that I had some health issues that kept me from doing this type of deep cleaning for awhile.  And let's face it, McG is not one to notice areas like this.  I was just grateful for all that he did to get me and the kids through those tough years.  

This morning I decided to tackle this area!  I sprinkled baking soda over the entire area and then poured on some vinegar.  If you haven't used this before...get ready for the fun stuff - it's going to bubble up and get all fizzy!  I let it sit for a couple of minutes just doing its magic.

Then I took an old tooth brush to the mildew on the window edge and  to the track.  The baking soda and vinegar loosed up all the grease and gunk (is that a word?) that was in the track, so much so, that it wiped up clean with just a few paper towels.

It really looks like a new door frame!  Sloan was there with me until I poured out the vinegar and then he ran, I don't think he was too fond of the smell - but I can rest easy because this is really non-toxic and I don't have to worry that it will harm him.  He spends a lot of his day staring out this door watching the birds in the feeder.

Here he is now!

And here's a quick before and after to show you just how well it cleaned...

Baking soda and vinegar also works great on cleaning the glass inside your oven door.  Just leave the door open flat, sprinkle on the baking soda to cover the entire glass, then pour on the vinegar and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.  I use a plastic spatula to loosen any tough stains and then just wipe it clean.

I hope you'll try this great non-toxic cleaner in your home!  

Cheryl