Crud-Kicking Recipes

Although the temperature might still be in the 80s and 90s, a lot of kids have already headed back to school. Of course, you’ll miss the one on one time with your little mini-me’s but you’re not going to miss the strange, sticky messes they leave in their midst.

Our recommendation? Drop the kids off at the bus, throw on your sweats, put on your favorite playlist, and get cleaning. Check out some of our favorite DIY cleaning solutions that also happen to already be in your kitchen (so you don’t have to put acceptable clothes on to run to the store -- you’re welcome!)

The actual colors of your floor and the texture of your countertops will thank you.

Vinegar: We bet you have a glass of this hidden up in your cabinets somewhere. This super versatile and accessible cleaning product has been around for ages due to its ability to clean, pretty much anything! We recommend tackling glass, floors, and bathrooms with vinegar in its pure form. Don’t have enough to make it last a full cleaning sesh? Dilute it with water or baking soda!

Baking Soda: Baking soda is another staple that you definitely have hidden somewhere around your house (or sitting in the back of your fridge sucking up odors). This cleaning must-have is more than a scent sucker, it’s the basis of almost all eco-friendly cleaning recipes! Mix with water or white vinegar to create a grime-fighting paste for bathrooms, kitchen sinks, and dishwashers!

Disinfecting Sprays:
Good old-fashioned soap and water will kill almost all germs on your hands, and salt and lemon juice are great for scrubbing a cutting board, but to thoroughly disinfect your surfaces, especially after a task like cutting raw poultry, you may prefer something stronger. Hydrogen peroxide, the 3 percent solution you can buy at any drugstore, is a great disinfectant. It’s light-sensitive, so it must be kept in an opaque bottle, but you can add a spray top to the bottle and keep it handy for antibacterial cleaning.

And for a super tough disinfectant, spray your surface with hydrogen peroxide, wipe off without rinsing, then follow with a shot of straight vinegar. This process will virtually eliminate all salmonella and E. Coli bacteria (blegh).