With summertime coming to an end and cooler weather right around the corner, it’s a great time to complete that home cleaning list. Now that the kids are back in school and most people have returned from their summer vacations, it can be a great time to finish the projects that have eluded us all summer. So, your friends here at Tennessee Thermal wanted to take a moment to share a few Natural Cleaning Methods to get your home ready for the Fall Season. We’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite cleaning practices that are sure to make any home shine.

Tile Grout Cleaner

Mix together ½ a cup of baking soda, ¼ a cup of hydrogen peroxide, and 1 teaspoon of dish soap in a spray bottle. Apply to tile grout and let sit for 5-10 minutes, scrub with a toothbrush, and wipe off with a wet sponge. This quick and easy cleaning method will have that old tile looking like new in no time.

Citrus Infused Vinegar

Fill a jar or container with citrus peels (Orange, Lemon, or Lime) and pour undiluted white vinegar over them. Leave for a few days and strain off the vinegar to use as a natural cleaner. Just dilute the mixture with a little water and its ready to use for mopping floors, cleaning windows, and disinfecting surfaces.

Natural Polishes

Those old brass, copper, and silver items around your home can become tarnished and discolored over time. But here are a few helpful tips to help make those items shine.

  • Brass
Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt into a ½ cup of vinegar and add flour until the mixture becomes a paste. Rub into the brass and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Rinse with warm water and buff dry.
  • Copper
Apply Ketchup onto a cloth and sprinkle table salt over it. Rub the mixture into copper and let sit for 20 minutes. Wipe clean and rinse thoroughly with warm water. If the item is not quite as shiny or clean as it should be. Try applying a second coat that is a little thicker.
  • Silver
Using Coke is a safe and easy way to clean up that tarnished silver. Place the silver in a bowl or container and pour Coke over the item until it is completely submerged and leave it for 1 hour (Either Diet or regular Coke will work). Remove the silver from the Coke and scrub with a soft toothbrush. Rinse and dry immediately to prevent more tarnish or rust from building up.

Clean the Garbage Disposal

A garbage disposal is a great advantage to your home but, food particles can become trapped inside your disposal and develop a not-so-great odor over time. So Here are a few natural methods to clean that disposal and combat those pesky odors.

  • Pour ½ cup of baking soda into the disposal and then add 1 cup of distilled white vinegar and let sit for 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes have passed run the water and the disposal for a few minutes.
  • Freeze orange and lemon peels in ice cube trays with white vinegar and throw the cubes in and grind for 10 to 20 seconds.
  • Fill the disposal up with Ice Cubes and pour 1 cup of salt over the ice. Run the disposal for several seconds with the water running.
Routinely using one of the techniques above is a great way to deodorized and clean of your garbage disposal. It is important to only use vinegar sparingly in your disposal because vinegar is acidic and too much could damage the rubber elements inside. And always remember to run water while the disposal is engaged and practice caution when using it.

Here at Tennessee Thermal we’ve been helping homeowners with their home improvement projects since 1995. We’re the company you can trust, and we wanted to take a moment to let our readers know about a few Natural Cleaning Methods to use around the house. Using one of the safe and easy methods above is sure to make your home spotless in no time. We hope these tips were helpful and they help get your home in shape for the new season.