How to use clay for house cleaning

Clay, as we all know, has remarkable cosmetic properties, but not everyone realizes it's also an excellent ally for household cleaning. It's considered a "magical clay" capable of fighting germs and bacteria, cleaning any room, and eliminating unpleasant odors.

In fact, clay has countless household uses: it can be used as an effective cleaner, to sanitize and deodorize rooms and surfaces, as a natural stain remover, or even as a repellent for insects, mosquitoes, and ants.

Let's see, then, how to best use clay for household cleaning.

If you want to deodorize the fridge full of foods and therefore different smells, put some green clay in a bowl and put it in the refrigerator: it will absorb not only thehumidity But above all, every bad smell, even the most persistent. With a green clay bowl, you can also absorb the most stubborn odors from the stove, such as fried food, cauliflower, and fish.
If you want to make a detergent with high degreasing power, mix 2 tablespoons of green clay, 1 tablespoon of sodium bicarbonate and 20 drops of white thyme essential oil in an airtight glass jar; close, shake, and then apply a small amount to a sponge and wipe down sinks, tiles, and hard surfaces to remove even the toughest stains.
If you want to wash your refrigerator or kitchen surfacesYou can also use the clay alone, without mixing it with other ingredients; simply put a small amount on a sponge, wipe it over the surface to be cleaned, and then rinse well.
If your clothes have any grease stains, get some white clay, spread a teaspoon of it on the stain, using a sieve, leave it to act for a few minutes and then brush it with a common clothes brush.
With clay you divert the path of the ants that have invaded your home. Block their passage with a mixture of white clay mixed with lavender essential oil. If mosquitoes are the problem, take an airtight jar and fill it with white or green clay with 30-50 drops of an essential oil of your choice (basil, citronella, mint, geranium, or eucalyptus). Stir with a wooden spoon, avoiding lumps. Store in a dark jar for a few days, or use a dark-glass jar. Then, pour about 50-100 grams of the mixture into several bowls and place them in strategic locations around the house to discourage mosquitoes from entering. mosquitoes.
using White clay Instead of green vinegar, we get an effective stain remover for clothing: just use a teaspoon on the stain to absorb it, then brush with an old toothbrush or a special fabric brush. It's also perfect for absorbing grease and oil, making stain removal easier. Guaranteed.

Index of topics

How to wash vegetables with clay

With clay you can wash and disinfect fruit and vegetables For daily family consumption. Its antibacterial and sanitizing properties are so high that it's ideal for washing fruit and vegetables intended for baby food. It also helps remove pesticides from the peel. No chemicals are used in contact with food.

How? It's very simple: pour a generous spoonful of green clay into the soaking water and then rinse thoroughly under running water. The only recommendation, as always, is to try to avoid using metal spoons, which will affect the clay's properties and deactivate them.

How to wash dishes with clay

Dishwashing liquids are undoubtedly the most polluting detergents of all, due to the chemical surfactants and other additives, such as perfumes and various flavorings, they contain. However, you can clean, degrease, and make your dishes shine while being environmentally friendly, with a simple and cost-effective recipe for a detergent made from green clay and baking soda.

We only need 100 grams of clay, the same amount of baking soda, 4 tablespoons of potato starch, 3 teaspoons of salt, two tablespoons of denatured alcohol, a few drops of lemon or eucalyptus essential oil, and 200 grams of grated Marseille soap.

The process is very simple: first, dissolve the grated soap in water—about a full cup—over low heat and bring to a boil. Then, add the clay to the saucepan with the still-warm grated soap, stir well, and, once the mixture has cooled, add the baking soda and cornstarch.

Finally, we pour in the alcohol, the salt and, if we like, the essential oils.

Finally, we can pour the mixture into a jar and use it as a cream detergent, with the help of a dish sponge.

There are variations of this recipe using lemon juice or vinegar instead of alcohol.

How to remove stains with clay

As we've seen, clay has countless uses. Besides being a valuable ally in the home, allowing us to make non-toxic, eco-friendly, and cost-effective cream cleaners, it can also be a great aid in combating insect infestations, bad odors, or even helping us remove stains. difficult stains from our clothes. But that's not all: clay, in all its commercial forms, is also used as a cosmetic product with a myriad of properties. Just think of the many uses of clay in our beauty routines: from skin masks to eliminate acne or purify, to facial cleansing with clay paste, or to make a cleansing paste to whiten teeth. Not only that: clay also benefits our health. Among its many uses, we can mention anti-inflammatory and absorbent compresses for bruises, contusions, or pain from falls.

Clay for cleaning bathrooms

Clay can also be used to clean the bathroom, thanks to its antiseptic properties. For the sink or tub, make a paste of clay and water, apply it to the surfaces to be cleaned, and scrub gently with a sponge.

How to clean carpets with clay

Clay is also useful for absorbing odors or stains from carpets.

Sprinkle the clay powder over the surface of the carpet.
Leave it on for about 15-20 minutes to allow the clay to absorb dirt and odors.
Then, use a vacuum cleaner to remove the clay.

Types of clay

Clay is nothing more than a mineral complex whose main ingredient is aluminum silicate. However, depending on the other minerals present, we have different types of clay, and also different colors.

Commercially available clays are divided by color; thus, we have green, white, red, yellow, gray, blue, and beige clay. The color depends on the age of the clay, the origin of its deposits, and its chemical composition.

The best known clays are certainly red clay, green clay and white clay, which, as mentioned, have applications in natural cosmetics, as a natural remedy for minor ailments and in house cleaning.

The red clay It is a clay that takes on a red color thanks to the large quantity of copper present in its composition.
It has anti-inflammatory and anti-redness properties: ideal for those with very sensitive skin or dermatitis. Red clay is quite absorbent and is recommended for soothing skin irritations and relieving bruises or hematomas.

Green clay is the most commonly used both at home and for personal care: it contains about 50 percent silica and 14 percent aluminum, has anti-inflammatory, detoxifying and absorbent properties, as well as, as seen, sanitizing.

Finally, white clay , also known as kaolin, is a clay that is much gentler on the skin than the previous clays, and is often used to create solid household cleaners that are antibacterial and degreasing.