The one thing that no one can escape, is housework. In recent years, the trend toward more eco-friendly cleaning methods and products has been gaining momentum. So you may want to keep your home clean without resorting to harsh chemicals.
We’ve got exciting news for you. The Amish were the forerunners of the eco-friendly movement. Why do we say so? The Amish have always stayed true to their belief that nature is best. And to prove just how far ahead this way of life is, we’ve got all the facts here in this guide to the Amish cleaning solution.
What this article covers:
How to Clean Like the Amish
If you want to clean like the Amish, you need to understand why they have such an affinity for natural products and methods. As devout Christians, they honor all of God’s creation, And what’s more representative of God’s creative power, than nature and its bounty?
The Amish also like to keep everything simple; from the way the homes they live in, to the clothes that they wear. They do so to honor the biblical texts that speak of humility and modesty in all things.
However, sooner or later, these things have to be cleaned. Amish women are also accomplished bakers, and after baking lots of tasty treats, they need to keep their work surfaces clean.
Amish Cleaning 101
If you’re serious about learning how to clean like the Amish, here’s a crash course for you. In just three simple steps, you’ll know the core principles of Amish cleaning. There are a few great life lessons in there too if you look a little deeper. Amish wisdom extends into everything, even cleaning.
Lesson One: The first thing to remember is to keep a routine going. Amish people are hard workers, and very routine-driven. Why? It makes it simpler to stay motivated to get those cleaning chores done. A good house cleaning routine may inspire you to create more order in other areas of your life.
Lesson Two: The next thing to bear in mind is to keep it simple. Don’t overload your home, or your budget, with unnecessary detergents, polishes, and fresheners. You only really need a few ingredients to make your home sparkle. ( More on that in a moment).
Lesson Three: Lastly, keep it natural. Natural products are better for the environment, gentler on your hands, and safer for your kids and pets. Most of the time, they’re cheaper too, if you make your own Amish cleaning solution.
Follow those three simple guidelines and you too can clean like the Amish! But just how important is cleanliness to the Amish? Do they see it as a virtue, or have a more pragmatic approach? Let’s look at the topic of Amish cleanliness, next.
How Important is Cleanliness to the Amish?
Cleanliness is important to the Amish people, despite what outsiders may think. The Amish keep their homes and themselves clean. Amish bathing is just not quite as frequent as in many non-Amish homes. There’s a very good reason for this, and it has to do with the availability of water.
Do the Amish have running water? No, most Amish don’t have running water. They have a well and pump system that provides water to each home. Some modern Amish homes have indoor plumbing, but it’s not the case for most of the older Amish settlements.
That’s why it’s not uncommon to see Amish people swimming in lakes or ponds in the Amish Countryside. It’s a refreshing change to be able to splash about in a pool of water. Indoor plumbing just isn’t available to them.
The conservative Old Order communities have always managed just fine without it. Water isn’t available at the turn of a faucet, but that doesn’t stop them from having a tidy home. They even developed their Amish cleaning solution recipes.
Amish Cleaning Solution Recipe
What are the mainstays of Amish cleaning? Do the Amish use soap and detergent that they bought at the store, or do they make their own? Some Amish rely on store-bought soaps, but they tend to select affordable natural products. And others use both store-bought and homemade cleaners.
The Old Order Amish generally make their cleaning solutions to use in the home, just like their furnishings. Just as their hand-woven bread boxes are filled with home-baked loaves, their handmade shelf basket storage holds other Amish innovations.
But what’s in Amish cleaning tonic? And even more importantly, is this commercially available product of the same name an authentic Amish product or yet another example of cultural appropriation? The Amish have experienced such issues before, thanks to unscrupulous businesses.
Amish Cleaning Tonic is an all-natural, non-toxic household cleaner manufactured by Dutch Glow. They were inspired by real Amish communities and their approach to cleaning, and thus market their product as a genuine Amish cleaning solution. These are some of the main ingredients it contains:
Vinegar
Vinegar is one of the main ingredients in Amish cleaning tonic, and Amish people have long known about its cleaning power. Vinegar can be used straight to kill weeds in the garden or remove mold and limescale in the home. However, it needs to be diluted in water for cleaning granite, marble, and stone.
Rubbing Alcohol
Commercially available Amish cleaning tonic containing rubbing alcohol. This is not only a powerful disinfectant, but it also cuts through grease and grime. Rubbing alcohol is a great cleaning agent for stainless steel surfaces. It can also be used to sterilize your cleaning sponges.
Baking Soda
The cleaning power of ordinary baking soda is becoming apparent to more and more people. Just about every cleaning hack on the internet includes baking soda in one way or another. The Amish have known about baking soda’s benefits for years, which is why it’s a chief ingredient in Amish cleansing tonics.
Amish Cleaning Hacks
Amish people don’t use the internet, as most technology is forbidden to them. However, they don’t need to go online to get some good cleaning hacks. After all, they invented them! Amish cleaning hacks are just the normal way of cleaning in any traditional Amish home.
You may be familiar with cleaning hacks that use some of these ingredients. Rest assured, the Amish realized how good these are long before natural cleansing became ‘trendy’! So for the best cleaning hack that’s cheap and quick to prepare, here’s how to make your Amish cleaning solution.
How To Make Your Amish Cleaning Solution
Are you ready to put many years of cleaning wisdom to the test? To mimic tried-and-trusted Amish cleaning hacks and make your Amish cleaning solution, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- A cup of water - ordinary tap water will do
- A cup of vinegar - white distilled vinegar is the best
- A tablespoon of lemon juice - freshly squeezed or bottled (optional)
- A tablespoon or two of baking soda - also known as bicarbonate of soda (optional)
Mix these ingredients and pour the resulting solution into a spray bottle. Apply to dirty surfaces and let it sit for a few minutes before wiping it away with a clean wet rag.
Handy Amish Cleaning Hack Tips
- This solution can also be made up in a larger quantity, but in the same ratio, and used to clean and brighten white laundry items. Always test an inconspicuous area of the fabric first, for color fastness.
- The lemon juice, if you choose to include it, will not only cut through grease but also leave your kitchen surfaces smelling clean and fresh. Not quite as fresh as a freshly-baked loaf of bread in an Amish bread basket, but fresh all the same!
- If you want to fragrance your home, naturally, while you clean, add a few drops of essential oil to the mix. A handy tip from the Amish - if you’ve added baking soda to your cleaning solution, it will absorb any bad odors in the kitchen.
- You can use any type of vinegar and it’ll work well, but white vinegar is the best, its higher acidity level has a stronger grease-cutting action. Also, because it’s colorless, it can’t stain even the lightest materials.
- Whether you add baking soda or not is entirely up to you. If you’re a keen baker like the Amish are, you probably have some in your pantry anyway. Just be sure to give the spray bottle a good shake now and then, as the baking soda tends to settle after a while.
Conclusion
The Amish are known for their fondness for fuss-free natural products. So much so, that they’ve inspired others to produce natural non-toxic cleaning agents for mass use. But this is only half the story behind Amish cleaning.
What is the ultimate Amish cleaning solution? Hard work and perseverance. This is what has helped the Amish to endure for centuries, and it’s still the best solution for life’s problems, today.
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