Amish people have an interesting way of life. They seem to have mastered the art of surviving off the grid. But there are a host of other things we can certainly learn from the Amish people and apply to our everyday lives; some of which will make us look like total geniuses.

Whilst taking a closer look at the Amish lifestyle, we found that they have exceptional housekeeping practices. Let us zoom in on some of them.

1. Amish use of mothballs

To drive mice out of your home and away from hiding places in your buildings, place a few mothballs around the area where they are hiding. Mice shun the strong smell of mothballs. ( Please place the mothballs out of the reach of little children or pets.)

So if you want a great cleaning hack that prevents you from worrying about the crazy rodents running around and contaminating everything they see. This trick will assist you.

2. Did fabric get grease in it? Amish degreaser- no washing needed

Remove grease spots from most fabrics by using a salt solution of medium strength. Spread the fabric on a flat surface and sponge the salt solution liberally onto the greasy area. Then rub the area lightly with a soft, lint-free dry cloth. Repeat the procedure if necessary.

3. Amish Countertop Disinfectants

Disinfect countertops with white vinegar and baking soda solution. Use 2 cups white vinegar and 1 teaspoon baking soda. Damp a microfiber cloth and use it to wipe as needed.

4. Use an Amish Citrus Peel Solution

How to make it:

Put 1 cup water and 1 cup vinegar to boil. Add 1 cup of citrus peel, cover the pot and turn off the stove and let it seep overnight. Strain and pour in a spray bottle and use to disinfect countertops fridge and microwave. Use also to wipe down the pantry and glass food containers.  This will provide a nice aroma and an awful environment for most insects.

Spray on baseboards and in the entryways so that ants, cockroaches, and other insects or mice may traverse.  This will provide a good environment for you and if you keep doing this 3 or 4 times a week you will soon have no insects at all in the areas that you keep using it.

5. Clean Floors like The Amish

To disinfect floors use one part hot vinegar and 4 parts hot water with some essential oil especially peppermint oil to help kill micro-organisms and leave the floor with a wonderfully fresh aroma.

How the Amish disinfectants work:

Insects and rodents come inside our homes mainly for food! However, they hate the scents of vinegar, citrus and especially peppermint! when you make a combination of these ingredients and wipe down the necessary areas especially after the food was handled.

The pests will be thrown off track and will be unable to find scent trails or any food scent for that matter. Then they will find no reason to stick around. And away they go!

6. Prevent mildew in the bathroom and on shower curtains-Amish style

Use 8 sprigs of fresh thyme or (16 drops of thyme essential oil)

4 cups of hot water

1/2 cup Borax

Bring water to a boil and pour on thyme in a shuttable container. Cover and let it infuse for 35 minutes, strain and dissolve borax in the solution. For essential oil solution just mix all ingredients and shake till all has combined. And there you go with another Amish disinfectant.

Put in a spray bottle and use on shower curtains and on countertops and walls to eliminate and prevent mildew.

7. Some of the Amish have water pipes in their homes- here’s how they clear a clogged drain

Put 6 cups of white vinegar to boil, measure 1 cup of baking soda and pour it down the drain. Remove the vinegar from the fire and pour half of it down the drain. Cover the hole for 5 minutes and let the foams form as the solution is magically melting away the blockage. Mix the rest of the vinegar with some water and put it to a boil. Pour it down the drain and it will be clear and ready to use again.

8. Amish Countertops

Unlike many people in the outside world, the Amish keep their countertops very clean and clear. Their homes are kept clutter-free so their housekeeping duties are kept to a minimum.

This does not mean that they do not do a lot of work in the house. But the fact that they are true minimalists in every sense of the word- they do not have a lot of furniture and household appliances to clean and dust off.

So this is another Amish cleaning tip for you – keep countertops very clear when not in use. It will minimize work for you a whole lot.

9. Amish Magic Fabric Softener

Who would have thought that white vinegar was so versatile? When doing laundry, add a half cup of white vinegar and a few drops of essential oils to your final rinse. This will soften your fabrics and leave them smelling awesome.

Other cleaning products used by the Amish are borax and washing soda (sodium carbonate). Both of these items can be found in the laundry aisle at your local grocery stores. Borax is a natural mineral that cleans, deodorizes, disinfects, softens water, and repels cockroaches.

Washing soda is frequently used as a wax remover or paint stripper- be very careful with it as it may cause skin irritation.

10. Cleaning Stovetop Amish Style

How often do you cook? Is your stove-top cleaned every time you cook a meal?

If you are like me sometimes the grease will have to be left for a while before it is addressed. Ahem… then another meal may be cooked so more grease will build up. Sorry, I cook a lot and often invite friends and family for dinner so …. ahem- I have a lil grease build-up every now and then. But I never worry. A solution is right at hand.

Vinegar, Baking soda, and dish soap. These are simple cleaning solutions that might be readily available in every home on the planet. Here is how to use them to eliminate even the most caked-on gunk on your stove top.

Put vinegar into a spray bottle. Spray all over the stovetop and let it sit for about five minutes. Then use a soft clean cloth to wipe away the grease.

Now for the tough burnt-on grease or food particles. Heat the vinegar and wet the affected areas. Then sprinkle baking soda and let it sit for some 20 to 30 minutes. Then all the particles will be loosened and you may now go ahead and scrub off the area with scotch bright. Will look good as new!

11. Amish Insect Repellant

Use borax to repel or kill insects. How? Just make a mixture of equal parts of borax with regular sugar and sprinkle under the sinks, under stoves and refrigerators. The ants and cockroaches will come and eat and then they will be no more. Make sure these places are not accessible to pets.

Butter can also be used in the same way as sugar but remember not to let your cat find it.

12. Make an Amish all-purpose cleaner

Just mix four tablespoons of borax in 4 cups of hot water. Place in a spray bottle and use to clean counters floors and any surface you see fit. It is very inexpensive and effective.

13. Borax Drain Solution- Amish Style

Break up the gunk in your drains with one cup of borax and three cups of boiling water. Pour borax down the drain and then followed by the boiling water and leave it for five minutes. The mixture will break down the gunk and make it easy to flush out.

Just turn on the pipe and run it for a few minutes till all is flushed out. The borax and hot water will kill the germs and disinfect the drain causing it to smell much better.

14. Washing Soda- Amish de-greaser

Add about 1/2 cup of washing soda to a load of laundry. it removes orders, brightens clothes, and makes whites whiter. It can also be sprinkled on clothes to help remove tough stains, however, do not let it sit on the clothes for an extended period- like say beyond five minutes to be on the safe side as its alkalinity has a tendency to cause holes in fabrics.

15. Cleaning Pots And Pans

If you have any pots or pans with caked-on grease or burnt food particles. Do not worry, one more solution is here to help you. Just sprinkle some washing soda on the affected areas and gently mist with some water to moisten the washing soda. Let it stay on for 20 minutes and then scrub with a scouring pad.  Rinse and see the magic unfold.

That is all for today on Amish cleaning hacks. Happy cleaning!