Everyone knows that living overseas comes with challenges, whether it’s language barriers, visa issues, crazy traffic or cultural oddities. But one thing most people don’t think about is the difficulty of every day tasks, like cooking and cleaning, in a new country where you can’t always find the products you have at home. To help our missionaries (and to give you a peek into their lives!) we put together some Missionary Life Hacks to make life a little less complicated.
Missionary Life Hacks: Cleaning
You definitely won’t be able to find the same array of cleaning products in Mozambique that you find in your neighborhood Wal-Mart, but we’ve found some everyday items you’ll find in any market that can do the job just as well!
Bleach
- Fruits and vegetables in other countries often carry bacterias we’re not used to, so to stay healthy while eating healthy soak your fruits and vegetables in a pan of water with 1-2 capfuls of bleach.
- Banish mold for good by scrubbing it with 1 part bleach and 10 parts water
- Keep your toilet sparkling with 2 tablespoons of bleached swished around with a toilet brush
Vinegar
- You can also clean fruits and veggies by soaking in a pan of water mixed with 1 tablespoon of vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt
- Disinfect your countertops, floors, and walls with a vinegar/water mixture
- Keep flies away with by sitting a bowl full of vinegar and dish soap on the counter
- Clean your shower and bathtub with 1 part white vinegar and 3 parts water
Cleaning overseas doesn’t have to be a challenge!
Cornstarch
- Clean grease spills on carpet by pouring cornstarch on, letting it sit for 15-30 minutes, then vacuuming
Rubbing Alcohol
- Erase permanent marker stains from finished wood floors or solid surface countertops by pouring rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball and scrubbing
Ketchup
- Removes tarnish from copper and brass cookware
Oatmeal
- Get hard to remove dirt and grease off of hands by scrubbing with an oatmeal and water paste
Tea
- Clean rusty tools and other objects by brewing a few pots of strong black tea, pour into a bucket when cool and let rusty items soak for a few hours (but be sure to wear gloves or you’ll stain your hands!)
Use tea to clean rusty tools and utensils.
Glycerin
- Remove dried wax drippings from candlesticks or holders by moistening a cotton ball with glycerin then rubbing clean
Club Soda
- Shine up your scuffed stainless steel sink by buffing with cloth dampened with club soda then wiping dry with a clean cloth
Hydrogen Peroxide
- Disinfect small, hard to reach areas like a keyboard with a cotton swab dipped in hydrogen peroxide
Ammonia
- Clean windows as well as Windex with 1 part ammonia, 3 parts water and dishwashing soap
