Hey there, amazing readers!
Daniela here, and I’m thrilled to share my latest cleaning obsession: Rice water! This magical elixir isn’t just for your hair; it’s a game-changer for your cleaning routine too.
Did you know that rice water contains natural compounds like inositol and amino acids? These make it a fantastic eco-friendly alternative to harsh chemical detergents.
Here’s why you should give rice water a try:
- Gentle yet effective stain removal
- Leaves clothes soft and fresh
- Cost-effective and easy to make at home
- Biodegradable and environmentally friendly
To use, simply soak 1 cup of rice in 2 cups of water for 30 minutes, strain, and add the liquid to your laundry. It’s that easy!
According to a 2020 study, rice water can even help remove heavy metals from contaminated water. Talk about powerful!
So, ditch those chemical-laden detergents and give rice water a shot. Your clothes (and the planet) will thank you!
Happy cleaning!.
To make the housekeeping, usually a lot of chemical cleaners are used, which can pollute and are certainly not healthy. But in recent years the old grandmother’s remedies are coming back into vogue, namely natural ingredients that prove to be very useful for cleaning and sanitizing, without the need to make use of substances that are potentially dangerous to our health. An excellent solution for deep descaling, especially in the kitchen, is therice water: have you ever used it? Let’s find out how to prepare it and what all its uses are.
What is rice water: its magical properties
To prepare an excellent risotto, it is important to Rinse the rice well even before putting it on the stove. This is in fact to remove the excess starch that settles on the surface of the grains, causing them to become rubbery while cooking. How should this be done? Just soak the rice before pouring it into the pot, thus removing the starch that coats it. And with the water you get from this rinse you can do many things, because of its “magical” properties: in fact, the starch sediment that accumulates there acts as a super effective abrasive and is great for the most difficult-to-remove fouling.
It is important to know that rice water Is not suitable for degreasing: oil and fats are alkaline substances with a pH of 8, while our natural cleaner has a pH around 6 and is therefore slightly acidic. For this reason it can be used to remove rust or lime stains, replacing other very common natural remedies (white wine vinegar and lemon juice). Be careful, however, to do not use it on delicate surfaces such as unsealed stone and marble, which can be damaged by acidic substances.
How to prepare rice water
Let us now look at the recipe for making rice water, which is really very easy. All you have to do is soak one cup of uncooked rice in two cups of water, stirring well until the solution has achieved a color similar to that of milk. Then, with a strainer, remove the rice and use it to prepare some delicious dishes, thus avoiding any waste in the kitchen. You will need the remaining water for household cleaning: you can decant it into a spray bottle for convenience, or leave it in a bowl where you can soak sponges or soft cloths to remove dirt.
Not all types of rice are the same, and depending on the result you want to achieve, it is a good idea to choose the right one. If your goal is to have rice water that is acidic enough to make household cleaning easier, it is ideal to opt for the short- or long-grain white rice, which contain a lot of starch. Therefore, basmati and brown rice, which have significantly less starch, are not suitable. Once you have prepared your cleaning solution, you can use it right away or store it in the refrigerator for no more than a week.
The uses of rice water: household cleaning
We mentioned that rice water is especially good for Fighting scaling due to mineral deposits. Green light then to use it on all those surfaces such as steel and aluminum, or even copper and brass, that are prone to rusting or oxidation. Simply spray a little rice water on the area to be treated and then rub vigorously with a soft cloth or a nonabrasive sponge, to remove deposits that have given rise to stubborn encrustations.
Rice water is then excellent in bath, where it is used to combat limescale (which is nothing more than waterborne mineral deposits). You can wet a soft cloth in this solution and wipe it over bathroom fixtures and faucets to remove stains left by water and lime scale. Or, again, rub it vigorously on the shower glass to prevent lime deposits from building up over time. Finally, you can also use this natural cleaner for the cleaning windows throughout your home, always with the help of a sponge or soft cloth.
If you want amildly degreasing action, you can instead prepare rice water by employing it during cooking. In this case, you will have to drain the water used while cooking the rice and, preferably while still hot, wet a soft cloth with it to wipe over the surfaces of the kitchen, where patches of grease and oil easily accumulate. The same water is perfect for cleaning dishes immediately after use, using it like regular detergent and scrubbing with an abrasive sponge. You will then be able to remove dirt and even neutralize odors.
Rice water, a beauty treatment
But that’s not all: rice water is also a panacea for body and hair care., precisely because of the very valuable substances it contains. Let’s start precisely with hair, which becomes stronger and more elastic thanks to this natural remedy. According to some studies, it is thanks to the starch, inositol and amino acids from rice, which possess important properties for well-being and beauty. When should rice water be used? It is ideal for those who have the frizzy hair, giving them nourishment and helping to smooth them out, but also for those with particularly brittle hair or split ends that just won’t go away.
How to do it. Prepare a rice water pack (either the one used for soaking or the one used in cooking is fine) and leave it on the hair for at least 15 to 30 minutes. At this point, rinse thoroughly and proceed with your usual shampoo. If used a couple of times a week, you may also notice a decrease in dandruff and-very useful in the case of children-a lower risk of contracting lice or other fungal problems. Alternatively, against split ends you can simply soak the strands in rice water and let them soak for 15 to 20 minutes before rinsing well.
Finally, rice water proves to be an excellent natural cleanser for those suffering from acne or of dry skin. Starch is known to be a soothing agent and fights excess skin sebum while relieving redness. Prepare a compress to apply to your face, leaving it on for 15 to 20 minutes, then rinse well with lukewarm water. You can continue daily for at least a week, noticing the differences: the skin will become very smoother and well moisturized, free from troublesome impurities.
