Switching to natural cleaning options is an important part of creating a natural home. Natural cleaning options can save time, money, and reduce chemical exposure. Below is 15 tips for easy natural cleaning!

 

1. Baking Soda for Oven Cleaning

A paste of baking soda and water cleans ovens without the chemicals or the hassle of the self cleaning cycle. Just make a paste on the bottom of the oven, leave for a few hours and wipe off for a shiny, chemical free oven.

 

2. Save Money on Magic Erasers

Rather than buy the name brand magic erasers, buy the melamine sponge in bulk from a local source or on Amazon.

 

3. Switch to Microfiber

You can save a lot of money by switching to microfiber. A basic set of antibacterial microfiber cloths and a microfiber mop set can literally clean the entire house (except toilets) with just water now! To keep things simple, use one microfiber cloth per room (try and buy a multi-coloured pack – one colour per room, easy!). No chemicals and it saves money.

 

4. Make Scouring Powder

For soap scum on tubs and showers, make your own scouring powder with 2 parts baking soda, 1 part salt, and 1 part borax. It will cut through even the toughest scum!

 

5. Citrus Infused Vinegar

Fill a jar with (organic) citrus peels and pour undiluted white vinegar over them. Leave for a few days (up to 2 weeks) and strain out the vinegar to use as a natural cleaner. It works as a window cleaner (dilute with water), for mopping floors, or for disinfecting surfaces.

 

6. Use a Checklist!

Use a checklist for each room so that you can clean efficiently, or assign the jobs to children and know that they will be thorough.

 

7. Treat Stains Naturally

Laundry soaps and stain treaters can be some of the worst offenders for toxic chemicals. There are natural options that work really well, but it helps to know a little chemistry, as different natural options will work better on different types of stains.

 

8. Clean the Dishwasher

To clean your dishwasher effortlessly, fill a dishwasher safe bowl or jar with 2 cups of vinegar and set on the top rack of the dishwasher. Run through on a hot cycle with no other dishes in the dishwasher to clean and remove the musty odor.

 

9. Clean the Garbage Disposal

If you use the garbage disposal a lot, sometimes it gets that not-so-lovely odor. To combat this, there are a couple of options:

  • Cut a lemon in half, shove in garbage disposal and grind (with water running) for 10 seconds
  • Freeze lemon and orange peels in ice cube trays with vinegar or water and throw these in and grind for 10 seconds
  • Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda in and then 1 cup of distilled white vinegar and let sit for 10 minutes before running the water and and the disposal

 

10. Natural Air Freshener

In a medium saucepan, simmer a quart of water with natural ingredients to freshen and clean the air. Just make sure not to let the water evaporate off completely! Top combinations are:

  • 1 sliced lemon, 2 tablespoons rosemary and a dash of vanilla
  • 1 sliced lime and 1 piece chopped ginger root
  • 1 sliced orange, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and a dash of nutmeg and cloves (smells like pumpkin pie!)
  • 1 sliced lime and 2 tablespoons thyme

 

11. Clean Shower Heads

Clean a shower head by filling a plastic bag with white vinegar and then tie the bag around the shower head so that the shower head is immersed in the vinegar. Leave on for up to 12 hours and remove carefully. Pour it down the drain and your shower head should be clean and free of hard water residue.

 

12. Car Upholstery

Clean stains in car upholstery with Dawn, baking soda, and club soda.

 

13. Clean Toilet

Dump a cup of baking soda into the toilet and let it soak for at least an hour. Pour in a cup of white vinegar, leave for 5 mins and flush. Unless the toilet is really dirty, this will clean it without scrubbing!

 

14. Stove Vent Fan

Clean the stove vent fan with boiling water and baking soda.

 

15. Stock Up on Natural Ingredients

The natural cleaning ingredients you should always keep on hand are:

  • White Vinegar
  • Liquid Castille Soap
  • Natural Salt
  • Baking Soda
  • Borax
  • Washing Soda
  • Hydrogen Peroxide
  • Lemons
  • Various Microfiber

 

 

 

Credit: WellnessMama.