Natural Cleaners
Ever since we found out a few months ago that our eldest son is battling terrible allergies, I have done my best to convert to using natural cleaners in our home. At first, I thought it was going to be a hassle, but I quickly learned it's actually much more convenient - as long as I have a few basic items that I make sure to keep in stock. Those items are:
Baking Soda
Vinegar
Ammonia
Lemon juice
Rubbing Alcohol
Dawn dish soap
and
Borax
To make an all-purpose cleaner which I use on tile, appliances, cabinets, etc:
2 TBSP vinegar
1 tsp. Borax
hot water (enough to fill your spray bottle)
a few drops of Dawn dish soap
essential oil (I like lemon scented - you can find this in organic or specialty stores)
For furniture polish:
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
I know, I know, olive oil wasn't in the basic items list. But who doesn't have it in the pantry? You could use any type of oil, really. Just shake it up in a spray bottle and see how you can make your furniture shine!
For granite countertops:
1/4 cup rubbing alcohol
3 drops Dawn dish soap
1 cup water
essential oil
I was spending around $9 / bottle on granite cleaner before this recipe. I LOVE how shiny my countertops get when I use this.
Soft Scrub type cleaners (for use on bathtubs, sinks, etc.)
Mix a small amount of baking soda with enough dish soap to make a paste-like substance. That's it!
Window cleaner:
3 TBSP ammonia
1 TBSP vinegar
enough water to finish filling up your spray bottle
Shake it up and get those windows sparkling!
Another tip - lemon juice is like a natural bleaching substance. Sprinkle baking soda into ceramic sinks, splash some lemon juice on, then scrub. The result is a sparkly white that not even Comet can compete against!
The best part about using these natural cleaners is the scent! Instead of having a home that smells of bleach and chemicals, our clean house smells like lemons and lavender. Give it a try! I'd love to hear from you if you decide to make the all-natural switch!
Happy Homemaking!
I've recently started using vinegar and water for almost all my cleaning. I LOVE it. I don't have a very big house (apartment), and I'm still using up my commercial cleaners since I just made the decision to switch, but I will most definitely be a natural-product cleaner from here on out!
ReplyDeleteHydrogen peroxide is a good disinfectant for cutting boards, counters etc. Also it's good for whitening. I use baking soda, Dawn, vinegar, peroxide and water for most things. Olive oil and vinegar for furniture polish, my antique wood LOVES that! (I don't use the rubbing alcohol or ammonia because of the fumes that get inhaled.)
ReplyDeleteOh, and microfiber clothes really help.
DeleteI LOVE vinegar! (My kiddos despise the smell, but I remind them of how quickly it evaporates). I hadn't thought of hydrogen peroxide, I need to add that to my stock! Thank you both for your comments!
ReplyDeleteLove these tips and use most of them!
ReplyDelete