Top 10 All Natural Cleaning Supplies
1. Lemons and limes!
When I was younger, I remember watching some show on television, where the host used a lemon to clean the fish scent from her wood cutting board. Once I heard that, I started using lemon for everything!
When I cook with lemons, I save them to use on my cutting board to cut through any grease or meat juice left behind. When I’m through, I toss it in the garbage disposer.
I also use lemons to clean my microwave oven. This works wonders when you have caked on gunk. The directions are super simple. Take a microwave safe bowl or mug, toss in some lemon slices, then water. Heat the water and lemon for about 2 minutes. Open the microwave and you should be able to easily wipe out the once-stuck crud.
Lemon juice is an amazing degreaser. It can also be used as an air freshener. Put a cut up lemon half in a pot of water and boil it. The lemon will scent your whole home. When I am out of lemons, I use limes. I have been lucky enough to live in Los Angeles, California and Orlando, Florida, where key limes are plentiful and cheap! I buy them specifically to clean with and toss in the disposer.
2. Vinegar
Vinegar is another ingredient that is awesome for cleaning. I cannot do without it.
One of the best uses of vinegar is to clean glass. If you take that old glass cleaner bottle, you can mix some vinegar and water and some lemon juice … I usually use equal parts water and vinegar, with a dash of lemon juice to cut down the vinegar smell.
I use this mixture to clean my mirrors, glass dining table and windows.
You can also use vinegar to clean your coffee pot and vases. Just pour the vinegar into the vases or pot, swish and rinse.
Because I have dogs, and sometimes they are smelly creatures, I keep a small bowl of vinegar in an out of the way spot for odor control.
One of my older aunts swears by using vinegar in the toilet bowl to keep it clean and also in the laundry. She has sensitive skin and says it helps keep the itches away. She always poured about a �½ cup of white vinegar in the rinse cycle.
3. Baking Soda
I love this stuff. I put it in the refrigerator and freezer to absorb odors. I also use baking soda and vinegar in the sink if I have a clog. It works just like those volcano experiments in high school, so be careful!!
I also make a paste of baking soda and water to clean the stainless steel sink and the chrome faucets in the bathroom and kitchen.
Baking soda and peroxide are also great for cleaning and whitening your teeth.
Here’s something to take you back to 1st grade. Keep a coffee tin of baking soda by the stove in case of a grease fire. I use the baking soda I had in the fridge, since that has to be replaced every couple of months. I’m natural and recycling!
4. Borax
This stuff is great. You can buy a box for about $3.99 from stores like Trader Joe’s and Albertson’s. Borax is a natural mineral that kills mold and bacteria.
It’s a great alternative to bleach and I use it in my laundry as a booster.
I also use it in my toilet. I put about a cupful in the bowl at night before bed, and flush in the morning. The bowl sparkles!
Experiment with amounts of borax with water to clean your floors, tubs and sinks.
You can use borax to make an all-purpose cleaner. Mix 2 tablespoons of borax, �¼ cup of lemon juice and 2 cups hot water in a spray bottle.
Now, while borax is natural, it isn’t 100% safe for pets. So make sure your animals don’t eat it.
5. Cream of Tartar
Ok, when I heard about this, I said, “no way!” Now, I swear by it. Just take some cream of tartar, which costs about a dollar, and sprinkle it on a damp cloth. It becomes a great cleanser for porcelain surfaces, like your tub or bathroom sink.
6. Salt
Coarse salt is a great cleaner.
I use it to clean my copper pots. Soak a cotton rag (I just use old t-shirts) in boiling water with some salt, and about a cup of vinegar. Rub the mixture on the copper, let it cool, and wipe clean. If the copper is really a mess, sprinkle salt on a lemon wedge then scrub.
I used to use equal parts of salt and flour with a little bit of vinegar tossed in, to clean my brass bangles. I used to wear 50 of them, so you can imagine I ran through crass cleaner like crazy. This was the cheapest option. Just rub in the mixture, wipe, then rinse the brass objects.
7. Isopropyl Alcohol
This stuff is an excellent disinfectant. I’ve used it to clean up spilled nail polish in my rose-colored porcelain sink.
A cotton swab soaked in rubbing alcohol works great on removing that gummy residue from price tags on glass, and cleaning up candle wax.
Also use it to clean my bathroom mirror, so it doesn’t fog up while I take a shower.
8. Cornstarch
I honestly don’t use this much, because I only have it on hand during Christmas for baking. But I have seen my female relatives sprinkle cornstarch on their rugs before they vacuum. Personally, I prefer to use baking soda.
9. Club Soda
If you spill something on your carpet, soak the spot with club soda, then blot it until the stain is gone.
Club soda is also great for removing stains on clothes. Just be sure to test in an inconspicuous area first, I don’t want to be responsible for ruining your favorite blouse!
10. Hydrogen Peroxide
Last, but certainly not least. I’ve already told you about using peroxide and baking soda to clean your teeth.
This wonder liquid is also a great disinfectant and can be used to rid your bathroom tiles of mold.
Mix one part hydrogen peroxide and two parts water in one of your spray bottles. Spray the mixture on the mold; let it sit for about an hour, then rinse.
Peroxide is also great at removing bloodstains from fabrics.
Ok, guys and gals … these are my top 10 all natural cleaning supplies. Go out there, be clean and be green!
