Top 10 Natural Cleaning Products
The first I call the “Big 3”, as these are ancient household remedies that any housewife could direct you into the perks of using.
1) Vinegar:
Chances are you already have a bottle of distilled white vinegar in your home, and if you don’t, a gallon jug for $2-3 at any hardware or grocery store. Vinegar is a very acidic substance, therefore it has an excellent use in dissolving everything from stuck on substances to hard water deposits. Hard water deposits are generally calcified residue left over from particularly hard water, or water that has an unusually high pH. The acidic properties of vinegar give it the exact opposite attributes, helping to effectively neutralize the problematic spots that frequent many home bathtub or shower.
2) Lemon Juice:
While lemon juice doesn’t have quite the high pH of vinegar, it is still very acidic. Lemon juice also carries the perk of not smelling quite as harsh. Lemon Juice mixed with any vegetable oil (I use olive oil), makes for a great furniture polish, giving a shiny new life to any wood furniture.
3) Baking Soda:
Baking Soda has practically endless uses. It’s most common use in my home is it’s grit size makes it excellent as an abrasive cleaner. Generally it just needs to be scrubbed on to a wetted surface and will remove most stuck on materials or stains. Baking Soda is also very prone to chemical reactions, and will adhere to many molecules floating in the air that give us the perception of “bad scents”. It is so popular now that many companies make a box especially for lockers, refrigerators, and gym bags.
4) Mineral Oil:
While many people appreciate the medicinal properties of mineral oil, not many use it for it’s vast score of other uses. This affordable, food safe, oil “mobilizes” dirt and helps suspend the particles in it. This makes wiping it off a breeze. It is also particularly handy at removing substances that are known to be sticky, such as residue left over from tags or stickers.
5) Washing Soda, or Sodium Bicarbonate:
If vinegar and lemon juice are very acidic, then this natural cleanser is the exact opposite. It is very good at neutralizing acidic conditions, and as such, is frequent use for removing stains from acidic liquids such as wine, tomato sauce, and grape juice. I can also be useful in removing the bleach smell from anything cleaned with bleach, as washing soda is used to neutralize the acidic effects of chlorine.
6) Borax:
Borax is an excellent natural cleaner that helps deodorize and is excellent in removing stains and is frequently used as a laundry detergent. Borax is also useful as a rub in for carpets, furniture, and most other fabrics to prevent mold and mildew.
7) Cornstarch:
A 5:1 solution of cornstarch is a pretty handy thing to keep around the house. It has uses that are similar to other house hold cleaners in it’s ability to remove dirt, plus, since it is streak free you can always use it to clean windows!
8) Hydrogen Peroxide:
This is an age old disinfectant, but it’s use as a house hold cleaner is quite hand too. A 2:1 solution is all that is needed to give it’s disinfectant properties good use on your shower, sink, or anywhere else that may be a breeding ground for bacteria. Let this solution sit for at least an hour and then wipe away anything that has not evaporated.
9) Commercial Cleaning Products:
With the coming age of the “green” movement, a simple google search can yield you thousands, if not tens of thousands, of safe, bio-degradable cleaners that will cover anything from stoves to drains. While this may not be a choice alternative to some, it is quite a safer alternative to some of the nasty chemicals that are out there to do the same job.
10) Water:
Water is perhaps the most under-rated natural cleaner in the world. When things get cleaned in nature, it is usually via rain or some other precipitation. Almost all cleaners we use are mostly water. There is absolutely no need to get out a big bottle of Formula X when a damp cloth with do the job just fine!
There are millions of cleaning products on the market these days, all claiming to be the best product there ever was. Maybe it’s because of this flood of products, so many people find it hard to believe the best cleaning products were actually created years and years ago. Stop buying junk, get out there and get clean!
