Whether you’re composting, taking shorter showers or shopping with reusable bags, you have taken strides to make your household eco-friendlier. As it turns out, though, there’s always more to be done. For instance, the cleaning formulas you buy from the store often come packed with chemicals. Once you use these products in your home, you release said chemicals into the air around you and your family.
Luckily, you have options when it comes to household cleaners. You can whip up your own from common nontoxic materials. You’ll feel better about cleaning because no longer will it put anyone or the Earth at risk of chemical exposure.
Here’s your guide to household cleaners, eco-friendly style.
- Baking Soda
You don’t need much to clean your oven. Simply combine baking soda with water to create a paste. Rub it all over the bottom of your dirty oven and let it sit for a few hours. Once you wipe it away, all the gunk at the bottom of your appliance will be gone, too no chemicals required.
You can use this same combination to scrub your cookware. It’s also handy in removing tough stains from tea and coffee that linger at the bottom of your mugs.
Baking soda and borax prove to be a tough stain-fighting duo. If you combine two parts of the former with one part of the latter, plus one part salt, you can cut through soap scum.
- Vinegar
You can use undiluted white vinegar to restore your toilet bowls to their sparkling state. You’ll still need to scrub them as you would with a store-bought cleaner, but that’s it.
Vinegar has plenty of other household uses, too. Pour it into a bowl, then place it into an empty dishwasher. Run the device on its normal, hot cycle. The released vinegar will clean the inside of the appliance and neutralize any lingering musty scents.
You’ll find that vinegar can unclog showerheads, too. Fill a bag with vinegar and wrap it around the showerhead so it’s submerged. Leave it to soak for 12 hours, then pour the vinegar down the drain. Hard water residue should be gone, and the shower should flow freely.
Together, baking soda and vinegar make a seriously strong cleaning combination. For example, you can pour a cup of baking soda into your toilet bowl and let it sit for a few hours. Then, pour vinegar on top of the baking soda and let it sit for five minutes. If you’ve ever made a volcano in science class, you know what happens when you combine baking soda and vinegar the two react and fizz up, which proves to be a powerful cleaning agent for your toilet bowl.
- Lemon
You can use this citrus fruit for a lot of your cleaning needs. For instance, send half a lemon down your garbage disposal and grind it up to remove any lingering odors from the device. If you dip the other half in salt, you can use it to scrub and clean your grill naturally. The same combination works well for tough-to-remove stains that stick to your cookware.
You can scour wood surfaces with a bit of lemon, too. Fill a spray bottle with two parts lemon juice to one part olive oil, then squeeze and spray.
Incorporate lemons into a natural air freshener. Simmering a pot of water with lemon juice will waft the citrusy scent through the air. Add vanilla and rosemary to make it even richer of an aroma.
Lemon zest and vinegar can also combine their powers as a floor cleaner or, when diluted, as a window washing fluid. Fill a jar with peels and cover them with vinegar. Then, let them sit for at least a few days or up to two weeks.
- Reusable Cleaning Supplies
Don’t forget that your cleaning solutions are only part of the problem. Going through a roll of paper towels doesn’t bode well for the environment, either. Swap out one-time-use cleaning supplies for microfiber cloths. You can wash and dry them and can continue using them for a long time. You’ll also find microfiber mop heads and other reusable supplies. The best part is that sometimes, these cloths can do all the work on their own. For example, one dampened with water can clean your windows.
When you whip up household cleaning solutions, pour them into equally as safe containers. Plastic bottles can break down, so swap them out for glass bottles. Ultimately, you should replace all your eco-unfriendly mainstays with these long-term options.
- Go Green, Go Clean
It doesn’t take much to keep your home sparkling. In fact, the task doesn’t even require harsh chemicals. Instead, you can use natural elements, including lemon, baking soda, water, and vinegar. In different combinations, they can clean every square inch of your home. Learning how to create such cleansers will give you a sparkling abode and peace of mind. You and your family will be safe inside a space without dangerous chemicals, and there’s no better feeling than knowing that.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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