Best Natural Cleaners to Keep on Hand
Best Natural Cleaners to Keep on Hand
When making the best natural cleaners for your home, you might discover there are several ingredients that are used more often than not. Some of these core ingredients are wonderful alone or together to make the best natural cleaners. You don’t have to take my word for it..check out this great resource explaining basic ingredients used in cleaning DIYs. In fact, I use all on their list, so I’ll list them here as well. You’ll see that I connected these products to some natural cleaning recipes on my website. Watch for the links!
Vinegar
At first, I though vinegar was only needed for cleaning windows and mirrors… silly me! It’s great at that and so much more. Actually, vinegar is a natural disinfectant due to its high acidity level. Use it to remove grease, remove mildew, and eliminate odors. I don’t deny that it has a stink but it goes away as it dries, leaving your surfaces clean and sanitized. Use a little in your washing machine occasionally to get rid of the musty smell.
Caution: Combining hydrogen peroxide and vinegar creates peracetic acid, a highly corrosive liquid. See this website for other combos not to use, before making your own combinations.
Baking Soda
Recently, baking soda became a hero for me as I used it clean an oven. Combined with vinegar and hot water, baking soda worked a miracle. So, I decided to go ahead and use it for the grill. It is known to be a deodorizer, absorbing and neutralizing unpleasant odors. Thanks to its mild abrasive properties, baking soda is also excellent for scrubbing away stubborn grime without scratching surfaces.
Lemon Juice
Some say lemon juice has a natural acidity that makes it a fantastic disinfectant, similar to vinegar. However, we all know lemons smell amazing. Use lemon in your drains, dishwashing liquid and hard to scrub pans. Sometimes I’ll throw lemon pieces on the bottom of my clean garbage bag, especially if the bag doesn’t get changed often. I like to put lemon or lemon essential oil in my homemade soft scrub. I’ll post that blog soon.
Olive Oil
You thought olive oil was just healthy to eat, didn’t you? Olive oil is an excellent cleaner and grime-remover, particularly for wooden surfaces. Although it seems surprising, it polishes and restores wood, giving it a natural shine. See my recipe for natural wood furniture polish here. It can also be used to lubricate stuck on dirt. Some say it works to clean stainless but keep in mind it could get a little messy for that.
Coconut Oil
My same blog for furniture polish, shows coconut oil to be an alternative for olive oil. Coconut oil is highly moisturizing for wood. Although it is really not a “cleaner” per say, it really is helpful for so many things. I’ll do a blog someday on coconut oil, but for now, here is Healthline’s take on coconut oil.
Essential Oils
As mentioned in the website listed above, Essential oils are often added to homemade cleaning product recipes because they smell wonderful. Many also have antimicrobial properties and other health benefits. Tea tree oil can help combat your home from mold.Be careful please, in regards to your pet. Essential oils are not always pet friendly. Tea tree, eucalyptus, and lavender for example, can add a boost of cleaning power to your homemade products while smelling awesome.
Castile Soap
This plant-based soap is gentle yet effective and can be used to clean a wide variety. See my recipe for homemade laundry soap. Castile Magic Soap is biodegradable and comes in various scents.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Not only is hydrogen peroxide (Standard 3% hydrogen peroxide) a common first aid supply but also a natural sanitizer and bleach alternative! It can be used to whiten laundry, remove stains, and sanitize surfaces. I even have friends that have it in their swimming pool instead of chlorine!
Onion
Ok, what? Yes, you heard me correctly! The mighty onion has now even more uses! You can get the full description here, of how to use it to clean your grill. Surprisingly, an onion can help scrub the grill rack. It’s acidity helps to break down the grime. Who knew? Put a light layer of coconut oil on the grill rack to help it clean easier the next time.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Two cups of water, 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar and a teaspoon of dish soap can loosen soap scum, descale coffee pots, oil build-up on combs/hairbrushes, deodorizing your fridge, and help tackle hard deposits on your oven! Learn to make your own apple cider vinegar here.
Happy cleaning!
Shopping List:
Metal Bottle ideal for cleaning supplies
Baking soda (this one is aluminum free if you also use it in your food)
Other related shopping items
20 Mule Team Borax, Natural Laundry Booster
Dr. Bronner’s Castile Magic Soap, finely shredded (I love citrus; this is a for a variety pack)
Would love to hear what you think of these recipes!
Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash, also Precious Plastic Melbourne on Unsplash.
Some links are affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See more info here.
When making the best natural cleaners for your home, you might discover there are several ingredients that are used more often than not. Some of these core ingredients are wonderful alone or together to make the best natural cleaners. You don’t have to take my…