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Cleaning a house in a natural way is actually just as easy as cleaning it with harsh chemicals. There are many benefits that it provides, from improving the air quality indoors, to making the home a safer and healthier place for the family, especially for pets and children. When you use the power of nature to clean, especially with little ones around, it means that you don’t have to worry about crawling babies or toddlers touching something, licking something or picking something up off the floor that may be harmful to them.
Natural cleaning recipes are safe for children and they can be a way of getting the kids involved with the cleaning and chores. And you can clean so many things with natural cleaning products; don’t think that it is limiting and can only be used for certain things. You can use natural products to clean glass and windows, toilet bowls, laundry, and even pest control. Heck, if you end up really loving it, there are business opportunities that embrace cleaning, such as home cleaning services and bug control business opportunities.
Here are a few tips on where to start with it all!
Switching to homemade cleaners may sound like a lot of effort, especially if you’re new to it all and don’t know where to start. But it really is quite simple. The things that you need are quite easy to come by, don’t have to cost a lot, and they can last for a long time too. So you’re natural cleaning checklist is:
- white vinegar
- liquid castile soap
- natural salt
- baking soda
- borax
- washing soda
- hydrogen peroxide
- lemons
- microfiber cloths
- essential oils
- a spray bottle or two (glass will be better than plastic)
Easy Natural Cleaning Recipes
Once you’ve got your supplies, you need to know how to use it all, which is where a few ‘recipes’ can come in handy. There are a lot of tips and tricks, and hacks with natural cleaning products out there. Here are a few good ‘recipes’ to get you started!
- To make a homemade all-purpose cleaner, which can be used for plenty of general cleaning, all you need are four ingredients: 1 teaspoon of borax, 1/2 teaspoon of washing soda, 1 teaspoon of liquid castile soap, and a reusable spray bottle for storage. You can also use some essential oils to customize the smell to your preference or the seasons (such as citrus for summer and cinnamon for winter).
- To make a glass cleaner, you don’t need to use that bright blue stuff. It is all about white vinegar and water, as it cuts through dirt, grime, and leaves a streak free shine (you might just have to get used to the smell, though, so wear some gloves).
- To clean your bathroom, particularly talking about tile grout, try mixing one part water to three parts baking soda, and make it into a paste. You simply apply it to the grout and then let it sit for quite a while. Scrub with a tile grout brush or a toothbrush, and rinse off.
- If you have stains on your pots and pans, try mixing some salt with a little squeeze of lemon juice and scrubbing the pan with it. You can also use baking soda with some water, until it is made into a paste, and use that to clean the pans. This also works wonders on stained coffee mugs.
Make a paste with some baking soda and water and clean your oven without those super harsh chemicals. Apply the paste to the bottom of the oven, leave it for a couple of hours, and then simply wipe away, leaving a shiny clean oven.
Switch to Microfiber
There are a lot of things that you can use to clean your home with, but one of the things that you can do to save money, as well as the environment, is making the switch to microfiber cloths. They are great and can be used for all sorts of things like dusting, wiping, cleaning surfaces, and so on. To keep things quite simple, you could use one color-coded cloth for each room. No need for chemicals and it does help to save a lot of money.
Natural Air Freshener
Having a home that smells good, especially if the smells are completely natural, can be a great way to freshen the air in the home. In a saucepan you can simmer some water, and then use some natural ingredients to make the home smell amazing, as well as clean the air. Some ideas for scent combinations are:
- Sliced lemon, with some chopped rosemary, and a dash of vanilla extract
- Slice a lime, and add in some chopped fresh ginger
- Slice an orange, and then add in a sprinkle of cinnamon, dash of nutmeg, and cloves. This is a great seasonal scent for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
- Chop about two tablespoons of fresh thyme out into the water, with a sliced lime
Enjoy your clean and fresh home! Please share any of your cleaning tips in the comments below!
