When considering using only natural cleaning products often we think we need to find a substitutes for all the different cleaning products the industry tells us we need. The industry may tell us we need a glass cleaner, a toilet cleaning, a floor cleaning, a disinfectant, cleaning wipes, kitchen cleaner, stove cleaner, dish soap, hand soap, laundry soap, dish washer soap. All these different types of cleaners scientifically formulated for the individual items you need to clean.
So naturally we thing I need to find a different natural, chemical free cleaner for all these different areas in our home. That is the wrong way to look at cleaning. Instead of thinking of the product you may need think of the ingredients you need.
There are 5-6 simple ingredients we need to cover all our natural cleaning products.
- Vinegar
- Baking Soda
- Castile Soap
- Essential Oils
- Rubbing Alcohol (not actually natural but a much safer alternative for disinfecting cleaners)
- Olive Oil (for wood)
With these 6 ingredients you can mix and match to make just about any cleaning product you want.
The Ingredients for Natural Cleaning Products
When cleaning with natural products we simply need to understand the ingredients of natural cleaning. Understanding how each ingredient works give you the knowledge you need to create the best cleaning products for your needs.
Vinegar
Vinegar is an acidic cleaner. The acid in the vinegar brakes down mineral deposits, cutting through grease and grime, stains, loosening dirt and calcium build up. Vinegar also has antimicrobial properties helping to disinfect and stop bacterial growth.
Vinegar is great for bathroom, kitchens, appliances, glass, mirrors, metal, tile, vinyl, fabrics… Most anything except materials that brake down easy by acid.
Now this is where I’m supposed to say, you can use on tile but you can’t use on tile because you shouldn’t use on grout, or the vinegar will eat away at the finish of the tile or wood so you should use on that either. Don’t use vinegar on TV, computers or phones it will eat away at the anti-glare film. Although these things are true, they will not ruin your table, or cabinets, doors, chairs, floors, tile by a little cleaning with a vinegar based cleaner. Extensive cleaning with harsh vinegar I will not advise. I would also advise to clean with a soap based cleaner for these items for better results.
Marble and other natural stone carter-tops are more porous surfaces and should not be cleaned with acid cleaners. And that is okay, vinegar, although the most popular is not the only way to clean.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is a alkaline cleaner. We all know that when you mix this alkaline with our acid vinegar we get a carbon dioxide gas (or bubble). When cleaning we tend to not want to mix these two because they neutralize each other.
We clean with baking soda when we want to scrub something. Baking soda has a fine abrasive texture making it perfect to use when we need to scrub out a deep stain or tough build up. it also has deodorizing properties as well as whitening properties. Its great for cleaning clothes and stains, grout and toilet bowls and so much more.
Castile Soap
Castile Soap is a vegetable based soap. It has no synthetics, its non toxic, and hypoallergenic. Its safe for your skin and hair as well as your clothes, furniture, kitchen, bathroom you name it. Except plants, apparently. Don’t clean your plants with it.
Castile soap is the base that you can use for all your soap needs. Dish soap, hand soap, shampoo, laundry detergent and even all purpose cleaners.
Essential Oils
Essential oils have many benefits to them. Many of them have antibacterial properties making them perfect for disinfecting and stopping the growth of bacterial. There scent is probably the most enjoyable benefit that essential oils have. Smell is a huge indication of cleanliness and makes our house more enjoyable and inevitable.
The biggest benefit I have found with essential oils not the smell or the antibacterial properties but the benefits to my own immune system these oils give. Cleaning with essential oils means that all around my house are beneficial, immune boasting properties all around me. Other chemical based cleaners are harmful to my healthy while cleaning with essential oils builds up my health.
Read in more detail what essential oils are best for cleaning on my post about cleaning with essential oils.
Rubbing Alcohol
Rubbing Alcohol is not technically natural, it is a synthetic product. Although alcohol is the natural occurrence of certain fermenting sugars, Rubbing Alcohol is not made the same way. It is man made through a chemical process involving petroleum derivatives. In order to find out more on how its made visit BiologyInsights.com. Rubbing Alcohol is extremely toxic to drink, but not to touch. With long exposure it can cause skin dryness and irritation.
Although Rubbing Alcohol is not as safe or natural as vinegar but is still considered a safe cleaning product. Rubbing Alcohol is not as toxic or cancer causing as other cleaning product ingredient are. Just to name a few… Phthalates are known to cause hormonal issues such as low sperm count, birth defects and reproductive cancer. Sodium Hydroxide is really bad for your skin and can causes respiratory damage. Formaldehyde can cause asthma or throat and nasal cancer. You can find out more about these and other cleaning products ingredients you may want to avoid at thegoodnesswell.com.
If you don’t feel comfortable using rubbing alcohol as a cleaning product there’s good news! You don’t have too! You can also use Vodka. Or vinegar, it can stand on its own or can be pared with antibacterial essential oils or lemon oils from lemon rinds. To learn more about making lemon vinegar from your lemon rinds check out my post on Lemon Vinegar Cleaner.
Olive Oil
Olive oil may seem like a strange ingredient to use for cleaning, and it is. There are two main reasons we use olive oil to clean with. One is to get gunk or sticky residue off of things. You can use olive oil to moisten and soften something that is hard and stuck on to the item you are cleaning.
The other ways to use olive oil is as a polisher. Polishing is not actually considered cleaning but it does help keep our homes clean when surfaces have a little polish on them. The polish will keep grime and dust from sticking and building up on certain surfaces.
Surfaces to use olive oil on when polishing would be stainless still, wood, cast iron and leather.
Recipes for Natural Cleaning Products
I have two bottles of cleaners made up at all time for my daily cleaning. An All Purpose Cleaner and a Bathroom/Kitchen Cleaner. I also have these six ingredients always stocked in my house for when I need to make another cleaner for something specific. Here are the recipes.
All Purpose Cleaning (soap)
Mix together in a spray bottle about 2 tablespoon soap to 2 cups of water in a spray bottle. Add about 8-15 drops of your favorite essential oil. My preference is Thieves or On-Guard for my all purpose use.
Bathroom/Kitchen/Window Disinfectant (vinegar and alcohol)
This is my favorite bathroom cleaner. In my spray bottle I mix 1 part vinegar, 1 part rubbing alcohol and 1 part water. Add 8-15 drops of you preferred essential oil (Tea Tree/Melaleuca and Thieves/On Guard are great choices). I use this cleaner for every part of the bathroom, including the mirror.
Other cleaning products you can make with these ingredients
I keep these 6 ingredients stocked in my house so I can make any needed cleaner at any given time. When needed you can also make these cleaner with our 6 natural ingredients for cleaning.
- Laundry Detergent – 1 cups Baking Soda, 1 cup Washing Soda (learn how to make from baking soda) 1 bar of grated Castile Soap (You can get unscented or a scented soap, I like lavender).
- Stain Remover
- Dish Soap – 16 oz glass dispenser, 1/2 cup Castile soap, 1 1/2 cups water, 10-20 lemon/orange/grapefruit or any citrus essential oil.
- Hand Soap – 1 cup Castile soap, 3 cups water, 10-20 drops essential oils, 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- Disinfectant Spray – 1 part water, 1 part rubbing alcohol, for strong disinfectant
- Disinfectant Wipes – Check out Laura’s recipes
- Over Cleaner – Mix together baking soda and water to make a paste. Wipe the oven down, let it sit for 30 minutes or overnight. Wipe down with a rag and spray some vinegar to get the rest.
- Grout Cleaner – Mix together baking soda and water to make a paste. Use a toothbrush to clean the grout with the paste. Wipe down with damp rag.
- Drain Cleaner – Poor hot water down the drain. Then poor 1/2 – 1 cup baking soda down the drain add 1/2 cup vinegar. Place a rag over the drain and let fizz for 20 minutes. Rinse again with more hot water.
- Toilet Bowl Cleaner (comet replacement) – Baking soda or washing soda
- Dust Cleaner (Pledge Replacement) – 2 cups water, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup Castile soap, 10-20 drops essential oils.
- Fabric (couches, pillows, beds, curtains, rugs) Deodorant (febreze Replacement) – 1 cup vinegar, 2 cups water, 20-30 drops essential oils
- Mirror and Glass Cleaner (Windex replacement) – 1/2 cup rubbing alcohol, 1 cup vinegar, 2 cups water.
- Hardwood floor cleaner – 2 cups water, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup Castile soap, 10-20 drops essential oils.
- Fabric Softener – Vinegar
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