Drop the chemical cleaners and join us in getting back to our roots.
Are you looking for ways to reduce your impact on the planet? Cleaning with these seemingly regular household items is a sustainable alternative that’s also cost-effective; it’s a win-win-win scenario for you, your home, and mother earth! In this post we are highlighting our 3 favourite natural cleaning solutions and all the ways they can be utilized!
- White Vinegar *Liv’s Pick*
- Baking Soda
- Lemons
White Vinegar
This one is Liv’s Pick!
“I love to clean with vinegar, it feels safe, smells clean, and really does do a good job! My favourite use of White Vinegar is descaling the tea kettle – it’s a 1:2 solution of Vinegar to Water, boil it and let it sit for two hours, once the time is up simply pour out the mixture, rinse well and voila! You have a (basically) brand new kettle! I tend to drink a lot of tea so I do this one weekly.”
Alongside descaling your kettle, you can use Vinegar for the following purposes:
Cleaning a Coffee Maker
- Run a 1:2 (vinegar to water) solution through your coffee maker for a fresh machine.
- We recommend running only water through a second or third time to rinse any traces of vinegar.
Cleaning Washing Machines
- Start by using scrubbing down the interior and around the door.
- Next add two cups of vinegar to the detergent dispenser and start an empty load on hot, let it run through.
- Wipe down the exterior and when the load is done, wipe down the interior – leave the dispenser drawer and door open to air dry.
Surface Cleaner
- Note do NOT use vinegar to clean stone surfaces such as marble, granite, quartz.
- The ratio here depends on the strength you want to make it at, but we recommend starting at 1:2 vinegar to water, then work your way up if the solution is not strong enough for your purpose!
- This is great for surface cleaning, mirrors, showers you name it! For a delicious scent add some drops of your favourite essential oil! (We personally love eucalyptus here at Olivia’s house)
Wiping Appliances
- Your surface cleaner spray or a dab of vinegar on a microfiber cloth can clean appliances and leave no streak! Like magic.
Cleaning Toilets
- Vinegar is a great disinfectant, so this is a no-brainer.
- With this cleaning, you can just pour a cup of vinegar into the bowl, swish it around, and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Then, using your trusty toilet brush, clean as you normally would!
Shower head and Shower Cleaner
- Descale your shower head with a simple sandwich bag, warm water, vinegar and lemon juice solution (1:1 or 1:2 vinegar to water).
- Tie it around your shower head and let it sit for 10 minutes (or as long as you need).
- Rinse and wipe down after.
Baking Soda
Deodorize Fridge
- Place an open box of baking soda (or a small amount on a plate) in the back of your fridge for an easy set-it-and-forget-it deodorizer!
Refresh your Mattress
- Next time you wash your bedding, sprinkle baking soda across your bare mattress and leave it to sit for 10 minutes.
- Vacuum it up and voila – odor-free!
- If you are looking for a deeper clean for urine or sweat – make a solution of 1 cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide (careful with this H2o2), 3 tablespoons of baking soda, and a tiny amount of dish soap! Shake solution and spray, allowing it to dry.
Clean your Sink
- Sprinkle baking soda across your stainless steel sink, let sit for 5 and use the soft side of your sponge to buff the baking soda in.
- Rinse with vinegar and wipe down with a sponge.
- Rinse/wipe well with water and also wipe dry to avoid water spots!
Clean your Produce
- For your next produce haul, try this!
- Fill your sink with cold water, add 3-4 tablespoons baking soda and mix it in.
- Throw your fresh produce in and let it soak for 15 minutes, making sure all surfaces are covered by the solution.
- Take out, rinse and store away! Goodbye pesticides and bacteria!
Freshen Towels
- Throw 1 cup of baking soda and 1 cup of vinegar into the detergent dispenser on your next load and see your towels come back to life!
- This will fight off any musty smells or built-up bacteria, resulting in a softer fresher towel!
Lemons
Descale your Kettle
- Again this one has a simple solution of 1:2 Lemon to Water, boil and let sit for two hours.
- Rinse well and start boiling!
Clean your cutting boards
- Rub a half-cut lemon over your cutting board, lightly juicing it.
- Ground some coarse salt over it and give it another scrub with the lemon, let it sit for 10 to soak in.
- Rinse and let dry!
Clean your Tupperware
- Before throwing away your food-stained Tupperware, try rubbing a half-cut lemon around on the plastic, especially the stained spots.
- Let it sit in the sun for extra cleaning or just rinse and dry.
Clean your Kitchen Copper
- Take a half-cut lemon, sprinkle salt on it and lightly buff it around the tarnished copper on your pan.
- If the salt is too coarse for your pan, do up a solution of lemon water and finely ground salt for a less abrasive effect.
Clean your Microwave
- Grab a microwave-safe bowl, one whole lemon, and 1 cup of water.
- Juice your lemon into a microwave-safe bowl, add 1 cup of water.
- Next, slice each squeezed lemon half into quarters and add to the bowl.
- Microwave the mixture for 3 minutes, it will be boiling and that’s okay. When it’s done, leave the microwave closed to cool for 5 minutes, **be careful when opening, it will be steaming hot**.
- After waiting for the steam to do its work, open it up, take out the bowl, wipe down the interior of your microwave!
Deodorize your Dishwasher
- Even dishwashers need a good cleaning themselves!
- Add 1 cup of lemon juice to the bottom rack of your empty dishwasher, run a rinse cycle.
- When it’s complete, enjoy the fresh smell and peace of mind that your dish washer is clean enough to do its job!
There you have it! Three magic ingredients that double as house cleaning solutions! The best part about sustainable cleaning like this is that it is so affordable. You likely already have these items around your house, waiting to shine in the spotlight – or do the shining I suppose!
Happy Spring Cleaning everyone, don’t forget to give the Earth a little love in any now-moment that you can! She sure needs it!
