Conventional, cheap cleaners tend to be toxic, having to be used with care so they don't end up poisoning you or your kids or your pets…
But considering the residue those cleansers leave behind when you're cleaning—residue that you breathe while cleaning, that you touch when walking barefoot across that mopped floor—can you be sure they're not poisoning you?
Some people are sensitive to the cleaners and know it. Some are surprised to notice symptoms that go away when they switch. Some just want to go natural.
But natural cleaners are expensive…but not if you make your own.
Get started with two ingredients: vinegar and baking soda.
Now, you don't mix them together. Baking soda + vinegar = water and a little sodium acetate, a salt.
Hear that? Despite all the recipes online recommending the addition of baking soda—often for "deodorization" purposes—do not do it. White vinegar can actually be used as a Febreeze alternative—but I'll get to that in a minute.
White vinegar can function as disinfectant, all-purpose cleaner, dish cleanser, fabric softener, and liquid deodorizer. Baking soda is good for scrubbing, dry deodorizer, and stain removal.
They're remarkably easy to use, though you might have some trouble getting past the lack of suds if you try using vinegar for dishes. (See my post on soap nuts for an equally natural and inexpensive alternative.)
So here's the shopping list for getting started with natural cleaners:
- white distilled vinegar or apple cider vinegar (The cheap large jug from the warehouse type stores is perfect.)
- baking soda (Again, the cheap large version works, but some people prefer paying more to make sure what they get is aluminum-free.)
- empty spray bottle (A new one is best; reusing an old one and end up with some bad chemical reactions, from the old-soap residue interacting with the vinegar.)
- some form of cleaning rag, sponge, etc (I recommend a rag rather than a sponge—sponges are naturally unsanitary.)
- water (If your water's hard—lots of minerals—you might want to filter it.)
That is all you need to get started.
Now, you may be thinking…
But I hate the smell of vinegar!
No problem. Vinegar dries odorless—but if you can't even handle the scent in the meantime, you can add flavorings or essential oils. For example, you can wash some orange or lemon peels and stick them in your vinegar. (Lime peels don't work as well—not as much oil in the peel.) You'll have to let the vinegar sit a few weeks before use, for maximum effect—but that's only if you put in the flavorings. Essential oils can be used immediately.
Some additives can even add to the properties of the vinegar or affect how it should be used. For example, if you add lemon to your vinegar, you may want to test it on a spot of the dark wood you want to clean, in case it might bleach it. But tea tree oil, Greek oregano, or lemon essential oil are all potent additives to increase the power of your cleaner. I like using cinnamon leaf essential oil, myself.
My preferred vendor for essential oils, for selection and price, is Mountain Rose Herbs*. SF Herb Company has a smaller selection but better prices per ounce on some essential oils. If you're okay with non-organic or synthetic ones, Ingredients to Die For can also be a good store, though their website's hard to navigate.
A Word of Warning:
Essential oils should be used with care and should always be diluted in a carrier. If you're likely to spill them on yourself or have sensitive skin, wear gloves while using them. Exposure to the undiluted essential oil can trigger a sensitivity.
Also be alert for signs that you react to a particular oil or item. It is possible to have a reaction to anything. If something seems to bother your skin, find an alternative.
Tea tree oil actually burns my skin, and castor oil does that to my mother. I have known people allergic even to vanilla, thyme, basil, nutmeg, and cassia (the "cinnamon" in your cabinet).
How to Use Vinegar for Cleaning
Needed:
- distilled white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- spray bottle to hold the solution OR bucket, if you're mopping
- any additives you want
- cleaning implement (rag, mop, etc.)
- patience
Put the vinegar in the cleaned container.
Add any scent or cleanser items you want. (Essential oils can be used immediately; other items need to sit for a few weeks, so that might have to be prepared in another container in advance.)
Use the vinegar as if it's your favorite cleaner—dishes, mopping, all-purpose cleaner, whatever. Dillute it if you would dilute your soap; don't if you wouldn't.
If you're having mildew problems: Dry the area, then spray with the pure vinegar or vinegar + additives. Let it dry completely. Wash the surface again. Repeat as necessary until the mildew gone. (The acidic vinegar should even reduce mildew growth in the future.)
Note: Some people use vinegar for stains. I don't recommend it. Vinegar actually sets several types of natural dyes, like turmeric.
So what do you do for stains, or for those things that need a good scrub?
How to Use Baking Soda for Cleaning
Needed:
- distilled white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- baking soda
- water
- cleaning implement (rag, mop, etc.)
- patience
Simply put baking soda on what you're cleaning, moisten it to a paste, and scrub.
For stubborn stains: Make the paste on the stain, with as little water as possible, and let it dry completely. Then wipe it up, using the dried (and probably colored) baking soda to scrub a bit. Repeat as necessary until the stain's gone—and take heart if the stain changes color. That means it's closer to coming up. Turmeric stains, for example, turn pinkish when they're soon to come out.)
See how easy it is? If you haven't already tried making at-home cleaners, go get started!
Have you ever done at-home cleaners? Do you have a preferred scent or recipe that works best for you?
*All links marked with an asterisk are affiliate links. I only become an affiliate for vendors or products that I recommend from personal experience. What happens is I find myself recommending to people, then realize there's an affiliate program, so I figure I might as well join up.
Do you have a story of unexpected herb effect? An opinion on my experiences or recipe? A question on herbs as medicine? Something you want to hear about making? Ask! I'm not the only person I know who does this kitchen remedy stuff, so if I don't know or make that item, someone else I knows probably does.
—M
