9 Chemical-Free Spring Cleaning Hacks + Recipes

It's time to opt for chemical-free DIY cleaning recipes for this year's spring cleaning. Nix those noxious and harmful store-bought cleaners for good!

RELATED: Energy Saving Tips For Spring Cleaning

In this article:

1. Bathroom
2. Kitchen
3. Living Room

9 All-Around Chemical-Free Cleaning Recipes

Bathroom

1. Bathtubs and Shower Tiles

Regular soap and water won't be enough to get rid of the stains on your tub and shower tiles. Even if you spend the better part of your day scrubbing, you won't see much progress unless you use the right cleaners.

So instead, try using vinegar and baking soda as your main cleaning agents.

The acidic compounds of vinegar can dissolve all kinds of dirt, grime, and brine buildup, no matter how tough the stains are. Meanwhile, baking soda has mild alkali properties that can soften dirt and make it easier to remove them.

Instructions:

1. Spray a generous amount of pure vinegar on the surface of your tub and tiles.
2. Let the vinegar sit for 30 minutes.
3. Afterward, scrub off with a clean sponge and some warm water mixed with baking soda.

2. Toilets

For most homeowners, cleaning the toilet means using an absurd amount of muriatic acid. This might get the job done, but it will also leave your bathroom filled with toxic chemicals.

You wouldn't want your family using a toxic bathroom, would you? So instead, choose to clean your toilets with a homemade, chemical-free cleanser.

Instructions:

1. Pour 10 drops of tea tree essential oil and 1/2 cup of natural detergent and baking soda into your toilet.
2. Then, carefully add 1/4 cup of vinegar to your toilet bowl.
3. While the mixture foams up, scrub the insides of the bowl with a clean toilet brush and sponge.
4. Keep scrubbing until there're no longer any stains or dirt buildup inside the bowl.
5. For added freshness, you can opt to throw in five more drops of tea tree essential oil.

3. Overall Indoor Air

After all the cleaning is done, your bathroom might reek of vinegar since it served as the main cleaning ingredient. When deodorizing your bathroom, it's best to skip the chemical-infused commercial air fresheners and use a homemade alternative.

All you'll need is an old jar, your favorite essential oils, and some baking soda. We suggest using strong-smelling oils such as rose, lavender, lemon, tea tree, and ylang-ylang.

Instructions:

1. Take out the inner part of the lid and trace it on cardstock.
2. Poke some holes in your cardstock. Make sure you poke a lot of them so the essential oils can seep through them.
3. Throw away the inner part of the lid and replace it with your cut-out cardstock. Set aside.
4. Fill 1/4 of the mason jar with baking soda then pour in about 10 drops of essential oils. Feel free to add more if you want your air freshener to smell stronger.
5. Screw the lid back on and then place the jar in a discreet, yet open part of your bathroom.

Kitchen

4. Oven

It's understandable why many people hate cleaning the oven. The entire surface is very hard to scrub since it's covered in grease, oil, and traces of food.

However, you need to clean your oven regularly to get rid of any harmful bacteria. Otherwise, your food might get contaminated and you'll be at risk of getting sick.

Luckily, you can make the process easier by using a powerful chemical-free degreaser: You guessed it — vinegar!

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 125°F.
2. Once the oven hits 125°, pour baking soda on the stained areas.
3. Turn the oven off and let it cool before scrubbing the insides with vinegar and a damp rag.

5. Sink Drain

You don't always need a plumber to help clean out your pipeline. If it's a simple task of de-clogging a mildly backed-up drain, then a bit of lemon juice and baking soda should do the trick.

Instructions:

1. Boil a gallon of water.
2. Meanwhile, mix lemon juice and baking soda in a closed jar.
3. Then, pour two cups of piping-hot boiling water down the drain along with the lemon juice and baking soda mixture.
4. Plug the drain then let the mixture sit for one hour.
5. Lastly, pour the rest of the boiling water down the drain.

RELATED: Cleaning With Lemon, Vinegar And Baking Soda | Natural Household Cleaners

6. Garbage Disposal

Cleaning out the garbage disposal is something homeowners should do at least once a week. Otherwise, the leftover food and debris buildup will emit a foul odor.

Instructions:

1. Pour vinegar in an ice cube tray and then freeze.
2. Throw the vinegar cubes down the garbage disposal and then turn it on.
3. This will get rid of any debris stuck inside the unit.

7.  Refrigerator

The refrigerator is perhaps one of the hardest appliances to clean in your kitchen. It's arguably more time-consuming to scrub down than your oven and countertop combined.

Rather than using the usual soap and water, you can finish the job a lot quicker if you used active, chemical-free cleaners such as vinegar, lemon essential oil, salt, and baking soda.

Instructions:

1. Place the vinegar and lemon essential in a spray bottle and mix the baking soda in a bucket of warm water.
2. Then, remove all the shelves and drawers and set them aside.
3. Submerge a clean rag soaked in the baking soda and warm water mixture then sprinkle a bit of salt on it. Use it to scrub the insides of your refrigerator. You don't have to get rid of all the stains right away.
4. Spray with a generous amount of vinegar-lemon oil mix, let it sit.
5. Meanwhile, you can move on to the shelves and drawers.
6. Repeat steps 3 and 4 then return to cleaning the insides of the refrigerator.
7. Scrub every single nook and cranny of the refrigerator dry using your rag and bucket of baking soda and water.

Living Room

8. Mirror and Glass Items

Having trouble getting rid of hand marks, stains, and watermarks on glass surfaces? Then try out this chemical-free glass cleaner!

It primarily consists of lemon juice and vinegar, both of which have powerful acidic compounds that can melt and soften all kinds of grease. Plus, they're all-natural so they won't damage your glass in any way.

Instructions:

1. Mix one part vinegar and one part lemon juice with four parts water.
2. Submerge a clean sponge or rag in the mixture and then use it to scrub your glass items and mirrors.

9. Wooden Furniture

Cleaning wooden furniture is a bit tricky. Exposing it to too much liquid may put it at risk of water damage, cracking, or mold buildup. On the other hand, using a powerful chemical to clean it may damage the paint and varnish.

That's why you need to use an all-natural, chemical-free cleaning agent that can get rid of tough stains and dirt without scratching the paint.

Instructions:

1. Mix one tablespoon of pure vinegar, two tablespoons of olive oil, and 1 liter of warm water in a clean spray bottle.
2. Spray the mixture onto the wooden surface while simultaneously wiping it down with a clean, dry rag.

Note: Olive oil leaves a slippery residue, so don't use this recipe to clean your wooden floors.

To make the most out of your spring cleaning, try to maintain orderliness and cleanliness all year round through regular swabbing. That way, your family can enjoy a truly clean and safe living environment.

Here are three chemical-free cleaning hacks to leave your home sparkling from The List Show TV:

Feel free to explore other green cleaning tips that would help you clean your home more efficiently. Just make sure you always use cleaning products without chemicals!

What chemical-free cleaners do you use to clean your home? Share your recipes with us in the comments section below!

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