Looking for some all natural household cleaners you can DIY? You need not look further when all you need are right in your home. Find out the economical, safe, chemical-free, and surprisingly effective solution to a spotless home!
Natural Household Cleaners For A Safe And Healthy Home
The kind of products I used to clean my home wasn’t an issue back when I was on my own. Commercial products were convenient to use anyway when all you had to do was pick some up at the grocery store and use as directed. Now, with a homestead to care for, I’ve realized my kids and pets were especially vulnerable to the toxic chemicals in commercial products. Luckily, the amazing solution where I don’t have to spend big bucks on was right at home. Here’s why you should go with natural household cleaners and how you can effectively use them!
You Know Commercial Cleaning Products Aren’t Good!
Before we get to our natural household cleaning solutions, let me remind, why you shouldn’t use chemical commercial cleaning products. These are just some of the biggest concerns:
- It poses major health concerns. Ammonia, Chloramine gas, Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), Phthalates, benzene, and formaldehyde are some of the most commonly found harmful chemicals in multi-purpose cleaners. Most of these chemicals cause serious health issues including cancer.
- Environmental concerns. All those harmful chemicals mentioned make their way into the drain and eventually back to the ocean, and to the food we eat.
- They are expensive. Cleaning up sure is a big business. An average family can spend as much as $800 each year, and this was a 2009 study.
You Need To Know Not To Mix These Ingredients For Cleaning
While natural household ingredients are safe to use, it’s Chemistry 101 to take precaution when mixing simple ingredients. Some combinations won’t work well with each other and you’ll end up wasting time and money. Other combinations may even produce dangerous reactions which can cause skin or sinus irritation and destroy household surfaces.
- Don’t mix vinegar and baking soda. Unless you’re making a volcano science project, don’t mix vinegar and soda for household cleaning purposes. Use them apart and you’ve got an effective cleaning solution, but mix them and you’ll have only wasted money.
- Never mix hydrogen peroxide and vinegar. These two apart are very effective home cleaning and disinfectant agents, but mix them and you’ll produce a corrosive compound both harmful to your body and household surfaces.
- Don’t combine Castile soap and vinegar. Castile soap is basic (pretty expensive too), while vinegar is acidic, and mixing them will only revert Castile soap, producing a gunk-like substance. Use them apart and you’ve effective and eco-friendly cleaning solutions.
Now On To Our Natural Household Cleaners
1. The All Around Household Cleaner That Is Baking Soda
We can’t even begin to tell you the many uses for baking soda or sodium bicarbonate, but it’s definitely used for cleaning purposes around the household. It is an effective form of pest control for cockroaches, used in personal hygiene, has antifungal properties, and eliminates stinky odors. Check out this simple scouring solution for an eco-friendly and effective house cleaning.
Ingredients:
- One cup baking soda
- Five drops of peppermint essential oil
- 1⁄4 cup of dried peppermint leaves (optional)
With a fork, mix your essential oil with the baking powder. You can make this into a scouring paste by adding water to thicken it. Remember that you can’t save the leftovers, so just make as much as you’ll be needing in a day. I like putting peppermint leaves from my garden for the pleasant smell and antibacterial properties.
2. Essential Oils For Clean And Scented Home
Essential oils can be expensive and difficult to find, so, it’s high time you learn how to make essentials oils at home especially if you’ve got a garden full of herbs and plants with antibacterial, antifungal, and freshening properties. While essential oils are more commonly used for aromatherapy, you can use essential oils with other green cleaning products to freshen your home naturally. This cleaning solution here is one example:
Ingredients:
- One tsp. washing soda
- One tsp. liquid peppermint castile soap
- Two cups of hot water
- Ten drops of peppermint essential oil
Combine all ingredients and mix them while ensuring to mix in the washing soda well, (it can clump and clog the sprayer) then fill the spray bottle. This cleaner is a terrific solution for kitchen counters. Alternatively, you can use cedarwood essential oil to clean the wood surfaces in your house.
Clean home = clear mind. https://t.co/fuTGQeBlJJ pic.twitter.com/3zaSIrUwSS
— Homesteading (@HomesteadingUSA) June 13, 2016
3. Cleaning With Citrus
Citrus peels have a strong pleasant aroma and antioxidant property. We all know white vinegar is an effective cleaning agent and neutralizes stinky household odors, but the strong smell still puts us off. Follow this simple citrus solution here to enjoy the benefits of an eco-friendly house cleaning.
Ingredients:
- Citrus Peels (majority lemon)
- 1-2 Cups White Vinegar
- Glass jar and spray bottle
Cut peels off citrus fruit and place in jar. Pour vinegar until covered and allow to sit for two weeks. Remove citrus peels and dilute vinegar 1:1 with water, then pour into a spray bottle. You can use this solution as a cleaner for windows, glass, counters, and mopping floors.
4. Castile Soap Cleaning Solution
Castile Soap is a vegetable-based soap made from 100 percent olive oil, water, and lye, without the harsh chemicals from commercial soaps. It is biodegradable and considered eco-friendly. Although the price can somewhat raise some eyebrows, it is reasonably priced for its benefits. Use it properly and wisely for your household cleaning. You can use castile soap to make homemade bath soap or natural body wash.
Ingredients:
- Three Tbsp. Liquid Lavender Castile Soap
- Two cups warm water
- Two tsp. Vegetable glycerin
- Ten drops lavender essential oil
Mix the ingredients in a jar, cover, and shake it well to blend. You can use about 1 Tbsp for dishwashing purposes. This dish liquid is thinner compared to regular dish liquid. Don’t be surprised when it does not make suds. Even without it, it does a better job on greasy dishes and stains on mugs. Not only does the lavender essential oil smell good, it is also antibacterial.
Here are also homemade laundry detergent and homemade liquid laundry detergent using castile soap.
5. Multipurpose Cleaning Vinegar
Here’s an excellent infographic that best describes in details the cleaning power of vinegar:
Check out this video to make this easy homemade detergent soap:
Are you going to give these natural household cleaners a try? Let us know below in the comments!
UP NEXT: 25 Effective Uses of Activated Charcoal
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This post was originally published in August 2016 and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
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