Natural Cleaning Hacks: 10 Household Cleaner Recipes using only 4 affordable Ingredients

I do my fair share of cleaning everyday and I despise using conventional cleaning products. They’re toxic, they smell so strong  that they give me headaches, and I just can’t wrap my head around “cleaning” something with another thing that isn’t actually “clean” in itself. I grew up with a Ukrainian Mother & Grandmother who each taught me everything about using the earth in food, cleaning and hygiene. Thanks to their influence, I have always used very basic ingredients to clean my home so I’m letting you in on some of my best natural cleaning hacks for the household (I do have to give credit to my Mother for passing down most of them, where would we be without our Mothers right?). Best part? You only need 4 very affordable ingredients to make every single one of these recipes/hacks. This regime will help keep your house squeaky clean, keep you on budget since you can ditch the expensive cleaners, and keep your house “chemical free”.

* this post contains some affiliate links which means that any sae generated form these links will generate a small commission (at no extra cost to you). I only recommend products that I love and this commission helps to cover the fees associated with keeping Bloom and Clementine running. As always, I am so grateful to all of you who read, follow, and support my little green space on the internet. *

 

The 4 Natural Ingredients you need to clean your entire house:

(1) Baking Soda

(2) Vinegar

(3) Lemons

(4) Castile Soap

Add on: Some recipes call for an extra ingredient, for specific cleaning needs:

(5) Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide

 

Erase Hardware Spots with Lemon

Cut a lemon in half and rub the lemon on your bathroom and kitchens hardware (i.e. faucets, shower head, taps, etc.). After you rub the lemon all over, wipe the juice off with a cloth and your hardware will be sparkly clean and won’t spot as easily or quickly.

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Beat Bath Tub Grime with Baking Soda + Vinegar

Have plain white vinegar in a spray bottle on hand at all times. Spray your bath tub or sink lightly with the vinegar, sprinkle baking soda all over so it sticks to the vinegar and spray more vinegar to activate the cleaner. Allow this mixture to fizz and work at the grime, then use a cloth to wipe the grime off with ease.

I purchase my cleaning goods from The Green Life and stock up with this 4 pack of baking soda at home. 
Bob’s Red Mill Baking Soda – 16 Oz – Case Of 4
from: The Green Life

Maintain your Drains with Baking Soda + Vinegar

Use a funnel to drop baking soda into your kitchen drain, pour vinegar after and allow the mixture to activate and eat at the build up in your drain. After about 10 minutes you can turn the taps on to wash down the mixture. This will help keep drains less backed up and hopefully lead to less clogs..

As you can see, these recipes call for vinegar the most. I always buy organic distilled white vinegar by the case as its economical and I dont have to continually pay shipping fees overtime I go through a bottle (which is a lot.. vinegar is my staple). So I purchase this brand from The Green Life. You can use this for recipes like salad dressings as well.

Spectrum Naturals Organic Distilled White Vinegar – Case Of 12 – 32 Fl Oz.
from: The Green Life

 

Lemon + Water to wash your Microwave

Squeeze lemon juice in a small plastic bowl of water and turn the microwave on high for two minutes. Once heated, the mixture will have evaporated into the walls of the microwave so you can take a cloth and easily wipe any food particles and stains right off.

 

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Vinegar + Ziploc Bag to De-Grime your Shower Head

Put vinegar in a ziplock bag big enough to fit over your shower head. Place the shower head inside the bag and use an elastic band to secure the bag around the head for ten minutes. After the ten minutes is up, take the bag off and wipe away the built up grime and hard water stains.

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Vinegar Spray to Clean Surfaces

I always keep a non-diluted bottle of vinegar around (use an old cleaning bottle with a spray nozzle and label it vinegar). I use this on all surfaces to clean and disinfect. To get a deep disinfectant add tea tree oil to the bottle.

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Hot Water + Vinegar to Wash floors

You can keep floor cleaning simple by only using one common household ingredient to keep them shining and dirt free. Vinegar really is the queen of clean and it can be used by itself in water to keep your floors guest ready.

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1 Ingredient Laundry Detergent

If you’re in a pinch and have no detergent on hand, I tend to reach for baking soda. You only need a few tablespoons to get the job done. While I still purchase a Natural laundry detergent from the store to wash our clothing and linens, this hack is a great alternative if I need it. You can add a drop or two of your favourite essential oil if you want a little scent added in.

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Midnight Accident Solution

This one is for the Mamas of newly potty trained little ones or anyone who has a pet who sometimes misses the mark. If you have an accident then use your spray bottle of vinegar and spray the urine spot, then generously sprinkle baking soda over the spot (baking soda will deodorize and soak up dampness) and leave for the day. For mattresses or carpets simply vacuum up the baking soda and let air dry. Linens can be tossed in the wash as usual.

 

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2 Natural Options for Produce Cleanser

(a) Cleaning your fruits and vegetables after purchasing is imperative. Even if you buy all organic, there is likely debris and dirt from the ground, germs from human handling, etc. that you’ll need to wash away. I have used some sprays and liked them but if I have the time to do a complete soak of all produce at once then I use only one ingredient. Fill your sink with warm water and vinegar then have the fruits and vegetables soak in the mixture for 30 minutes. Take the produce out and dry them with a cloth and voila! You have clean food for eating. Vinegar also lengthens the shelf life of your produce which helps save money and wasted foods.

(b) Alternatively, you can use a food grade hydrogen peroxide to clean dirt and pesticides off of produce. I find this to be a stronger option between the two but I use what I have on hand. it is important to make sure that if you’re going to use this option, that you find Hydrogen peroxide that is food grade like this one below. I find this at The Green Life (where I purchase all my natural cleaning supplies in one big order to have them handy in my cupboard). I purchase this refill size as it is much more economical and I either put it into a spray bottle I have at home, or use directly from the bottle. You can also find a spray version on the site at normal size which you can then buy this refill for after.

Essential Oxygen Hydrogen Peroxide – Food Grade – 32 Oz
from: The Green Life

 

The World’s Best Laundry Stain Remover

This is one that I’ve heard many women using and theres a very good reason.. it works! I have no idea where this mixture comes from but I heard about it through the motherhood grapevine. It is hands down the BEST stain remover recipe I have ever used. HOWEVER.. The original recipe calls for original blue dawn dish soap so I’ve found a natural and cruelty free alternative to this ingredient that I find works BETTER.. Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap (You can read my blog post listing all the ways I use this magical soap HERE <– 29 different ways to be exact, this is something everyone needs on their shelf in my opinion). 

Simply add equal parts baking soda and Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap Concentrate (pictured below), Mix this into a paste. Wet the stain with cold water (must be cold) and rub this paste onto the stain, wait for 30-60 minutes and then wash clothing as you normally would. For deep stains, don’t put clothing in the dryer, rather air dry, and repeat this until the stain comes loose. If you are removing stains on white fabric you may add some hydrogen peroxide to the mixture.

Click the image to direct to Dr. Bronner’s site where you can find this soap and a cheat sheet for more cleaning recipes.

 

These hacks are sure to keep your cleaning routine easy, affordable and effective. I have been using them for years without the need to ever look for a better alternative. I hope they work just as well for all of you! please feel free to ask any questions in the comments below and subscribe to my blog to get all my latest posts sent directly to you.

 

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