Natural Cleaning Products
Health Benefits

  1. Home
  2. Remedies

Natural Cleaning Recipes

| Modified on Apr 01, 2015
Add New Post Comments

Natural Cleaning Remedies

If you look under your kitchen sink and find some of the most caustic, poisonous, and corrosive cleaning products on the market, don't be too surprised. The media has convinced us that if you need something really clean, you must have that particular product, never mind the environment. The companies that make these products would hate for you to discover that there are cleaning products that are at least as effective as anything they have to offer, don't require pollution-belching factories to produce, and are not only inexpensive; their basic components may already be in your home.

You might be surprised at what household basics can double as effective natural cleaning products. Some may seem obvious, like toothpaste (great for acrylic accessories and chrome plumbing fixtures), and baking soda (garden tools and barbecue grills will sparkle). Other items aren't so intuitive; ketchup, table salt, and even white bread can be used as household cleaners if you know how!

The idea isn't just to get things clean around the house; the idea is to get them clean while being gentle on the environment, leaving as small a footprint as possible, and do it while saving money. Previous generations knew how to make the most of every item they had on hand, and that included making their own natural cleaning products. Keep reading below for more tips and recipes from our contributors.

The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Sort by Default New Loved

Borax

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%
Write a review
Posted by Piper (Toronto, On) on 09/05/2010
 ★★★★★

Add a tbsp to dishwasher and cut amount of soap in half. Best clean ever. Clear glasses. Also seems to eliminate the crud that sticks to dishes. Can also use baking soda. Now I use 1/2 borax and 1/2 baking soda mix.

Mama to Many's Cleaning Recipes

Posted by Mama To Many (Tennessee, Usa) on 12/14/2013

Hi!

Here are some recipes for some cleaning products I make and use in my home. I do not like to use chemical cleaners because I don't think they are good for you and the smells bother me. Using natural ingredients also makes them safe for children to use with you and it isn't dangerous if they ingest them.

Vinegar Cleaner

  • Orange Peels
  • Vinegar (I used white distilled for cleaning)
  • Rosemary (or another) essential oil

When I get oranges, I make cleaner. I fill a jar with the orange peels and cover with vinegar. Soak for 2-6 weeks. Strain out peels. Add a few drops of Rosemary Essential Oil. I use this to clean counters, windows, bathrooms etc. You can dilute it 1:1 with water, if desired.

Scouring Powder

  • 2 cups baking soda
  • 1 cup borax
  • 1 cup salt (the cheapest you can get)
  • Optional : 1/4 cup dried orange peel powder, or any powdered herb you like the smell of.

Mix all ingredients together and use to clean sinks, toilets and bathtubs. It may require a bit more scrubbing than commercial cleaners but is much safer and even cheaper.

Happy Cleaning!

~Mama to Many~

Tub Cleaner

Posted by Mama to Many (Tennessee, US) on 04/01/2015

I hope it is a virtue to be able to get excited about a clean bathtub! With a large family living on a farm, our bathtubs see a lot of use! I really, really want to stick to all natural cleaners. Other types give me a headache and are usually not safe around children. My go-to cleaners are vinegar and baking soda. I use them for nearly everything. But I have not been able to find a satisfying solution for cleaning the tub. In spite of scrubbing and scrubbing with baking soda, the tubs still look stained and dull.

Then I read about Citric Acid for cleaning. I bought a container of it and followed the directions I had seen online. I filled a stained bathtub with cold water. I added 1/2 cup citric acid. I let it sit for 8 hours/overnight. (It actually isn't easy to find an 8 hour time period where no one will want to use the tub! ) I drained the tub and was disappointned to see the stains still there. I didn't have time to do anything about it and left the scene. Later, after a couple of people had showered, I noticed the dirt seemed to be smudged. I put some baking soda in the tub and everything scrubbed out easily! Yay! The tub was spotless and shiny! All day I kept walking in to the bathroom to just see how shiny it was. I don't think this works for all stain types. It doesn't seem to work well in my kitchen sink. I think it is dependent upon the type of water you have, the type of dirt, and the material the tub (or sink) is made of.
Short version:
Fill a bathtub with cold water. Add 1/2 cup citric acid. Wait 8 hours. Drain. Sprinkle tub with baking soda. Scrub out the stains and dirt! Enjoy your clean tub!
P.S. I usually add a drop of two of a pleasant essential oil (Lemon, Eucalyptus, etc.) when I clean with baking soda. This just makes the work smell nice. :)

~Mama to Many~



Please note that we use cookies necessary for the functioning of our website, cookies that optimize the performance. To learn more about our cookies, how we use them and their benefits, please read our Privacy Policy