7 of the BEST All Natural Cleaning Products
Discover the seven natural cleaning products that will detox your cleaning routine.
Feature Image by cottonbro studio
Our move this summer threw me off of my regular routine. If you’ve moved house before you definitely know what I’m talking about. First there’s packing up all of your belongings and memories from your old house. But, that doesn’t mean all of the emotions get packed up too.
And, with little kids, even though they may put on a brave face (like our girls did), there’s always lingering feelings and uncertainty about what’s to come when you pick up and move away from everything that you know. For us, it meant a big move out of state. But, I still think the same holds true if you’re moving to a new neighborhood or just around the block.
Regardless, when you’re just trying to hold everything and everyone together some elements of life lose their priority. And, for me one of those elements has been my green cleaning routine. Since our move, I threw my green cleaning recipes aside, and opted for convenience instead. Sometimes when we move away from home we can look for little reminders of home in the strangest places.
But, now that we have a routine/rhythm in place, I am ready to re-familiarize myself with these seven natural cleaning ingredients, and share some of the recipes with you. Let me know if you’ve tried any of these ingredients/recipes and how they worked for you. Or, if you have another recipe/ingredient that I haven’t tried yet.
Baking Soda
This all natural ingredient is kind of like the jack of all trades now isn’t it? Not only can you use baking soda for cleaning, you can use it in your garden, wellness routine, and baking recipes as well. Chances are you have it in your pantry right now.
And, it’s true baking soda can be used hundreds of ways because it is fantastic at removing stains, cleansing surfaces, and removing odors. So, if you’re thinking of getting more acquainted with this all natural ingredient, here are some of my most favorite uses/recipes for baking soda:
Another, simple recipe is to use about a half cup of baking soda (with cedarwood essential oil) to freshen up your mattress on laundry day. Or, if your carpets are in need of a deodorizing just combine around 2 cups of baking soda, with 10-15 drops of your favorite essential oil. Cypress would be perfect for this task. Sprinkle on top of carpets, let sit for at least 30 minutes, then vacuum right up. Store in an airtight container for future use.
Bonus Recipes: Epsom Salt Bath and Sourdough Pancakes
CITRIC ACID
Whether its crafting up your own toilet pods, bath bombs, or dishwasher tabs, you’ll need to have citric acid on hand. This ingredient is great for removing soap scum, rust, and hard water stains. Here is a diy recipe for all natural dishwasher tabs:
1 cup baking soda
1/2 cup citric acid
1 tbsp castile soap/OnGuard Cleaner Concentrate
5 drops Lemon essential oil (optional)
Put all ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Place mixture into silicone molds and let sit for at least four hours. Use in place of store bought tabs. Store in an airtight container for future use. Pssst…the dry ingredients would make a great scouring powder if you are looking for something a bit more abrasive.
DISTILLED WHITE VINEGAR
When my mom switched over to cleaning the ceramic tiles in our kitchen with white vinegar and warm water, I was seriously skeptical. I could smell the aroma of the vinegar all the way upstairs in my bedroom. I mean, didn’t she know that’s not how a clean house was supposed to smell? Flash forward # of years (no, I’m not telling you how many), and white vinegar has a home in our pantry too.
Though I use it sparingly, this all natural cleaning ingredient is great at cutting grease, making it a frequent flier in most surface sprays – wood, glass, stainless steel – this cleaning solution has purifying properties that make it useful in most rooms of your home. But, since I’m sure the most common surface we all have in our homes is glass, I’ll share that recipe with you here – 1 part distilled white vinegar to 1 part water – use an old newspaper, or cotton towel to remove streaks from your glass surface. Easy Peasy!
HYDROGEN PEROXIDE
Aside from working wonders in your first aid kit, did you know that this all natural ingredient can be used to keep your cutting boards bacteria free? How cool is that?
You can also mix peroxide, and baking soda into a paste to clean any pesky stains in your tile grout. Just let the mixture sit for at least 10 minutes before wiping away with a damp cloth.
This ingredient can also be used as an all natural disinfectant – sanitize door knobs, handles, and any other high traffic surfaces. That’s usually what I do at the first sign of a cold here at home. Right after delivering medicine, and a little TLC of course!
CORNSTARCH
Admittedly, this is one all natural ingredient on the list I have not yet tried. But, I currently have cornstarch taking up some space in my cabinet (right behind the baking soda) so, it’s time to give it a try! And, here’s why, it’s great at removing stains, cutting grease, and absorbing oil.
So, if you’re a person who likes to have back ups for your back ups, keep some cornstarch on hand. Think of it as an alternative to baking soda.
CASTILE SOAP
This is one of my all time favorite all natural ingredients. Here at home we use castile soap in our personal hygiene routine daily – for body wash, and hand soap. We also use castile soap to clean our dishes. This plant based cleanser is perfect for removing grime and dirt. The best part is, because a little goes a long way with castile soap, your bottle is likely to last longer than you might think. And, it’s featured in a few of the diys I mentioned right here today. But, here’s a recipe for you to try if you’re looking for a more economical, and natural dish soap – In a 16 oz bottle, add ½ cup castile soap, and top the rest with water. Give it a shake, and you’re good to start washing those dishes! If you’re looking to enhance your diy, consider adding some citrus essential oils to the mixture. Not only are they powerful antibacterial agents but the citrus aroma has the power to uplift your mood too.
ESSENTIAL OILS
It’s no secret that I love essential oils. I use oils daily aromatically, topically and internally so, it’s only a natural extension for me to use them in my cleaning routine. They are potent and powerful making them a great alternative to those harsh chemicals, and they are versatile.
In fact, oils are featured on many of the diys I’ve shared here. With many uses it’s hard not to find a way to tailor essential oils to all of your needs. If you’re curious about integrating essential oils into your routine, don’t hesitate to reach out. Or, you can read more about them here.
