Elevate the Clean of Your Home With Natural Cleaners (+ 4 Recipes) (2024)

In the following excerpt from her book, “Natural Cleaning: DIY Solutions for the Kitchen, Bedroom, Bathroom, Office, and More,” Pam Farley provides an insightful introduction to natural cleaning methods to keep your home in tip-top shape.

Why Make the Switch to Natural Cleaning?

Switching to natural cleaning methods just makes sense. There are tons of benefits and no downsides!

Safety Is Number 1

Common household cleaners are not kid-friendly or pet friendly. Store-bought cleaners like bleach, ammonia, drain cleaners, toilet cleaners, and more are the cause of thousands of household emergencies each year.

These are strong chemicals that can cause irritation, burns, and poisoning. Your home is simply safer without them.

Basic Natural Cleaning Ingredients

So, what ingredients do you need to get started? Here’s what you’ll find most useful:

For scouring and deodorizing, you can’t beat baking soda. You can get a jumbo-sized box for just a few dollars. Baking soda is alkaline, so it makes soap more effective.

Baking soda plus castile soap is the winning combo for scrubbing away dirt and grime.

White Vinegar

A gallon of white vinegar is inexpensive, will last for ages, and is useful in many areas of the home. It cuts through tough buildup from hard water and soap scum because it’s acidic.

If you don’t like the smell of vinegar, make infused vinegar with citrus peels.

To make infused vinegar, peel the rind (not the white pith) from your favorite citrus fruits. You can use a single type, or a combination. I like to use grapefruit vinegar in the bathroom, and lemon-orange vinegar in the kitchen.

Place the peels in a clean glass jar and pour white vinegar over the top to fill the jar. Put a lid on the jar and let it steep for about a week.

Strain off the peels and use them to freshen your garbage disposal. Then label the jar and use your citrus vinegar in any cleaning recipe that calls for white vinegar.

Note: Because vinegar is acidic, don’t use it on porous surfaces like granite, marble, or natural stone.

Castile Soap

Castile soap is highly effective for breaking down dirt, grime, and grease. It’s safe for kids and pets, too. It’s made from natural vegetable oils and lye (as opposed to other soaps traditionally made with animal fat, like tallow).

The name comes from the Castile region in Spain, which is famous for its olive oil soaps. Today, castile soap is made from olive oil and a variety of other oils.

You can get castile soap in a bar or liquid form, and I use both types. I like bar soap for handwashing and showers and use unscented liquid castile soap for most DIY recipes.

Distilled or Purified Water

It’s important to use distilled water or water that’s been purified in a Berkey Filter for these recipes.

Tap water (and well water) contains microorganisms, bacteria, viruses, pharmaceuticals, lead, chemicals, and more.

You can look up your water quality using the Environmental Working Group’s Tap Water Database (ewg.org/tapwater). Be warned, though—you might not like what you read.

Yes, there are federal requirements for water quality. However, as we’ve seen from the conditions in Flint, Michigan, these are not always maintained.

Purified water is a step above filtered water. Filters remove most bacteria, lead, and chemicals. They also remove the chlorine that’s used to treat tap water, as well as any particulates that cause water to have taste or odor.

Berkey water purifiers do all of these things plus remove at least 99.9999 percent of pathogenic bacteria and reduce viruses by 99.99 percent. Impressive, yes?

Artificial fragrances are one of the main reasons I avoid store-bought cleaners. Instead, I use essential oils to add scents to my cleaning recipes.

Essential oils are extracted from plant parts (roots, stems, leaves, and flowers) and are carefully curated to preserve the potent properties of the oil. When you use essential oils for cleaning, you are relying on the natural chemical components found in the oil to provide cleansing and purifying power.

When used carefully, essential oils can be an important part of your natural cleaning routine. They are very concentrated, so you only need a few drops. When buying essential oils, look for quality brands that don’t include fillers or artificial ingredients.

Each essential oil recommended in this book has a unique set of chemical compounds that give the oil specific cleaning benefits. Citrus essential oils like lemon and orange help bust through grease, grime, and sticky messes. Tea tree, thyme, and rosemary purify while eliminating odors.

Essential oils also add aromatherapy benefits, which means you can reduce stress while you clean. (Who would have thought?)

Rubbing Alcohol

For glass, granite, and any other surface that needs to shine, you just need a little rubbing alcohol. Alcohol gives things that “squeaky clean” we all know and love without the toxic fumes of ammonia and other harsh cleaners. It’s also safe for porous surfaces like granite and marble.

All-Purpose Cleaner

No need to try 409 different cleaner recipes—this one is fantastic!

This all-purpose cleaner cuts grease and is great for cleaning just about every kitchen surface. Don’t use it on marble or granite, though, because the vinegar is acidic and can damage the stone.

Ingredients

• ½ cup white vinegar or citrus vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds
• 15 drops tea tree essential oil
• 1½ cups distilled or purified water

Supplies

• 16-ounce spray bottle

Instructions

1. Add all your ingredients to your spray bottle in the order listed.
2. Label the bottle, shake gently to mix, and start cleaning.

Note:

This recipe calls for Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds instead of castile soap. There’s an important reason for this. Many DIY cleaner recipes mix vinegar and castile soap, but this is not a good idea. Here’s why, according to the good folks at Dr. Bronner’s: the vinegar will cause the castile soap to “unsaponify” and you’ll have curds in your cleaner. Ick.

Granite Cleaner

Because granite is a porous stone, it’s important not to use acidic cleaners containing vinegar. Those cleaners can strip the sealant, making your granite countertop more likely to be stained. This easy recipe cleans while keeping the sealant intact.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup rubbing alcohol
• 5 drops unscented liquid castile soap
• Distilled or purified water

Supplies

• 16-ounce spray bottle

Instructions

1. Pour the rubbing alcohol and castile soap into the spray bottle, then add water to fill.
2. Shake gently to combine and label the bottle.

To Use

Spray on your counters and use a clean microfiber cloth to wipe.

Stainless Steel Cleaner

Stainless steel appliances are sleek and modern, but oh boy do they show fingerprints and smudges. There’s no need to buy expensive stainless steel cleaner when you can make your own for less.

Ingredients

• 1 cup white vinegar or citrus vinegar
• ½ cup distilled or purified water
• 10 drops lemon or orange essential oil, optional

Supplies

• 16-ounce spray bottle

Instructions

1. First check your owner’s manual to make sure your appliance does not have an oil-repellent coating, because the vinegar will remove this coating.
2. Put the vinegar, water, and essential oil (if using) in the spray bottle. Swirl to combine and label the bottle.

To Use

When cleaning, look at the direction of the grain on the appliance. The lines will either be horizontal or vertical.

Spray the cleaner and wipe the same way as the grain. Don’t scrub crossways, or you’ll damage the finish. Wipe all excess cleaner away and don’t let it run down the surface of the appliance.

The blue glass cleaner we all grew up with is full of chemicals that don’t belong in our homes—things like 2-Hexoxyethanol, isopropanolamine, sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate, lauramine oxide, and lots more.

These chemicals are so nasty that the Environmental Working Group gave this glass cleaner a health grade of “D.”These ingredients have the potential to cause acute aquatic toxicity, negative respiratory effects, and negative nervous system effects.

This natural glass cleaner can be used on windows, mirrors, glass, and faucets. It only costs pennies to make and doesn’t contain ammonia like some other DIY recipes.

Ingredients

• 1 cup rubbing alcohol
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar or citrus vinegar
• Distilled or purified water

Supplies

• 16-ounce spray bottle

Instructions

1. Pour the rubbing alcohol and vinegar into the spray bottle and fill with water.
2. Label the bottle, shake gently, and start spraying!

To Use

When cleaning windows, mirrors, shower doors, and other glass surfaces, always wipe from top to bottom. This prevents drips and streaks. Spray thoroughly and wipe dry with a clean microfiber cloth.

Living Room Cleaning Tips

• Fasten a sock to the handle of your broom and swish it under the couch or TV table. The sock will attract dust and pet hair, so you don’t have to move the furniture every time you clean.

• Use the rubber side of a window squeegee to remove pet hair from couches or upholstered chairs. Just pull the squeegee along the fabric and the pet hair will gather into a little roll that you can throw away.

• Clean your TV remote by putting a drop of hand sanitizer on a paper towel and carefully wiping the remote.

• Stop dirt from getting in by placing a floor mat outside your front door and another one inside the front door. This is especially important during rainy weather, when shoes are extra gross and muddy.

• If you have curtains, either vacuum them with the brush attachment or take them down and wash them in the washing machine (check to ensure the fabric can be washed first).

• Knock down cobwebs from your ceiling with a high-nap paint roller on an extension handle.

Kill Germs Without Bleach

It’s important to get rid of germs, but I don’t like to use bleach—especially because it’s been implicated in cases of asthma.But how do you clean thoroughly without it?

Believe it or not, a couple of common household items are amazing at fighting germs without harming you, your kids, or your pets. We use this combo in the bathroom, kitchen, and on doorknobs and light switches.

This combination was identified by a scientist at Virginia Tech. She deliberately contaminated fruits and vegetables with salmonella, shigella, and E. coli, then rinsed them with vinegar and/or hydrogen peroxide. Though the hydrogen peroxide performed well on its own, the two sprays applied in order were even more effective.

Ingredients

• White vinegar
• Hydrogen peroxide

Supplies

• 2 16-ounce opaque spray bottles

Instructions

1. Fill one spray bottle with white vinegar and label the bottle.
2. Fill the second spray bottle with hydrogen peroxide and label the bottle.

To Use

Spray the vinegar on the surface you want to disinfect. Let it sit for a few minutes, and don’t wipe it off. Spray the hydrogen peroxide on the surface. Let it dry and again, don’t wipe it off.

Notes

Don’t use this combo on granite, marble, or natural stone. Vinegar is acidic and can damage the stone. Keep the vinegar and hydrogen peroxide in separate containers. When combined, they form peracetic acid, which will irritate your eyes and lungs—exactly what we’re trying to avoid.

Front-Load Washer

Ingredients

• 2 cups white vinegar or citrus vinegar
• ⅓ cup baking soda
• Hydrogen peroxide

Supplies

• 16-ounce spray bottle
• Microfiber cleaning cloth
• Old toothbrush

Instructions

1. Spray vinegar on the gasket at the front of the machine. Be sure any folds or nooks and crannies are thoroughly sprayed.
2. Sprinkle some baking soda on your cleaning cloth and scrub all surfaces of the gasket carefully. You may want to use an old toothbrush to scrub any tight spots.
3. If you see mold on the gasket, spray hydrogen peroxide on it after you’re done scrubbing.
4. Wipe down the top and front of the washer, the knobs, and any other areas with All-Purpose Cleaneror vinegar. Remove and clean the detergent drawer, too.
5. Finally, pour 2 cups of white vinegar into the detergent dispenser and ⅓ cup baking soda into the drum of the machine. Then run the cleaning cycle.

Top-Load Washer

Ingredients

• White vinegar
• Baking soda

Supplies

• 16-ounce spray bottle
• Microfiber cleaning cloth
• Old toothbrush

Instructions

1. Set your washer to run a large load with hot water. Don’t add clothes or laundry detergent. As it’s filling with water, add 4 cups of white vinegar.
2. When the washer starts to agitate, add 1 cup of baking soda. Allow it to run for a few seconds to mix the baking soda in (it will bubble and fizz).
3. Turn off the washer and let it sit for at least 30 minutes.
4. Wipe down the top and front of the washer, the knobs, and any other areas with All-Purpose Cleaner or vinegar.
5. Turn the washer back on and let it run through the rest of the cycle. For added cleaning, run another cycle with hot water only (no clothes, detergent, vinegar, or baking soda).

Pam Farley lives her motto of “make it, don’t buy it” every day as the founder of BrownThumbMama.com, a website dedicated to healthy living, natural eating, and attempted gardening. A former corporate writer, she ditched the cubicle in 2015. Now she spends her time working from home with her family, cooking from scratch, growing vegetables in her front yard, teaching about essential oils, and avoiding housework. She is also the author of “Complete Essential Oil Diffuser Recipes.” She lives in Sacramento, California.