Common, Everyday, Chemical-free Cleaning Solutions

While clean eating is all the rage these days, your diet isn’t the only thing that can benefit from going green. In fact, cleaning up your chore routine with more eco-friendly cleaning products can be good for your health as well as your bank account. Keep reading to find out about some inexpensive, safe cleaning products that may even be lying around your house already.

White Vinegar

Vinegar is the ultimate multipurpose home cleaner. While it has a strong smell, it won’t linger; as soon as vinegar dries, its scent dissipates. For most cleaning jobs, dilute the vinegar with water—equal parts of each for difficult cleaning jobs or two parts water to one part vinegar for when you need something less harsh. It will work on nearly any surface—windows, bathroom tile, countertops, flooring—but wood and marble are exceptions. Vinegar is especially great for cleaning drains, pipes, and showerheads, and pure vinegar can be sprayed on mild mold outbreaks to eliminate the issue and help prevent future growth. As weird as it may sound, white vinegar can also be used in place of fabric softener, which can be especially helpful for those with sensitive skin.

Lemons

Because their scent is often associated with freshness and cleaning products, it makes sense that lemons themselves can act as powerful cleaning agents. The citric acid in lemons is extremely abrasive and can help break down residue on your dishes and countertops. Just take care not to use lemons on any specialty surfaces, like marble or granite, because they can get damaged or discolored. You can also cut lemons into a few pieces and grind them in the garbage disposal to help eliminate food buildup and give your sink area a pleasant citrus aroma.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is a stellar deodorizer. If you’re having a problem with unpleasant odors, baking soda can likely solve it. To get rid of strange smells, you can place an opened box in the refrigerator or freezer, run some in an empty dishwasher cycle, or sprinkle it on carpets and upholstery before vacuuming. When combined with some of the other household items on this list, baking soda has even more uses. For instance, baking soda can be sprinkled on a lemon to make it a better scrubber on tough residue. Also, learn how baking soda and vinegar can be used to unclog drains.

Essential Oils

In addition to making things smell nice, essential oils have a host of other benefits. Orange oil helps with removing gum and other sticky substances, and tea tree oil can help eradicate mold. For a natural air freshener, put a drop or two of your favorite essential oil on the inside of the toilet paper roll, and the scent will be released every time the roll is spun. Just remember that essential oils are very strong, and a little bit goes a long way.

Chemical-free cleaning products don’t have to be expensive or inconvenient. The alternatives discussed here can work just as well as their mainstream counterparts while also being more cost-effective and safer to handle.