Cleaning with natural ingredients instead of harsh chemicals is healthier, better for the environment and more affordable. So why haven’t you started using natural cleaners yet?
With so much information out there, it can be difficult to know where to begin.
We’ve collated the 7 items you need to get started on your natural cleaning adventure and included some handy hits as well!
The Natural Cleaning Starter Kit
Microfibre Cloth
We’ll focus on the equipment first, which can be just as important as the cleaning products themselves. Microfibre cloths have really grown in popularity in recent years and there are great reasons why.
Microfibre cloths are created when fibres of polyester and nylon are fused together and then split apart, which creates microfibres. The fibres are fine enough that they capture grime better than most cloths and can even remove bacteria and microbes.
⟡ Handy Hints:
You can buy these in different colours so you have separate ones for different bathroom, kitchen or glass tasks.
Better yet, you can use them dry or wet, depending on what job you need done.
Old Toothbrush
Make great use of that toothbrush for cleaning around the home. An old toothbrush will excel at scrubbing your grout lines and getting into tricky crevices (your taps, for example) that most cloths or brushes won’t reach.
⟡ Handy Hints:
To clean grout, combine 1/2 cup of baking soda, 1 small squirt of dishwashing detergent and 1 cup of water in a bowl to form a batter. Wipe it along the grout lines and let it sit for around 20 minutes. Scrub with the toothbrush before you wipe and rinse it off.
Lemons
You may have heard your grandmother praising this fresh fruit for its cleaning prowess.
Grandma was right. Thanks to its antibacterial properties and high acidity, lemon is able to cut through alkaline substances as well as grease. Its smell will make your home smell invigorating too. Throw in a few extra lemons in this week’s shopping trolley!
⟡ Handy Hints:
It’s a great idea to keep half a piece of fruit at the top of your fridge. It can help keep odours away. Check out some other ways to squeeze more uses of your lemons here.
Vinegar
Vinegar is the main ingredient in many natural cleaning solutions. We recommend white vinegar (as opposed to other varieties) for a range of chores around the house.
Here is why it is superior. Vinegar is generally 5% acidity, which helps it to loosen mineral deposits while being a great disinfectant that can destroy some bacteria and viruses.
⟡ Handy Hints:
Use a 1:5 solution of vinegar and water on your windows and a slightly stronger solution for cleaning soap scum off shower screens.
Avoid cleaning wood floors and stone tiles/benches with vinegar however, as an acid, it will etch your stone over time and wear down wood floor finishes.
Don’t clean your wood floors with vinegar either as it will wear down wood floor finishes. Steer clear of using it on natural tiles too as it may also etch your stone over time.
Explore some other ways to use vinegar here.
Baking Soda
You may be surprised to learn that baking soda is a really powerful cleaning agent. It’s a mild alkaline that reacts with water to break down grease.
It is also a gentle abrasive that will wear down grime from stubborn surfaces.
⟡ Handy Hints:
Anyone with a baby or toddler at home will love this hint. For any unfortunate baby vomit accidents, remove solid pieces with a spatula (or similar), sprinkle baking soda on the area, pop a towel over it, leave for half an hour at least and then vacuum.
You can use baking soda on a whole range of jobs – Here are just some of them.
Essential Oils
Adding essential oils to your cleaning regime will make a huge difference to how you clean your home. Not only are essential oils safe when used correctly, they also have antibacterial and antiviral properties.
Tea Tree Oil is our favourite oil for everyday cleaning but you should also check out lemon, orange and eucalyptus.
⟡ Handy Hints:
Add some peppermint oil to your vinegar and water shower screen cleaning solution. Not only does it smell fresh, it works really well. Here’s the peppermint shower spray recipe to test out today.
Glass Spray Bottle
Using a glass spray bottle is recommended if you are adding essential oils to your cleaning solutions. Some oils can break down plastic and sunlight may cause oils to expire early.
They are better for the environment and re-using them over and over will save you cash in the long run!
⟡ Handy Hints:
Purchase your glass bottle from Target for $3 or online for prices ranging from $3-$10. Make sure you label them if you have a few bottles in the cleaning cupboard.
Then you’re done!
It is worth noting that some more heavy-duty tasks around the home may require chemical cleaners to tackle the task effectively.
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