so a while ago i made a post about how i found this book about cleaning with almost exclusively with lemon/lime juice, baking soda, white vinegar, and salt. now i’m finally making the post about it that i promised!!
i have tried almost all of these techniques to clean my home and they work incredibly well, while not using harmful chemicals or at least limiting the use of them and also being easily accessible, and naturally vegan! ill now go into detail on how to use these.
the basics
so first i’ll start off by saying you’ll still probably want to have an all purpose cleaner (like seventh generation or method) as a backup, however these 4 basic ingredients will usually do the trick.
baking soda
mildly abrasive but still gentle, non toxic, can break down acids and scrub off grease. its extremely versatile for cleaning remedies and there’s lots of additional ways online on how to use it aside from what ill be going over in this post. it can even be used as toothpaste (use on its own or mix with coconut oil and maybe some peppermint oil), deodorant, or as an antacid!
distilled white vinegar
lightly acidic (compared to store bought cleaners) can be used as a disinfectant while being completely non toxic.
lemons and lemon juice
has antibacterial and antiseptic qualities, also has a good scent (as good as vinegar works, i still like to use lemon juice to cover up the smell). lime juice also works, but lemon juice is usually preferred.
salt
a little more abrasive than baking soda for scrubbing, and also absorbs liquids. (personally i havent really used salt at all yet for cleaning)
multipurpose cleaner recipes
for these, you’ll probably want to buy a plastic spray bottle or reuse an empty one from an old cleaning product you had. these three recipes can be kept refrigerated to prolong use. you can use any of these as an all purpose cleaner, its just whatever you feel works for you!
cleaner one
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vinegar or lemon juice
¼ teaspoon dish soap (like method or seventh generation)
2 cups hot water
cleaner 2
16 oz baking soda
4 tablespoons dish soap
1 cup warm water
cleaner 3
(the one i almost always use)
½ cup warm water
¼ cup vinegar
¼ cup lemon juice
sink drains
generally just pouring boiling water down the drain will do the trick (be careful if you have a porcelain sink as it could shatter from extremely temperature changes like from cold to boiling). but a great way to keep your drains clean is to pour a ¼ cup baking soda down each drain, followed by a half cup of vinegar (remember that baking soda + vinegar fizzes up a lot, so don’t panic when it happens! its just doing its job cleaning), let it set for about 20 minutes to an hour, then pour boiling water down the drains to flush them out. i try to do this every week, and it works so incredibly well!
ovens
sprinkle about ¼ inch baking soda across the bottom of the oven and spray it with water to keep it moist. repeat spraying it every 30-45 minutes (maybe 4 different times) to keep it from drying. then let it set overnight. in the morning scrub the dried baking soda with a damp sponge and then rinse off the residue. if theres still some grime in the oven, use an old toothbrush with white vinegar to scrub the stubborn areas.
stovetops
for initial spill overs, sprinkle with salt to absorb the mess and then scrub off. if you have an electric burner and something spilled/burned into the burner pan, sprinkle with salt and cinnamon and wipe off. the cinnamon will mask the burnt smell.
additionally, all stovetops can be cleaned with a baking soda solution. use a toothbrush with baking soda to scrub, then rinse thoroughly.
microwaves
take a glass cup and fill it with ¼ cup vinegar and 1 cup water and microwave for about 4-5 minutes (you want it to be boiling for about 3 minutes). when it’s done let it sit in the microwave without opening it for about 10-20 minutes. after that, it should be very easy to wipe clean as everything will be loosened up. you can also do this but instead of vinegar, use lemon slices put in a bowl of water - this will help with any odors in your microwave.
utensils and containers
usually a baking soda paste (made from baking soda and water/lemon juice) will scrub these clean. if you have a lunchbox or thermos that is starting to have a weird smell, pour ¼ cup of salt into it and it let sit overnight then wipe clean in the morning.
wooden kitchen items (cutting board, mixing spoons, bowls etc)
for a cutting board, wipe with a mixture of a little dish soap and water. then wipe with a cloth dipped in salt. you should also occasionally clean your wooden products by wiping them with a sponge dipped in vinegar to remove grease and odors. you can also use baking soda to clean them. or you can use lemon juice by rubbing some into the wood and let it sit overnight and rinse in the morning. for wood items that are starting to crack, fade, or are becoming brittle, rub them down with a generous amount of olive oil, following the grain. you may need to repeat this two or three times. if theres any oil that ‘pools’ anywhere, just dab with paper towel to absorb it.
pots, pans, cookware, dishes
for most things you can scrub with a baking soda paste. for things like really dirty casserole dishes, pour them with boiling water and a few tablespoons of salt and let it sit until the water cools then finish cleaning it. for really dirty pots and pans, usually just letting them set with hot water for a while works, but if you need to, put the dirty pan on the stove with water and let it boil for a few minutes. for tough spots that are still left over, pour salt directly onto the problem and then scrub. greasy pans and cookie sheets can be left to soak with hot water and vinegar to loosen them up.
dishwasher
about once a week put a cup of vinegar on the top shelf if your empty dishwasher. run a complete cycle. then remove the cup of vinegar, and sprinkle baking soda across the bottom of the dishwasher and run a second cycle. this has worked very well for me!!
surface cleaning
using undiluted vinegar once a day to scrub surfaces will usually keep them clean. you can also cut a lemon into wedges, sprinkle it with baking soda and scrub surfaces with the wedges. for anything stainless steel (faucets, knobs, etc) using baking soda to scrub them and then rinse with water makes them nice and shiny! lemon juice is also helpful to use for any hard water stains.
floors (tile, ceramic, linoleum, vinyl)
for tile floors use a bucket of warm water mixed with ½ cup baking soda and mop. rinse thoroughly. for ceramic, linoleum, or vinyl, use a gallon of warm water mixed with 1 cup vinegar. rinsing is not necessary.
tea/coffee stains in mugs
scrub with baking soda, and maybe salt if its more stubborn.
garbage cans/disposals
keep garbage cans smell neutralized by sprinkling the bottom of the can with baking soda each time you empty it. to clean a garbage disposal, once a month pour ¼ cup salt, ¼ cup baking soda, ¼ cup dishwasher detergent into the disposal, turn on the hot water in your sink and run the disposal. you can also throw the leftover rinds from lemons or limes and run the disposal to help clean the teeth of the disposal and give a fresh scent!
grout
make a paste from baking soda and water and scrub with a toothbrush. rinse when finished.
toilets
pour ½ cup vinegar into the toilet and let it soak for 30 minutes. then sprinkle a toilet bowl brush with baking soda and scrub any problem areas. use the vinegar from the toilet and any additional baking soda as needed to scrub clean. then flush when finished.
bathroom floors
for tile or no-wax floors, add ½ cup baking soda to warm water and mop and rinse. you can also add lemon juice for a fresh scent.
windows and mirrors
4 tablespoons lemon juice mixed with a half gallon of water. you can also use rubbing alcohol or witch hazel to clean windows and mirrors.
wood polish
mix 2 parts olive oil to 1 part lemon juice. apply with a soft cloth.
pet accidents
scrub the area with club soda as soon as possible and let dry. then sprinkle the area with baking soda, after about an hour vacuum the area. if there’s still a stain, apply a generous amount of lemon juice to the area and let it set for 15-30 minutes. then rinse the area well and blot dry. another technique is making a paste from lemon juice and cream of tartar, letting it set and then rinse with water and blot dry. after the stain is removed, deodorize the area with a mixture of vinegar and water.
there’s a few things i didn’t cover, but for most problems you can use white vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, and salt or a combination of those for the vast majority of cleaning and it’s almost always safe to use for whatever you’re using it on, although you may want to google it just to be safe before trying it. but there you go! i hope this helps you all as much as this has helped me. having these easily accessible, cheap, vegan alternatives has made cleaning a lot less stressful for me by keeping toxic chemicals out of my house, saving me money, and by actually working, sometimes even better than the high priced chemical versions!
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