I am hesitant to use the word “green.”
It reminds me of people who don't shave their armpits and have bumper stickers that say things like “Love your Mother (insert picture of the Earth).”
Sorry to offend, if you don't shave your armpits.
I, for one, do shave my armpits. But this is not relevant.
While I don't believe in a “Mother Earth,” I do believe in God's created world. And I love God's creation. LOVE IT. Right now, His creation looks like this:
Today we are venturing into “green” cleaning. I like to think of it more as natural cleaning. Homemade cleaning. Homestead cleaning. Frugal cleaning. The Lord has given us a season in our lives where we must watch our finances closely, so finding homemade, natural alternatives to cleaners is a great way for us to spend less money. Plus, we get the added benefit of knowing exactly what ingredients are being used to clean our home.
Some would argue that there are many harmful effects that chemicals from commercially produced cleaners have on our bodies and our environment. While I don't have vast enough knowledge to know the details of it all (research the cleaners you use to see what you can find!), we have chosen to try and eliminate some of these chemicals (and save money!) by making our own. We started with simple changes that didn't take a lot of time or effort – a new way of doing the same old thing. So, I have listed a few cleaning products from our home. Alternative and plant-based, biodegradable cleaners are gentle on our skin, our senses, and our environment.
Vinegar
1) I clean almost every surface with diluted vinegar. Vinegar is a classic cleaner used for many years – our grandparents used it! They knew what was up. Vinegar cuts grease, removes odors, and helps remove stains. I use a 1:1 ratio of white vinegar and water in a recycled spray bottle. I use this and a washrag to clean dirt off the walls, the toilet, the mirrors, the counters, the stove, the refrigerator, etc. The smell of the vinegar will only stick around for a few minutes (I am a sick person – I love the smell!)- but it dissipates quickly.
Castile Soap
2) We've talked about this soap before. It is a wonder. I use this for a face soap, hand soap, body soap, and all purpose soap around the house (ie: washing walls or baseboards, cleaning toys, etc.) I just use a wee-little squirt in a warm bucket of water and go to work. It's magic. Put this into a hand pump, or a small squeeze bottle, instead of your current hand soap! Easy change.
Baking Soda
3) I use this when I got grime to scrub. I use it (along with steel wool) to scrub my kitchen sink, my bathroom sink, my shower, etc. Baking soda, a mineral based cleaner, gives you that “grit” to really help clean. It also helps to neutralize odors. I sprinkle this on the carpet before vacuuming sometimes to help with carpet odors (ie: smelly dogs). Ecover also has a great product that I use on occasion. It's pretty inexpensive, is planted-based, and does a great job.
Ecover Dish Soap
4) I buy a gigantic-bottle of this for $5 at the health food store and use it for months. I love it. You need just a teeny-bit and it cuts grease like nobody's business. It's the only natural dish soap that I have tried because I liked it, so I've been loyal ever since. It's also plant-based.
Hydrogen Peroxide
5) A perfect alternative to chemical bleach. I use this to whiten my whites, just like regular bleach. My Mom is a bleach lover. She's all about it. I haven't converted her yet – but maybe someday. Rumor has it that bleach literally never degrades, so imagine what it is doing to our water sources once it's flushed down the drain! “Oxygen” bleaches can be just as effective and much more friendly to the environment. Hydrogen peroxide is non-toxic and a natural disinfectant. We also use peroxide to clean cutting boards when need-be to disinfect.
Essential Oils
6) Not something you typically think about using, but there are some great essential oils used to help freshen your home. We use lots and lots and lots of essential oils, adding them to our cleaners, to encourage a clean home.
Essential Oil Room Freshener
7) This is what we use instead of perfumed candles or plug-ins. I add about 1 cup of water to a squirt bottle, then just add in about 20 drops or so of an essential oil. My favorite to use are lavender, lemon, and peppermint. Or a combination of either. Lavender, lemon, and peppermint are all natural! Then, I just go room to room after cleaning and spray into the air. It's delicious, uplifting, and chemical free. Not to mention frugal! I purchase all my oils HERE.
Air Filter – Plants!
8) I try to keep a plant in every room of our house. Plants are one of the easiest and most effective ways to freshen your air. Research house-plants to find out the different air-filtering qualities of each (some are more efficient than others). I use pothos because they are easy to keep alive, pretty, and great filters.
Steel wool
9) While this isn't exactly a “product,” it is my go-to weapon. It does a number on soap scum, kitchen-sink-nastiness, and bathroom-sink crusties. It's amazing what a little steel-wool and elbow grease can accomplish. Don't underestimate the power of elbow grease! I know, it's a little more work, but you can do it!
Wood-Polish
10) I don't have wood to polish, but I have heard of a lot of people using olive oil (careful, this can go rancid!), coconut oil (this works best) or even almond oil. Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil and you've got a nice, fragranced, chemical-free polish.
Here is a link for some other great ideas:
Alternative Cleaners
I love homemade products because they are cheap. And they are easy to make at home. Cheap and easy – that's my style! I am sure that others out there have 1,000 other great, simple ideas for frugal and natural cleaning products. Post in the comments if you have one that you would like to share – I am always up to try new ones!
Anonymous
Shaye, I hate to admit that this is the first time I’ve seen your blog – but this is amazing! Keep it up. This sort of living is the same thing Lauren and I are trying to figure out -Alex
Kimberly
Wish we could be neighbors. I totally use most of these things to clean. 🙂 I even cut the steel wools pads in half to make them last longer.
I keep a jar of baking soda and kosher salt mixed together by my sink. I had my hubby put holes in the lid of a canning jar and I just shake the mix out into my sink for scrubbing the sink and gross dishes as needed. It also instantly removes the stains in coffee and tea cups.
Kendra at New Life On A Homestead
Girl, you are so funny. I swear, I crack up every time I read one of your posts. Would you think I’m a weird tree-hugger if I told you I don’t shave under my arms anymore? Okay, don’t freak out, it’s not like that… I’m sugar waxing instead 🙂 Any-hoo…
I use baking soda and vinegar to clean almost everything. For the really tough hard water stains in the toilet I use a pumice stone, and instead of steel wool I just re-purpose those mesh bags potatoes and oranges come in; I wad them up and use them like a scrub pad. Works great! Thanks for all of the great tips 🙂 I love Kimberly’s idea about the canning jar shaker too!
Amy Snow Photography
Good post. I have a book called “clean house, clean planet”. It’s more on the ‘green’ side of things, but what isn’t these days!? (I don’t believe in ‘mother earth’ either). The author has some good recipes for ALL kinds of stuff. Your post is the cliff notes of her book.
I just want to say one tiny thing! Some of the products you mentioned actually do have “salts” in them, which isn’t so good for our water systems. So, I guess what I’m saying is it’s always good to use sparingly and apt more on the power of the elbow. : )
Erin
I recently discovered your blog, and I’m loving all these new ideas! Thank you!
Anonymous
Very impressive….lots of info I will use. Thanks a bunch!
MrBillWest
Just pursuing your blog for the first time. Enjoyable… anyway, bleach does degrade. What may be getting people confused is that it contains the element chlorine. As an element it will not degrade outside of a nuclear reaction. Just thought I would share!
Kristy
I love your blog! I am using cloth diapers and was recently reminded that the sun is natures bleach… I simply rinse my diapers and lay them out in the sun for 2-3 hours and voila~ no more stains!
Karen Hochhalter
These are some great ideas! I always use a paste of eucalyptus/scented Castile soap and baking soda to clean the porcelain in my bathroom. Non-toxic (in case the cats lick it), biodegradable and smells oh so good!!
EllenLRobe
That kind of cleaning product that you shared is really helpful yet effective which most of the people can surely afford. Good thing that you were able to share this kind of information.
Jacque Campbell
I used a mixture of Dr. Bronner’s, Hydrogen peroxide, and water for my carpet steam cleaner. It worked great for me!
Jodi
I am using your guide to start buying and making my own cleaning products. I was concerned about the cost of the castile soap. If I use this for hand soap, is it diluted? – I am hoping so at that price. How much water to soap ratio do you use for hand soap, babywash, body wash, ect?
Shaye Elliott
Jodi, I don’t dilute it… but I only use a few drops each time – even to wash my entire body. I suppose you could dilute it at a 50% ratio (or even more) but I just haven’t ever taken the time to do it.
Kristen
I was wondering how you use your hydrogen peroxide to whiten your clothes? I currently use it during a presoak in combo with lemon juice. However, my whites are getting more and more dingy and grey. Am I using it wrong? And what are oxygen bleaches? Thanks for your help!
Susan E
Love, love, love using natural/non-toxic, homemade cleaners since before my children were born. I was reading about a book on infertility and one of the things besides not-vaccinating was to remove toxins from home and skin and that’s when it started. I don’t even own bleach! 🙂
Kim
I use 6 tablespoons of salt, 1/4 of a cup of baking soda, & 2 cups of vinegar instead of drano works like a charm. In fact it works better. Oh ya after you add the vinegar let it sit in your drains for 15 to 30 minutes depending on how plugged your drains are then run hot water down them.
cleanbubbles
Awesome Article.Thanks for sharing…Keep it up