There’s no better time than spring to do a thorough cleaning of your home. It’s finally warm enough to wash your windows without them freezing shut, and now that the snow has melted, it’s time to give your siding a good cleaning. But, before you stock your cupboards with expensive heavy-duty cleaners, read our guide on cleaning naturally with items you most likely already have on hand. These cleaning products are gentler on children, pets, and the environment, and they will leave your home gleaming and lovely.
By Caitlin Castelaz
Burnt Food on Pots and Pans
Crispy cheese, burnt rice, stuck-on oatmeal—no wonder some folks despise washing dishes. Loosen the debris first by sprinkling baking soda and spraying vinegar. After that, it should come off with a little steel wool. If your dishes require something less abrasive, try a nylon scrubber.
Streak-Free Stainless Steel
Natural cleaners are best for stainless steel because abrasive bleaches and cleansers can cause damage. Treat tough stains with a baking soda–and–water paste. Keep your surfaces streak-free by polishing with olive oil.
Window Washing
Save yourself the time and expense of trying every “streak-free” window cleaner on the market. Instead, mix one part vinegar to two parts water in a spray bottle. Wipe off using black-and-white newspaper or a lint-free towel.
Polishing Metal
You can make metal shine by treating it with a paste of salt and lemon juice. Apply to copper, brass, or steel with an old toothbrush, and you’ll remove tarnish or rust in no time. It also works on food-stained plastic dishes!
A Salt Scrub for the Oven
Treat fresh grease stains in the oven by sprinkling them with a handful of salt. When the oven cools, wipe it clean with a cloth.
Furniture Polish
Give an antique dresser a makeover with a couple of cooking staples—two parts olive oil and one part lemon will make it gleam.
Concrete Cleaner
Outdoor concrete can often be cleaned with nothing but old-fashioned water and a pressure washer. If stubborn stains leave you wanting something stronger, try hydrogen peroxide.
Freshen the Drain
Run lemon rinds through the garbage disposal to freshen your whole sink. Lemons can also have a bleaching effect on stained sinks.
Clean Carpets
Baking soda is a great way to clean and deodorize carpets. Sprinkle some on your carpets before vacuuming. You can also try cornstarch, which soaks up oils on the carpet.
Bathtub Grime
Banish hard water stains from the bathtub by placing a vinegar-soaked paper towel over the area. Let it stand for up to two hours, then scrub with a baking soda paste and spray with a vinegar-and-water solution.
Water Rings
If your guests forget to use a coaster, you can buff out a water ring with a mix of salt and olive oil. Rub the solution gently onto the table and wipe clean.
Whiten Whites
Freshen your white bedsheets and clothing by adding half a cup of baking soda to a cold-water prewash. It will make your whites look brand new.
Unclog a Drain
If you keep just one thing in your natural cleanser arsenal, vinegar’s not a bad choice. To fix a clogged drain, try pouring one-half cup of baking soda, followed by one cup of vinegar. The chemical reaction will cause a cleansing foam. Once that stops, rinse with hot water. Wait five minutes and flush the drain with cold water.
Freshen Wood Furniture
Foodies love coconut oil for its health benefits, but it’s handy around the house as well. Use a microfiber cloth to polish wood furniture with coconut oil, rubbing with the grain and letting it soak in before moving anything back onto the surface.
All-Purpose Cleanser
Lemon and vinegar are two of the best natural cleansers, so why not combine the two? Make your own all-purpose cleaner by soaking citrus peels in white vinegar for two weeks. Once you strain out the peels, this cleanser can tackle almost any surface.
Shiny Vinyl Floors
The acidity of apple cider vinegar will clean your vinyl floors without leaving a soapy or waxy buildup like some cleaning products. Jojoba oil can buff out stubborn scuffs to keep your floors looking new.
Venetian Blinds
It can be tedious work, but it’s good to clean your blinds regularly. A mix of 30 percent vinegar and 70 percent water can quickly remove dust and grime. Use a microfiber cloth or a special blind-cleaning wand.
Microwave Cleaning
Blast away baked-on food in the microwave by boiling two cups of water and the juice and peels of two lemons in a microwave-safe bowl. Let it stand for 10 minutes to allow the steam to cut through the grease. Finish with soap and water.
Dishwasher Cleaner
You don’t want to clean your dishes in a dirty, smelly dishwasher. Eliminate odors and gunk that’s stuck inside your appliance by placing a bowl of distilled white vinegar on the top rack of an empty dishwasher. Run it through a cycle, and then when it’s finished leave the door open to let it dry out completely.
Clean the Trash Can
Have a smelly garbage can? Scrub it down with a natural all-purpose cleaner and wipe it dry. Once you know it’s completely dry, sprinkle baking soda at the bottom; the powder will soak up bad smells.
Garden Tools
If you didn’t clean your garden tools before putting them away at the end of the season, you’ll want to clean them before the start of the new one. Use olive oil to remove caked-on dirt and to condition the wood handles.
Wipe Down Counters
Splash a shot of vodka onto your stone countertops for a non-toxic cleaner. Clear alcohol is a completely natural disinfectant.
