Green cleaning, natural cleaning, and eco-friendly cleaning are all various names for the same thing: getting rid of hazardous cleansers. Natural cleaning entails using natural components to make your own cleaners. It might be as simple as putting some white vinegar in a spray bottle or as complicated as combining various ingredients for a personalized DIY product. Natural cleaning encompasses the entire spectrum.

In this natural cleaning guide, we’ll go over some of the most popular techniques, substances, and methods for a safer, cleaner house. Many houses can achieve natural cleaning, so let’s get started and discover out how.

While each family’s reasons for using natural cleaning solutions may differ, many point to the Toxic Substances Control Act, which Congress passed in 1976. This act effectively grandfathered between 63,000 and 100,000 chemicals on the market at the time.

Aside from allowing potentially harmful compounds in today’s common items, the act also prohibited manufacturers from displaying entire ingredient lists on certain of their products in the interest of “trade secrets.” Alcohol, aluminum, DEA/TEA, propylene glycol, sodium lauryl Sulphate, TALC, parabens, and other hazardous compounds are among those suspected of having carcinogenic qualities.

Many homemade household cleaners use many of the same ingredients regardless of what you’re cleaning. If you’re interested in starting a more natural cleaning method, here are a few pantry staples you should keep on hand.

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With a few simple recipes, you can save money and get a greener cleaning routine. You may already have many ingredients. A basic natural cleaning toolkit includes white vinegar, baking soda, borax, citrus fruit, and empty spray bottles. You may also want hydrogen peroxide, cornstarch, castile soap, tea tree oil, and other essential oils for scent. Add microfiber cloths or old cotton T-shirts instead of paper towels for less waste.

White Vinegar

Vinegar is a natural disinfectant and has many uses in home cleaning. Since it’s acidic, it’s great for getting rid of gummy buildup, rust, and hard water stains. Try using vinegar to remove buildup from your coffee pot. You can use lemon juice the same way as vinegar, but since it goes bad quickly, you can’t store cleaners made with lemon juice for more than a few days.

Baking Soda

Baking soda absorbs odors in the air and works well for many cleaning tasks. Use it in litter boxes, garbage cans, and diaper pails to keep the stink down. Sprinkle it on a damp cloth to use as a gentle surface cleaner on counters, sinks, ovens, stoves, and tubs. Find baking soda in the baking aisle of your grocery store.

Borax

Borax, or sodium borate, is similar to baking soda, but stronger. It’s a natural bleach and is good for removing dirt and stains from laundry and surfaces. Although it’s natural, borax could irritate your skin, eyes, or breathing, so use it with caution, and keep it away from children and pets. Find it in your store’s laundry section.

Mixing Your Own Cleaners

When making your own cleaning mixtures, use spray bottles or containers that you won’t confuse with food containers. Label them right away. Hot water will clean better than cold, so in most cases, fresh-made cleaners with hot water will work the best. You may need to scrub a little harder or let cleaning mixtures sit a little longer than you would with store-bought cleaners.

Clean or Disinfect?

For most cleaning around the house, the goal is to remove germs and dirt. All of the following homemade natural cleaners will do that. Certain natural cleaners can also disinfect, or kill germs, but you must make them fresh. If stored, they still will clean, but they won’t disinfect as well.

All-Purpose Cleaner

For mild cleaning, mix 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup baking soda, and 4 to 8 cups hot water in a spray bottle. You can substitute 2 teaspoons of borax for the baking soda. Add a few drops of essential oil to any mixture to give it a fresh scent.

Glass and Mirror Cleaner

Combine 1/2 cup white vinegar and 1 gallon of water for a mild cleaner. Or to make a “non streak” window cleaner, add ¼ cup white vinegar and 1 tablespoon cornstarch to 4 cups warm water. Shake to dissolve the cornstarch before spraying. Wipe clean with a microfiber cloth, then do a final wipe with a dry cloth to avoid streaks.

Kitchen Sanitizer

Soap and warm water will clean dirt from surfaces in the kitchen, but if you want to kill harmful germs like salmonella and E. coli, you’ll need to use hot vinegar or hydrogen peroxide and let it sit on the surface for at least 1 minute. Here’s how: Heat 1/2 cup white vinegar (5%) or hydrogen peroxide (3%) to 130 F, put the mixture into an empty spray bottle, and spray it onto surfaces. Let it sit for 1 minute, then wipe dry.

Another Kitchen Sanitizer

Here’s a different way to sanitize surfaces: Combine 1 cup vinegar, 1 cup club soda, and 2 drops tea tree oil. Spray it onto surfaces and wipe clean. This mixture works to disinfect only if it’s made fresh. Even 24 hours later, it doesn’t kill as many germs.

Freshen Up the Garbage Disposal

If your garbage disposal is starting to smell, run it with some ice and a squeezed orange, lemon, or lime. The ice will help sharpen the blade, and the citrus peels will give off a fresh scent.

Microwave Cleaner

To get rid of food odors or hardened food splatters in the microwave, mix 6 tablespoons baking soda or 1/2 cup lemon juice with 1 cup water in a microwave-safe glass container. Microwave the mixture until it boils, then leave it inside with the door closed until it cools. The steam will loosen the grime and make it easy to wipe down the inside of the microwave.

Clean Your Drains

To prevent or clear out backups in your drains, dump 1/4 cup baking soda down the drain followed by 1/2 cup vinegar. Cover and let sit for 15 minutes, then uncover and pour in 8 cups boiling water. You could also use 1/2 cup borax followed by 8 cups boiling water. For a bad clog, use a plumber’s snake tool with boiling water.

Scrub the Toilet

For light cleaning, mix 1/4 cup baking soda with 1 cup vinegar and pour it into the toilet bowl. Let it sit for 3 to 30 minutes, scrub with a toilet brush, and flush. Scrub with 1/2 cup borax mixed with 1 gallon hot water to get out tougher stains. For heavy-duty cleaning, sprinkle 1 cup borax around the basin and spray with 1/2 cup vinegar. Let it sit overnight, then scrub and flush.

Tackle Mildew in the Shower

Put 1/2 cup borax and 1/2 cup vinegar into a spray bottle and fill it with hot water, then spray it in the shower or bathtub and scrub. For a daily spray to prevent mold in the shower, mix 1/3 cup rubbing alcohol with 1 cup water. Shake it up, and spray it on without rinsing.

Scrub the Tub and Tile

Use a sponge to wipe the surface with vinegar, then sprinkle baking soda or non-iodized salt, scrub with a damp sponge, and rinse well with water. For another option, combine 1 2/3 cup baking soda, 1/2 cup castile soap (liquid), and 1/2 cup water. Add 2 tablespoons vinegar and use the mixture to scrub the bathtub or tile area.

Don’t Mix These

Although vinegar and hydrogen peroxide are great sanitizers on their own, never combine the two in a container. This creates a chemical called peracetic acid, which can burn your skin and is dangerous to breathe in. The same goes for ammonia and bleach — mixing them or using them in the same space can create toxic fumes.

Essential Oils

Using essential oils for organic cleaning products is another way to have a more natural home. While there are a variety of oils you can try, below we’ve listed a few that are well known for cleaning properties and anti-bacterial crud-kicking powers.

Essential oils can be mixed with water and or vinegar for an easy household cleaner. You can also use an essential oil diffuser to help purify the air and fill it with a clean scent. Oil diffusers can range in price and features.

A small essential oil diffuser can be as low as the price for a comparable candle, not a huge investment. Likewise, diffusers of this price and size are best used for small rooms. A small diffuser will typically run for anywhere from 2-4 hours. Large essential oil diffusers have a larger capacity, which is useful for larger rooms, and can run for 6-8 hours.

• Thieves (Young Living Exclusive) – Thieves is a blend of Clove, Lemon, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus Radiata and Rosemary essential oil. Its formulation is inspired by the legend of 15th century thieves who would use this blend to protect themselves as they robbed plaque-ridden homes.
• Lemon – Lemon oil is highly refreshing and one of the most common scents used in cleaning products. Diffuse lemon oil to help eliminate odors, or add a few drops to any of the green cleaning recipes found below.
• Orange – For similar reasons as lemon, orange essential oil provides a nice citrus boost when cleaning your home! You can diffuse orange using an essential oil diffuser to purify the air or add it directly to your household cleaning recipes for a fresh orange scent.
• Eucalyptus – Eucalyptus essential oil has a minty fresh smell which is perfect for combating stale odors. You can also diffuse it for a stimulating and rejuvenating boost during the day.
• Lavender – Lavender essential oil is great for cleaning thanks to its mild and relaxing scent. Add it as a laundry booster, a carpet refresher, or just diffuse it to help eliminate stale odors.
• Tea Tree – While tea tree oil is commonly found in skin care and cosmetic products, it also makes a great natural cleaning ingredient due to its highly anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.

In addition to the pantry staples, you’ll also need a few bottles and brushes. If you plan to add essential oils, be sure to use a glass bottle for your cleaning blends. 

Essential oils should not be used in plastic bottles or added to a humidifier.

• Glass spray bottle – A bottle like this could be used for household cleaners, glass cleaners, stain remover spray, or a degreaser.
• Scrubbing brushes – Using a good scrubbing brush will help your homemade scrubs tackles stains or set-in grime. A surface scrub brush would be great for scrubbing floors, showers, or a sink basin. A traditional toilet brush is best for… well, you know… toilets. Lastly, a detail scrub bush set can be used for nooks and crannies like dirty grout lines or spotty sink drains.
• Carpet shaker – For carpet refreshers, try using a glass cheese shaker. Although unorthodox, this glass is the perfect size for allowing the baking soda and essential oils to evenly distribute into the carpet fibers.
• Microfiber cloths – Microfiber cloths are great for organic cleaning products and more eco-friendly than disposable paper towels. These small cloths are non-abrasive so they won’t scratch paints, coats or other surfaces and they help to capture lint as they clean. Once you’re done with a cloth, simply throw it in the laundry and it’ll be ready for the next clean.
• Wool dryer balls – For more eco-friendly cleaning, consider swapping traditional dryer sheets with wool dryer balls. These balls can be used as is for a scent-free finish or you can add a couple drops of your favorite essential oils.

• Washing Machine Cleaner – Add one cup of distilled white vinegar to the drum of your washer. Add 1/4 cup of baking soda (to the detergent area if using a front-load washer). Run cycle as usual to clean the machine.
• Towel Refresher – Mix one cup of baking soda with one cup of vinegar and add it to a load of smelly towels. This natural cleaning combo will help to get the funk out of old towels and add a little extra softness.
• Laundry Booster – Mix 1/2 cup of borax with a gallon of warm water. Pre-soak laundry in the solution for about 30 minutes before running your cleaning cycle as usual.
• Coffee Maker Cleaner – Run one cup of distilled white vinegar through the water reservoir of a coffee maker to purge the machine of grime or bacteria.
• Drain Deodorizer – Pour 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain, followed by 1/2 cup vinegar. Wait 15 minutes and then pour hot water down the drain to clear residue.