We’ve spent the past months obsessively cleaning our homes with powerful virus killing cleaners and it is obviously important to keep your living spaces sanitised.
Natural cleaning products, whilst not anti-viral, are a great day to day solution for surface cleaning, leaving your house sparkling and smelling wonderful, all whilst minimising toxic ingredients and the elaborate plastic packaging they tend to come wrapped it.
Firstly, let's cover some of the most popular ingredients when making your own home cleaning products.
Bicarbonate of Soda
Bicarb has been used for years as an essential multi-purpose cleaner - just ask your Granny! It cleans, deodorises and helps scour away grime. It can be easily used alone to remove surface stains from sinks, toilets and surfaces and a little bowl of this in your fridge will help absorb any nasty lingering odours.
Castile Soap
Castile soap which a plant based liquid soap originally produced from olive oil in the Castile region of Spain. It makes a great all-purpose vegan cleaner. From washing up liquid to dog shampoo, castile soap has got you covered
White Vinegar
Vinegar is another powerhouse multi-purpose non-toxic cleaning agent. It helps remove stains, grease, general grime and bad odours. Its smell can seem strong but it fades quickly and can be hidden with essential oils.
Lemon Juice
The acid in lemon juice helps remove stains, keep your whites white without the need for bleach and helps fight bacteria all whilst smelling delightfully fresh and citrusy.
Salt
Salt is an extremely versatile natural scrub and works well when used with some of the other natural cleaning ingredients mention in this post such as bicarb and vinegar.
Essential Oils
These have been used for years for their natural anti-bacterial properties and have the added benefit of making everything smell absolutely amazing. Some of our favourites are lavender, tea tree and eucalyptus.
And here our some of favourite tried and tested “recipes” for some non-toxic home cleaning products. Always test the cleaning product on a hidden bit of the surface before going all it to ensure it won't damage or stain it.
All-Purpose Cleaner
Combine 1 part white vinegar to 1 part water in a re-usable spray bottle then add a few drops of essential oil. Alternatively, you can use some lemon rind and a couple of sprigs of rosemary to give a fresh, natural scent.
This can be used to wipe down smudges, clean the bin, deodorise the dishwasher and much more. Do not use this on granite, marble or natural stone surfaces.
Window and Glass Cleaner
Mix 1 part vinegar to 4 parts water to clean mirrors, windows and glass surfaces. Wipe down with old newspaper to leave a streak free finish.
Toilet Cleaner
To get your loo lovely and sparkly, add a good splash of white vinegar, a couple of tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda and a few drops of your chosen essential oil into the toilet bowl. Leave the mixture to sit for a few minutes then scrub with a toilet brush to create a fizzing foam. Use the all purpose cleaner for the rest of the toilet, letting it sit for a few minutes before wiping away for a lovely clean and scented bathroom.
Floor Cleaner
Simply add 1/4 cup of white vinegar to a mop bucket of warm water with a squeeze of castile soap.
Microwave Cleaner
Place a small microwave proof bowl of lemon juice and vinegar in the microwave and turn to full power for 2 to 3 minutes then leave to steam for a further couple of minutes. This will loosen all the grime and allow it to simply be wiped off.
Carpet Freshener
Fill a jar with bicarbonate of soda and add about 10/20 drops of your favourite essential oil and shake well. Sprinkle over your carpet or rug and work in with a broom. Leave for half an hour then vacuum up to leave your carpets smelling lovely and fresh. Piglet’s room and pillow spray is also a great all natural, vegan solution to make your soft furnishings smell delightfully inviting.
Oven Cleaner
Mix a 1/4 cup of bicarbonate of soda and 1 tsp of salt with water to form a paste. Cover the oven and leave overnight then simply wipe away the next morning.
