Although traditional cleaning products that you can purchase at the store are effective, they do have one major drawback: most of them are full of harmful chemicals. If you already have everyday household cleaners in your home, spend a little bit of time reading the labels on the bottles. You most likely will see a lot of warnings about only using them in well-ventilated spaces, avoiding contact with your skin and eyes, and keeping them away from children or pets.
What if there was a way to get rid of these dangerous products and replace them with safe, natural products instead? As it turns out, you can. Some of the world’s most effective cleaning products are completely natural, meaning that they don’t contain any chemicals that could do major harm to your family or your pets. If you are ready to start making a change, here are the top five natural cleaning products for your home:
1. White Vinegar
Vinegar is good for more than just making pickles or creating a delicious vinaigrette. It can also be used to clean and disinfect your home. You can use it to clean everything from your windows to your countertops and floors. It is particularly effective at combating mold and mildew, making it an excellent bathroom cleaner.
Even though vinegar has a strong aroma, the smell quickly dissipates after it dries. Rather than using vinegar full strength, try diluting it with water. For a general purpose cleaning spray, try mixing one part vinegar to four parts water.
2. Baking Soda
Part of what makes baking soda such an effective cleaner is the fact that it is mildly abrasive. That means that you can use it for scrubbing dirty pots and pans, removing hard water stains, cleaning grout, and countless other challenging tasks around your home.
3. Lemon Juice
High in citric acid, lemon juice has natural antibacterial properties that make it an excellent disinfectant for your home.
You can use this powerful natural cleaner on surfaces where germs and bacteria tend to accumulate. One word of caution, however: avoid using it on natural stone countertops or floors. The acidic nature of the lemon juice can sometimes etch the surface of natural stone. Always test lemon juice in an inconspicuous area before cleaning any surface to make sure that it won’t cause damage. For most surfaces, however, it is a highly effective way to kill germs.
4. Tea Tree Oil
This powerful essential oil has antibacterial, antiviral, antimicrobial, and antifungal properties, making it an excellent cleaner for your home. Always dilute it with water before applying it to the surfaces of your home. It is a particularly good choice for cleaning showers, sinks, and other areas where there is a lot of moisture since it does an excellent job of killing mold. One thing that you need to know, however, is that tea tree oil can be toxic to pets in high enough concentrations. Even though it is safe for people, you may want to opt for a different natural cleaner if you have animals in your home.
5. Olive Oil
Even though it may sound strange, you can actually use olive oil to clean your home. It does a good job of dissolving oily residue like leftover grease on cooking pans. It also can be used to polish wood furniture, providing an inexpensive alternative to traditional furniture polish.
These are the top five natural cleaning products for your home. Chances are, you probably already have a lot of these products laying around. If you haven’t already, try ditching traditional cleaners in favor of these safer natural alternatives. From a health and safety standpoint, you definitely will be glad that you did.