Guide to Natural Cleaning

Have you ever gotten overwhelmed with the idea of switching to all-natural cleaners? You may think that your only option is to use vinegar, or maybe you’ve assumed that all-natural means less effective. In this guide, you’ll find that all-natural cleaning options are effective, cheaper, easier, and often better for your family’s health than ordinary cleaners. Keep reading for my guide to all-natural cleaning and to have all your questions answered!

Non-Toxic Cleaner Recipes

• Multi Purpose Cleaning Spray
• Castile Cleaner Spray
• Vinegar Cleaning Spray
• DIY Garbage Disposal Cleaner Pods

For a printable version, get the printable guide to natural cleaning here!

How to Use Each Cleaner

Multi Purpose Cleaning Spray

You can use the Multi Purpose Cleaning Spray on:

• All floors except wood
• Kitchen counters
• Kitchen sink
• Bathroom counters
• Bathroom sink
• Faucets
• Toilet seats
• Shower and tub

Castile Cleaner Spray

You can use the Castile Cleaner Spray on:

• Piano keys
• Natural stone countertops
• Dusting all surfaces, including wood
• Fabric spot cleaner for furniture
• Bug repellant
• Carpet and fabric freshener
• All floors, including wood
• When in doubt about which spray to use, go with this Castile Cleaner Spray

Vinegar Cleaning Spray

You can use the Vinegar Cleaning Spray on:

• All appliances inside and out
• Streak-free glass cleaner, for mirrors, windows, and glass decor
• Washing machine and dryer
• Almost all floors except wood
• Boil a pot of this for a deep deodorization of the house

DIY Garbage Disposal Cleaner Pods

You can use the DIY Garbage Disposal Cleaner Pods for:

• Cleaning the garbage disposal
• Cleaning the toilet bowl

How to Use Individual Ingredients

Castile Soap

• Shower and tub
• Makeup brushes
• Dish soap
• Scrubbing sinks
• Grease stain remover from fabrics

Distilled White Vinegar

• Toilets
• Dishwasher

Hydrogen Peroxide

• Natural “bleach” for clothes
• Enamel sink whitening
• Enamel oven whitening
• Quartz countertop whitening
• Toilet bowl cleaner
• Clothing stain remover

Baking Soda

• Scrubbing agent for sinks
• Carpet deodorizer
• Scrub away stains on enamel ovens
• Remove stains from enamel sinks
• Clean toilets
• Cleaning the washing machine

Essential Oils

• Dryer ball scent booster

Clean Your Entire House With Only 8 Ingredients

To sum up, I daily clean and deep clean my entire home with only 8 ingredients: Castile soap, distilled white vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, essential oils, isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, table salt, and distilled water. That’s it! If I have each of these ingredients, I can make all four of my cleaning recipes, as well as clean miscellaneous areas around your home. I love how simple, minimalist, and most importantly natural it is to clean my home now!

Complete List of Products Needed for Whole Home Cleaning

Supplies

• A cleaning cloth of any kind: Get multiple for different cleaners and various areas of the home!
• A sponge on a stick: Using a sponge on a stick is my favorite way to clean the shower without hurting my back!
• A scrubbing brush: I use this one for my kitchen sink and my dishes! It’s the best I’ve ever tried. You may want to consider buying two of these, one for the bathroom and one for the kitchen.
• Toilet bowl scrubber: This one on Amazon is cute and highly rated!
• Paper towels: Using paper towels is optional, but I can tell you right now that I’m not going to clean my toilet seat with a regular cloth and then throw it in with the cloths that I clean myself with! I don’t mind if other people do that, but for me personally, it weirds me out! Go ahead, call me crazy.

My Cleaning Recipes to Make

• Multi Purpose Cleaning Spray
• Castile Cleaner Spray
• Vinegar Cleaning Spray
• DIY Garbage Disposal Cleaner Pods

Individual Products to Keep on Hand

• Castile soap
• Distilled white vinegar
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Baking soda
• Essential oils

The Kitchen

Kitchen Counters

Formica or Other Fabricated Counters: The Vinegar Cleaning Spray is going to be great for everyday wipedowns. If you need to disinfect (like raw chicken germs!) use the Multi Purpose Cleaning Spray!

Natural Stone Counters: If you have natural stone such as granite, you may choose to use the Vinegar Cleaning Spray, but the acidity of this cleaner has the potential to wear away the sealant on your granite over time. You could choose to use the Castile Cleaner Spray instead, or you could just reseal your granite a couple of times a year.

If you’re in doubt, use the Castile Cleaner Spray until you can find out more about your countertops to know what options are best for you!

Appliances

The Oven: For the inside and outside of the oven, the Vinegar Cleaning Spray will remove food, degrease, and provide a streak-free finish even on glass stovetops. For cleaning and removing stains from a light-colored enamel stove, mix baking soda and hydrogen peroxide into a paste, and use it to scrub the stains. Allow to sit for 15 minutes and then wipe clean!

The Microwave: Use the Vinegar Cleaning Spray to clean the inside of the microwave, and also make the exterior streak-free! For really stuck on food that is inside the microwave, place a microwave-safe bowl of 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar and 1/4 cup water in the microwave, and heat for about 60-90 seconds. Then, wipe the microwave out with a clean cloth. To disinfect, use the Multi Purpose Cleaning Spray.

The Refrigerator: Use the Vinegar Cleaning Spray to clean the inside and outside of the refrigerator and freezer. Since the ingredients in the Vinegar Cleaning Spray are food-grade, you do not need to worry about contaminating any food that is in your refrigerator or freezer. To disinfect, use the Multi Purpose Cleaning Spray.

The Dishwasher: Use the Vinegar Cleaning Spray to wipe down the inside and outside of your dishwasher. To give the inside an extra deep clean, place a bowl of distilled white vinegar face up on one of the dishwasher racks, and then run the cycle on the hottest and longest option possible. Since distilled white vinegar is edible, you do not need to worry about any cleaner that could contaminate your dishes.

Small Kitchen Appliances: Use the Vinegar Cleaning Spray on the inside and outside of small kitchen appliances such as toasters. You can also use it to clean the outside of your air fryer, slow cooker, and pressure cooker. To disinfect, use the Multi Purpose Cleaning Spray.

Kitchen Sink and Garbage Disposal

All Sink Types: On the regular, use the Vinegar Cleaning Spray to wipe down your sink and faucet. You can use the Multi Purpose Cleaning Spray to disinfect when needed. For a deeper scrub, sprinkle baking soda in the entire base of the sink, squirt in a few drops of Castile soap, and then add enough water to form a paste. Use the scrubbing brush in circular motions to buff the entire sink from top to bottom. Rinse clean with warm water!

Enameled Sinks: To remove stains from light enamel sinks, sprinkle the entire bottom with baking soda, and then squirt hydrogen peroxide over the entire bottom. Use the scrubbing brush to work on stains, and then rinse clean. For even tougher stains, allow the baking soda and hydrogen peroxide to sit overnight before scrubbing away and rinsing in the morning.

The Garbage Disposal: Use the DIY Garbage Disposal Cleaner Pods to clean the garbage disposal and sharpen the blades.

The Bathroom

Bathroom Counters

Formica or Other Fabricated Counters: The Vinegar Cleaning Spray is going to be great for everyday wipedowns. To disinfect, use the Multi Purpose Cleaning Spray!

Natural Stone Counters: If you have natural stone such as granite, you may choose to use the Vinegar Cleaning Spray, but the acidity of this cleaner has the potential to wear away the sealant on your granite over time. You could choose to use the Castile Cleaner Spray instead, or you could just reseal your granite a couple of times a year.

If you’re in doubt, use the Castile Cleaner Spray until you can find out more about your countertops to know what options are best for you!

Toilet

Exterior: Use the Multi Purpose Cleaning Spray to disinfect and dust the top, toilet seat, and exterior of the toilet bowl.

Toilet Bowl: You have a few good options for the inside of the toilet. First, you could dump 1 cup of baking soda into the bowl, scrub the toilet with the toilet brush, and then add 1 cup of distilled white vinegar and allow it to sit for 15 minutes before doing a final scrub and flush. Another option would be to dump 1.5 cups of hydrogen peroxide into the bowl, scrubbing with the toilet brush, and then allowing to sit for 15 minutes before flushing. A third option would be to use the DIY Garbage Disposal Cleaner Pods in the toilet bowl. You read that right! Drop 4-6 pods in the bowl, and allow to dissolve for 5 minutes before scrubbing it clean!

Bathroom Sink and Faucet

The Sink: On the regular, use the Vinegar Cleaning Spray to wipe down your sink and faucet. You can use the Multi Purpose Cleaning Spray to disinfect when needed. For a deeper scrub, sprinkle baking soda in the entire base of the sink, squirt in a few drops of Castile soap, and then add enough water to form a paste. Use the scrubbing brush in circular motions to buff the entire sink from top to bottom. Rinse clean with warm water!

The Faucet: Use the Vinegar Cleaning Spray to wipe down the faucet to remove soap scum and polish. You can use the Multi Purpose Cleaning Spray to disinfect when needed.

Mirrors

Use the Vinegar Cleaning Spray for a streak-free mirror. It also cuts through toothpaste splatter that we all get in front of the sink area!

Shower and Tub

First, squirt a generous amount of Castile soap straight from the bottle onto the walls and floor of the shower. Then, wet the sponge on a stick (or cloth if you’re using that), and work it into a nice lather. Scrub away any spots and soap scum, and then rinse down with warm water. Repeat this process for a shower that needs an even deeper clean! After this process, you can spray the Multi Purpose Cleaning Spray over the entire shower, and allow it to sit until it dries (no need to rinse). This is disinfecting and also antimicrobial.

Laundry

Washing Machine and Dryer

The Washing Machine: For the outside, use the Vinegar Cleaning Spray to wipe down and dust the machine. To deep clean the inside, pour 3 cups of distilled white vinegar and 3/4 cups of baking soda into the washer drum. Use a cloth or stiff brush to scrub the drum as well as you can. After that, run an empty cycle on the longest and hottest options possible!

The Dryer: Use the Vinegar Cleaning Spray to clean the inside and outside of the dryer.

Stain Remover for Clothes

For Grease Stains: Rub a small amount of Castile soap into the stained area, and allow it to sit for an hour before tossing it in the wash as usual.

For Other Stains: Use a cotton swab to dab hydrogen peroxide onto stains 15 minutes before washing as usual. This process does have the possibility of bleaching colors though, so you may want to dilute the hydrogen peroxide with water before attempting this. Always test in an inconspicuous area first.

Natural “Bleach” for Brightening and Whitening Clothes

Pour 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide into the bleach dispenser before washing a load of clothes as usual. This will whiten your whites, brighten your colors, and help to naturally disinfect your clothing if needed.

Dryer Scent Booster

Place 15 drops of essential oils onto your dryer balls, and then throw them in with your clothes and dry as usual. For maximum scent boost, do this about 15 minutes before the cycle is done.

General Living Areas

Glass (Mirrors, Windows, and Decor)

The best streak-free glass cleaner is the Vinegar Cleaning Spray! Just spray on the glass, and wipe down with a lint-free cloth.

Dusting

For general dusting, use the Castile Cleaner Spray. Not only does this do a wonderful job of removing dust, but it also repels dust so that it stays away for longer. This is the only of the three sprays that is okay to use on wood furniture, as the vinegar content in the other cleaners can wear away the finish on the wood over time.

Furniture Fabric Cleaner

For spot cleaning fabric, use the Castile Cleaner Spray. Spray a generous amount onto the spot, and scrub with a cleaning cloth. Allow to air dry after this.

Fabric and Carpet Freshener

Use the Castile Cleaner Spray to freshen fabric and carpets. You can do a light dusting of this over fabric furniture, rugs, carpets, and curtains!

For a deeper deodorizer, sprinkle baking soda over your carpets and allow it to sit for an hour or overnight before vacuuming it up!

As an extra little bonus, you can put a couple of drops of essential oil on your vacuum filter, so that as you vacuum your home it emits the oil scent throughout!

Floors

For Vinyl, LVP, Laminate, Linoleum, and Tile: Use the Vinegar Cleaning Spray. And, for an extra disinfecting boost, use the Multi Purpose Cleaning Spray instead.

For Hardwood Floors: Use the Castile Cleaner Spray. The vinegar content in the other two recipes can break down the finish on wood over time.

Fillable Mop: You may have a mop that has a fillable canister to hold your cleaner. If this canister is plastic, then use the Vinegar Cleaning Spray or the Castile Cleaner Spray, depending on the type of floors you have. The Multi Purpose Cleaning Spray is an option for glass canisters because the essential oils won’t affect the glass like it would plastic. Of course, check your floor type to see what cleaners are best for you.

The Castile Cleaner Spray is acceptable for all containers and all floors if you’re unsure of which one to use.

When In Doubt About What to Use

When in doubt about any of the household cleaning applications (dusting, floors, surfaces, walls, special decor, anything), use the Castile Cleaner Spray. It can be used on almost anything!

How does cleaning actually work?

All cleaning products (both homemade and store-bought) have one of two different goals. They either aim to wash away harmful bacteria, or they work to kill them. Both washing away bacteria and killing them are generally effective at removing the risks of harmful bacteria. However, there are pros and cons to both options, which is why it’s common to have a combination of both in the home.

Firstly, not all bacteria are bad. In fact, our bodies are full of bacteria, typically the good kind! Good bacteria help us not get sick as often because they attack the bad bacteria before it has time to take over. So, the goal with cleaning is not to kill all bacteria, but rather to diminish the harmful ones so that the good ones can thrive.

Knowing this, it is important to consider what type of cleaning products you are using. A great example of a cleaning product that washes germs away is dish soap. Most dish soap (organic or not) works simply to grab germs and rinse them away with the water. This is extremely effective at cleaning our dishes so that they’re ready to be used again. It can do this even without actually killing the bacteria (disinfecting), which means the good bacteria won’t die in the process.

On the flip side, using a disinfectant (bacteria killer) for every cleaning application can have negative effects. When it comes to washing our hands, Mayo Clinic only recommends using hand sanitizer (a disinfectant) if soap and water are not available. They encourage that washing germs away is better than just killing them. This concept can be applied to household cleaners as well!

All that to say, washing germs away is typically the main goal of all-natural cleaners, which can be better than killing them! All of my cleaning recipes in this guide to natural cleaning (except for the Multi Purpose Cleaning Spray) work to wash harmful germs away. The Multi Purpose Cleaning Spray is a disinfectant, intended for use when washing germs away isn’t an option.

Want a printable version?

Get your FREE printable guide to natural cleaning here!