Best Natural Substances to Use for Cleaning

Making your own cleaning products can be a lot of fun. It’s amazing to see everyday products that haven’t been commercially manufactured have powerful cleaning capacities. And it offers a great way to pursue eco-friendly cleaning in your own home.

Borax and lemon

Borax and lemon are two of the best natural substances that can be used for cleaning. Borax is a salt that is found in certain desert areas, like in the American West (remember those Mule Team Borax commercials in the 50s?). As a salt, it is good for cutting through grease and oil. One commonly touted use is as an oven cleaner. Lemons are acidic and so are good for using on calcium deposits and as a bleaching agent. Used together, they can be used as a rust remover as well as an effective all purpose cleaner.

White vinegar

White vinegar has a long history of use as a cleaning agent. Like lemon, it is acidic. It can be used as a disinfectant, on mineral build up, and as a general cleaner. Try running up to four cups of vinegar through your coffee maker to get out the minerals. Be sure to run water afterward to clear the vinegar. A few teaspoons in a gallon of water also makes an effective floor cleaner.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is another alkali (salt) that has wonderful cleaning properties. You can use it for scouring and it is a natural deodorizer. You can open a carton of baking soda and leaving it in your fridge to pick up any odors.

Essential Oils

Essential oils are chemical compounds that are extracted from various plants. They come in many varieties, have a wonderful scent, and may have a therapeutic effect when breathed in. You can add them to your other DIY cleaners or use some of them, like lemon and peppermint, by themselves, diluted in water, for their cleaning properties. The resource guide below gives you a thorough overview of their use and variety.

These are some of the best natural substances that you can use for cleaning. Preparing your own formulas is a great way to further environmentally-friendly cleaning practices in your household!

For more info on DIY natural cleaning, explore:

https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/ss/slideshow-guide-to-natural-cleaning
https://www.bhg.com/homekeeping/house-cleaning/tips/get-things-clean-the-natural-way/
https://media.doterra.com/us/en/ebooks/cleaning-with-essential-oils.pdf