Have you made your natural cleaning products checklist yet? In this video I go over the supplies you’ll want to gather as you begin your conversion to using all-natural cleaning products in your home.
Why Do You Need Natural Cleaning Products?
I can hear the question now: “Why would I want to spend the time to make all-natural cleaning products instead of just buying cleaners from off the shelf?”
Go grab one of those products and read the label. Think of all those harsh chemicals you are exposing yourself and your family to. Do you really trust that those chemicals with names you can’t even pronounce are not harmful in the long run? What health effects might they be having on you and your family right now? You should be especially wary if you have children in your household. Some chemicals can have lasting effects on children.
By creating your own natural cleaning products you’ll be saving money, getting the harsh chemicals out of your house, which is good for your family’s health and the environment, and you’ll be saving a ton of money. That’s why we need to gather our supplies and make a natural cleaning products checklist.
Items You’ll Need to Make Natural Cleaning Products
Let’s look at the items you’ll need, and see why they are a better option than using those harsh cleaners you are buying now.
First, you’ll want to get some microfiber cloths. These are great because they are soft enough to clean without scratching surfaces, they absorb many times their weight, and they can allow you to pretty much eliminate your use of paper towels that you have to throw away after a single use. You can wash these in cold water and then dry them on the air setting in the dryer, and they are ready for another job. You can wash them hundreds of times before they need to be replaced. And just think of all the trees and money you’ll save by not buying and throwing away paper towels.
Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is extremely useful around the house. It has a mild abrasive quality that is good for making kitchen and bath cleaners. It is a base so it neutralizes acids. It can be used in the washing machine as a fabric softener. Of course, we know it absorbs odors, so you can use it to freshen your home. You can also use it as an extinguisher if you have a grease or electrical fire. Pour a box of baking soda on a grease fire, and it will smother the flames. Baking soda has a ton of uses around your home.
White vinegar also has a ton of uses around the house. It cuts through grease, disinfects, and deodorizes. There are a few things you should know before using white vinegar as a cleaner, though.
- No matter what you read on the internet, it does no good to mix baking soda and vinegar as a cleaner. Baking soda is a base, and vinegar is an acid. When you mix them together you release CO2 and the resulting mild salt solution becomes neutral, which doesn’t do much of anything.
- Don’t mix vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. Mixing them together creates peracetic acid, which can be corrosive and irritating, and can cause burns to exposed skin.
- Don’t use vinegar on natural stone like marble or granite countertops, or stone tile. It can strip away the sealing layer or may damage or etch the stone.
- Don’t use vinegar to clean cast iron or aluminum cookware.
Hydrogen peroxide is great for cleaning and disinfecting. Hydrogen peroxide is simply H2O2. It is water with an extra oxygen atom. For cleaning, you’ll want to use 3% hydrogen peroxide. It is extremely safe and non-toxic. It works as a sanitizer and is a natural antiseptic. It also has a natural bleaching action.
Soap is used in many natural cleaning mixtures. Some will call for castile soap, which is an all-natural soap made from vegetable fats instead of animal fats. For greasy messes, you will want to have some Dawn dish soap on hand too. If it is gentle enough to clean animals after an oil spill it is gentle enough to be in our cleaning arsenal. And it is better on grease than castile soap. You can also buy Dr. Bronners Sal Suds and use it in place of Dawn as an effective degreaser.
Why You Need Carrier Oils
You’ll need some natural carrier oils for the essential oils we’ll be using in some of the natural cleaning solutions we’ll be making. I mostly use either sweet almond oil or fractionated coconut oil. In another video, I’ll be making a natural wood cleaner and conditioner using a carrier oil. They are also great for some natural beauty products we’ll be making too.
Essential Oils Are “Essential”
Last, but certainly not least, you’ll want to get some essential oils. I have a few here that I use quite often. Tea Tree oil is called the medicine chest in a bottle because it has so many uses as a disinfectant and antimicrobial. Lavender also has antimicrobial properties, so it is good to use along with Tea Tree Oil. You’ll also want some of your favorite oils for a clean, fresh scent too. Besides all the other uses, essential oils like lemon and orange, as well as other citrus oils, leave a clean fresh scent when used with these natural cleaning products.
Other Supplies You’ll Want On Hand
There are a few other things you’ll want to have on hand for some other things we’ll be doing in some of these videos. A few of those are Epson Salt, Citric acid, Super washing soda (soda ash), and rubbing alcohol or vodka as a dispersant for the essential oils in water. Essential oils are not water-soluble, so you need a way to use them with water. Alcohol provides that. I prefer plain rubbing alcohol. No sense wasting perfectly good vodka on a cleaning solution.
You’ll need spray bottles for cleaning solutions, those should preferably be dark amber-colored and glass if you plan to use essential oils. You’ll want some labels so you aren’t guessing what is in your bottles when you get ready to use them.
You want some distilled water on hand. You don’t have to buy distilled water though. Just boil some tap water, let it cool, and store it in an airtight container for use.
Finally, it’s easier to mix these cleaning recipes if you have measuring cups and spoons, as well as a few different sizes of funnels for pouring liquids into spray bottles.
There you have your natural cleaning products checklist. You don’t in any way need to buy all this stuff at once. Pick out something you want to start using, and simply buy that. Many of these products will already be in your home, such as baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. These products are very inexpensive when compared to buying cleaning solutions at the store. Then add more of them as your budget permits.
Your health, your pocketbook, and the environment will all thank you!
Be sure and check out our list of articles for more great information on aromatherapy and essential oils.
FAQS:
Q: What are 5 natural cleaning materials?
A: Some natural cleaning materials include vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, hydrogen peroxide, and castile soap.
Q: What is the best natural thing to clean with?
A: This is subjective and depends on personal preference. Some popular natural cleaning materials include vinegar, baking soda, and castile soap.
Q: What are five 5 natural cleaning materials and their use at home?
A: Some natural cleaning materials and their uses at home include vinegar (removing stains, cleaning glass and surfaces), baking soda (deodorizing, removing stains), lemon juice (removing stains, cleaning surfaces), hydrogen peroxide (disinfecting, removing stains), and castile soap (cleaning surfaces, laundry detergent).
Q: How can I clean my house without chemicals?
A: You can clean your house without chemicals by using natural cleaning materials such as vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice. Additionally, you can use microfiber cloths and steam cleaners to clean surfaces without chemicals.
Q: What is the best all-around homemade cleaner?
A: One of the best all-around homemade cleaners is a mixture of vinegar and water. It can be used to clean surfaces, windows, and floors.
Q: What is an easy homemade cleaning agent?
A: An easy homemade cleaning agent is a mixture of equal parts water and vinegar. It can be used to clean surfaces, windows, and floors.
Q: What are some homemade cleaning solutions that smell good?
A: Some homemade cleaning solutions that smell good include a mixture of vinegar, water, and essential oils such as lavender or lemon.
Q: Do homemade cleaners really work?
A: Yes, homemade cleaners can be effective at cleaning and disinfecting surfaces when used properly.
Q: How do you make disinfectant all-purpose cleaners?
A: To make a disinfectant all-purpose cleaner, mix 1/2 cup of hydrogen peroxide with 1 cup of water. You can also add a few drops of essential oils such as tea tree oil for added disinfecting properties.
Q: How do you make homemade cleaning solutions?
A: Homemade cleaning solutions can be made by combining natural cleaning materials such as vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice with water.
Q: What is the best DIY cleaner?
A: This is subjective and depends on personal preference. Some popular DIY cleaners include a mixture of vinegar and water, baking soda and water, and hydrogen peroxide and water.
Q: How to make a homemade natural all-purpose cleaner with vinegar?
A: To make a homemade natural all-purpose cleaner with vinegar, mix equal parts water and vinegar in a spray bottle. Shake well before use.