How to Clean Your House Naturally

If you’re interested in low waste and finding new ways to be sustainable in everyday life then no doubt you’re probably thinking about how you can clean your house naturally too.

This part of my home life was something I wanted to change quite early on in my zero waste journey but it took a bit of trial and error to get it right so I wanted to share my top 10 essentials for keeping a naturally clean home.

• Bicarbonate of Soda / Baking Soda.
  This has to be the top of the list. It is so good for a lot of situations and I cannot do without it. I can get hold of it from my local supermarket and it comes in a small card box. I mainly use it for cleaning the sinks (both bathroom and kitchen), the bath and the shower and our ceramic hob but it’s also useful for cleaning up stains on stainless steel pans, tea stains on the inside of mugs and making your cutlery all shiny again. I just sprinkle it straight onto the area and scrub with a hemp cloth. It’s gently scrubby without being abrasive so it’s perfect for getting all these things clean without scratching the surfaces. I also use it for making our natural deodorant.

• Citric Acid
  This is super helpful for cleaning toilets. Before zero waste, I used to use bleach and I struggled for a long time to find something that would do anything similar. After a lot of research I came across citric acid. It works well with hard water which we have here in Cyprus and keeps the toilets looking white. How I use it: First I pour hot water from the kettle into the bowl of the toilet. Make sure you pour it into the water to avoid the risk of cracking the bowl. Then sprinkle citric acid into the water and around the bowl. Leave it for 15 mins. Then sprinkle bicarbonate of soda in the same places. It will fizz for a while. Leave it for another 15 mins. Then scrub with the brush.

• Vinegar
  I buy white vinegar in 4L plastic bottles. I think this is better than buying smaller amounts in glass due to the fact that glass production is quite resource intensive. Also, I can reuse these large bottles for something else. I currently have a plan to turn one into a watering can but that’s a whole other blog post. :)
  Vinegar is my substitute for multipurpose cleaning sprays. I make a mix of water and white vinegar (4:1) and pop into an old spray bottle. It’s great for cleaning your worktops, the glass doors in the shower, windows and mirrors. I also use it for cleaning our non organic fruit and veg.

• Orange Peels
  I love using orange peels to make my vinegar solutions smell yummy! I save up orange peels, cut them up into segments and pop them into an old jar. Fill the jar with vinegar all the way to the top and close the lid. Leave it in a cool, dark place for a couple of weeks until the natural oils of the orange peels have seeped into the vinegar. I then use this to make my vinegar spray.

• Old Toothbrushes
  I save all our old wooden toothbrushes to be reused for something else. They’re so handy, not only as plant labels but also for cleaning all those difficult to get to places. I use them to clean any kind of grout (in the kitchen and the bathroom), the grooves in the draining board, the cutlery section of the drying rack, around drain holes, around the base of our taps etc anywhere! Basically, anywhere that is difficult to clean, I try cleaning it with a toothbrush and it usually works. :)

• Tea Tree Oil
  This is an odd one and really worth mentioning. It took me a long while to figure this one out so I really want to share it with you. Ever wondered how to get the grout in the shower clean? Well, this is the answer. I’m telling you! It sounds like it wouldn’t work but it does! In a small dish, make a paste of natural washing up liquid, bicarb, water and a couple of drops of tea tree oil. Be sure to open the windows in the bathroom, the smell can be a bit strong after a while. Apply the paste to the grout and leave it for about 15 mins. Take an old toothbrush and scrub the grout with the paste and rinse off. The first time I did this it was like magic!

• Hemp Cloths
  I know I’m biased but I love using my hemp cloths to clean with. It makes me super happy that they’re completely natural and can be composted once they’ve worn out. I use them to clean the bathroom, scrub the sinks, mop up small spills from the floor, wipe the worktops and wash my dishes.

• Coconut Scourer
  These are so good! I use these in combination with my hemp cloths/sponges to clean my dishes. They are great for cleaning pots and pans as they are scrubby but non scratch. I also think they’re great for scrubbing our stainless steel draining board and sink. This with some bicarb works a charm.

• 100% Cotton Upcycled Cloths
  The best thing I’ve found to use as a duster is a 100% cotton towel. If you have an old one that you can cut up then that is perfect. It resembles a microfibre cloth and collects dust like they do but without being plastic. I also use a piece of an old 100% cotton shirt I used to have as a cleaning cloth for the toilet. If the thought of using the same cloth every time to clean the toilet grosses you out, it’s only because we’ve become used to cleaning and throwing dirty things away. Instead, I’ve switched to using this one cloth. I only use it for the toilet and nothing else. Always start with a clean cloth, spray the areas of the toilet you want to clean with the vinegar solution and wipe clean with this cloth. Then immediately wash it in the bathroom sink with laundry detergent and hang to dry so your cloth is clean and ready for next time. Easy!

• Crochet Hooks
  Yes! That’s correct. It’s not a typo :D I’ve saved a small crochet. hook, I think it’s a 2mm hook, for clearing out the drains. If you’re drains are blocked, before reaching out for those liquid drain cleaners that are full of horrid substances, try using a crochet hook first. This might sound gross but sometimes they are clogged with hair and the best way to unclog it is to remove the hair. The easiest way I’ve found to do that is to use a small crochet hook that fits inside the plug hole and can reach in and grab whatever is there and pull it out.
  If that fails and there is nothing there to grab try pouring some bicarb into the hole followed by some vinegar. Leave it to fizz for a bit, this will help to loosen anything thats clogging it up and then pour some boiling water down it. This usually sorts it out for me.

What natural products do you use to clean with? I would love to know if you use something different to what I’ve mentioned above. Let me know in the comments below.