I absolutely love cleaning my home with natural products like vinegar, baking soda, and lemon. Not only are they inexpensive and easy to find, but they really work! I’ve been able to get my home sparkling clean without using a single toxic chemical.
Why Use Vinegar, Baking Soda, and Lemon for Cleaning
There are so many great reasons to use vinegar, baking soda, and lemon as my go-to cleaning products:
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They’re natural. Vinegar is made through the natural fermentation of ethanol, baking soda is mined from natural mineral deposits, and lemons are freshly picked from lemon trees. I don’t have to worry about exposing myself or my family to scary lab-created chemicals.
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They’re inexpensive. I can buy large containers of distilled white vinegar and baking soda for just a few dollars at my local grocery store. Lemons are usually pretty affordable too. The cost savings compared to brand-name cleaners really adds up!
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They’re multipurpose. I only need to stock a few staple ingredients, rather than a different specialized cleaner for each task. Vinegar, baking soda, and lemon can be used almost anywhere in my home.
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They’re effective. While they’re natural, don’t underestimate the cleaning power of vinegar, baking soda and lemon! With just a little elbow grease, they can erase tough grime and leave surfaces sparkling.
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They’re non-toxic. I never have to worry about the corrosive fumes or health risks from traditional chemical cleaners. Vinegar, baking soda and lemon are much gentler for me, my family, and my pets.
Cleaning with Vinegar
Distilled white vinegar is my number one natural cleaning ingredient. Here are some of the ways I use it around my home:
Kitchen Cleaning
- I mix vinegar with water in a spray bottle and use it to clean countertops, appliances, the inside of my refrigerator, and other surfaces. The acidic vinegar disinfects and deodorizes as it cleans away grease and grime.
- To clean my stainless steel sink, I spray vinegar and wipe down with a microfiber cloth. The vinegar helps dissolve soap scum and hard water stains. It leaves my sink looking shiny and brand new!
- I place my coffee maker carafe full of vinegar on a brew cycle every month to dissolve built-up coffee residue and disinfect the machine.
Bathroom Cleaning
- To remove soap scum from my shower and bathtub, I spray straight vinegar and let it sit for a few minutes before scrubbing and rinsing clean.
- For mineral deposits around faucets and drains, I pour straight vinegar on the deposits and let it soak before scrubbing the deposits away.
- I keep a spray bottle of diluted vinegar by the toilet to disinfect and remove grime.
Other Cleaning Uses
- I add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle when doing laundry to act as a fabric softener and static cling reducer.
- A 50/50 vinegar water solution sprayed on windows helps remove streaks and greasy fingerprints.
- I mix a tablespoon of vinegar with water in a small bowl and use it to clean stainless steel and other metals, wiping it on with a soft cloth. The vinegar helps restore shine.
- I toss a cup of vinegar in the bottom of my dishwasher once a month to disinfect and deodorize the machine.
As you can see, vinegar is an endlessly versatile natural cleaner for most areas of my home. It cuts through grease, kills germs, removes deposits and odors, and leaves everything sparkling!
Cleaning with Baking Soda
Like vinegar, baking soda has a huge range of cleaning applications around my house:
Kitchen Cleaning
- For a gritty paste to scour tough baked-on grime, I mix baking soda with just enough water to form a thick paste and apply it to the dirty spot before scrubbing.
- To deodorize my refrigerator and freezer, I place open boxes of baking soda inside them. The soda absorbs funky odors.
- A baking soda paste lightly rubbed on my stainless steel appliances helps buff out streaks and fingerprints, leaving them looking polished.
- I use baking soda and vinegar together for an extra-powerful kitchen sink drain cleaner. First I pour baking soda down the drain, followed by vinegar – the chemical reaction breaks up gunk!
Bathroom Cleaning
- For scrubbing tile and grout, I sprinkle baking soda on a damp sponge or brush and scrub. The abrasive soda loosens soap scum and brightens grout.
- I make a thick paste of baking soda and water and apply it to rust stains in my tub or sink overnight. By morning the stains scrub off easily.
- To freshen my carpets I liberally sprinkle baking soda and let it sit for an hour before vacuuming up. It absorbs odors from pet accidents or sweaty feet.
Other Cleaning
- I fill old socks with baking soda and tie them off to make odor absorbers for my car, gym bag, or laundry hamper.
- I mix baking soda into a paste and use an old toothbrush to scrub jewelry, lifting away tarnish and dirt from crevices.
- For light scrubbing on walls and baseboards, baking soda on a damp sponge does the trick to clean away dirt.
Baking soda is an amazing deodorizer, polisher, and stain-fighting cleaner for so many home applications. I especially like using it with vinegar – talk about cleaning power!
The Power of Lemon
Lemons are another natural cleaning superstar. Here’s how I harness the cleaning power of lemons:
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For bleaching stains on clothes or towels or removing stains from plastic food containers, I apply straight lemon juice to the stain and place the item in direct sunlight. The sun and acid in the lemon juice naturally brighten and disinfect.
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I cut a lemon in half and scrub copper kitchenware with the cut side. The acid in the lemon lifts tarnish quickly. Rinse thoroughly afterwards.
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I add a quarter cup of lemon juice to my laundry for a natural bleach boost that also provides a light, fresh scent.
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For hard water stains on faucets or shower heads, I rub a lemon wedge directly on the stains. Let it soak for 10 minutes before rinsing clean. The citric acid breaks down mineral deposits.
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I deodorize my garbage disposal by running lemon peels through it while flushing with cold water. The lemon smell overrides funky odors.
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I mix lemon essential oil with vinegar or water to make lemon-scented natural cleaners. The cheerful lemon fragrance beats harsh chemical fumes!
Lemons are a great natural bleaching agent, deodorizer, and cleaning acid for so many needs. I love keeping plenty on hand!
My Favorite Natural Cleaning Recipes
Now that you know the basics of how I use vinegar, baking soda, and lemons for cleaning, here are a few of my very favorite DIY natural cleaner recipes:
All-Purpose Cleaner
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 1/4 cup baking soda
- Lemon essential oil (for fragrance)
- Water
Mix ingredients into a spray bottle and fill with water. Shake before use and spray on surfaces, wiping clean with a cloth. The vinegar disinfects while the baking soda scours away grime. Smells lemony fresh!
Scrubbing Cleaner Paste
- 1/4 cup baking soda
- 5-10 drops lemon essential oil
- Just enough water to make a paste
Mix ingredients into a thick paste. Apply paste to tiles, grout, appliances, etc with a scrub brush or sponge. Let sit briefly before scrubbing away grime and rinsing clean.
Disinfecting Wipes
- Paper towels
- White vinegar
- Water
- Several drops lemon oil (optional)
Soak paper towel sheets in a mixture of 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water. Add lemon oil if you want a fresh scent. Use wipes to clean and disinfect surfaces.
Why I’ll Never Go Back to Chemical Cleaners
After discovering the incredible cleaning power of simple, natural ingredients like vinegar, baking soda and lemons, I can’t imagine returning to harsh chemical cleaners! These plant-based products are affordable, safe, multipurpose, and super effective. I’m so glad I made the switch to natural cleaning. My home has never been cleaner or healthier!
