How to Clean Without Chemicals

Natural or homemade cleansers offer a variety of benefits, including fewer health risks, lower costs and yet another opportunity to go green. The biggest concerns are germ control and cleansing effectiveness, which can be accomplished without toxic chemicals. Consider these tips to clean without chemicals or to reduce their use in your home.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Baking soda
• White vinegar
• Liquid detergent
• Micro fiber towels
• Olive oil or alternative oil
• Borax
• Isopropyl alcohol

1. Obtain good cleaning supplies such as a quality vacuum cleaner and microfiber towels. Good equipment eliminates the majority of loose dirt and food particles responsible for bacterial growth and makes cleaning easier.

2. Use baking soda to deodorize and neutralize odor, remove stains, cut grease, remove burnt on foods, reduce the need for laundry detergent, and to clean without chemicals around kids and pets. While there are a number of baking soda recipes, most can be simplified into a handful of applications--found in the next step.

3. Apply baking soda directly to a surface to replace any scrubbing cleanser or carpet deodorizer. Let it sit several minutes prior to removal. Make a baking soda paste and apply to stains, grease and scum buildup for several minutes or more. Add a little salt, lemon juice or a few drops of liquid detergent for a cleaning boost. Dilute 1/4 to 1/3 cup baking soda in 1 quart water for a non-toxic child- and pet-safe cleanser.

4. 

   Make vinegar your next best household friend to clean without chemicals on a number of surfaces. White vinegar works best and in full strength kills the majority majority of mildews and molds when left to dry. As a window cleaner use 1 1/2 tbsp. of vinegar per cup of water with a few drops of liquid detergent. For cleaning floors, simply add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of vinegar to 1 gallon of water to eliminate grease and grime on no-wax floors and ceramic tile.

5. Replace furniture polish with natural oil such as olive oil, flaxseed, linseed or essential oil. Combined with vinegar and/or lemon juice, the combination can serve to deep clean wood or provide polish, depending on the oil to vinegar ratio. As this is not suitable for all wood types, a spot-test is essential. As a starting point try eight to 10 drops of oil in 1/2 cup of vinegar for furniture polish. Use three parts oil to one part vinegar for deep cleaning and conditioning. Alternatively, try a commercial preparation such as Murphy's Oil Soap.

6. Disinfect without harsh chemicals by using borax according to instructions or dissolve 1/2 cup of borax in one gallon of water. A 50/50 solution of Isopropyl alcohol and water also makes for a good disinfectant in the bathroom and kitchen.

Tips & Warnings

• Investigate plant oils such as tea tree and eucalyptus for difficult cleaning jobs.
• Add kosher salt to homemade cleansers to provide more grit and scouring action.
• Use baking soda in your laundry and dishwasher to reduce the need for detergents.
• Keep surfaces dry and use ventilation to keep mold and mildew at bay.
• Know that hot water and soap is one of the most effective ways to clean without chemicals and yet kills germs.
• Investigate both commercial and homemade cleanser recipes more carefully when uncertain of their affect on your home and goods.