Using natural cleaning products for our homes is an important aspect of leading a healthy lifestyle in addition to healthy eating. If we are breathing and ingesting toxic chemicals from our environment then we are never going to be able to achieve health and wellness.

Luckily, more companies are beginning to realize this and are bringing more natural and better products to the market. You can buy safe cleaning products such as those from Seventh Generation but you can also purchase two extremely cheap items from the grocery store and have just as good a natural cleaning product for cleaning kitchen counters and bathrooms.

You can buy just a cheap bottle of vinegar as well. It doesn’t need to be organic since you are not going to be ingesting it.

By using these two products together, you kill 99% of the germs on your surfaces. You should use them separately, one after the other, and spray them on.

I put mine in designated spray bottles (actually I reuse the bottles from Veggie Wash) and clearly label them. I spray the vinegar first, leave it on for a little bit, and then spray the hydrogen peroxide after that.

Do not mix them together as they will not work that way. Once you have left the hydrogen peroxide for a bit, then wipe both of them away. This natural cleaning product can be used to clean any flat surfaces.

Obviously it won’t work too well on vertical surfaces because it will run off. Of course, neither of these substances has any toxicity at all.

Baking Soda

This substance is a powerhouse natural cleaning product. Baking soda can be used as it is for a scouring powder. Just put it in a shaker bottle such as a former Parmesan cheese shaker (glass with a metal lid that has holes in it) and pour it out as needed. Then scrub with a scouring pad.

Baking soda can also be used to clean your silverware the easy way. Just put a sheet of aluminum foil in a stainless steel pan, or your sink if it is stainless steel, and put some baking soda in with it.

Then add your silverware and pout hot water over it. Let it sit until all the tarnish is gone and then rinse it off and you’re ready to use it. The tarnish will stay on the aluminum foil, which you would then discard (don’t recycle it.)

You can also use this bicarbonate of soda (another name for it) as a drain cleaner. Open the drain cover and clean out any visible hair or debris. Then pour in a cup of baking soda and follow that with a cup of apple cider vinegar.

If you remember back to your science experiments in school, this is the way you made your volcano erupt in your science project. It will do the same thing here. After it finishes foaming, leave it for 15 minutes and then flush it with hot water.

White Vinegar

This inexpensive substance is a great all-purpose natural cleaning product. You can put it in a spray bottle with some water and spray it on your windows. Then use a microfiber cloth to wipe it clean. Do not use newspapers as they frequently have toxins in the ink.

You can also add liquid Dr. Bronner’s Castille soap and some optional essential oils if desired, to the vinegar and water combination and use it to clean your floors. This is a safe and non-toxic way to clean your house. Vinegar can also be used as a fabric softener if needed.

Other Options

Liquid Castille soap is a wonderful natural cleaner. I use it as my soap in the shower and I put it in a small bottle and add water to make it half and half. That way it lasts longer.

You can make your own air freshener by putting water and essential oils (available at health food stores) into a plant mister or spray bottle. Then you can choose your own fragrances to suit your taste.

Hydrogen peroxide is a great thing to add to your laundry to disinfect it too. It can be used instead of bleach and is much safer and non-toxic.