How to clean using just 5 eco-friendly (and cheap) cleaners

Today, let’s talk about how you can clean your entire living space using just five eco-friendly (and cheap) cleaning ingredients.

I know, it sounds crazy. If you wheel your cart down the cleaning product aisle today, it might make you think you need a different cleaner for your kitchen and bathroom, a “deep” cleaner and “every day” cleaner, a cleaning wipe for the sink and a cleaning spray for the shower. The list goes on. I am here to tell you: it is way more simple than that!

Ok, let me start at the beginning. A few years ago, I moved from Boston to Dallas. I had to throw away tons cleaning products before the move (I mean, so many). So, when I got to Dallas, I started to do some research and went through a household cleaning revolution. I decided to stick with five eco-friendly, inexpensive cleaning products.

So, let’s talk about 5 eco-friendly (and cheap) cleaners you can use:

Cleaner #1: White vinegar.

Oh, the possibilities with vinegar. At a few cents per pint, it’s a remarkably cheap cleaning ingredient. It kills bacteria. It takes away odors. It pairs with baking soda to get out stains. You can mix it with water (1:2 ratio) and spray it on everything* PLUS the kitchen sink. It can work on pretty much all surfaces: from the shower and toilet, to the kitchen sink, to the floors (yep, you can even mop with the stuff). You can also throw it into the wash to get out stinky odors.

*Note: Personally, I don’t use vinegar on my quartz countertops and I use a very diluted version on polished wood surfaces because it’s bit acidic (see item #3 for details),. But, I do use it to clean the chicken coop to keep the royal backyard chickens happy.

Cleaner #2: Baking soda.

This is an amazing cleaning ingredient. Baking soda a great scrubber and stain remover. It works wonderfully with vinegar (remember the vinegar-and-baking-soda volcanos you made as a kid?).You can use it to scrub the tub and sink. Use it to brighten your pots and scrub away grease on pans. You can also use it in the wash when you want to brighten your white clothes.

Cleaner #3: Dish soap.

Be particular about your dish soap and go with an eco-friendly brand. You can use it to clean dishes (of course). It also works great when mixed with a bit of water to wipe down kitchen countertops. And, you can use it as a mild pesticide: submerge 1 chopped jalapeño peppers in 4 cups of water and stick the mixture in the fridge for a couple of days, then add a few drops of dish soap, strain out the peppers, and spray the mix on your garden veggies.

Cleaner #4: Laundry detergent.

If you are like me and have sensitive skin, using a green laundry detergent is key. I don’t use it for anything else but to clean my clothes, towels, and sheets… but boy does it work!

If you are super sensitive, you can look for the detergent that’s free of fragrance (even natural fragrance can be irritating to sensitive skin).

Cleaner #5: Borax.

My mom recently turned me on to borax. She said it can be used in applications similar to baking soda. For example, I had a white table cloth with stains that WOULD NOT come up. I added borax to the wash, and voila! The stains were gone.

What cleaning ingredients do you use? Let me know in the comments!

How to clean

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