Want a clean home without using a lot of store bought cleaners? Don’t miss these easy, frugal, natural cleaning tips that really work.
(Please note, these are methods I use in my own home. Please be sure to carefully test any surfaces in an inconspicuous area first. No cleaning technique can completely sanitize any surface, and you may need to use stronger cleaners to kill viruses.)
Natural Cleaning Tips That Really Work – Kitchen
Kettles and Stainless Steel Saucepans
I can’t bear using those packets full of chemicals to de-scale our kettle. Try my natural cleaning tip instead! Pour about 8 ounces (250 ml) of plain white vinegar in the bottom of the kettle, fill with water, boil and rinse thoroughly. Follow with plain water in the kettle and re-boil it a couple of times just to avoid any residual vinegar taste. If your kettle is still not scale free at this point, repeat the whole process one more time.
Similarly, if your stainless steel saucepans get that funny bloom of colour, you don’t need to buy a chemical cleaner. Simply wipe with plain white vinegar and wash with hot soapy water.
Dishwashers
Instead of using a store-bought chemical mixture, simply toss about a cupful of plain white vinegar in the bottom of your dishwasher and also place a small glass container full of vinegar in the top tray. Run the dishwasher without any other dishes in it on the hottest setting.
To freshen your dishwasher between cleanings, pop a leftover lemon half in the cutlery basket during the wash. This will freshen your dishwasher and help glasses to sparkle. (Use each lemon half only once and then discard.)
Fridges
Dissolve a couple of generous tablespoons of baking soda in a large bowl of warm water. Use this mixture to wipe down the interior of your fridge using a clean sponge.
Stainless Steel
Just a tiny bit of baby oil polished over your stainless steel appliances with a clean cloth can make them gleam. (Be sure to test in a small inconspicuous area of the appliance first.) I use baby oil on my extractor fan, double oven and even on stainless steel sinks.
Natural Cleaning Tips That Really Work – Around The Home
Windows and Glass
My favourite natural cleaning tip for windows and glass is to put a fifty-fifty mix of vinegar and cold water in a spray bottle to clean windows and glass. Spray and wipe with a clean cloth. Polish with a fresh, dry cloth. Microfibre cloths work particularly well for this.
Door Handles, Fridge and Cupboard Handles
Put a fifty / fifty mixture of water and rubbing alcohol (surgical spirit) in a spray bottle. Then simply spray door handles and wipe clean. Test on an inconspicuous spot first if your doorknobs are made of special materials.
Shower Doors
To help prevent limescale from building up and keeps your shower doors sparkling between cleanings, run a window squeegee over the shower doors when you finish showering. We have squeegees in all our showers, and encourage everyone to use them.
Natural Cleaning Tips – Drains
To freshen drains, pour a small box of baking soda into the drain and flush with hot water. Please note, this will NOT de-clog drains.
I hope you find these natural cleaning tips as effective as I do to help clean freshen your home.
Love these tips. I can not wait to put some of them to use!
Thank you, Angela! I find them really useful 🙂
I love these tips April! I was advised to use WD-40 to clean my stainless steel appliances, but baby oil will definitely smell nicer!
Thank you, Leslie! I’ve heard you can use WD-40 to clean up rusty edges of radiators as well, but I’ve never tried it. The baby oil does smell nice for stainless steel 🙂
I pinned this for future reference. I’ve just been trying to clean the scale off my two most-used saucepans. I will have to try this method.
Thank you for pinning, Barbara. I hope the method will work for you. It has definitely worked for me on that bloom saucepans get. I hope that it will help with the scale issue. Have a lovely week.
Great tips! I do the vinegar in the dishwasher once in a while. I need to try the lemon!
Thank you, Marie!