by Toni McKilligan

Created on: May 09, 2008

Natural house-cleaning is becoming increasingly popular and people are always looking for natural cleaning products that will not harm the environment. A trip down the cleaning isle at the local grocery or hardware store is testimony to how important the concept of natural cleaning has become. But don't be fooled by product labels that claim to be all natural. In many cases, this is not the absolute truth. The fact is that house-cleaning can be accomplished without purchasing expensive products. All that is required to keep your home clean are a few very basic and very inexpensive items.

Vinegar and baking soda will do just about everything from removing grease from stove tops, soap scum from bathtubs and grime from windows. Both are natural deodorizers and vinegar is effective for killing mold, bacteria and germs due to its high acidity. A quick Internet search will provide dozens of ways to use baking soda and vinegar for cleaning. They are not only environmentally friendly, they are bank-balance friendly, too.

To help keep fiberglass bathtub and shower enclosures free from spots and soap scum use a little beeswax. First clean the entire tub by sprinkling a bit of baking soda onto a wet sponge or cleaning cloth and scrubbing away any visible build up. Rinse thoroughly and then spray with a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and water. Wipe clean with a dry cloth. Then rub the beeswax onto the walls of the enclosure only using a clean, dry cloth. This is like waxing your car, but you don't rub it completely off. Do not use the beeswax in the actual tub or shower floor. It's slippery! Those areas you will have to clean regularly as usual.

Clean your floors by adding a cup of vinegar and just a drop or two of phosphate-free dish soap to warm water. Mop once! No need for rinsing. Your floors will shine.

Before vacuuming, sprinkle carpets with baking soda and wait 15 minutes. Odors will disappear and your home will smell fresh and clean without extra fragrances or chemical cover-ups.

Dust with a damp cloth! The moisture in the cloth will keep the dust from flying around and re-settling. The cloth does not have to be very wet at all, just wet enough to pick up and hold the dust. You do not want to leave behind a great deal of water on the surface of your furniture. It should, in fact, evaporate almost immediately. Afterward, polish wood surfaces with a bit of olive or sunflower oil on a clean, lint-free cloth. Adding a drop or two of fragrant essential oil to the olive or sunflower oil will give your home a light, clean scent. Citrus, lavender and sandalwood are popular choices, but feel free to experiment and choose an fragrance that appeals to you. Keep this polishing oil separate from your cooking oil if you do add essential oils to it.

For laundry, make your own phosphate-free detergent. It's easy and very inexpensive. Grate one large bar of pure hand soap into two quarts of boiling water and stir to dissolve the soap completely. Pour this mixture into a clean 5-gallon bucket that has a tight-fitting lid. Add two cups of Borax and two cups of Super Washing Soda to the bucket and stir to mix thoroughly. Slowly add more water until the bucket is half full. Stir again. Then fill the bucket with more water. Store with the lid on and stir each time you use it. Only 1/4to 1/3 of a cup is needed per load of wash. It will cost you about eight cents per load and it's safe to use on almost all types of fabric.

Natural house-cleaning is not going to make your chores easier, but it can save you tons of money and give you the satisfaction of knowing that you are not harming the environment in the process.

Learn more about this author, Toni McKilligan.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.