by Amanda Roberts

Created on: June 02, 2009   Last Updated: June 03, 2009

Do you want a cabinet full of bottles and cleaners? Do you want to worry about your toddler licking the glass door you just cleaned (you know kids have done worse) and tasting glass cleaner? Do you want your dog to get a rash and have to wonder what is causing it? No one wants to make their life to be more difficult, so why do we insist on having a different cleanser for each and every spot? The benefit to common sense natural cleaning is that you don't need a million cleaners to keep your house in order; all you need are a few basics and the right recipes.

Your needs depend on what you are cleaning, but some good things to always have on hand are baking soda, lemon juice, white vinegar, Borax, sponges, dish towels, and dish soap.

Windows: You start cleaning any window by wiping down the obvious dirt with a wet dish towel. Sticky or greasy residue on windows can be cleaned easily with some dish soap and some scrubbing with a sponge. When you have cleaned the obvious dirt from the surface of the window, a 40-60 solution of water and vinegar will clean the windows. Use old newspaper to dry the windows without leaving any streaks.

Stove: If you have a greasy stove top, the best thing to clean them is simple dish soap. Think about it, dish soap was designed to cut through grease and grime, so why not use it on your stove top? A little water and some dish soap with a good scrubbing from a sponge will eliminate the grime for a fraction of the cost of a dedicated stove top cleaner. Be careful not to use too much water, otherwise you will end up using multiple dish towels to mop up the excess.

Sinks, tubs, toilets, and counter-tops: It might seem funny, but these four things use the same cleaning methods. As always, use a wet dish cloth to wipe up any obvious dirt, crumbs, or toothpaste. Baking soda with a little vinegar (look for a paste consistency of more baking soda than vinegar) can be left on major stains. Let the paste sit for twenty minutes to an hour and then scrub the area. The baking soda will act as an abrasive to scrub off residue. Salt can also be used as a rougher abrasive and is very effective. If the vinegar smell is too strong, you can mix it with lemon juice to mask the smell.

Laundry: Biodegradable laundry detergents and "free and clear" detergents are great. Beware of "stain repellent" detergents as they have added chemicals that can add a film to your clothes. If you want to super charge your laundry, you can add Borax, a simple laundry additive that is found in most super markets in a green box near the laundry aisle. The directions for laundry applications are right on the box and will do your laundry a load of good. If you have pet odors that just will not come out of clothes, look for an enzymatic cleaner (usually on the bottom shelf of the laundry aisle) that will literally eat the odor away.

Pets: The biggest problem with pets is the worry of fleas. This is where Borax comes in handy again. Make a paste of Borax and water and use it as a flea shampoo for your pets. In addition, take some Borax and sprinkle it in your yard. This will repel fleas and is non-toxic to animals.

General odor fighting: If you have any odor issues in your refrigerator, in your carpets, etc., the answer is baking soda. A dish of baking soda (or the convenient "fridge packs" sold in grocery stores) in the refrigerator or freezer will eliminate odors of old food left over. Baking soda sprinkled on carpets, left to sit for a couple hours and then vacuumed up will suck up the odor from your carpets for less than a dollar.

Save money, stay healthy, and clean naturally.

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