If you think you need strong chemicals to get a house that sparkles, think again. Why use toxic, chemical-laden cleaners when you could use environmentally friendly, cheap common household products that, by the way, you probably already own? Arm your pantry with three items, white vinegar, a lemon, and baking soda, and you’ll be at the ready to clean just about anything.

All About Vinegar
White distilled vinegar is a natural all-purpose cleaner. It’s a mild acid strong enough to cut grease, kill mold, bacteria, and germs, and remove mildew, odors, some stains, and wax buildup. Yet it’s gentle enough to use around the house (and, yes, even in your salads). While the initial scent of vinegar is strong, it dissipates quickly and can be much easier on the nose (and the lungs) than bleach or chemical fumes.

Pure vinegar can be harsh, which is good for some tougher jobs, but it’s most often used diluted by an equal amount of water. A spray bottle filled with this simple solution can clean counter tops, stovetops, toilets, sinks, soap scum, and appliances. Use vinegar instead of commercial window cleaner for a sparkling, streak-free shine; add a half cup of vinegar to your laundry in place of fabric softener; and add a cup of vinegar to an empty dishwasher and run it through a whole cycle to remove hard water and calcium deposits.

Lovely Lemons
The refreshing, invigorating scent of lemons has become synonymous with cleanliness. In fact, many chemical cleaners on the market have a lemon scent. Aside from their purifying smell, lemons provide antibacterial and antiseptic properties that are ideal for cleaning. Lemons will also bring out the sparkle of brass, copper, and even the kitchen sink.

Cut a lemon in half and rub to disinfect a cutting board. Or dip it in salt and scrub your copper pots and pans. When you’re finished, run the lemon through your garbage disposal for a clean, fresh fragrance.

Baking Soda
What do homemade chocolate cake and fresh-smelling garbage have in common? Baking soda. While this leavener is often used in baking, it has many other natural uses. Baking soda cleans, deodorizes, softens water, and scours. It can be used to scrub surfaces in place of abrasive cleansers. Use it to clean silver, remove scuff marks and stubborn stains, scrub the toilet, and freshen a litter box.

Place a box of baking soda in the refrigerator, freezer, cupboard, or anywhere else you need deodorizing action. To avoid clogged drains, pour in one-quarter cup of baking soda and then run hot water once a week. And if a drain does get clogged, pack it with baking soda and add a cup of vinegar to clear the clogs and remove stinky odors. Follow this by running hot water through the pipes.

Once you start cleaning with these three natural cleansers, you’ll never look back. And your house will never feel so good. The cost? Under $5. Keeping Mother Nature green? Priceless.

—Kristen Kancler

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