No Chemical Cleaning – An Easy Way to Start

by Ali on July 16, 2014

I don’t know about you, but there are a lot of things I would love to start doing. Cleaning using less chemicals, eating whole (non-processed) foods and using natural-ingredient beauty products are among those things, but the tasks seems really daunting. How do you start? Small. You start small.

When my oldest was born, I decided I wanted to try cleaning without chemicals. There are lots of products out there that you can buy that at least claim to have few or no chemicals, but it can get expensive, and sometimes the cleaners just don’t work as well. It seemed like a big task to replace all my cleaners with something else, not even knowing if they would work. So, I started small. And you know what I found? Cleaning naturally doesn’t always mean spending a lot! In fact, I actually SAVE money with these simple choices.

Kitchen Cleaner

The first thing I changed was my kitchen cleaner. I clean my kitchen counters at least once a day, so it seemed only logical that the first cleaner I changed was the one I used most often. I started using white vinegar. It’s antibacterial properties make it a great choice, and it’s safe for your family and the environment. Some people dilute the vinegar with water, but it seems to increase streaking, so I don’t dilute it.

One thing I’m not crazy about is the smell of vinegar. You get used to it, but it can still make your eyes water! So, I use essential oils in my vinegar (about 20 drops a bottle), which helps to mask the smell. And, since some essential oils also have antibacterial qualities, you can actually be increasing your cleaning power, depending on which oil you choose to use!

Recipe for Kitchen Cleaner

~24 oz of White Distilled Vinegar

~20 drops of Essential Oils (your choice)

Wood Floor Cleaner

More recently, I replaced my hardwood floor cleaner. I’ve never been happy with the various cleaners I’ve tried on my hardwood floors. A lot of them streak, and some of them leave a residue. So, I started researching homemade cleaners for wood floors. I played with a few recipes and finally came up with one I like using olive oil, vinegar and essential oils. Be careful how much olive oil you use – it can make your floors really oily, which not only feels weird on your feet, but also shows footprints. Depending on the finish of your hardwood floor, you may have to adjust the recipe to find the ratio that works best for you. Also, since olive oil can go rancid, only make what you need for the task and throw any remainder out.