Everyday Natural Cleaning Products on a Budget: My Top 3
I never thought about the effects of chemicals on our bodies until we had a young child.
It dawned on me that products I was using to clean our house should be safe enough for my son to ingest since he was licking the windows and playing in the bathtub. As a new mom on maternity leave, I quickly searched for natural cleaning products on a budget.
I am inherently a clean person, where I enjoy a tidy and neat space, and everything has it’s place.
Each room had a day of the week to be cleaned, and I had a cleaning product for every task. I was a die hard Windex fan. Windex on EVERYTHING. The toilet bowl, the mirrors, the windows, and the countertop. (I know, probably not the best for our countertops, but it just smells so clean!) We also have a white porcelain kitchen sink (yes, the farmhouse kind) and I thought Comet would be the only thing that would get rid of the coffee stains and grime.
Compromising on cleaning power was also not an option. I mean who wants to be scrubbing and scrubbing, or leaving things soak all night. Not me! So I was reluctant to go ‘all-in’ on natural cleaning products because I had this pre-conceived notion they just wouldn’t work.
I mean why would Windex and Comet be invented if their predecessors did just as good of a job? (*cough* *cough* Capitalism).
But I was eager enough to create my own natural cleaning products because:
I wanted to save a little cash.
Not have to worry about my child ingesting any harsh chemicals.
Starting Out Small
You don’t need to go ‘all-in’ on any natural cleaning products right off the bat. I also was reluctant to go ‘all-in’ at the beginning just because of the cost of switching all my cleaning products. But I switched to everyday natural cleaning products on a budget that worked for me.
My suggestion would be to take your most used chemical cleaner (for me it was Windex), and switch that out with it’s natural alternative.
When I began searching for ‘cleaner’ everyday natural cleaning products, many brands were not available in Canada. A lot of brands were also focusing on ‘less-waste’ products (ie. refillable tablets), which is definitely a great waste-reduction model (save planet Earth!), but wasn’t for me. I really wanted to understand what ingredients were going into my cleaning products.
So here’s what I started with first:
Natural Product (Manufactured Cleaner)
Glass Cleaner (Windex)
All-Purpose Cleaner (Windex)
Multi-Purpose Scouring Powder (Comet)
The Ingredients & Supplies
So what ingredients are going into my cleaning products?
Vinegar
Water
Baking Soda
Salt (not iodized)
Essential Oils for scent (if that’s your jam)
* The difference between washing soda and baking soda, is in the chemistry. Washing soda is ‘sodium carbonate’. Baking soda is ‘sodium BIcarbonate’.
Supplies:
Spray bottles (find glass, or remove labels from existing bottles you have at home)
Re-sealable jars (find glass, or reuse bins you already have at home)
Wash Cloths (each for dusting, glass cleaning, and washing)
Going ‘Au-Natural’ With Your Cleaners
If we think about how people cleaned before the invention of manufactured household cleaners, what did people use? They used natural ingredients readily available to them.
The notion that manufactured cleaners are ‘better’, is simply a tactic (although a very clever one) of marketers. What I think people forget about marketing, is that every product on the market, is designed to make our lives easier or to solve a problem, all in an effort to give us back time to do other things.
A lot of people don’t like to clean, so companies decided to make cleaning faster! Like taking the ‘elbow grease’ out of doing the dishes, or cleaning tile in the bathroom by creating a very powerful degreaser. Or leave this foaming chemical on the bottom of our ovens so it dissolves in seconds.
But at the cost of doing things faster, what are we doing to our health? Are we really meant to be breathing in the harsh ingredients found in manufactured cleaners? I don’t have the answer, but for my own peace of mind, I decided to simplify our cleaning routine, by using natural cleaning products instead of chemicals.
They Really Do Work!
I know what you’re thinking, (just like I was!) there is NO WAY these simple ingredients are going to stand up to ‘name brand’ cleaners.
But I’m here to tell you they do!
The first ‘easy’ step I took was to switch out my Windex glass cleaner for simple water and vinegar. I was SHOCKED when it left LESS streaks than Windex! It also didn’t bother my nose when I accidentally inhaled it, and had no qualms when my child got hold of the bottle and started spraying it all over our kitchen – it was only vinegar and water, phew!
Secondly, I switched out my all-purpose cleaner, also Windex, and sometimes Mr. Clean, to a simple recipe (found below) of water, castille soap, and vinegar. You can add a few drops of essential oils for scent, but I am already sensitive to perfumes and essential oils, I opted out. There is some essence of ‘cotton’ fresh I get from these simple ingredients when I clean with them.
The Cleaning Recipes
1. Glass Cleaner
Fill your spray bottle with warm water and add 2 TBS of vinegar.
Shake each time before spraying surface.
Wipe away with clean wash cloth.
Use on: glass, windows, shiny surfaces (chrome), appliances.
2. All-Purpose Cleaner
1 tsp Borax
1/2 tsp Washing Soda
1 tsp Liquid Castile Soap
2 cups Warm Water
Spoon ingredients into a spray bottle, add liquid castile soap, followed by water.
Screw on bottle cap and shake gently until all ingredients are combined.
Use on: countertops, porcelain, bathtub and shower surrounds.
3. Multi-Purpose Scouring Powder
1 cup Baking Soda
1/2 cup Salt (not iodized)
1/2 cup Washing Soda
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl until combined.
I normally double this recipe since I go through it a lot!
Store in re-sealable container.
Shake onto surfaces or on grout lines. Leave on for 5 minutes.
Scrub away with warm water and/or vinegar water.
Use on: porcelain sinks, bathtub and shower surrounds, grout.
Tips
Label your bottles and jars clearly with reusable labels.
Write the recipes for each cleaner on their container for easy refill.
Store them in clear containers so you know WHEN you need to refill.
Be conscious about getting rid of your manufactured cleaners if you’re not using them any more.
Getting Started by Supporting Local
If you’re having trouble taking the leap and doing this all by yourself, there are local resources who currently provide waste-reduction practices and natural cleaning products. Check out these local shops who can get you started with ingredients, supplies, AND products.
Planet Pantry
Package Free, Planet Approved.
Refill Market
Bulk essentials you would recommend to a friend.
