15 Healthy Ways to Clean Your Home Without Toxic Chemicals (Part 2 of 2)

Using traditional store bought cleaning products can come with two costs. They can be more expensive and they can be harmful. But, you can make your own environmentally friendly cleaning solutions. It only takes a handful of items to clean your kitchen. You probably have most of the items you need already lying around your home.

If you haven't already, check out Part 1.

Here is a list of the items you will need to clean your kitchen naturally:

• White Vinegar
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Fresh Lemons
• Microfiber Cloths
• Baking Soda
• Borax
• Natural Salt
• Rubbing Alcohol
• Essential Oil(s)
• Liquid Castile Soap
• Newspaper
• Spray Bottle

Sinks

Scrub with a natural scouring powder (1 part baking soda , 1 part salt, and 1 part Borax). To make your fixtures shine, you can use rubbing alcohol along with a microfiber cloth and some elbow grease.

Drains

If you have a clogged drain, there are two things you can use, in combination or alone. It depends on how badly your drain is clogged. The first thing is to use boiling water followed by white vinegar. Another option is to pour baking soda down the drain and then follow with white vinegar. A plumber’s snake is very useful to use in combination with either of these remedies.

Microwave

You can use the same natural scouring powder recommended for sinks (1 part baking soda, 1 part salt, and 1 part Borax). An alternative cleaning method requires heat from the microwave to give the process a kick. Place about 8 oz of white vinegar in a glass container. It is important to use a glass container so that the process is not compromised by plastic breaking down. Microwave the vinegar until it boils and you notice vinegar condensation on the walls (about 3-6 minutes depending on the microwave). Let it sit for several minutes. Remove the vinegar container and wipe the sides of the microwave clean with a microfiber cloth.

Stove

Depending on the kind of material your stove is made of, you can use vinegar and warm water or natural scouring powder. Rubbing alcohol can be used to add shine to the components that need it. As an alternative, you can take baking soda and enough hydrogen peroxide to make a paste. Use a brush to apply the paste and then scrub off with a microfiber cloth.

Oven

Wouldn’t you love to clean your oven effectively without the rancid smell of traditional oven cleaners? The good news is you can. Use ½ cup of Castile Liquid Soap and 1 ½ cups baking soda, ¼ white vinegar and a few drops of essential oil. You are going to make a paste that you will paint on the inside of the oven with a paint brush. Let the paste sit overnight or for about 8 hours. Then you can wipe clean with a damp microfiber cloth.

Kettle

Add enough white vinegar to cover any mineral deposits. Bring to a boil. Rinse. Easy!

Pots and Pans

The first step is to fill pans with hot water and let them sit for a minute or two. This will help loosen gunk. Next, add lemon juice and salt and let it the mixture soak for a few minutes more to reach the deep grime. Add more salt and scrub away any burned gunk.

Counter Tops

A warm water and white vinegar solution is the key for this job. If you need to disinfect, add several drops of tea tree oil. Wipe with a microfiber cloth.

There's nothing like a spotless kitchen. It makes cooking and entertaining more delightful. We hope you found our tips useful and plan on adding them to your cleaning regimen. Feel free to post a comment or even share a photo of how you keep your home clean, naturally.