Basic Household Cleaning Supplies You Need for Spring Cleaning

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The weather here in St. Louis might be completely confused as to what season it’s supposed to be, but I am not. It is spring time, and that means one thing:

Time for spring cleaning.

I much prefer to use natural products around the house, both because they are cheaper and because they are healthier for my children and animals to be around. Now that I have two birds and a lizard, I have to be careful about what kinds of chemicals they are exposed to because their respiratory systems are very sensitive to chemicals.

It’s also very nice that these recipes contain various combinations of a few basic ingredients, most of which are already in my pantry. I love knowing exactly what I’m introducing into the environment around my children.

Basic Household Cleaning Supplies:

White Vinegar

White vinegar is a common cleaner because the acidity can get through grease and grime. It is best diluted 50/50 with water. Avoid using it on more delicate surfaces like marble, limestone, or hardwood floors.

You can use white vinegar on most stovetops, use as a window cleaner, or add about a half cup to laundry to help cut down on any musty or tough smells.

Essential Oils

I wrote about my life as a former MLM essential oils salesperson here. I do still use some essential oils, but no longer diffuse them due to my birds and lizard being sensitive (I also can’t burn incense or candles around them). I like to use lemon or orange essential oil for fragrance in my homemade cleaners.

Castile Soap

In science class, we learn that “like dissolves like.” Castile soap is oil-based – usually olive or coconut – making it gentle on the skin but effective on cutting grease and grime . I use Dr. Bronner’s liquid castile soap for our hand soap (diluted with water in a foam pump), and an unscented Dr. Bronner’s bar soap for our body soap. The same liquid castile soap can be diluted in a spray bottle for an all-purpose cleaner.

One downside to castile soap is that if you have hard water, it can leave soap scum deposits on your sink or shower.

Note: castile soap is not antibacterial, so it will not kill germs, it will only help wash germs away.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is well-regarded as a multi-use product. It has been used throughout the natural living, no-tox world in everything from facial exfoliant to natural deodorant to tub scrub. It’s even an ingredient in my natural tooth powder recipe. I use it for the toughest grime by sprinkling it on a spot and spraying a bit of water. Leave it on to soak for 10-15 minutes and scrub it off.

Borax

I recently discovered the joys of using borax when I used it to strip some clothes I had purchased at the thrift store. Not only was the borax effective at helping to clear out buildup of whatever the previous owners had used for detergent and fabric softener, but I also learned it was a gentle but effective soap scum remover on the tile surround. It worked even better than my usual go-to of Bar Keeper’s Friend powder scrub.

Good Housekeeping has a great article about stripping clothes. After doing this myself, I can confirm that the results will shock you and you will likely feel the urge to strip every article of clothing before you wear it.

To use as a tub and toilet cleaner, simply sprinkle in the tub or on a sponge. Add warm water and scrub gently. Soap scum will dissolve quickly.

Window Cleaner

When I was little, my grandma taught me to use plain vinegar in a spray bottle and wipe down the mirrors and windows with a crumpled up page of newspaper. It leaves the glass with a streak-free shine, but also leaves the room smelling like vinegar.

Now I use microfiber window cleaner cloths, which are strong enough to scrub toothpaste off the mirror (because #children), but leave a streak-free polish.

Wood Polish

Did you know that homemade wood polish not only smells great and is a very effective dusting spray, but also that it helps buff out scratches?

It’s true!

During the packing process from our Iowa-to-Nevada move, we scratched up the floor to our living room in one. long. scratch. down the center of the room.

After I spent over 20 minutes trying to color it in with 4 different colors of crayons, I remembered that olive oil on polished hardwood blends scratches in like normal. And voila, 2 minutes later, the whole room looked brand new. Obviously, this only works on natural hardwood, not vinyl.

Zero Waste Cleaning Supplies

Don’t forget about your other cleaning supplies! Paper towels contribute to deforestation and honestly an unnecessary expense. I much prefer washable options like old socks (awesome for dusting!) or old work t-shirts cut into rag size.

If you have a swiffer-style sweeper, use towels or old jersey knit cotton instead of disposable wipes.

I have a Shark steam mop that came with two washable cloth pads. I can’t find the exact model anymore, but this one is close and has self-cleaning pads.

I love to find ways to make our lifestyle more eco-friendly, zero waste, and healthy. By making our own cleaning supplies we can limit the trash created by the repeated purchase of plastic bottles and containers, limit the exposure of our children’s systems to the harsh chemicals of standard cleaning products, and still ensure a clean living environment for our family.

And when a box of baking soda is around $1, it’s also inexpensive, which I’m all about.

Do you make your own cleaning supplies? Drop a comment with your favorite recipe!

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Non-Toxic Household Cleaning Supplies To Use For Your Spring Cleaning