Cleaning products used to be harsh and made your house smell like everything had been disinfected. Luckily these days are long gone and lots of companies have started to produce beautiful, eco- and family friendly detergents and scrubs. However in my quest to declutter as much as I possibly could – including the pantry and under the sink cleaning storage – there was still this nagging feeling in me that there might be a simpler way to make my house sparkle. Bicarb Soda and White Vinegar was already a staple and I began to wonder what else was actually needed and how I could simplify the process. Cleaning is enough tedious as it is, without a stack of different bottles to keep track of.

Laura Trotta is such a knowledgable resource when it comes to anything ecofriendly and I loved her videos on how to clean with food. That kicked off the review of my own cleaning supplies and how I could possibly do more with less.

Here are the 5 things that I now keep on hand to clean the house:

Bicarb Soda

  • To scrub the bathtub or sink, make a paste with water.
  • To clean your drain, pour some down, followed by hot water and vinegar.
  • To deodorize, simply leave a bowl full in the room/the fridge.

Lemons

  • To scrub the chrome tubs in the sink or shower, take half a lemon dipped in salt and scrub it!
  • To make your dishes sparkle, leave half a lemon (that you’ve squeezed to use for something else) in the top rack of the dishwasher
  • To brighten up old chopping boards, dip half a lemon in salt and scrub it. Finish it by rubbing in some olive or orange oil to nourish the wood. It will thank you for it!

Salt

  • See above!
  • To clean a coffee stained mug, make a paste with some dish soap and salt.

White Vinegar

  • Mix it with hot water and a few drops lemon essential oil to create your own fridge spray.
  • For a window and mirror cleaning spray, mix one part vinegar with one part water.
  • For an allpurpose cleaning spray mix one part vinegar with one part wanter and add a few drops of your favourite essential oil. For example mint, lavender or lemon.

Castille Liquid Soap

  • Mix 1 part castille liquid soap to 10 parts water for homemade dish soap.
  • Mix 1 part castille liquid soap to 4 parts water to make your own hand soap.