20 DIY Natural Cleaning Recipes and Tips

Sometimes you can get the best cleaning results from products you have on hand. Check out these 20 DIY Natural Cleaning Recipes and Tips. 

We are all looking for ways to live a more natural life. However, many times we forgo natrual remedies for chemical products because we think they will be more effective. Yet, if we just use the right products that are more natural and less abrasive you will be able to get things cleaned even better than if you used the more abrasive chemical counter parts. So here’s a great list of  20 DIY Natural Cleaning Recipes and Tips!

1. Dishwasher: Adding a tablespoon of lemon juice to a regular wash can help boost grease cutting power.
2. Scuffed floors: Apply two to four drops of tea-tree oil to the spots. Wipe excess oil with a cloth and rub in distilled white vinegar.
3. Gum-encrusted items: Orange oil is great at removing this sticky offender from various materials. (Don’t worry: It shouldn’t stain fabrics. But do launder immediately.) Apply with a cotton ball.
4. Laundry: Use one cup of lemon juice instead of bleach. It still breaks down stains, whitens fabrics and it leaves a fresh lemon scent.
5. Toilet Cleaner: Sprinkle a half cup of Borax in the toilet bowl, add a cup of lemon juice and ½ cup of vinegar. Let it sit for 10 minutes then scrub as usual.
6. Hard water stains: Pour 2 cups of white vinegar and a half cup of lemon juice into a bottle. Add a quarter cup of dish soap and shake. Soak the stains in this mixture for 30 minutes then scrub away!
7. Spills in the oven: If that casserole bubbles over as you take it out of the oven, pour salt on the spill to soak it up. When the oven is cool, wipe with a damp sponge.
8. Natural Air Freshener: In a saucepan, simmer a quart of water with 1 sliced lemon, 2 tablespoons of rosemary and a dash of vanilla.
9. Natural Furniture Polish: Mix half a cup of lemon juice with a cup of olive oil into a spray bottle. Mist onto furniture surface and wipe clean.
10. Microwave degreaser: Combine a cup of water with the juice of half a lemon along with the lemon in a large, microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 3 minutes and remove the bowl. Use the mixture to wipe down the inside of the microwave until clean.
11. Greasy pots and pans: Sprinkle salt on cookware to absorb excess grease. Dump out the salt before washing as usual. (Not recommended for nonstick cookware.)
12. All-purpose cleaning: Mix the juice from 1 lemon with 2 cups of warm water, a half cup of white vinegar and 5-10 drops of lemon essential oils. Transfer the mixture into a spray bottle, shake and spray to wipe clean surfaces.
13. Laundry: Use one cup of lemon juice instead of bleach. It still breaks down stains, whitens fabrics and it leaves a fresh lemon scent.
14. Greasy pots and pans: Sprinkle salt on cookware to absorb excess grease. Dump out the salt before washing as usual. (Not recommended for nonstick cookware.)
15. BBQ Grills: Cut a lemon in half and dip it in salt. Use the lemon to scrub the barbeque grill to remove stains.
16. Remove rust stains: The acid in lemons helps remove rust stains. Sprinkle salt on the rust stain and rub with half a lemon. Allow it to sit for an hour, scrubbing periodically, and rinse.
17. Cutting Boards: To remove tough food stains from light wood and plastic cutting boards, slice a lemon in half, squeeze onto the soiled surface, rub, and let sit for 20 minutes before rinsing.
18. Floors: You can mop almost any type of floor with a solution of ¼ cup liquid Castile soap and 2 gallons warm water. If the floors are greasy, add ¼ cup distilled white vinegar to the bucket. leather upholstery: Add 2 drops liquid Castile soap to 1 quart warm water. Apply to the leather with a barely moist sponge.
19. DIY Disinfecting Wipes (Clorox Wipes Natural) Hack: Cut up an old shirt into squares and soak in mixture of 1 Cup of water and 2 TBLS of Castile Soap with Tea Tree oil. Dr. Bronner’s Fair Trade & Organic Castile Liquid Soap makers a great one.
20. DIY Natural Fabric Softener :Mix 3 c White Vinegar, 1/4 c Rubbing Alcohol (or vodka), 20 drops of Essential Oil such as Tea Tree or lavender) Mix in a container and use in softener dispenser.

Looking for other great tips? Check out this Laundry Stain Removal Tips graph below. Click on this link to download your own copy to print out and use at home!