A thorough clean without chemicals? I was a little skeptical. My generation is so used to having a separate product for each room and surface, each flamboyantly packaged in brightly-colored plastic with a long list of hard-to-pronounce ingredients. Can simple household items like baking soda and vinegar really do what those products can? Has science refined the cleaning process or were my grandmother’s tactics just as good?
I decided to give it a try, because I want these posts to be well-researched, and, well, I was running low on some of my go-to cleaning supplies and these things were just sitting in my cupboards.
The results were surprising.

The Kitchen
I started out in the heart of the home - the kitchen. The dishes were crying to be done and instead of reaching under the sink where I hide all sorts of hideous bottles of cleaning products, I used castile soap (pure vegetable-derived soap with no chemicals whatsoever). It didn’t bubble up like I thought it would (I have a bottle of the same soap in the shower and it lathers beautifully) but it definitely cleaned nicely. My glasses came out shiny and streak-free.
I put a small bowl beside the sink with a few tablespoons of baking soda and enough vinegar to make a good paste. It froths and fizzes. I dipped a scrubby pad into the mixture and attacked a pot that had been badly burned. It worked so well that I dug out a pan that had been buried in the back of a cupboard after a particularly bad burn that I had tried in vain to scrub out. A teeny bit of elbow grease later, it looked like new. Near the end, I added a little salt which acts as an abrasive and that seemed to speed it up.

I read that oven cleaners can be particularly toxic and I am going to claim that is why I have been neglecting to clean ours. A suggested alternative is to douse the bottom of the oven with water and then shake baking soda over the entire surface. I’m now letting it set overnight as it said to do (I’ll let you know what I think).

The Bathroom
By now I am quite thrilled with the results I have been getting from baking soda and vinegar so I liberally apply throughout the room. I liked the cleaning products that you can just sprinkle on and walk away, so this approach appeals to me. I was amazed at how well the baking soda and vinegar cleaned. As it foams away, you just know it’s really working. Let it sit for a couple of minutes and you can wipe it off with a sponge.

I found an old empty spray bottle (from a hair product, actually, which has a nice fine mist) and filled it with a mixture of water with a couple tablespoons of vinegar. I sprayed it on the mirror and - get this - wiped it down with newspaper . I had been really skeptical of this tip - I thought the ink would come off, for one. But it didn’t. It actually worked great because it didn’t leave any tissue residue like paper towel would and there were no streaks. I felt like cleaning all of my windows - but I was able to contain my excitement.

This whole natural cleaning process made cleaning the bathroom much more bearable. I could scrub away at the shower without wondering what toxins I was inhaling or worrying about chemicals touching my skin.

These are just a couple of highlights from my spring clean so far but here are some other tips that I want to try:
Drain Cleaner: pour 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain, followed by 1 cup white vinegar and let it foam up for several minutes before pouring down boiling water.
Air Freshener: a shallow dish of baking soda and lemon or an essential oil absorbs odors
Furniture Polish: one part olive oil to one part lemon juice - sponge or spray on and wipe off with a dry cloth

The Basics
Baking Soda - This is my really my new favorite product but it’s not new at all. Take it out of your fridge and put it to work! When mixed with water it forms a slightly alkaline liquid and cuts through grease and dirt almost everywhere. It can also be mixed as a thick paste to be more abrasive to scrub problem stains without scratching.

White Vinegar - It is a natural disinfectant and stain remover. It froths and is particularly effective when in the company of its best friend, Baking Soda

Olive Oil - for polishing

Lemons - The citric acid is perfect for bleaching, disinfecting and cutting grease. What smells cleaner than lemon?

Castile Soap - vegetable-based soap that can be used on its own as a gentle but effective cleaner or with baking soda as a paste.

This is something I’m going to stick with. It’s really a win/win/win situation:
It seems unnecessary to have separate cleaners for each surface in the home and by using basics that you already have and use in the kitchen, you save space in your home and in the landfill.
The chemicals in many commercially-made products are hard on your body and the environment.
Think of the savings - a box of baking soda is less than $2.

Without those toxic fumes, I just might be more inclined to clean!
Might be.

Sources:
Earth Easy: Non-toxic Cleaning
Channel 4: Eco Cleaning
The Daily Green: Easy, Non-Toxic, Green Spring Cleaning
Clean & Green
CBC: Tips For Non-Toxic House Cleaning
Care2: 5 Basics For Non-Toxic Cleaning

For ages I searched for the perfect exfoliating facial scrub. Each overpriced scrub either felt like it was cutting my skin or not doing anything at all. I eventually found one that I actually liked but it was so expensive that I could never bring myself to buy it again.
Then I discovered baking soda. Mix a small amount with your regular cleanser a couple times a week for a gentle but effective scrub (and oh so cheap!).
I thought I would search around to see what other powers baking soda has.

Here are the results of my research
Shampoo:
Add a teaspoon of baking soda to your normal shampoo once in a while to remove buildup from hair products.
You can also use baking soda on its own as a shampoo but over time it will apparently bleach your hair.

Toothpaste:
Sprinkle some baking soda in your palm and dab your wet toothbrush in it and brush your teeth. It helps whiten your teeth, too.

Mouthwash:
Swish a solution of 1 teaspoon baking soda in a half glass of water around your mouth and rinse.

Soothing bath:
Add baking soda to your bathwater to soften your skin (about ½ cup).

Shaving:
Use 1 tablespoon baking soda in 1 cup of water for a preshave treatment or soothing aftershave rinse.

Face wash:
Mix a little with your normal cleanser for a gentle scrub.

Face Mask:
Create a thick paste of baking soda and water and apply to face. Leave on for 3-5 minutes and rinse off.

Baking soda may be able to curb global warming! No, I’m serious. Skyonic has come up with a process called SkyMine that turns gaseous CO2 emissions into solid, stable carbonates - mostly sodium bicarbonate, otherwise known as baking soda.

Sources:

How Stuff Works
Cosmetics From Your Cupboard
Not Martha

CNET news
Skyonic Corporation

Water, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Ammonium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Cocamide Mea, Glycol Distearate, Dimethicone, Ammonium Xylenesulfonate, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Milk, Fragrance, Cetyl Alcohol, Polyquaternium-10, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Benzoate, Disodium EDTA, PEG-7M, Propylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Methylchlorothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Blue 1.

That’s my old shampoo. It’s been sitting in the shower untouched since I read the ingredients a few weeks ago. I find the list unsettling as I have no idea what the majority of those things are and can’t even pronounce some of those chemicals! I’m not alone here. Many people find these lists of chemicals on the products we use to clean ourselves disconcerting but we’re intimidated by the idea of making soap from scratch or just don’t have time.

I encourage you to do your own research and find what’s best for you but you can start out by playing with the following “recipes”.

These use pre-made castile soap as a base. Originally castile soap was made entirely out of olive oil but today it refers to soap made out of any vegetable oil (as opposed to animal fat). This includes coconut, hemp, jojoba and almond oils. You can get 100% olive oil castile soap but some people say it has a slightly slimy texture. Usually a combination of different vegetable oils provide a good texture with a nice lather that gently cleans.
You’ll want to look for “Pure-Castile” to make sure there aren’t any added chemicals.
Check out your local health food store to see what varieties they have.
If you don’t find a suitable one there, you can get Dr.Bronner’s soaps (certified organic and fair trade) online.

The ingredient list of my new shampoo/soap:
Water, Saponified Organic Coconut & Organic Olive Oils (w/ Retailed Glycerin), Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Lavandin Oil, Organic Lavender Oil, Citric Acid, Vitamin E

I feel much better about this list.

You can buy the soaps in solid or liquid form.
If you buy a solid bar and want to make liquid soap from it, finely grate with a cheese grater or food processor until you have 1 cup, firmly packed. Mix the soap with 3 cups of distilled water in a pot. Keep the heat low and stir it constantly until the soap has dissolved.

These soaps are available in different scents - I bought one with lavender. It lathers beautifully and definitely smells like soothing lavender and a little like gin (which is okay with me).

Customizing Your Soap

If you buy a larger quantity of unscented castile soap, you can divide it up. You can use castile soap for everything from shampoo to hand soap to house cleaning so you can pour the same unscented soap into different bottles (nicely labeled with one of our label packs, of course) and add any combination of essential oils to the base to suit your tastes and needs.

Another option if you are starting with the solid bar of soap is using fresh or dried herbs (or even several of your favorite tea bags) and steeping them for 10 - 20 minutes in 3 cups of water, straining the pieces out and then adding the grated soap bits.

For Custom Shampoo

For normal hair, try:
Lavender
Chamomile
Marigold
Rosemary
Red Clover

For oily hair, try:
Nettle leaves
Rosemary
Peppermint
Burdock leaves
Tea tree leaves
Lemongrass

For dry hair, try:
Comfrey root
Red clover
Crushed orange flowers
Lavender
Elder flowers
Chamomile
*Jojoba oil added to the shampoo base.

To get rid of dandruff:
Nettle
Comfrey leaves
Birch and/or white willow barks
Peppermint
Lemongrass

For Custom Hand Soap

You can use basically the same recipe
Add tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil and/or grapefruit oil (in small quantities - no more than a few drops of each) to fight bacteria.
To make it more moisturizing stir in a two or three capsules of vitamin A or E. Or you could add a couple tablespoons of vegetable glycerin in the basic recipe before cooling the liquid.

Enjoy!

Sources:
How To Make Liquid Hand Soap
Homemade Herbal Shampoo
Homemade Shampoo and Conditioner Recipes

Homemade Beauty Products - Safety 101

Dr.Bronner’s Soap