Natural cleaning products (aka ‘green’ cleaning products) you buy at the supermarket may be perfectly safe to use in your home, but you’re likely to pay through the nose. Why is Green so much more EXPENSIVE!?

Natural cleaning products do make sense though when it comes to cleaning your home. So we’ve found 8 DIY chemical free cleaning recipes that do the job perfectly!

Making the switch to natural cleaning products is a whole lot cheaper, because you really only need two core ingredients – baking soda and white vinegar. You may even have them in your pantry already.

What’s the deal with baking soda and vinegar anyway? 

White vinegar and baking soda are cleaning partners in crime – natural cleaning products that really do muscle in and work overtime when it comes to cleaning. They can get rid of grease, grime, dirt, mould, baked on stains, odours, and … Just. About. Everything!

Here’s why Baking Soda and Vinegar are so effective for chemical free cleaning …

Baking Soda

Baking Soda (or Bi-Carbonate Soda) is cheap, safe and available everywhere.

• Pure, natural non-toxic product, aka sodium bicarbonate
• Mild alkali that causes dirt and grease to dissolve easily in water
• A mildly abrasive scouring powder
• Neutralises acids in the air, ideal as a deodoriser 
• Effective antiviral agent, especially when used together with vinegar

White Vinegar 

White Vinegar,  just like its cleaning partner Baking Soda is cheap, safe and available everywhere.

• Naturally acidic and non-toxic
• Great natural antifungal and antibacterial disinfectant
• Cuts through grease, soap scum, limescale and more 
• Famous for being an excellent glass cleaner

8 Easy DIY Natural Cleaning Recipes

Try these recipes using baking soda and white vinegar for cleaning, you’ll find they work just as well as chemical cleaners, and in most cases even better!
1. Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner 

This All-Purpose Cleaner recipe includes essential oils for their disinfectant properties and because they make it smell lovely and fresh.

Ingredients

• ½ cup white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons baking soda
• 10 drops of tea tree, lavender or lemon essential oils
• Clean spray bottle 
• Oates All Purpose Cloth

Method

1. Mix vinegar, essential oils with a little water in a clean spray bottle 
2. Add baking soda, then fill to top with water. 
3. Gently shake to mix ingredients.
4. Spray surface and wipe with an Oates cloth.

The Oates All Purpose Cloth contains antibacterial properties that help inhibit the growth of germs and odours in the cloth enabling it to stay fresher for longer. This cloth works well with natural cleaning products.  Great for mums with young children who need to be extra vigilant about germs!

2. Toilet Cleaner

For a sparkling white, clean toilet pour 1 cup of  undiluted white vinegar around the top of the toilet bowl, scrub until clean. For hard water stains, sprinkle 1 cup of baking soda into the bowl, pour in 1 cup of white vinegar. Put the lid down and leave for 30 minutes. Scrub and brush using Oates Premium Stainless Steel Toilet Set. 

3. Shower Cleaner 

Use this natural shower cleaner to clean and disinfect the bathtub, tiles, toilet, sink, and even the bathroom floor.

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons baking soda
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• Juice of 1/2 lemon or 15 drops lemon essential oils (optional)
• Clean spray bottle

Method

1. Pour the water and vinegar into the spray bottle. 
2. Add the baking soda and shake gently to combine all the ingredients.
3. Add the juice of 1/2 lemon or some drops of essential oils for fragrance.
4. Spray surface and wipe with an Oates Microfibre cloth.

4. Safe Cleaning

Whenever you are cleaning, it’s importnat to ensure there is no cross contamination as you whiz around the house cleaning. Look for Colour Coded Cloths from Oates which mean you can designate certain colours to certain zones of your home.  Write yourself a note inside your cleaning supplies cupboard so you remember between cleans!

4. Tile Grout Cleaner 

Mix 1 part water and 3 parts baking soda into a paste. Apply to grout and let sit for 5 minutes, scrub with an Oates Grout Brush, and rinse with water.

5. Oven Cleaner 

This effective, natural oven cleaner is made from a paste of 3 tablespoons of baking soda and 1.5 tablespoons of water. Apply paste to the oven. Leave for 20 minutes then wipe clean. See how effective this oven baking soda cleaning method is when a mum puts it to the test. 

6. Dishwasher Cleaner

To rid a dishwasher of stinky smells all you need is white vinegar for cleaning. Fill a dishwasher safe bowl or jar with 2 cups of vinegar and set on the top rack of the dishwasher. Run through on a hot cycle with no other dishes in the dishwasher. 

7. Microwave Cleaner

It’s quick and easy to have a clean oven with vinegar steam. Half fill a glass bowl with 1 part water and 1 part vinegar. Place bowl in microwave on high for 10 minutes. Wipe out grime with a damp Oates All Purpose Cloth available at Woolworths.

8. Window & Glassware Cleaner

A homemade window cleaner uses just half vinegar and half water in a spray bottle. The acidity in the vinegar cuts through dirt and leaves windows and glassware streak-free. Once you’ve experienced cleaning windows with vinegar you’ll never go back to that bright blue, chemical stuff.

Make the job of cleaning windows even easier with an Oates Soft Grip Window Squeegee – a quick clean for a beautiful streak free finish!

This natural window cleaning solution also works perfectly for Cloudy Glassware. Watch the hack below then grab an Oates Glass Cleaning cloth from the Oates 4pk Microfibre Cloth Cleaning Kit.  This cloth is also ideal for cleaning mirrors for a beautiful fresh and streak-free finish.

What are your favourite natural cleaning products and tips? SHARE with us in the comments below!