Because people ask me all the time the following is a list of the products we use to clean our entire house, bathroom, kitchen, floors, laundry, everything….

Vinegar - white distilled
Baking Soda - plain old Arm and Hammer
Dish Soap -
Hydrogen Peroxide
Bac-Out by Bio-Kleen
Bio-Kleen laundry powder
Essential Oils (lemon, peppermint, tea tree, lavender)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Simple Green

That’s it. It should be noted that these are in order - heaviest use to lightest use. If you’re new to cleaning without all the ammonia, bleach and and heavy toxins, here are some ways to get started.

Vinegar is an incredible cleaner. We use it straight out of a spray bottle on our kitchen sinks and counter tops (Formica and stainless), toilets, tub, and bathroom and kitchen floor. We use it diluted with water for the hardwood floors, spot cleaning walls, light switches, railings, cupboard doors, and door frames. A spray of vinegar followed by a spray of hydrogen peroxide is very effective at killing bacteria (for more see this resource) and can be used to clean up after handling raw meat and eggs.

Baking Soda is also a great cleanser, slightly abrasive but not enough to scratch shiny surfaces. Everyone knows that baking soda followed by vinegar keeps drains running clear but try mixing baking soda with mild dish soap and using as a substitute for harsher products. I recently used this on my stop top with amazing results!

Dish Soap There are lots of choices here. We like Dishmate but have also used Mrs. Meyers, Ecover and Seventh Generation. You’ll find these products to be a little less bubbly but just as effective on grease as the more widely used versions.

Hydrogen Peroxide was a big surprise to me as a cleaner. I grew up thinking it was only for scrapes and cuts. Turns out it’s a mild bleaching agent - cleans clothes and kills bacteria. Yep, you can toss a 1/2 a cup or so in for whiter whites and you can spray your cutting boards for easy raw meat/egg clean-up. You can also spray your fresh veggies and give your dish rags a soak. Just make sure to keep it in the brown bottle or a similarly dark container - exposure to light causes Hydrogen Peroxide to decompose faster.

Bio-Kleen Products - We started using Bac-Out when we started washing cloth diapers at home. What is it? It’s an enzyme producing culture that can take care just about any spill, stain or odor caused by an organic source (as opposed to synthetic source). Dirty diapers - no problem. Red wine spilled on the white carpet - no problem. Cat peed on the guest bed - no problem. Mold in the shower - no problem. Really. The stuff is incredible.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil(EVOO) and Essential Oils We use EVOO mostly to cook but mixed with a little lemon essential oil, it makes a fine furniture polish - one that our six year old can make by herself and we don’t worry about the 1 year old getting into it.

A few drops of eucalyptus oil mixed with vinegar in the fabric softener section of our washing machine keeps our towels and cloth napkins mildew free (even when they sit wet for a few days before we get to washing).

So there you have it, you can clean your house, do your laundry and polish your furniture - all with just a few non-toxic products. Got questions? Leave a comment and I’ll address it in another post. Or if you have your own favorite cleaners let us know.

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