SUSTAINABLE & MINIMALIST CLEANING ROUTINE: 10 NON-TOXIC HOMEMADE CLEANING PRODUCTS THAT WORK

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Companies have created such a variety of cleaning products that it’s difficult to know what to choose at the store. The choice is overwhelming for people who want to have more of a minimalist cleaning routine! 

There are cleaners for almost anything you can think of in your house!

You can find cleaning products for the oven, for floors, windows, for the bathroom, for the kitchen, for glass, wood, for the stovetop… 

But that isn’t even the real issue.

The main problem with conventional cleaning products is that they are full of toxic chemicals. And these are harmful to our health and the environment! 

Fortunately, you can avoid those conventional products and clean your house using natural, eco-friendly cleaners

And the great thing is that it is so easy to do so! 

That’s an amazing way to create a healthier home for you and your family! 

Continue reading to learn about 10 fantastic non-toxic homemade cleaning products that work (yes, they actually do!). 

You’ll discover 4 amazing natural ingredients and 6 simple recipes you can create with them. 

This blog post contains affiliate links which means that if you buy something through such links, I will get a small commission without any extra cost for you. Please read my Disclosure for more details. 

Minimalist cleaning routine: non-toxic homemade cleaning products that work 

Why you should make your own non-toxic cleaning products 

Conventional cleaners are harmful to your health

The vast majority of conventional cleaners contain hazardous substances that humans shouldn’t be in contact with. 

When you use such products, the air inside of your home becomes polluted.

It accumulates these toxic chemicals that you are then breathing. 

Long-term use of these substances has been proved to cause asthma, allergic reactions, irritation, skin and eye issues, and can even lead to cancer. 

They can harm your immune system, your reproductive health and cause many other health conditions, like heart and lung diseases. 

And it’s important to mention that they’re even more dangerous to babies and children! 

Toxic cleaners are also believed to increase antibiotic resistance, which can bring many other health problems over time. 

Conventional cleaning products are polluting the environment

When we use and dispose of conventional cleaners, we are unintentionally harming the planet.

Chemicals are poured down the drain and they end up in water streams and soil. They also contribute to polluting the air we breathe. 

Another point worth mentioning is that those cleaners are almost always packaged in plastic, or are disposable (like cleaning wipes). 

They’re often non-recyclable, so using them contributes to creating tons of waste.

And they end up in landfills, sitting there for hundreds of years! 

The production process of those cleaners is also contributing to global pollution.

Many contain chemicals that are petroleum-based, which is a non-renewable energy. 

And did you know that most of these products are tested on animals?!

Other benefits of non-toxic homemade cleaning products

In addition to being healthy and good for the environment, natural homemade cleaners have other benefits! 

Conventional cleaners often serve a single purpose.

This means that you need to buy many products to clean your whole house. It can become expensive! 

On the other hand, only buying a few natural ingredients and creating homemade cleaning products is a lot cheaper and they work very well!

That’s a fantastic way to save money

It also means that your cupboards won’t be overflowing with countless products. You’ll have a lot more space in them!

So if you want to practice minimalism in your life and reap all its benefits, this is perfect for you! 

4 natural ingredients I use to clean my whole house

I’ve been trying to have more of a minimalist cleaning routine for a few years now.

I love having only a few ingredients in my cupboards and knowing that they’re all I need to clean my whole house. 

Here are 4 natural ingredients I cannot recommend enough! 

These 4 ingredients are key to create homemade cleaning products that work well.

White vinegar

This one has to be first on this list because it is the natural cleaner that I use the most.

I use it everywhere, especially in the kitchen and bathroom! 

White vinegar is great to clean dirt, grease, mold, and mildew. You can also use it to remove stains and get rid of unwanted odors. 

I love boiling it to remove lime deposits in my kettle, and it’s a great fabric softener! 

I use it to disinfect the toilet and clean mirrors, sinks, windows, the shower, and many other surfaces. 

Baking soda

Baking soda is another fantastic natural cleaner and deodorizer! 

I use it to clean sinks, kitchen appliances, toilets, and many other places in my home. 

It is amazing at removing grease stains on my stovetop and in the oven! It cleans them, unlike any other product!

And it has removed countless stains on my clothing as well!

Baking soda also absorbs food odors.

So if you have a weird-smelling fridge or trash can, put a few tablespoons of baking soda in a container in your fridge or bin.

Lemons

Lemons are a very powerful acid, which has many benefits for cleaning the house! 

Lemon juice is commonly used to remove stains and eliminate bacteria.

I love using it to get rid of grease under my pots and pans; it works so well! 

It’s also a natural bleaching agent, so you can use it to help keep your whites white.

Apply some lemon juice on your white clothes and linens, and let them sit in the sun. 

Lemons are amazing to remove any grime in the sink or bathtub! And it can eliminate any unwanted smells from chopping boards!

Castile soap / Marseille soap 

Castile soap and Marseille soap are two different types of soap. But both are very effective multipurpose cleaners! 

Depending on the use, you can choose to have them either in liquid form or in a bar.

You can use them as dish soap, laundry detergent, or to clean different surfaces around your house. 

You can even use them to clean yourself when you shower!

I use Marseille soap because it’s more widely available where I live but Castile soap is just as great! 

6 simple recipes of homemade cleaning products that work very well

Having these 4 natural ingredients on hand when cleaning your house is all you need! 

Depending on the recipe and your preferences, you may sometimes want to use additional ingredients.

For instance, a few drops of essential oils are a great addition to a recipe if you want to have a nice smell. 

But these 4 ingredients should be enough for you to be able to clean almost everything.

You can either use them by themselves, or in recipes. 

Here are a few recipes you might want to try to create homemade cleaning products that work very well! 

All-purpose cleaner 

This all-purpose cleaner will help you clean most things in your house. It’s great to remove dirt and sanitize surfaces! 

Take a spray bottle you already have, and fill it with equal parts water and white vinegar.

This is so easy to do, and it works so well! 

If you don’t like the smell of white vinegar, there’s a simple solution for that.

Add a few drops of your favorite essential oils

Or put a few citrus peels in the vinegar for 1 to 2 weeks. Then, remove the peels, and there you have a citrus-smelling vinegar! 

You can use this all-purpose cleaner everywhere, except on granite, stone, and marble surfaces.

This all-purpose cleaner is a homemade cleaning product that works perfectly.

Dish soap

As I mentioned before, Castile soap is an amazing dishwashing liquid! 

Reuse a dishwashing liquid bottle, and mix one part water with four parts Castile soap. There you have it! 

And if you want to be even more eco-friendly when washing the dishes, consider swapping sponges for a wooden dish brush.

These are fantastic zero waste essentials and you’ll be producing so much less waste in the kitchen

Stovetop and oven cleaner

I love this cleaner to remove grease stains in the oven or on the stovetop! 

Take ¼ cup of baking soda and add a little bit of water to it, until you have a paste. Beware of not adding too much water, so do it slowly.

Apply the paste on the surface you want to clean, whether that is the stovetop or the oven, and let it sit for a few hours.

Then, scrub and clean the surface with a cloth

Such an easy homemade oven cleaner, without all the chemicals! 

Microwave cleaner

Pour one cup of water into a bowl. Slice a lemon, squeeze its juice and add it to the water. 

Turn the microwave on for 3 minutes, and then, wait for a few more minutes without opening the door. 

The lemon water will create steam that will condense on the walls of the microwave. 

Wipe down the inside; everything should come out easily! 

Toilet bowl cleaner

To create a toilet bowl cleaner that works, you’ll need to mix vinegar and baking soda. It will create an acid-base reaction.

This is perfect to kill germs and clean dirty surfaces like a toilet bowl! 

Sprinkle one cup of baking soda all around the toilet bowl. Add one cup of white vinegar.

Let it sit for at least ten minutes, and then scrub and flush the toilet. 

Creating a natural toilet cleaner means that you won’t be pouring down the drain toxic chemicals that will pollute water streams.

That’s a great way to help with water conservation

Laundry detergent 

I wrote a blog post explaining this recipe to create an all-natural DIY laundry detergent, so check it out! 

In short, you need to grate a bar of Castile soap (or Marseille soap).

Add the soap shavings to a large pot of boiling water, and a tablespoon of baking soda to the solution. 

You can choose to add a tablespoon of washing soda to help remove stubborn stains but it is optional.

You may also want to add a few drops of essential oil to give your detergent a nice smell. 

Reuse an old detergent bottle and pour the final solution into it. 

Creating your own natural laundry detergent is a fantastic way to make your wardrobe more sustainable!

And to make it even more eco-friendly, wash your clothes in cold water; you’ll save a lot of electricity!

Now is the perfect time to create your non-toxic homemade cleaning products!

You don’t need tons of cleaning products to have a sparkling clean house!

Even better, you can easily stay away from toxic and harmful chemicals.

Stop putting your family and yourself at risk! 

Conventional cleaning products can be very dangerous for your health and the planet.

And creating your own non-toxic cleaners is cheaper and a great way to practice minimalism in your house. 

So keep it simple, and stick to a few simple natural ingredients.

White vinegar, baking soda, lemons, and Castile soap are the best! They are multipurpose, natural, cheap and so easy to use!

According to your needs, you may need to follow some recipes to create specific cleaners with these ingredients. 

If you don’t like making homemade cleaning products, you can still buy natural alternatives to conventional products. 

For instance, Dr. Bronner’s multipurpose soap is one of the best natural cleaners that you can use in various ways to clean your home! 

If you liked this article, you might be interested in reading this one too:  The best eco-friendly alternatives to Swiffer for zero-waste cleaning.

What are your favorite homemade cleaning products that work to clean around the house? 

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