Kitchenability

03.26.2018

Want a super natural clean kitchen?

Contributor Article: Lucy Wyndham

3 Natural Ingredients for a Super Clean Kitchen

You may be surprised to find your new favorite cleaning product already in your kitchen cupboard. Natural kitchen ingredients can double as powerful cleaners — and they’re totally safe. The Environmental Working Group reviewed 2000 commercial household cleaners and found many of them to cause serious health issues, including asthma. Not only is switching to natural cleaning products better for your health, but you can relax knowing you’re protecting your children and pets from unnecessary toxicity. Let’s see how you can clean your kitchen the natural way with baking soda, white vinegar, and lemon juice.

Remove stains with baking soda

Baking soda removes tough stains and neutralizes smells. Create a paste by mixing 3 parts baking soda with 1 part water. Leave the paste to sit on stubborn tea, coffee, and juice stains for about half an hour before wiping with a damp cloth. If you need something a little more abrasive, grab some steel wool or a rough sponge and scrub in circular motions. This paste can also clean dishwasher doors and inside washing machines.

Kill bacteria with white vinegar

White vinegar is a natural hypoallergenic cleaning product comprised of acetic acid (a non-toxic disinfectant) with a pH of 2.0 — meaning it can kill bacteria. In fact, a study in the Journal of Environmental Health showed vinegar to be just as effective as bleach at eliminating E. coli from surfaces and sponges. White vinegar can be used to clean virtually anything (except marble as the acid can damage it). Use a simple 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water to remove grease from ovens, grills, and stoves. You can also remove coffee and tea stains by soaking cups in the solution.

Freshen up with lemon juice

Lemon juice is an effective stain-remover which makes kitchen cleaning a breeze. It’s also an anti-bacterial thanks to its acidic nature. Use it to clean your dirty cutting boards, pans, and plates. If limescale on the sink and taps is an issue for you, just cut a lemon in half and scrub gently with the cut side. Lemon juice can also neutralize lingering odors. Spritz some lemon juice into the air or run some rinds through the garbage disposal to keep things fresh.

Baking soda, white vinegar, and lemon juice are powerful kitchen cleaners without the potentially harmful side-effects. You can even combine these ingredients to make extra effective pastes, sprays, and solutions. Making your own cleaners will save you money and protect your health in the long run.