6 Natural Cleaning Boosters

Cleaning your home doesn’t have to cost a fortune in household cleaners. In fact, besides harmful fumes, store-bought cleaners can aggravate sensitive skin and allergies. Save money and create a healthy, clean home with these natural cleaning boosters.

1. Tea Tree Oil

This essential oil has antiseptic ingredients making it a perfect disinfectant. Add a few drops to a small spray bottle of water for an environmentally-friendly disinfectant throughout your home.

2. Coarse Salt

Used with lemon, coarse salt works well to clean countertops and sinks. Also, coarse salt is great for scrubbing cast iron skillets. Scrub with a soft sponge and rinse off.

3. White Vinegar

When mixed with a mild liquid soap, white vinegar tackles grease and shines floors and windows. Once a week, pour down drains to deodorize and disinfect.

4. Ammonia

Though harmful to skin and eyes in concentrated form, ammonia is not harmful to the environment and very effective at cleaning windows and mirrors. Mix with water and use in a spray bottle for easy cleaning.

5. Lemon

Deodorize your garbage disposal by cutting up a lemon and putting it into the device. For scrubbing bathroom surfaces, mix lemon juice with coarse salt.

6. Baking Soda

Just set down an open box of baking soda to deodorize musty smelling spaces like basements and mudrooms, or freshen up the fridge. Baking soda is also good at removing tough stains from carpets, and can be used for scrubbing sinks and countertops.