Cleaning Your Home Using Only Vinegar, Bicarbonate of Soda, Lemon Juice, Castile Soap and Alcohol!
If I look in my cupboard at home, I can quickly spot at least 15 different cleaning products: washing up liquid, hand soap, window cleaner, limescale cleaner, stainless steel cleaner, the list goes on and on. To me, this seems a little excessive, not to mention bad for my health and for the environment. The amount of chemicals that we touch, inhale and throw down our drains when we clean is a big problem, especially for our water sources and the wildlife that is struggling to live there. Not to mention, the vast majority of household cleaning and gardening products test on animals. Shockingly enough, beagles are often used for testing these sorts of chemicals, especially around the eyes, because of their trusting nature. Writing that is so heartbreaking that I never want to purchase another unnecessary cleaner again.
So I've started looking into making my own cleaning products using natural ingredients and my research has kept uncovering the same 6 key ingredients: apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, alcohol, bicarbonate of soda, lemon juice and Castile soap. Here is what I've found out about them so far...
Properties and Uses of Each Ingredient
The Acids
Apple Cider Vinegar: This product is made from the fermentation of apples, causing them to break down into acetic acid, the active ingredient in vinegar. It can be used in cooking, baking, sauces, salad dressings and as a preservative for pickling, but it also has many other uses. The jury is out on its supposed health benefits and I wouldn't personally use it for old-fashioned home remedies, instead its acidic properties can be very good for cleaning! It's great for getting rid of tough stains from crockery, countertops or carpet; for getting rid of wax, weeds and it is even used as a conditioning rinse. You can either make your own apple cider vinegar or buy it in any food shop for very cheap. My guess is you will probably already have some in your home.
White vinegar: This product can also be called distilled vinegar and can be produced through the fermentation of potatoes, molasses, beetroot or milk whey. It is frequently called white wine vinegar, as the most common fermentation method is using ethanol. It is made up of between 4% and 7% acetic acid with water and has a pH of 2.5. It has similar uses in cooking as apple cider vinegar but isn't as rich in probiotics or antioxidants as its counterpart. However, it really shines in the cleaning department due to its antimicrobial properties. It will unclog drains and is perfect for deep cleaning washing machines, dishwashers, fridges, etc... It absorbs bad odours, so can be used for deodorising tupperware and it will also clean off stickers from your jars. It also works like a less harmful bleach, so it is a great substitute for toilet cleaners. Finally, it is dirt cheap and very easy to find in a shop!
Nevertheless, if you can only buy white wine vinegar in shops and you'd rather buy in bulk, here is the link to buy it on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3fhd4ME.
Lemon Juice: This one is pretty self-explanatory, it's the juice of a lemon...It has a pH of between 2 and 3 and is 10,000-100,000 times more acidic than water. Lemon juice is a source of vitamin C and helps keep one's immune system strong. It's strong acidity is also very useful for breaking down grease and killing bacteria. It can be used for cleaning the microwave, copper pots, stains off counter-tops, chopping boards and it is a perfect natural scrubbing tool if dipped in a little salt. It also has a very fresh smell, which is why it's often found in washing up liquid or chemical detergents, so you can save the lemon rinds and infuse them in vinegar or alcohol solutions.
The Alkalines
Castile Soap: Traditionally, Castile soap is an olive-oil based soap made in Castile, Spain. It can be made using other vegetable oils like coconut, avocado, almond and hemp but its distinguishing feature is that it is never made using animal fats. It has a pH of about 9, same as bicarbonate of soda, and is far less alkaline than bleach. According to thekitchn.com , "Generally speaking, soap molecules (Castile soap molecules included) have one end that is attracted to water and another that avoids it. When soap is combined with water, it creates free-floating charged atoms that attract and capture dirt and other types of non-water-soluble molecules." This makes it very effective on stuck on grease and dirt, but gentle enough to be used as a pesticide and around pets. Dr Bronner's official website lists 18 uses for this soap, but I've seen Youtube videos with more still!
You can buy it here: https://amzn.to/3dZ61ry.
Bicarbonate of Soda: Also known as baking soda, this product is a mineral that is used as a leavening agent in cooking. When mixed with an acid, it releases carbon dioxide, causing a mixture to rise. Fun fact, baking powder is essentially the same mineral, just premixed with acid for times when a recipe only calls for adding moisture and doesn't contain acidic ingredients. Bicarbonate of soda also has anti-fungal and anti-microbial properties, which is why it is often used to deodorise products and in homemade hygiene products. It is used to clean menstrual cups and as an exfoliator, as well as in toothpastes and deodorants, to name a few of its uses.
Buy it here: https://amzn.to/2AvgZq6.
Alcohol: Ethanol and rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol) are regularly used for cleaning because they can effectively kill bacteria and eliminate odours. Ethanol has a basic pH of around 7.5 and rubbing alcohol a neutral pH of 7. Both are far less corrosive for skin than normal chemical detergents. The smell is often more palatable for cleaning than vinegar is and ethanol is considered to be a good multi-purpose cleaner. Ethanol is great for room sprays, because it smells less strong than rubbing alcohol and can be easily infused with lavender or lemon/orange rinds. Ethanol is found in vodka, so you can clean with vodka if that is what you have in your home already.
Rubbing alcohol is considerably stronger and it is used as a disinfectant, because it contains more than 60% alcohol. A great difference between alcohol and vinegar is that, unlike vinegar, rubbing alcohol is great for cleaning natural stone like marble or granite, because it doesn't damage it. ATTENTION! DO NOT DRINK RUBBING ALCOHOL! Rubbing alcohol and ethanol are different and drinking rubbing alcohol, or isopropyl alcohol, as you would vodka will cause severe damage to your internal organs. Use rubbing alcohol for cleaning only.
You will struggle to find isopropyl alcohol in shops but amazon stock it and a decent price (it's also useful during coronavirus): https://amzn.to/2XSxvJE.
For reference, here is what each product looks like (except for vodka and lemon juice) in case you would like to add some products to your next shopping list.
Et voila! That is why I believe every household should have these products and be able to clean everything imaginable using them. In the coming days I will be posting a follow-up article that will go into more detail on how to make your own cleaning products using these 6 main ingredients.
As always I hope you learned something new and I'll speak to you soon x
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