It’s springtime and we’re all stuck at home. Time to do some spring cleaning the natural way.

Do you have these ingredients in your kitchen cabinet: table salt, vinegar, baking soda, lemons? I do. They were sitting there, waiting for this day to come. So I got busy cleaning my home naturally.

Lemons are natural disinfectants because of their antibacterial properties.

Use in the Kitchen bySpringtime Cleaning the Natural Way 2 cutting the lemon in half to clean wooden chopping boards or to help remove stains from the butcher block countertop. Let the lemon juice sit for a while, then wipe clean. Because the acid can be corrosive, avoid using lemon juice on marble and granite surfaces. After you’re done with the lemons push them down into your garbage disposal to fill your kitchen with a refreshing citrus smell.

Dip a cut lemon in coarse salt and scrub copper-bottomed pots and pans. The lemon and salt combination is used to help dissolve soap and hard water stains in sinks too.

Lemons can be a whitener like bleach. Use a ½ – ¾ cup of lemon to your laundry for a brighter load.

Salt is a good old-fashioned abrasive cleaner. Use it to remove stains, caked-on food or mildew. Useful on stovetops and in bathtubs, or anywhere scratching is not a concern. Mixing baking soda with salt will help to whiten while scrubbing away grime.

My Grandma taught me that scrubbing cast iron pans with salt cleans the pan without removing the seasoned finish. Thanks, Nana Esther.

Vinegar is one of nature’s most versatile cleaners and it’s economical too. The odor can be overpowering, but the smell disperses as it dries.

Use in a reusable spray bottle, mix 1 part water to 1 part vinegar for an all-purpose cleaner that disinfects and deodorizes. Use this solution to clean countertops, sinks, appliances, and floors, but avoid spraying granite or marble.

 

The solution can also be used in the Bathroom to remove soap scum and hard water stains, and clean tile grout. To remove mildew, apply pure white vinegar and let sit for a minimum of 30 minutes before rinsing with warm water.

To get a sparkling, odor-free toilet, pour 1 cup of vinegar into the toilet and let it sit for several hours to help deodorize and kill germs. Use a toilet brush to remove toilet rings, and flush.

… and my all-time favorite Baking soda. Baking soda is an essential ingredient in my refrigerator because it helps absorb odors, but it can also dissolve dirt and grease in water. Like vinegar, baking soda has a wide variety of uses.Springtime Cleaning the Natural Way 3

To remove scuff marks from the floor, sprinkle with baking soda and wipe clean with a warm, damp cloth. You can also use this multipurpose cleaner to remove odors from the carpet. Sprinkle baking soda on the floor, wait 10 minutes, and vacuum.

Baking sodas mild coarseness is similar to common abrasive cleaners. When mixed with water, baking soda turns into a coarse paste you can use to remove substances from tubs, sinks, counter-tops, and dishes. Mix 1 part water with 3 parts baking soda to scrub away unwanted stains and messes.

In the kitchen use baking soda anywhere you need deodorizing action—,  especially in the refrigerator or cupboards. You can also control garbage-can odors by sprinkling baking soda in the bottom of the can and into each new garbage bag.

Keep a box of baking soda close to your stove; it puts out grease fires.

Adding 1/2 cup baking soda to your laundry will help remove dirt and grease.

So, I’m done cleaning, I hope you have as much success with these natural cleaning products as I have. It took me a little longer than usual to clean as I was cleaning and writing this blog at the same time. Uh, you might say. Just kidding.