Sparkling Solutions: How to Clean with Natural Products

Before you stock up on commercial cleaners that are full of harmful chemicals, try using basic everyday alternatives that are cheaper, cleaner and better for both you and your family. Keep reading to learn how to clean your house with just a few items from the kitchen pantry.

1. Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate)
Baking Soda is going to be your best natural cleaning tool. As an alkali, it can soften hard water, improve laundry performance under hard water conditions and even remove hard water calcification spots. Because it's an abrasive, you can also use it to clean almost anything.

If you're battling pet odors, baking soda can be dissolved in water to make a deodorizing solution that's just as effective as any commercial deodorizing product. Sprinkle a little in the bottom of the diaper bin or even the laundry hamper to help fight lingering smells.

Finally, baking soda is a great tool for unclogging drains. Pour 1 cup of baking soda down your drain and chase it with 1 cup of hot distilled white vinegar. If you've ever made a science fair volcano, you'll know the vinegar and baking soda will react to bubble up in the drain and subsequently remove a lot of the built up junk. Wait a few minutes and flush out the drain with hot water. You may have to repeat the process a few times, especially if your drains haven't been cleaned in a while.

2. Lemon Juice
Because lemon juice is a mild acidic, it's great for removing rust stains, cutting through filmy residue on glass and ceramics, and sparkling up your sinks and toilets. You can also add a squeeze of lemon to your other homemade cleaning products to add a splash of fresh, lemon scent.

3. Cream of Tartar
Normally used for baking, cream of tartar is a powder that can simply be mixed with water to create a powerful cleaner. Great for cleaning aluminum and stainless steel, a well-mixed cream of tartar cleanser is all you need to get those stainless steel appliances shining.

For tougher stains, mix cream of tartar with just a couple squeezes of lemon juice to create a paste. The abrasive cleanser works great on crusted surfaces and smells nice too.