As a minimalist, I am always looking for ways to simplify all aspects of my life. Unfortunately, as a mom of three boys and two fur babies, I find myself needing to clean way more than I’d like to! I’ve been doing my best to reduce the number of cleaning products I keep in my home. I’ve conducted extensive research, and have learned how to clean almost anything with next to nothing. Now, if only I could put these ideas into practice…
How to Clean Almost Anything With Next To Nothing
Eco-Friendly {Minimalist} Cleansers
When it comes to cleaning, you simply can’t beat the power of steam. If used properly, steam is not only a natural disinfectant, it also effectively cleans mold, mildew, pet messes, grime, and all things sticky. When used at the proper temperature, steam will also kill bed bugs. Additionally, when you clean with steam, there’s no need to add any additional cleansers.
I use this steam mop
to clean all of the hard floors in my home. {From hardwood to tile}. I love the fact that it uses water and nothing else. Plus, the floors dry super-fast, no fans or towels needed.
I have been looking for a way to duplicate the cleaning power of my Bissell mop, and I have settled on this handheld steam cleaner
. With this inexpensive, handy gadget, I will be able to clean and disinfect all of the surfaces which my mop can’t reach.
Related post: Spring Cleaning for Messy People
Homemade/Natural/Green Cleaners
While steam is wonderful for cleaning almost anything, it does have limitations. For example, it won’t clean and soften your clothes, dishes, or inside the toilet bowl. Luckily, you can clean all of these things {and more} with just a handful of natural cleansers. Here’s what you’ll need.
- White Vinegar
- Baking Soda
- Washing Soda
- Zote Bar Soap
- Borax
- Rubbing Alcohol
- Peroxide
- Salt
- Essential Oils {if you can’t stand the smell of vinegar}
You can use the products listed above to clean almost everything in your home. Here are a few recipes to get you started.
Laundry Detergent:
Baking soda (4lb box)
Washing soda (3.7lb box)
Borax (4.1lb box)
2 bars grated Zote bar soap
scented laundry crystals (if desired)
Mix ingredients in a large container. This recipe makes approximately 2 gallons of laundry detergent. Use 2-3 TBS. per load. Safe for use in HE washing machines.
Did you know: You can use white vinegar as a natural fabric softener? Just add to the fabric softener cup in your washing machine when you add your laundry detergent!
Multi-Purpose Cleaner:
8 oz. white vinegar
8 oz. water
2-10 drops of Essential oil (if desired)
Mix in a spray bottle. Use as needed.
Glass Cleaner:
1 cup rubbing alcohol
1 Tablespoon white vinegar
one cup water
Mix well and store in a spray bottle. Use as needed.
*Tip: use glass spray bottles with labels to store your liquid cleansers.
Scouring Powder:
1 cup baking soda
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup borax
Mix and store in a jar. Drill holes in the top to create a shaker.
I’ve created printable recipe tags for the homemade cleaners above. Just click on the graphic or the link below to download!
Download free homemade cleaner tags
You can laminate these tags, punch a hole through the top, and tie them to your cleaning bottles with a pretty ribbon. This way, you won’t have to search for the recipe when it’s time to make more! Alternately, you could print up these homemade cleaner recipe tags on sticker paper, cut them out, and apply them to the outside of your bottles.
I have been unable to find an effective homemade dish detergent. It would have to be really cheap and work really well to get me to part with my Dawn dish detergent! Which, by the way, is not just for dishes. In fact, I use Dawn to remove stains from carpets, to eliminate fleas on my dogs, and to wash my van.
If you’re not into making your own cleaners, you can use the four products below to clean almost everything in your home.
Commercial Cleansers
I recommend stocking up on some microfiber cloths. You can use them on any surface. Microfiber cloths are non-abrasive, lint-free, and durable.
There you have it. How to clean almost anything with next to nothing. Proof that you don’t need a lot of stuff to get your home squeaky clean.
READ MORE:
- 12 Super-Secret Cleaning Tips Straight From The Pros
- 16 Things People With Clean Houses Do Every Day
- Free Printable Deep Cleaning Checklist For Your Entire Home
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Have you tried half and half vinegar and classic blue dawn dish soap on the hard water stains. Leave it set for a half hour. I dont have hard water, but this has worked miracles on some pretty funky rental tubs.
Kimberly,
I so wish there was an unscented version of vinegar…
These are great! I love the smell of vinegar but my husband can’t stand it so I either use essential oils or Thieves Cleaner. Love it! I also started using Norwex, have you heard of it? They mostly only use water, too; I think you’d like them! 😉
Diane,
I use Dawn for so many things (maybe I should write a post about that) :). As far as hard water stains, I too have been unable to find a natural alternative. Scrubbing Bubbles works wonders as does Lime Away (if you can take the stench). Maybe one good dose of either of these products and then regular cleaning with natural cleaners? If I hear of anything, I’ll let you know.
I love my microfiber cloths! I also love dawn for treating greasy laundry stains.
The hardest thing for me is getting the hard water stains out of the fiberglass shower. I haven’t found any natural solutions that work for me there yet.