How to clean your kitchen naturally?
Although there are a multitude of products for cleaning kitchen surfaces, most are made with toxic products that could then end up in our food. Many contain powerful fragrances to mask odors, adding to the pollutants that regularly invade our homes.
Luckily, natural and healthy options are available to us for cleaning and disinfecting our kitchen surfaces, mainly using products that we already have on hand. Here are a few.
As this is where you prepare your meals, it is more than important that the work surface is clean and free of contaminants. The most natural way to clean and sanitize it is to wash it with vinegar. To do this, combine equal parts pure white vinegar and hot water. Rub well all over, and let dry.
Alternatively, you could use liquid black soap to wash and sanitize your worktop. Just pour a teaspoon of black soap into 1 liter of hot water. You could also add a few drops of thyme essential oil. Rub well, rinse and let dry.
Come and discover several recipes for effective and easy-to-make homemade cleaners here: Natural multi-purpose cleaner to discover.
2. Natural cleaning products for the sink
The best natural cleaner for making a kitchen sink shine is baking soda. You just have to sprinkle it in the sink, and rub with a damp sponge. Then, we rinse with plenty of water and that’s it!
Bad smells go up along the pipes? Send a tablespoon of coffee grounds there to deodorize your pipes.
As for the faucets, just rub them with half a fresh lemon and wipe. The acidity of the lemon will remove the traces of limestone.
You put packets of rare meat, cold meats and dairy products in it, you spill juice in it… The fridge gets dirty quickly! For a clean and healthy fridge, you have to get into the habit of cleaning and disinfecting it regularly.
Pure white vinegar is an excellent disinfectant and degreaser. To clean your fridge, combine equal parts white vinegar and hot water. Scrub all surfaces, shelves and drawers well and allow to dry. And don’t forget the rubber seals!
If your fridge gives off an unsavory smell, deodorize it by putting baking soda in a small bowl that you will leave in the fridge. This will absorb foul odors. Also, to add a fresh and natural scent, get into the habit of leaving half a lemon in the fridge.
4. Clean your oven naturally
The surface of the oven can simply be cleaned with a mixture of pure white vinegar and hot water, or a natural product on the market, specifically designed for glass ceramics. If it is very dirty, do not dilute the white vinegar or do it barely. For a gas stove, clean the hob with a damp sponge sprinkled with soda crystals.
If traces of grease cover the bottom of the oven, sprinkle plenty of salt and leave to act for a few minutes before wiping with a damp sponge.
To degrease the interior walls, you can sprinkle baking soda on a damp, warm sponge and scrub. Leave on for a few minutes before rinsing well and drying.
If the oven door is stained, heat the oven slightly, then wipe the door with paper towels dampened with rubbing alcohol.
If you are looking for tips to clean the hood more specifically, it’s here: How to clean a very greasy extractor hood?
Although it is used for washing, the accumulation of food residues can end up giving off bad odors and blocking the water jets. For a dishwasher that washes clean, remember to wash and disinfect it regularly.
Start by removing food residue from the water jets, using a toothpick or tweezers. Then, rub all interior and exterior surfaces, including joints, with a sponge soaked in pure white vinegar. Next, run the dishwasher empty with very hot water, adding either baking soda to the soap dispenser, or pouring a cup of pure white vinegar into it. Above all, don’t forget to empty and clean the filter!
Now that you know how to clean your dishwasher, come and discover how to make your own detergent: Make your own dishwasher tablets.
6. Clean small appliances naturally
Clean your small appliances such as the coffee maker, toaster or other, using a sponge or a paper towel soaked in rubbing alcohol.
To naturally clean the microwave oven, place a bowl of water in it to which you have added the juice of half a fresh lemon. Run the microwave oven for a few minutes, until water vapor fills it. Turn off the oven, and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
Then, using a clean cloth, wipe the inside. If the turntable is made of glass, you can also put it in the dishwasher for a thorough cleaning.
7. Naturally disinfect the trash can
A nest of bacteria, the trash also needs special and regular attention. Thoroughly clean all interior and exterior surfaces with a sponge soaked in pure white vinegar, or with a mixture of 1 liter of hot water and 1 cup of soda crystals.
8. All Purpose Natural Cleanser Recipe
To naturally clean and sanitize everything in your kitchen, try this recipe that you can pour into a spray bottle:
- 1/3 cup pure white vinegar
- 2/3 cup of water
- 2 drops of liquid dish soap
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- A few drops of tea tree essential oil
You can also use this natural cleaner for melamine and laminate: Clean melamine kitchen cabinets.
9. Natural Kitchen Floor Cleaner Recipes
To unclog a ceramic tile or lino kitchen floor, try this natural cleaner recipe to add to a bucket of hot water:
- 3 tablespoons liquid black soap
- 100 grams of baking soda
- 10 centiliters of pure white vinegar
- 10 drops of tea tree essential oil
- 10 drops of lemon essential oil