Home Cleaning—Back to Basics
You do not need harsh chemicals to clean your home. I mean it. For nearly all purposes, soap, baking soda, and vinegar can perform at least as well as commercial cleaners. You just need to know which one to use in which circumstances, and that’s what we’re going to discuss here.
Cleaning Toolkit
1. Soap spray—the all purpose cleaner.
Soap washes away dirt and grime. Use soap for cleaning body oils, food stains, and general dirt and grime.
To make soap spray, combine a true soap with water in a spray bottle (e.g., combine 1/2 tbsp. soap flakes with 12 oz. water).
2. Baking soda—the gunk and stain remover.
Make a paste with water (or even soap) and scrub away stubborn gunk and stains.
3. Vinegar—for a streak-free finish, or for a bit of disinfecting power.
Vinegar eliminates soap scum and water spots. After cleaning with soap spray, wipe down with diluted vinegar for a spotless, streak-free finish. Vinegar also provides a bit of disinfecting power.
To make diluted vinegar spray, combine 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water in a spray bottle.
Pro tip: Don’t mix vinegar with either soap or baking soda, because you’ll neutralize both of them!
Daily Cleaning with Soap and Water
Soap is all you need to clean the majority of surfaces in your home on a daily basis (see the CDC guidance on the topic).
For everyday cleaning of non-porous surfaces, simply spray the surface with your soap spray, let it sit for a minute, and then wipe it down with a rag. Then rinse your rag with water and wipe away any soap residue on the surface. If you still notice soap residue, you might try diluting your soap spray with more water, or you can follow up with diluted vinegar spray (see below).
You can use this approach for counters, sinks, bathtubs and showers, tile surfaces, toilets (see additional notes under “Specific Applications” below), and other non-porous surfaces.
Of course, if you have a particularly dirty surface, or if you are particularly concerned about germs, use more soap, water, and elbow grease for a more thorough cleaning. And see the disinfectant considerations below.
Removing Gunk and Stains with Baking Soda
Need proof of the power of soap combined with baking soda? Soap and baking soda tackled the unparalleled grime of my backyard chicken’s glassware with ease. Your grimiest of grime has nothing on my “chickenware.”
Here are a few reasons baking soda is awesome for cleaning:
Baking soda is somewhat abrasive, so it is good for scrubbing. (This is why it should be used carefully on surfaces that are prone to scratching.)
Baking soda is basic (high pH), while most odors are acidic (low pH), so baking soda neutralizes those odors.
I saved the best for last. This will blow your mind. When baking soda comes into contact with dirt and grime, which tend to be acidic, saponification occurs. In case your mind is not blown, let me say that again—baking soda turns dirt and grime into soap! No wonder baking soda is so amazing for washing away dirt and grime!
Baking soda has many uses, but my favorite way to use it is to make a paste (with either water or soap from my foaming dispenser or soap spray bottle) and apply it to stubborn gunk or stains.
For pots and pans, I sprinkle a little baking soda on the gunk, add enough soapy water to make a paste, and let it sit while I clean the rest of the kitchen. Usually, by the end of that time, the paste has loosened up the gunk, and I can finish washing with soap and water. Every so often, a second iteration of baking soda paste is required. Note: baking soda is somewhat abrasive, so use carefully on surfaces prone to scratching.
I use the same technique for stubborn gunk on the stove and in the oven.
Or stubborn gunk and grime anywhere for that matter, including toilet bowls.
Using Diluted Vinegar, As Needed
There are two reasons that I use my diluted vinegar spray bottle:
To eliminate soap residue and water spots (e.g., on windows, glass, and mirrors), as described in the “Specific Applications” section below; or
For a bit of disinfecting power.
In our home, I use the diluted vinegar spray (after I’ve cleaned with the soap spray) on my kitchen counter after I’ve handled raw meat, on certain hard surfaces in my bathroom every couple of weeks, and anywhere else I want a bit of disinfecting power.
I say “a bit of disinfecting power,” because while vinegar does kill some germs, it does not kill enough to be considered a “disinfectant.”
Personally, I have found vinegar to be sufficient in our home for nearly all purposes. But you know the needs of your family best, and you may need more frequent or comprehensive disinfecting with a registered disinfectant. If desired, check out the note on disinfecting below, as well as these additional disinfectant considerations.
When using diluted vinegar, be sure to start by testing a small, inconspicuous spot on your countertops and other surfaces, because vinegar can damage certain materials. I always see this cautionary note about stone surfaces, in particular, so I am mentioning it here, but I also know plenty of people who have used diluted vinegar successfully on such surfaces. Vinegar can also damage grout over time, so when I use it in our tile shower, I follow up by rinsing with water.
A Note on Disinfecting
Clean with soap and water first—because you have to, anyway—and then ask whether disinfecting is necessary.
“Cleaning” is different from “disinfecting.”
“Cleaning” with soap and water removes dirt and germs. “Disinfecting” kills the germs that remain after cleaning.
Did you know that “cleaning” is always the first step before “disinfecting”? That’s because dirt makes it harder for disinfectants—even commercial disinfectants—to reach germs. Plus, if you don’t clean first, you’re just smearing dirt around.
That means that before you reach for a disinfectant spray or a disinfectant wipe, you should clean with soap and water first.
So clean with soap and water first—because you have to, anyway—and then ask whether disinfecting is necessary.
Here is a deeper dive into the topic of cleaning vs. disinfecting and how and when to do which one.
Specific Cleaning Applications
Windows, glass, and mirrors
Clean glass and mirrored surfaces with your soap spray first in order to remove dirt and grime (and waxy residue from prior commercial cleaners you might have used). Then, wipe down these surfaces with your diluted vinegar spray (you can use a different part of the same rag you used for your soap spray, or you can grab a fresh one) in order to remove soap residue or water spots and leave these surfaces streak-free and spotless.
The results are pretty amazing.
Wood furniture
I simply wipe down wood furniture with a slightly damp rag—mainly to remove dust—and then follow up with a dry rag.
Hardwood floors
For hard floors, I sweep high-traffic areas regularly (really just the kitchen and areas near the front and back doors), but mopping is a less frequent activity.
For mopping, as a general rule, I only use a damp (not soaking wet) mop pad. My mop has reusable, washable pads with Velcro strips for sticking onto the mop handle/head—the pad goes in the wash with all my cleaning rags and is ready for next time.
If there’s a particularly sticky, dirty, or grimy spot (like if food from the dinner table ended up on the floor and turned to glue), then I’ll spot clean with a rag and soap spray.
Tile floors
Mop with soap and water. If using a bucket of soapy water, prepare a very diluted solution—a teaspoon or less in a big bucket. If using a mop with the reusable, washable Velcro pads, you can spray your soap spray solution onto the pad.
Bathtubs and showers
Only soap and water touches our bathtubs. My kids soak in the tub, so I am careful to avoid residue that might irritate skin.
Use soap spray to clean tile showers. Vinegar can be harsh on grout, so if I use it in our tile shower, I follow it by a rinse with water. If you’re looking for a deep clean, you can use a baking soda paste (or an oxygen bleach paste) with a toothbrush to tackle stained or mildewed grout.
Toilets
Interior: Spray the interior of the toilet with soap spray, sprinkle with baking soda, give it a quick swish to ensure the soap and baking soda are on the grimy areas of the rim, and then let sit while you clean other areas. When you come back, scrub and flush. (If your toilets are not terribly grimy, you may not need that extra dwell time, and you may be able to scrub right away—see what works for you.) Spray the interior of the toilet with diluted vinegar spray.
Exterior: Clean the exterior of the toilet with soap spray. Follow with diluted vinegar spray.
