Natural Kitchen-Cleaning Hacks (That WORK!)

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The kitchen is one of my favorite and most used rooms in our house— I think it’s safe to say we live in it! Not only is it the place where I blend my daily green smoothie and teach my kids about food and cooking, it’s also where we fold laundry, do homework after school, pay bills, drink coffee, play Dutch Blitz, and have late night discussions.

Because the kitchen is like the heart of our home, it’s also the room that needs to be cleaned and picked-up most often. 

I try to limit the amount of chemical products I use in our home, so I’m always on the hunt to find/create recipes for natural kitchen cleaning products. Yet they have to work! After all, this is the place where we store, prepare, and eat our food.

The more chemical products I can keep out of the kitchen, the better!

I’ve tried tons of natural kitchen-cleaning products and other natural kitchen-hacks, and now have a pretty good idea about which ones work best for my home and my family. Here are some of my favorites!

8 NATURAL KITCHEN-CLEANING PRODUCTS I LOVE:

1) ALL-PURPOSE CLEANER

I’m a huge fan of Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Liquid Soap. Although his soaps come in a variety of scents, I specifically use Dr. Bronner’s Tea Tree Oil Pure-Castile Liquid Soap because Tea tree oil is a natural antiseptic, which means it contains anti-microbial agents that kill off bad bacteria. I use this all-purpose cleaner to wipe down my kitchen counters and any other surfaces that come into contact with food.

Lately I’ve been adding essential oils to enhance the scent of the cleaner even more. Orange is a great one and I also loooove spruce— to make me feel like I’m in the forest.

• 2 tsp Dr. Bronner’s Tea Tree Oil Pure-Castile Liquid Soap
• 2 cups water
• Essential oils (optional, but lovely)

2) STAINLESS STEEL CLEANER + POLISHER

Ah, coconut oil. It’s great for cooking, baking and blending into green smoothies, making homemade deodorant, conditioner, lotion… the list goes on. But one of my fav uses lately is a stainless steel cleaner + polisher. Who woulda thought?!

Well, just take 1 TBSP coconut oil and apply to a microfiber cloth to wipe off grime and fingerprints. Then buff. It’ll make your stainless steel kitchen appliances shine like new!

3) SINK CLEANER

I used to use Comet to clean my kitchen sink, but after finding out that baking soda is just as effective, I’ve never gone back! To get the tough gunk off the of the kitchen sink, just mix your baking soda with a little water and use a sponge to scrub. Works like a charm!

4) WINDOW CLEANER

To clean window, I love this simple homemade recipe by Crunchy Betty. Mix it up, pour it into a spray bottle, and voila! Streak-free windows here we come!

• ¼ cup white vinegar
• 1 ½ cups water
• ¼ cup rubbing alcohol
• 1 TBSP cornstarch
• 10 drops essential oil

5) GARBAGE DISPOSAL

When my garbage disposal starts smelling a little funky, I throw a couple lemon halves and ¼ cup baking soda in there and let it run for a minute. This helps clean out the gunk buildup and definitely helps with the smell.

6) INSIDE DISHWASHER

I love having the outside of my dishwasher look clean and sparkly, but what about the inside? This kitchen-hack from Katie over at Wellness Mama is one of my favorites for removing soap-scum and helping my dishwasher run more efficiently. The things we learn from our friends, right? 

1. Fill a bowl or two with undiluted white vinegar, and place them right-side-up on the top shelf of your dishwasher.
2. Run the dishwasher as usual, but without any other dishes in it.

7) MICROWAVE CLEANER

I don’t have a microwave (yep, I’m that friend), but I know how often they can be used. If they’re not cleaned regularly, they can get yucky pretty quick. This easy-peasy kitchen hack from thekitchn helps dissolve food splatters and loosen any stubborn gunk without using harsh chemicals.

• ½ cup water
• 1 lemon (sliced in half)
• Microwave safe bowl

1. Pour water into bowl, and then squeeze the juice from the lemon into the water.
2. Toss the lemon halves in, and place bowl in microwave.
3. Microwave on high for 3 minutes (so the water comes to a boil), and then let it stand for 5 minutes without opening the door.
4. After 5 minutes, carefully remove the bowl, and wipe down the microwave with a kitchen cloth or paper towel.

8) HOMEMADE HAND SOAP

After reading all the buzz about how the use of traditional anti-bacterial soaps are contributing to antibiotic resistance, why not make my own! Here’s a great recipe by The Humbled Homemaker. Feel free to use any essential oil, but tea tree and lavender are two of my favorites, as they both have natural antimicrobial properties.

• ¼ cup Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Liquid Soap
• ¾ cup water
• 3 drops essential oil

Pour into a half pint-sized mason jar (or any old foaming soap dispenser!), add a pump, and you’re good to go!

SHARE YOUR OWN CLEANING HACK!

Do you have a favorite kitchen-cleaning hack? Leave a comment below and help us get squeaky clean in no time! xoxoxo