by Texas Homesteader ~
Why complicate cleaning? My homemade kitchen cleaners cost very little with ingredients are much softer on the environment than chemical cleaners. Even my containers are repurposed!
Cleaning A Kitchen Mess
I was recently gifted a hefty supply of pears from the trees of two different friends. How wonderful!
Wanting to keep them from going to waste I set to preserving them right away. I peeled, cored, chopped, cooked and canned several pounds of pears over the course of several days. It was a Crazy-Canning Lady’s Marathon!
When the cooking marathon was done I was left with a kitchen in dire need of a good thorough scrubbing. There was sticky pear juice everywhere!
So I washed all the dishes and put away all the stock pots, canning supplies, jars and such.
Then I was left with wiping down the counters, cabinets, sink and any appliances I touched while I was working.
OK let’s be honest, I needed to wipe down EVERYTHING!
Inexpensive, Effective, Grease-Cutting Cleaner
I always strive to clean in the gentlest manner possible. Plus I hate expensive toxic chemicals to be brought in our home. I’ve included a list of my most used cleaning methods at the end of this post. I encourage you to check them out.
But as I pulled my spray bottle of kitchen cleaner from under the sink I smiled knowing that my cleaner was effective, gentle and SO cheap inexpensive.
I haven’t complicated cleaning, nor have I spent money on harsh cleaning chemicals. What do I use?
Just like your mama always told ya – soap & water!
Homemade Kitchen Cleaner
I had a family member save the empty spray bottle for me from a commercially-produced cleaner. Then I rinsed it out & filled it with water and added a hearty squirt of grease-cutting dish soap.
A gentle swirl and an identifying label & I was ready to go. (please ALWAYS remember to label your cleaners!)
My homemade kitchen cleaner works so well for pennies. Plus I enjoy the mild scent that takes the place of the strong, chemically smell of the commercial stuff.
Plus since it’s just dishwashing liquid and water, I can use it when I’m washing a single dish too. Don’t you hate to try to wash a single dish. Even though you try to put a tiny squirt of dishwashing soap on the dish, it’s too much. Then you have to rinse & rinse just to get all the soap off.
But I use this spray bottle of dish soap to simplify those small dishwashing chores. I wet the plate, spray with my soap/water spray and scrub clean. A quick rinse and I’m done.
The biggest plus? I know my homemade kitchen cleaning solution is both gentle and effective.
Baking Soda Offers Extra Scrubbing Power
The other natural cleaner in my kitchen-cleaning arsonal is baking soda. It makes a huge difference when a little more scrubbing power is needed.
Whether scrubbing baked-on food or sticky kitchen floors, my baking soda scrubbing solution is safe for eating surfaces (unlike most commercial scrubbing products.) Plus it costs pennies. I feel good about all of that.
So between my spray bottle of soapy water & my little shaker jar of baking soda (for when a little extra scrubbing was needed like my poor sinks) along with a trusty cleaning rag – I got busy wiping down everything in that kitchen.
I love that it costs so very little and that my ingredients are much gentler on the environment. Heck, even the containers are repurposed!
Give it a try – you have nothing to lose except sticky counter tops. Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s time for me to get back to work cleaning!
~TxH~
Want To See Our Natural Cleaning Posts?
- Homemade Powdered Laundry Detergent
- Grandma-Approved Cleaning Techniques
- Laundry-Scent Booster
- Cleaning Blood On Clothing
- Many Magical Uses For Baking Soda
- Make A Natural Air Freshener For Pennies
- How To Clean A Narrow-Neck Jar
- Easily Cleaning Stuck-On Food From Cast Iron
- MYO Citrus-Scented Cleaner
- All-Natural Lavender-Scented Hand Scrub
- MYO All-Natural Carpet Cleaner
- Gentle Homemade Dog Shampoo – 2 Formulas
- Saving Your Fingernails While Cleaning
- Repurposing Mesh Bags For Scrubbing
- How To Use ALL Of Your Spray Cleaner
- The Secret To Streak-Free Glass Cleaning
- MYO All-Natural Wood Cutting Board Conditioner
- Why I Grow My Own Luffa Scrubby (and why you should too!)
See All Our Natural Cleaning Posts
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This is a great idea! I use a vinegar cleaner with a dash of Dawn but I’ll have to simplify and try this!
Thanks for sharing!
I love my spray bottle of dish soap. It keeps me from having to rinse & rinse to get off all the soap from even a tiny little squirt when I’m hand-washing a single dish.
I love using an all natural cleaner. So much better for you than the commercial chemicals. Thank you for sharing at Merry Monday!
I am a messy cook. After a day in the kitchen I need at least an hour to clean every surface. I like the baking soda in the little shaker idea. Thanks for sharing at What’d You Do This Weekend.
Happy New Year!
Linda
I’m with you. Haven’t bought a store cleaner in years… Just vinegar, water, baking soda and a splash of (essential oil if feeling decadent) or cleaning herbs like lavender and lemon 🙂
Thank you for sharing all your resourceful and helpful posts on the Art of Home-Making Mondays.
Have a happy, healthy and blessed new year!
I have the same bottle of soapy water to do my cleaning, too. I also use ammonia and water to clean my windows. I like to use vinegar on the kitchen sink. Our water has a high mineral content and it really helps with hard water deposits. We don’t have granite countertops to worry about, though.
I add a little vinegar to my soapy water to make a super high powered cleaner. Just keep it away from granite counter tops!
Liked you post and what I use to clean is just baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, lemons, a few essential at times. Visiting from Tuesday With a Twist Blog Hop!