Natural Cleaning Tote

Every Saturday morning I grab this tote and scour the bathrooms using chemical-free, inexpensive products. I'm free of hazardous vapors and my bathrooms still sparkle!

I use this mesh shower tote to allow breathing room, but any tote will work. Here are the products it contains:

1. Baking soda. Keep the baking soda in this handy shaker. To prevent caking, try adding a bit of cream of tartar. I use baking soda as a soft scrubber along with the liquid castile soap. (Sprinkle baking soda on wet surface. Squeeze liquid soap over the baking soda and scrub.)
2. Liquid castile soap. Make your own liquid soap using this recipe. Or make a simple version by pouring boiling water over grated natural soap. momsAWARE offers both grated and bar soap through its Online Store. For more recipes using grated and bar soap, see 12 Things To Do with One Bar of Soap.
3. White vinegar. White vinegar works on mirrors, floors, tubs, and toilets. Dilute the vinegar if desired, or infuse with citrus peels prior to filling the spray bottle. (Place lime, lemon, orange, or grapefruit peels in glass jar. Cover with white vinegar. Add cap and allow to sit on shelf for a week or so.)
4. Four Thieves herbal vinegar. This homemade version of a strong antimicrobial disinfectant adds an extra punch when it comes to your cleaning. Raw apple cider vinegar is combined with seven herbs known for their antibacterial properties. View the recipe at Just So Natural Products. These seven herbs can be purchased in a convenient muslin bag at the Just So Online Store.
5. Sonic Scrubber. This tool comes in handy for those hard-to-reach spots. It can be used alone or with a bit of baking soda and liquid soap. Look for one at your local big box store or online. A simpler, less expensive option is a deep clean brush set.
6. Tea tree oil. This essential oil is my favorite disinfectant. I use a couple of drops in the toilet or down the drains to leave behind a fresh, clean smell in the room. I also use a drop or two in the liquid castile soap. Tea tree oil has a very medicinal smell and may be offensive at first. Feel free to use any pleasant essential oil such as lemon or orange.
7. Pumice. No natural cleaning arsenal is complete without pumice. It is 100% natural and 100% effective. Pumice is readily available in stick form at most big box stores. I prefer the handled version for toilet bowl cleaning, such as the Pumie Toilet Bowl Ring Remover. Pumice works on rust, lime, and stubborn stains. I had great success using it to remove soap scum, as I shared in this previous post.

Cleaning without chemicals is not only rewarding but also offers great peace of mind. A tote like this makes a great gift for yourself as well as a friend!