Countertops

For a simple, all-purpose stand cleaner, mix equally equal parts of vinegar and water in a spray flask. If your countertop is made from marble, granite, or stone, skip the vinegar (its acidity is no worthy for these exteriors) and use rubbing alcohol or the amazing power of vodka instead.

Cutting Boards

Talk about non-healthy materials: All that’s required to be clean and disinfect cutting boards (wood or plastic) is none other than lemon! Cut it in half, run it over the exteriors, let sit for ten minutes, and then wash away. If you need some serious cleaning power, sprinkle some coarse or Kosher salt over the sheet, and then rub with ½ a lemon.

Oven

To clean persistent, caked-on food out of the oven, just heat the oven to 125 degrees and grab your spray flask of vinegar. Once the oven is warm, spray the caked-on mess until it’s lightly moist and then pour salt straight onto the affected areas. Turn off the oven, let it cool, and then use a wet towel to bush away at the mess. If that doesn’t cut it, follow the same instructions but try use baking soda in place of salt.

Garbage Removal

This one is so awesome. Pour 1 cup of vinegar into an ice cube tray and top off the slits with water. Once they’re frozen, toss a few down the disposal and let it run—doing so should remove any food that was stuck to the knife-edges.

Microwave

It’s easy to supervise the microwave while washing, but in can be messy inside there too. To combat the mess, pour some vinegar into a small cup and mixture it in a little lemon juice (exact quantities don’t actually matter). Put the cup in the microwave, let the microwave run for 2 minutes, and leave the door shut for some more minutes. Finally, open the door and just wipe down all the sides with a warm cloth or sponge—no cleaning required!

Sink Drain

To unclog a stuffed-up drain, start by boiling about 2 cups of water. Pour ½ cup of baking soda into the sink, and then add the water when it’s still nice and warm. If that doesn’t do the trick, follow the baking soda with ½ cup of vinegar, cover it up firmly, wait until the sparkling slows down (when baking soda and vinegar come in interaction, they’ll react by fizzing) and then add one gallon of boiling water.

Frying Pan

To cut through the filthiness on frying pans, simply apply some salt (no water necessary) and brush energetically.

Cast-Iron Pans

Kitchen specialists are pretty against using soap, steel wool, or dishwashers to clean cast-iron pans. Luckily, there’s a way to tackle cast-iron grossness: combine olive oil and a teaspoon of coarse salt in the pan. Scrub with a stiff brush, rinse with hot water, and you’re done!

Dishwasher Detergent

If you’re fortunate enough to have a dishwasher, simply make a mixture together 1 cup of liquid castile soap and 1 cup of water (2 teaspoons of lemon juice optional) in a quart-size glass jar. Add some of this mixture to one cleaner section of the dishwasher, and fill the other section with white vinegar.

Dish Soap

If washing dishes by hand, simply combine 1 cup of liquid castile soap and 3 tablespoons water (a few drops of essential oil optional) in a bottle of your choice. Shake well and use like you would any other dish soap.

Refrigerator Cleaner

To fresh the refrigerator, what is perhaps the roughest of all kitchen “dirty spots,” reach for the baking soda. Add about ½ cup of the white junk to a bucket of hot water. Dip a spotless cloth in the mixture and use it to wipe down the fridge’s insides.

Bleach

For thoughtful disinfectant power, mix ½ cup baking soda, 1 teaspoon castile soap, and ½ teaspoon hydrogen bleach. Use a cloth to apply the combination to a wet surface, scrub, and then rinse thoroughly.

Laundry Room

Laundry Detergent

It’s tough to come by home-based laundry detergents that don’t use Borax, but give this one a try. The recipe calls for glycerin soap, washing soda, baking soda, citric acid, and coarse salt.

Fabric Sweetener

Skip the fluid fabric softener and make clothes nice and snuggly the non-toxic way. Make a big lot of sweetener by adding 20-30 drops of the essential oil of your choice to a one-gallon jug of white vinegar. Add 1/3 cup to each laundry load.

Laundry “Cleaner”

To add a fresh, clean scent to laundry, make a packet stuffed with your favorite desiccated herbs (lavender, peppermint, and lemon verbena are all great options). Toss it in the dryer while it’s in use, and check: customized, non-toxic scent!

Bleach

For a nontoxic laundry bleach other, add some lemon juice to the rinse cycle.

Everything Else

Floors

For a simple, effective tile floor cleaner, simply cartel one part white vinegar with two portions warm water in a bucket. Use a mop or rag to bush down the floors with the mixture. No need to rinse off! (Note: this trick is not suggested for wood floors).

Walls

To bush down walls, mix ¼ cup white vinegar with 1 quart hot water, then use a cloth to scrub those walls down. To remove black marks, simply scrub at the spot with a little bit of baking soda.

Spaces and Glasses

For an all-purpose window cleaner, cartel 1 part white vinegar with 4 parts water (feel free to add some lemon juice if you’re feeling to), then use a loofa or rag to scrub away.

Furniture Polish

For an all-purpose furniture polish, combine ¼ cup vinegar with ¾ cup olive oil and use a soft cloth to allocate the combination over furniture. For wood, combine ¼ cup lemon juice with ½ cup olive oil, then follow the same process.

Silver Cleaner

Put silver gears and jewelry back to good use the non-toxic way. Line a basin or bucket with aluminum foil, lay out the silver on top of the aluminum, and pour in hot water, 1 cup of baking soda, and a pinch of salt. Let it be seated for several minutes and watch as—like magic—the discolorness vanishes! Note: If you’re worried about submerging a particular item, simply scrub it with toothpaste and a soft cloth, rinse it with warm water, and let it dry.

Wood Cleaner

Fresh polished wood by uniting 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar, and a quart of warm water in a bunch bottle. Shower onto wood and then dry with a soft cloth. (Note: Since olive oil can leave behind some (greasy) residue, this one might not be the best choice for wood grounds.)