Moms Aware Logo

Connect With Us

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Watch momsAWARE on YouTube

Share Us With Others

momsAWARE Badge

This content may include affiliate links. Purchases through these links earn us a referral fee at no extra cost to you.

A Naturally Clean Kitchen

The kitchen is the heart of the home. With ten ingredients or less you can keep your kitchen clean, warm, inviting, and best of all, chemical-free!

Basic ingredients:

  • White vinegar
  • Liquid castile soap
  • Baking soda
  • Borax
  • Washing soda
  • Grapefruit seed extract
  • Essential oils like lime, lemon, lavender, and tea tree

Equipment:

  • Plastic spray bottles (or glass, if preferred)
  • Mason jars
  • Shaker jars

 

Kitchen Cleaners

 

Recipes


Dishwashing Liquid:

  • 2-3 c. diluted castile soap
  • 10 drops tea tree oil
  • 10 drops lemon oil
  • 10 drops grapefruit seed extract (optional)

Combine liquid castile soap with water in whatever ratio you prefer (60-75% soap works well, depending on the mineral content of the water). Add tea tree oil and lemon oil. If desired, add grapefruit seed extract for increased disinfecting properties.

 


Automatic Dishwashing Powder:

  • 1 c. washing soda
  • 1/2 c. borax (see our Borax: Friend or Foe? article for pertinent safety information)
  • 1/2 c. baking soda

Combine ingredients and store in mason jar under the sink. Use 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons for each dishwasher load, depending on mineral content of water. Use 1/2 cup white vinegar as a rinsing agent.

 


Automatic Dishwashing Liquid:

  • 1/2 c. liquid castile soap (using regular soap can result in too many suds)
  • 1/2 c. water
  • 1/4 c. white vinegar
  • 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
  • Several drops tea tree oil or grapefruit seed extract

Combine ingredients in mason jar and shake. Use 2 tablespoons for each dishwasher load. Can be stored in a squeeze bottle.

 


Spicy Scrubber:

  • 1 c. baking soda
  • 3 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 3 drops orange essential oil

Put ingredients into shaker jar. Mix thoroughly. Sprinkle onto sinks and wipe. Follow with a vinegar spray for added benefit.

 


General Cleaning:

Keep spray bottles of white vinegar (diluted, if desired) with added essential oil on hand for wiping counters and appliances. Lime makes a great addition to vinegar.

Keep cotton cloths in a jar of diluted castile soap to have on hand for spills or wiping. Add any essential oil of your choice for enhanced scent.

For granite countertops, a solution of liquid castile soap and water is recommended. Because of its acidic nature, white vinegar can cause etching (dulling) of the granite. The cleaning cloths soaked in diluted castile soap work nicely for this.

For stainless steel appliances, combine 3 tbsp. baking soda with enough water to make a nice paste. Rub mixture over the surface with a sponge or damp cloth. Rinse with water, or spray and wipe with white vinegar. To polish, rub olive oil over surface. If the surface is too shiny, wipe with a paper towel or dry cloth.

 


Interested in learning more?

Additional recipes can be found in these two books:

Quotes

"I've been living in a mold-infested home for 13 months... I was going CRAZY! Finally figured it out... Just a few days of recovering in a mold-free home and I feel AMAZING!!!"

– Lauren

"Both of my sons went downhill quickly and coughed for months... They both lost their ability to read, had profound vision disturbances, and had phenomenal gastric issues."

– Lee

"I knew it was mold, but doctors kept telling me I had anxiety. I was sitting in my office and could not remember who I was talking to, or what we were talking about."

– Brenda

"I have been sick for almost 6 months now and doctors were not able to figure out why. I finally put it all together after going away for vacation for a week and suddenly my symptoms were going away."

– Anonymous

"My symptoms persisted and eventually turned into lethargy and depression. At the age of 26, I required a nap every evening after work."

– Jennifer

"I was skeptical at first that these (natural cleaning) products would work, but they work better than the stuff I buy at the store! We will soon be moving to the personal care products as well!"

– Jennifer

"I started finding myself sitting on the floor in rooms of my house and not remembering how I got there, what I was doing before, or how long I had been there."

– Brenda

"In my moldy home if I left the wet clothes in the washer they would get musty very quickly and I'd have to re-wash... Sometimes I'd run a load, go to work, and they'd be musty when I returned that evening."

– Anonymous

"Our family has been out of our home for 9 months due to mold... I am so scared and weak from all of this. We have lost friends; family members don't understand."

– Anonymous

"The entire time we lived in our (mold-infested) house the kitchen sponge would get musty smelling within 3-4 days. It was so strange. I had to buy a pack of sponges nearly every week."

– Anonymous

"We were having a lot of health problems and had been to the doctor countless times... we had large circles of slimy greenish-black mold on the bathroom ceiling, where it had caved in a few months before."

– C.

"We all suffered from headaches, hormonal body temperature fluctuations, brain fog, fatigue, difficulty breathing, thrush, rashes, and yeast infections... we vacated our home two weeks ago."

– Anonymous

"I had been struggling with headaches, head fog, breathing difficulties (unable to get a full breath), constant scalp tingling, migraines, nausea, feeling spacey/detached, and severe itchy skin."

– Anonymous

"I'm new at this, but today I cleaned my bathroom with baking soda and vinegar. It's much better not having those strong chemical smells afterwards."

– Anonymous

"My daughter has had many blood samples taken to test for everything imaginable and her doctor just seems puzzled. Everything comes back normal."

– Anonymous

"...at age 35 or 36 I started to become allergic to everything, and I got asthma at age 36... I went to doctor after doctor after doctor and was desperate for help, but nobody could help me."

– Mia

"The ERMI mold test as well as your helpful articles and Toxic Talk Tuesday programs have helped us avoid a terrible mistake in purchasing a new home."

– Angela

"My daughter started having digestive problems... heart palpitations... coughing episodes... muscle/joint pain... asthma/allergies... Her doctor finally advised me to check for mold in our home."

– Anonymous

"We had some water leaks in our home... we never thought we needed to clean out and remove the floor, the ceiling, or the drywall... my two small children and I have remained constantly sick for years in this home."

– Mia

This site is dedicated to a true friend and mother — Barbara Dell Kessel (1929-2009)