The natural alternatives featured here are not only better for the environment they are better for your pocket!

Alternative cleaners

Budget all-purpose household cleaner

Pour half a cup of vinegar into a spray bottle, fill the bottle up with cold water and then add about one teaspoon of baking soda. Shake the bottle and use this to clean kitchen benchtops, stoves, windows and bathrooms. You can add a few drops of your favourite essential oil to provide a fragrant clean.

Heavy-duty cleaning

Get rid of heavy dirt and grease around your home by using a damp cloth sprinkled with baking soda. Baking soda will cut through the grease leaving your home clean and fresh smelling. Or make a thick paste of baking soda and vinegar to clean out your bath tub from grease, body oils and soap scum.

Sparkling windscreen

Try this for a sparkling windscreen, headlights and grill: 3 tbsp Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), mixed with one cup of warm water. Wipe on glass then leave for a few minutes and wash it off. Removes grime and splattered bugs!

Removing blood stains

To get blood out of clothes or sheets, soak in a cold bucket of water, with a cup of vinegar and a cup of baking soda. Soaking overnight the bloodstain will come right out. Never soak in hot water as it will make the bloodstain set.

Easy clean microwave

An easy way to clean and deodorise your microwave is to put half a cup of water in a dish with one tablespoon of baking soda in the microwave. Cook on high for one minute. The steam from the water loosens the dirt and makes it easy to wipe away.

Removing stubborn laundry stains

To save money on expensive stain removers, a cup of baking soda added to the wash removes oily stains from clothes and other washing. Even old stains that have been washed several times already come out!

Don’t Use Chlorine Bleach!

Chlorine is a respiratory irritant that attacks mucous membranes and burns the skin. Chlorine can create toxic compounds in wastewater.

Bleach alternatives

The essential oil of the thyme plant actually disinfects better than bleach, and is completely natural. Thyme disinfectant is proven 99.99% effective against the toughest germs, including Salmonella choleraesuis, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB), and HIV-1 (the AIDS virus).

For household disinfecting, the next best alternative is borax. Borax, baking soda and lemon juice combine to form an excellent cleaner and disinfectant. For bleaching clothes, dry oxygen bleach works well, as does borax. Other alternatives are to add a cup of baking soda or 1/2 cup of white vinegar to your laundry load.

For the mould and mildew in the bathroom, an effective solution is hydrogen peroxide. It kills mold and mildew, bleaches out the stain and leaves a fresh, clean smell behind. There are many other beneficial uses of hydrogen peroxide, as well.