The Natural Cleaning Handbook

by natalie Wise

  Clean: Do not put wood in the dishwasher, ever! Most wood pieces are put together with some sort of glue and they will literally fall apart in the dishwasher. If they are made of one solid piece of wood, they will come out dry (or mildewed, depending on if you used the heat dry cycle or not) and gray—effectively useless. Wash in hot water with your regular dish soap. Do not let woodenware soak for any long periods of time. If something is crusted onto your woodenware, pour boiling water over that part, which softens it up enough to scrub almost instantly.

  Sanitize/Deodorize: Mix ⅓ cup table salt and ⅓ cup baking soda. Sprinkle heavily on the cutting board surface. Let sit for 30 minutes. Cut a lemon in half and use the cut lemon to rub in circles over the surface of the cutting board, getting the salt and baking soda mixed with the juice that’s coming from the lemon to make a paste. Rinse the baking soda mixture off. Pour white vinegar over the entire cutting board. You can also follow this by quickly pouring a kettle full of boiling water over the surface. Do not let the water sit. Then wash as usual. This works for all utensils, too, and gets out stains such as beet or food coloring.

  Condition: Dip a clean, lint-free rag in wonder wax (page 55). Don’t be shy; you’ll wipe off any excess, but for now, you want to liberally coat and condition the wood. Work it in as best you can on all sides and surfaces of the items. Then lay out all of the pieces on a clean towel and let this soak in overnight. In the morning, use a clean lint-free rag to rub in any remaining oil. Wash as usual. You can do this monthly or just when you feel the pieces are getting dull or dry.

  Extra Tip: If you develop any light splinters, cracks, or bumps on your woodenware, you can use a light grit sandpaper to gently sand the area. Then condition well to seal the newly exposed wood.

  SEASONED WAYS TO SEASON YOUR CAST IRON

  Most cast iron comes preseasoned these days, but older cast iron, or cast iron that has been put through the dishwasher or harshly treated, may need to be reseasoned. And all new pans, even “preseasoned” ones should be seasoned a few times to really get that nonstick coating established. Everyone has their favorite method, but this one is foolproof and old-fashioned. It’s also simple. Any cooking oil will work—flaxseed, canola oil, olive oil (though avoid extra-virgin), or even shortening.

  • Steel wool

  • Kosher salt

  • Gentle dish soap

  • Cooking oil of your choice

  • Stiff brush

  • Soft lint-free towels

  • Aluminum foil

  Instructions: Line the middle shelf of your oven with foil. Preheat your oven to 325°F. First, remove any rust. Sprinkle kosher salt lightly on any rust spots and rub gently with the steel wool until the rust is removed. Do not go crazy with the steel wool—but now is the only time you can use it, before you season. Do not use steel wool after seasoning your pan. Next, quickly wash the pan in soapy hot water to remove any traces of rust, grime, and leftover gummy old seasoning. Dry thoroughly with lint-free towels.

  Now pour a few tablespoons of the oil of your choice into the pan. Use a stiff brush to work the oil into every crevice of the pan, inside and outside. Add more oil if the pan soaks it all up. When the pan has soaked up the majority of the oil, place it upside down on the foil-lined rack in your oven. Bake for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and let the pan cool inside the oven.

  The pan should now be slightly shiny and have a nice coating of oil that makes the pan nonstick. Any time the pan feels abrasive, or does not act like a nonstick pan, you may need to reseason the pan. Pans can be seasoned a few times to get this nonstick coating built up quickly.

  CAST YOUR CLEANING CARES AWAY: CLEANING CAST IRON

  Once your cast iron cooking surfaces are properly seasoned, cleaning is a breeze. There’s hardly anything to it. There are only two hard-and-fast rules to remember: always wash by hand, and dry thoroughly. Any leftover moisture is the fastest route to needing to reseason a skillet, because rust thrives on moist cast iron. I know, I know, you thought I was going to say never use soap on cast iron. But that is an old-fashioned tenant, when soap was extremely harsh and ate at the seasoning instantly. A gentle soap now and again will be fine if it sets your germophobic mind at rest. Just don’t use any harsh or abrasive cleaners or bleach. But the basic premise is true: you don’t need soap to clean cast iron. Here are some ways to keep cast iron clean without the suds.

  Light Soiling: Cast iron demands cleaning right after use, while still warm. This is actually good news, as it keeps your kitchen tidy by default. After each cooking use, simply wash the pan with hot water and a light sponge or stiff dish brush. Dry well with towels or let it dry out over low heat on a burner. Then, add a tablespoon or so of cooking oil to the pan and buff it in using a cloth or brush you keep for this purpose. Then turn the heat up to high and let that oil soak into the pan for a few minutes until it is no longer shiny. Let cool and it’s ready for the next use. If you don’t put the pan over heat after you oil it, the oil will turn sticky, collect dust and debris, and may go rancid before your next use. So always let the heat soak the oil into the cast iron.

  Heavy Soiling: You overcooked the eggs or burned the bacon and your cast iron pan is looking worse for the wear. Or, your pan suddenly shows a few rust spots. No fear, you can easily scour the surface without ruining your beautiful seasoning.

  • Baking soda

  • Raw potato, cut into pieces that will fit your pan while exposing as much of the interior raw potato surface as possible

  To Use: Sprinkle the surface liberally with baking soda. Push hard with the potato while scrubbing the pan to release the raw juices that interact with the baking soda to clean your pan. Rinse well. Now follow the light soiling process to complete the cleaning.

  Extra Tip: Many people store their cast iron skillets in the oven, throwing the clean skillet in the still-warm oven to dry out. Just remember to take it out before you preheat the oven next time, or use care and an oven mitt when removing it from a hot oven!

  GREAT GRANITE AND MARBLE CLEANING SPRAY

  Granite and marble are top choices for countertops due to their natural color, cooling properties, and durability. But cleaning them takes a special spray, because some of our standard natural cleaning ingredients have adverse reactions with the natural stone. Marble is too expensive to mess around with, but that doesn’t mean you need to panic or purchase specialty cleaners. First off, good soap and water on a sponge can clean your granite and marble just fine, but for bigger messes, here’s a spray that won’t destroy your expensive granite or marble countertops, cheese boards, trays, pastry boards, or rolling pins.

  • 2 cups distilled or boiled and cooled water

  • ½ cup rubbing alcohol

  • 2 teaspoons castile soap

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or 2 drops vanilla essential oil)

  Mix ingredients well in a 16-ounce spray bottle. Shake well before use.

  To Use: Spray and wipe immediately with a soft cloth. Some people like to go over their countertops a second time with water to get up any extra residue. It’s nice, but not necessary, since the rubbing alcohol in this recipe will help your counters dry fast and prevent much, if any, residue.

  DRAIN DE-GUNKER AND GARBAGE DISPOSAL DEEP CLEANER

  Cleaning the sink drain and/or garbage disposal is actually one of my favorite kitchen cleaning jobs, because it is still just as satisfying as it was during elementary school science class to watch the foaming reaction of vinegar and baking soda. The foaming action is great for weekly cleansing of your kitchen and bathroom sinks. This solution is safe for garbage disposals as well, though sometimes they need a bit more refreshing.

  Daily/Weekly Drain Cleaning

  • ¼ cup baking soda

  • ¼ cup vinegar

  • 2 cups boiling water

  • 2 drops of your favorite essential oil

  Pour the baking soda into the drain, covering the entire area. Have the boiling water at the ready, and pour the vinega
r into the drain, making sure to “activate” all of the baking soda. Let foam until the baking soda is thoroughly dissolved. Chase with the boiling water. Place 2 drops of essential oil in the drain.

  Garbage Disposal Deep Clean

  • 1 cup ice cubes

  • ½ cup kosher salt

  • Juice and peel of one lemon, cut into strips

  Pour the ice cubes into the drain. Sprinkle the salt on top of them. Turn on the faucet full blast with warm water so the water is melting the ice cubes. Do not stick anything down the drain to push the ice through. Let the water melt the ice cubes. When the ice cubes are melted, let the disposal rest for a minute while you cut the lemon peel into strips. Juice the lemon into the garbage disposal and add the lemon peel. Run the water again and turn on the disposal to let it grab the peels.

  TRASH, COMPOST, AND RECYCLING BIN CLEANING

  You’ll need something strong for this job, but don’t reach for the bleach. Instead, we’ll harness the germ-killing power of vinegar, the odor-absorbing nature of baking soda, and the disinfectant properties of tea tree oil. Keep this spray handy for sanitizing all of your recycling and trash cans regularly, and do a soak every month or so to keep things from getting out of hand. When thoroughly dry, sprinkle the powder on the bottom of trash cans under the trash bag to absorb odors and spills.

  Spray:

  • ½ cup vinegar

  • 1 cup distilled or boiled and cooled water

  • 20 drops tea tree essential oil

  Mix well and shake before use.

  To Use: Liberally spray the interior and exterior of your containers. Wipe dry.

  Soak:

  • 1 cup baking soda

  • 2 cups white vinegar

  • 1 quart warm water

  Place the baking soda in the bottom of the bin. Add the vinegar and let sit for 15 minutes. Add the water, use a rag or brush to swish it around, and clean areas that aren’t covered by the mixture.

  Powder:

  • 1 cup baking soda

  • 15 drops tea tree essential oil

  • 7 drops lemongrass essential oil

  Mix well in a small bowl. Keep in a shaker container.

  To Use: Sprinkle liberally on the bottom of trash cans under the garbage bag.

  WHAT SMELLS SO GOOD?: CLEANING THE KITCHEN AIR

  While there are many wonderful kitchen scents that I wish could be naturally formulated and bottled to add to products, such as the scent of fresh bread or warm chocolate chip cookies, there are more kitchen aromas that I wish I could get rid of completely. Open the windows, chop some fresh herbs, and boil up a sweet or savory water-based simmering potpourri to clean the kitchen air.

  Sweet:

  • 1 cup cranberries

  • Peel from 1 or 2 oranges

  • Handful of cloves

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 2 cups water

  Mix all ingredients in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally, until simmering. Reduce heat to low and keep at a low simmer as long as you’d like. Refill with water as necessary to keep the ingredients well covered with water.

  Savory:

  • ½ cup loosely packed fresh thyme

  • 2 bay leaves

  • Peel of 1 or 2 lemons

  • 2 cups water

  Mix all ingredients in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally, until simmering. Reduce heat to low and keep at a low simmer as long as you’d like. Refill with water as necessary to keep the ingredients well covered with water.

  PREP YOUR PLASTIC: PLASTIC FOOD CONTAINER WASH

  Plastic food containers get melted (microwave oops!), stained (spaghetti sauce and chili, especially if they’ve been in the freezer), and rather, shall we say, “fragrant,” as the porous material holds odors. Don’t be tempted to bleach plastic food containers. First off, they’ll smell like bleach and impart that to your food, which is neither safe nor pleasant. Secondly, being in bleach for any amount of time makes plastic containers break down and become sticky, with no way to remove the stickiness. But we know what takes out odors and is completely safe and natural, right? Baking soda!

  • Baking soda

  • White vinegar

  • 2–3 drops grapefruit seed extract, optional

  Place containers and lids in a basin and cover them with baking soda. Then pour baking soda over lids and fill containers past the line of stain with straight vinegar. Let soak for at least 30 minutes. Empty the majority of the vinegar, leaving a little in the bottom to dip into. Use a clean toothbrush dipped in more baking soda and a little bit of the vinegar to really get into the pores of the plastic and rims of lids if any stains remain. Wash as usual with hot water and your containers should be stink-free and much less stained.

  The bathroom is one of the most frequently-used rooms in any house, and it seems that germs and grime accumulate faster here, too. The good news is, most bathroom surfaces are easily sanitized and don’t actually require heavy chemicals to keep things clean and shiny. Keep in mind that antibacterial is not always a good thing, and that your bathroom can be healthy and clean using less-toxic ingredients that still do the job. In fact, antibacterial ingredients in commercial cleaners probably do more harm than good. Some solid essential oils and the sizzling clean of baking soda and vinegar have worked for decades, and they work well for me, too.

  The Process: Purge, Clean, Organize

  Purging the bathroom might be an intimidating job if you have drawers, cupboards, shelves, and medicine cabinets full of outdated and rarely-used products. You can use this chapter in conjunction with the “Medicine Cabinet” chapter on page 181 for even more ideas. Once again, you’ll need to take everything out of the bathroom to sort and start fresh. Give the cabinets and shelves a good spray down and let them air out for a bit. Go through nail polishes, hair brushes and accessories, old contact cases and crusted cans of mousse and spray gel. Get rid of anything that has rusted, separated, discolored, faded, or otherwise aged. If you have a favorite product but it’s outdated or you haven’t been able to find it on store shelves for a while, snap a pic so you can find another bottle of it, but throw the original away.

  Check out all of your soft goods in the bathroom, too, from rugs to window curtains and washcloths to beach towels. Now is a great time to upgrade if you can afford it. Donate spotted, faded, or frayed towels to a local animal shelter, and replace them with fluffy, organic cotton towels that are sure to make you feel like a million bucks. Consider tossing anything else that has collected in the bathroom, too . . . slippers that are just dust bunny collectors, that extra bathroom scale, a broken laundry basket. Corral the kids’ bath toys if you have them, and give them a good wash by themselves in a bath of hot water and vinegar. Let them dry thoroughly. Remove and thoroughly clean any pet litter boxes that might also live in the bathroom.

  Cleaning the bathroom will be time-consuming the first time, since you’ll want to do a hands-and-knees, every-nook-and-cranny clean, and you’ll probably also want to get on the stepladder and clean ceilings, vent fans, and light fixtures. Work top to bottom, so any dust from the ceiling fixtures can later be swept up. Once you’ve finished cleaning, open any windows, turn on the fans, and let the room air out for a few hours if you can.

  Organizing the bathroom requires plenty of small organizers. I like to keep a usable amount of each item in my go-to place (such as the medicine cabinet), and store the rest of bulk packages in a less conspicuous place, such as in a basket on a shelf or in a cupboard. Glass and enamel containers create my personal favorite natural look in a bathroom, and are easy to clean and sanitize as opposed to fabric or woven bins. If you have kids, though, softer goods or painted and sealed wood make sense.

  Votive candleholders are the perfect size to fit on the small shelves of a medicine cabinet to hold toothpicks, tweezers, cotton swabs, cotton balls, and more. Powder-coated metal bins are a good choice for items that will remain a bit wet, such as sponges, bottles, and bath toys. Fold a colo
rful towel in the bottom to soak up moisture, and change it out regularly.

  This is another area of the house where grouping like with like makes sense. Put each family member’s essentials in one bin or area for easy access. Place all dental care items together, all first-aid items together, and all nail care items together. Give every item a place to avoid the bathroom junk drawer that so easily accumulates homeless items.

  A SHOWER FOR YOUR SHOWER CURTAINS AND LINERS

  Well, technically a bath. Most shower curtains and liners can be thrown in the washing machine every so often to get them nice and fresh. But a bath specifically made for them, with antimildew properties, will do an even better job. Give them a nice soak in the bathtub and let air dry if possible. A strong mixture of hydrogen peroxide and naturally antibacterial tea tree oil will cut through soap scum and mildew like a champ, and keep your shower curtain liner fresh in between washes.

  • 1 cup hydrogen peroxide

  • ½ cup baking soda

  • ½ cup salt (any kind will do)

  • 10–12 drops tea tree oil

  To keep your shower curtain and liner in tip-top shape, give them a refreshing bath now and again. Fill the bathtub with a few inches of lukewarm water, then add all of the above ingredients. Agitate well for a few minutes, then leave to soak for half an hour. Rinse thoroughly. Air dry or throw in the dryer (bonus points if you use a linen spray or wool dryer ball to add scent).

  RUST ARREST: SPOTS ON SHOWER CURTAIN AROUND METAL RINGS

  Metal shower curtain rings look modern and sleek, and come in many different finishes and styles. But they have a dirty secret: when exposed to the moisture of the shower over a long period of time, they begin to rust. And that rust transfers to the beautiful shower curtain they are holding up. Getting rust out of fabric isn’t the easiest task, but if you keep on top of it, you’ll be able to stop those rusty rings in their tracks. See page 71 for how to get rust off the rings themselves and the shower bar if that’s becoming rusty, too. This process works for rust spots on any piece of fabric.