You want your home to be clean, but if you’re like most people, you’re wary of using harsh chemicals around your children and pets. There is an easy and simple solution and it involves products that you probably already have on hand. Grab your baking soda and white vinegar and get ready to clean like never before.

Kitchen cleaning is a snap with vinegar and baking soda. Use a mixture of baking soda, dishwashing liquid, and white vinegar to clean a dirty trash can and leave it smelling fresh. The combination of baking soda and detergent scrubs and cleans while the vinegar disinfects. Most people know that you can clean a coffee pot with vinegar, but it also works well on stained plastic containers. Simply wipe them down with a rag soaked in distilled vinegar and stains and odors will be gone. Vinegar is also great on greasy or dirty surfaces like exhaust fans, the tops of refrigerators, and behind the stove. Wipe with a vinegar-soaked rag or fill a spray bottle and spray on the area to be cleaned.

Vinegar and baking soda really shine as bathroom cleaners. Use your spray bottle on shower doors to remove hard water deposits. Spray abundantly, without diluting, then rinse with water. Vinegar can also remove suds buildup on your shower head. Use a 1:2 ratio of baking soda and vinegar, place it in a plastic bag and tie it around the shower head. Leave it on for about an hour, then rinse it off with water. Let some vinegar soak in the toilet and also in the shower and sink drains. It will deodorize and kill germs. Spray the shower walls to remove mold and mildew, and when you leave the bathroom, don’t forget to wipe down the doorknobs with vinegar.

Vinegar is also great as a floor cleaner. For stains on linoleum use a mixture of vinegar and baking soda. For carpet stains, make a paste of 2 tablespoons of vinegar with about 1/4 cup of baking soda. Rub into carpet, let dry and vacuum. A vinegar-dampened mop will also brighten hardwood floors.
A paste made from 2 tablespoons of ketchup to 1 tablespoon of vinegar makes an easy polish for brass and copper. Use equal parts vinegar and salt to remove tarnish from copper and pewter. Vinegar also works great on aluminum. Stains inside aluminum pans go away when you boil equal parts vinegar and water. When you’re done, pour the mixture down the kitchen sink, killing germs and odors down the drain.

So put aside those harsh and expensive cleaners. Clean up with something safe, effective and environmentally friendly. Mother Nature and your family will thank you.