If you are allergic to bathroom cleaning products, or just want to cut down on the chemicals used in your household, you can use natural alternatives. Some of them will even come straight off your kitchen shelves. You can scrub, disinfect and fight mildew with your own natural bathroom cleaning products.
Vinegar
Vinegar can be used to mop your floors, and it works well on both tile and linoleum, says Donna Smallin in her book, "Cleaning Plain and Simple." To use it, mix 1 cup white vinegar with a gallon of water. You may also use vinegar to clean your toilet. Put one cup into the bowl and let it stand for five minutes before you brush and flush. Saturate a white cloth with vinegar to clean countertops and sinks or to remove soap scum from shower doors.
Baking Soda
Use baking soda for its scrubbing power. You can add it to your vinegar toilet-cleaning solution just before you brush the toilet. Dampen a sponge and sprinkle it with soda to clean fixtures and faucets, advises Smallin. Do the same to remove mildew or soap scum in your shower.
Mildew Fighters
Utilize salt or borax for trouble spots that have mildew, recommends Amy Kolb Noyes in her book, "Nontoxic Housecleaning." Sprinkle your salt on the problem area before you scrub it with a scouring pad that is soaked in vinegar. Sprinkle borax on the tough spot when it is still damp. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then wipe the area with a damp sponge and rinse with warm water.
Sanitizers
Utilize tea tree oil to sanitize counters, sinks and other areas. Mix 2 tsp. tea tree oil with 2 cups water in a spray bottle, says Noyes. Make sure you shake your spray bottle each time you use it. You do not need to rinse. The scent may take a few days to dissipate, notes Noyes. If strong smells bother you, instead mix 20 drops citrus extract with 2 cups water in your spray bottle.
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