White vinegar, bicarbonate of soda and castile soap handle the vast majority of household cleaning. Below: five recipes — all-purpose spray, glass cleaner, scrub paste, floor wash and a freshening deodoriser — plus what you must never mix.
Key takeaways
- 3 ingredients cover most jobs — white vinegar, bicarbonate of soda, pure castile soap.
- Label and date every bottle.
- Never mix vinegar with bleach — or bleach with ammonia.
- Acids etch natural stone — keep vinegar away from marble and granite.
- Natural cleaners clean well but disinfect weakly — know the difference.
Who this is for
Anyone wanting to ditch the chemical cupboard — and the shelf of half-used specialist bottles.
The 3-ingredient kit
- White vinegar — cuts grease and limescale; a good all-round cleaner.
- Bicarbonate of soda — a gentle abrasive and deodoriser.
- Pure castile soap — plant-based soap for washing and scrubbing.
The 5 recipes
- All-purpose spray: 1:1 white vinegar and water, plus a drop of castile soap. Shake gently.
- Glass cleaner: vinegar and water with a splash of rubbing alcohol for a streak-free finish.
- Scrub paste: bicarbonate of soda mixed with a little castile soap — sinks, tubs, hobs.
- Floor wash: a bucket of hot water with a squirt of castile soap (a drop of vinegar for vinyl only).
- Deodoriser: sprinkle bicarbonate of soda on carpets and soft furnishings, leave 15 minutes, then vacuum.
Never mix these
- Vinegar + bleach — creates toxic chlorine gas.
- Bleach + ammonia — creates toxic chloramine vapours.
- Store-bought products combined blindly — if in doubt, do not mix.
What natural cleaners can’t do
They clean well but disinfect weakly. For raw-meat areas, illness and nappy zones, use a proper disinfectant and follow its contact-time instructions.
Storage and labelling
Label every bottle with its contents and date; use mixes within 1–2 months; store everything away from children and pets.
FAQs
Does vinegar disinfect?
Only weakly — it is a good cleaner, not a reliable disinfectant.
Safe on marble or granite?
No — acids etch natural stone. Use diluted castile soap on stone surfaces instead.
How long do mixes keep?
A month or two. Label every bottle with the date you made it.
Your next step
Continue with the low-tox home checklist for the room-by-room plan, and upgrade your kitchen with plastic-free kitchen swaps worth making. Full guide: natural living: a complete guide to a calmer, low-tox home.
Written by the Nourish & Glow editorial team · Published 21 September 2026 · Last reviewed 21 September 2026
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General lifestyle information only. Keep all cleaning products away from children and pets, and never mix bleach with acids or ammonia.