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As people become more aware of the chemicals in their cleaning products, more people are turning towards natural ingredients. It’s a great idea, as it can save money and is a healthier alternative to traditional cleaning products.

But this trend has also come with an influx of cleaning “hacks” and “recipes” that are at best useless and at worst dangerous. My step dad even told me that my mom tried a dishwasher detergent recipe she found on pinterest and the cap she used on the bottle exploded off!

And as a scientist, I feel obligated to help women understand what those ingredients are and how they work. Hopefully I’ll transfer some of this knowledge to you so you don’t get stuck cleaning up when a dishwasher soap experiment goes bad…

So here we go! Let’s talk about some of the most common natural cleaning ingredients and how natural cleaning ingredients work:

1-) Baking Soda

Baking soda is hands down my favorite natural cleaning ingredient! It’s safe, effective, and cheap! I like to buy it in bulk, then divide it up into mason jars for use around the house.

Chemical names: sodium bicarbonate

Cleaning properties: mild abrasive, deodorizer, de-greaser

Cleaning myth: Mixing baking soda and vinegar is effective

How to use for cleaning:

• Baking soda does a good job of removing bad odors in the fridge. Simply put some in an small mason jar and leave it open in the back of the fridge.
• It also is great at removing grease from ovens and pots and pans. make  a paste and and scrub with a fresh sponge or wash cloth. for heavy grease, rinse the sponge and replace baking soda as the grease releases.
• Similarly, scrubbing your tub or sink with baking soda paste is a great way to remove soap scum and residue!

2-) Vinegar

Vinegar is super useful in both cooking and cleaning. It’s also dirt cheap and lasts a long time.

Chemical name: acetic acid, ethanoic acid

Cleaning properties: water softener, mild disinfectant

Cleaning myths: Useful on every surface, mixing baking soda and vinegar is effective, good for everyone to use(the smell bothers some people)

How to use for cleaning:

• Use vinegar after scrubbing your tub or sink with baking soda. It will help disinfect and dissolve any baking soda you may have missed.
• Add to your laundry as an alternative to traditional fabric softeners
• Wipe certain surfaces down with vinegar to help disinfect. However, do NOT wipe down stone counters vinegar as this can ruin them over time.

3-) Hydrogen Peroxide

As the unsung hero in the natural home, hydrogen peroxide is useful for cleaning and so much more!

Chemical name: hydrogen peroxide

Cleaning properties: disinfectant, mild bleaching agent

Cleaning myths: Stability. Hydrogen peroxide is very unstable (it breaks down into water and oxygen in the presence of light and heat). If it’s past the date on your bottle of hydrogen peroxide then toss it. The process of mixing hydrogen peroxide with other ingredients to make cleaning recipes will likely cause it to decompose more quickly.

How to use for cleaning:

• Use hydrogen peroxide and dish soap as an all-purpose laundry stain remover
• Wipe down surfaces that you want to disinfect with hydrogen peroxide. Use where you would bleach.

4-) Essential oils

Essential oils have boomed in popularity in the natural cleaning and living world. While they can be a great addition to your natural cleaning routine, they are not necessary! The safety of essential oils, especially around pets and children, also varied from oil to oil. So use with caution!

Chemical name: n/a (each oil has hundreds of chemical compounds)

Cleaning properties: varies by oil

Cleaning myths: Essential oils are always safe. Keep in mind that the active compounds in essential oils are still chemicals, and very concentrated. Always check to make sure what you’re using is safe around members of your house, including children, pets, and if you’re pregnant or nursing.

How to use for cleaning:

• The most common essential oils used for cleaning are citrus oils (lemon, lime, orange), tea tree oil, and peppermint oil.
• Add essential oils to vinegar for added cleaning power
• Diffuse essential oils to help disinfect the air.
• Note: research on essential oils is ongoing and the safety and effectiveness of essential oils varies.

Notice none of the uses for these ingredients requires a recipe…they work great on their own! While cleaning recipes can be fun to try, not understanding how the ingredients work means you can be left with ineffective ( or worse, unsafe) cleaning products. In addition, there’s the risk that cleaning recipes for your washer or dishwasher can damage the machines. That’s certainly not an expense that most of us want to have to take on…

So there you have a crash course in how natural cleaning ingredients work. Hopefully this guide will help you decide what natural cleaning ingredients to use and where when you’re cleaning your home, without the need of special cleaning recipes.

For more cleaning advice check out these posts:

The Scientific Reason to Ignore Cleaning Advice That Mixes Vinegar and Baking Soda

The Two Ingredient Stain Remover to Remove Almost Any Stain

How to Clean While You Sleep: 8 Chores to Do While You Snooze