The Clean, Green Kitchen

Natural Ways to Wipe, Scrub and Polish

Oct 30, 2006

Tips for natural products that can be used to scrub counter-tops, polish cabinets, clear drains, and deodorize in the kitchen.

Is it possible to have a kitchen that’s both clean and green? Doing away with chemical-filled, often toxic, commercial cleansers is easier than you think. So toss out those spray-bottles and spray-cans under your kitchen sink, and stock up on these natural cleaning alternatives:

Keep a refillable spray-bottle of white vinegar on your kitchen counter to use as an all-purpose cleanser. Vinegar is mildly acidic, so it wipes away grease, soap, mineral deposits, mildew and more. For tougher scrubbing jobs, mix vinegar with an equal amount of salt. You can also run vinegar through your coffee-pot regularly to remove stains and that old-coffee taste, and spray it on windows and glass table-tops for streak-free cleaning.

Another mild acid, fresh lemon juice tackles many of the same tasks as vinegar: cleaning glass and removing stains. It’s also a natural deodorizer. Plus, a bowlful of fresh lemons makes a cheerful centerpiece on any kitchen table.

Baking soda is good for more than just sitting in a box in the back of your fridge to absorb odors. Use it to scrub pots and pans without scratching, deodorize your kitchen drain and freshen up any mats or rugs you might have in the kitchen (just sprinkle on, then vacuum). Baking soda, along with steel wool and some elbow grease, also cleans ovens.

For disinfecting and killing germs, isopropyl alcohol does the trick. Just remember to keep it out of reach of children and pets, as it’s not for drinking.

Need to polish your kitchen cabinets or wooden tabletop? Baby oil smells wonderful and does the job without harmful chemicals. Olive oil also works well, if you’re not looking for that baby-fresh scent.

Finally, here’s a great way to unclog drains, if a simple plunger doesn’t work, without those nasty chemical drain-cleaners (I found this in “Grandmother’s Kitchen Wisdom: Over 10,001 Solutions to Common Kitchen Problems” by Dr. Myles H. Bader, Northstar Publishing, 1998): After clearing out any standing water, pour in one cup of baking soda, followed by one cup of table salt and a half-cup of white vinegar. Let it work for five minutes, then pour boiling water down the drain.

The copyright of the article The Clean, Green Kitchen in Green/Simple Living is owned by Shirley Siluk Gregory. Permission to republish The Clean, Green Kitchen in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Oct 30, 2006 3:08 PM

Barbara Bell :

I've often used the baking soda/boiling water method to clean my kitchen drain, since it works even with a disposer (a plunger does not). My plumber says it's a good idea to do this on a regular basis (a little detergent and very hot or boiling water works too.)

I have heard Martha Stewart say more than once that it's bad for the pipes to use boiling water in them, but I can't imagine why! The pipes can certainly take it!