I am not the best housekeeper… that’s really no secret. BUT one of the things I really wanted to prioritize was deep cleaning on a more regular basis because there is nothing beautiful about a nasty dirty home. The problem is I wasn’t sure how I could have a clean home and minimize toxins. I was always taught that soft scrub was the best thing to clean my sinks and tubs with… but yikes. How do I clean a sink without chemicals? I needed to figure out a DIY bathroom sink cleaner. A natural soft scrub recipe. Something that was safe but effective.
Scrubbing Your Sink. The most effective way to get it clean!
Did you know that your sink is the #2 germiest place in your home according to CBS? Yuck right? With all the fun viruses going around in this day and age, that is something I definitely want to address with the deep cleaning. So, in my quest to find effective yet safe cleaners (and DIY is always a bonus), I wanted to start with effectively cleaning the sinks in my home.
Why natural soft scrub?
What is soft scrub?
Soft scrub is an all-purpose surface cleaner. There are a few different varieties (think bleach, lemon, etc.). Basically it’s a creamy textured cleaner that can be used in kitchens and bathrooms. It’s creamy texture makes it ideal to scrub and exfoliate away grease and grime in these high-use areas.
Soft scrub (the brand name cleaner) works great but isn’t non-toxic AT ALL
- Soft Scrub is ranked as one of the top 10 worst cleaners by EWG according to Organic Authority.
- The main ingredient is sodium hypochlorite, which is extremely toxic to aquatic life according to organic authority. If your water is going back into the ground this is a problem!
- It’s a potential asthmagen, which means the smell it emitted can can cause respiratory problems.
- Many of them are scented… added scents are some of the most toxic additives in products.
- Oh, but don’t worry, according to the website, it’s Kosher (insert sarcasm)
- You can read the numerous other ingredients here.
I want to keep my family and children’s safe. Minimizing toxins exposures that are in my control is one of the easiest ways to do that. Obviously, it’s a balance… I couldn’t possibly swap out EVERY SINGLE toxin in my home, but household cleaners are one of the worst toxin filled products so I’ll start there. This article was a wealth of information with regard to toxins in cleaning products.
Using some of nature’s Most effective ingredients in my bathroom sink cleaner:
3 Simple and effective ingredients.
- Baking soda : cleans , scrubs (it’s abrasive), deodorizes
- Essential oils: Like lemon oil orange oil or tea tree oil. Citrus oils and tea tree oil are well-known natural concentrated oils with powerful antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. They also smell great!
- Castile soap or an all-purpose non-toxic household cleaner: This helps to create the perfect creamy vehicle for your paste. Intercourse also packs a powerful cleaning punch. Dr. Bonners soaps/cleaners work great as do Branch Basics all purpose cleaner. Currently, I’m personally using Thieves household cleaner from Young Living.
Do keep in mind that essential oils are powerfully concentrated elements. Anything natural in improper amounts can be toxic to children or pets, so I definitely recommend researching the safety of the oils you want to use in your DIY bathroom sink cleaner.
Also, make sure this cleaner is used under adult supervision… and don’t add vinegar to this and store away. If you remember that fun volcano experiment you’ll know why!
Soft scrub alternative: a DIY bathroom sink cleaner made with 3 ingredients.
This cleaner is a multi-purpose cleaner! It’s not only for bathroom sinks. As you can imagine I use it all over my home.
I’ve tried this in these locations:
- Kitchen sink
- Bathroom sink
- Stainless steel stove top (it makes it so shiny!)
- Countertops (Formica)
- Shower surrounds
- Bathtubs and tile surround
I recommend testing it out on your various surfaces as baking soda shouldn’t be used on some. Baking soda is abrasive and can scratch aluminum cookware, silver pieces, gold pieces, and marble/quartz, and some say glass or ceramic cooktops.
I don’t know about you, but I love a clean pretty home… But not at the expense of the health of my family. My kids can help me clean with products like this, and even make this cleaner under my supervision. I
DIY Bathroom Sink Cleaner | Natural Soft scrub
Equipment
- Small Jar (4 oz. jelly jar works great)
Ingredients
- 1/3 Cup Baking Soda
- 20 drops Essential Oils * Lemon, Orange, Tea Tree (Melaluca)
- 4-5 tsp Concentrated Household Cleaner **
Instructions
- Add Baking Soda to a small canning jar (I use 4 oz jelly jars).
- Add Essential Oils to Baking Soda and mix with a fork until well incorporated.
- Slowly add Concentrated Household Cleaner to ingredients in the jar mixing as you go.
Notes
It is possible to deep clean your home with natural cleaners.
This natural soft scrub recipe fit my needs perfectly and was EASY to make. It took only three simple ingredients… All of which I have around my home. I hope you can use this recipe to swap out some toxic cleansers and still benefit from a beautiful, clean home… Starting with one of the dirtiest places in your home, your sink!
It really is about stewardship with me… and I wasn’t doing the best job nor was I teaching the kids to be good stewards of their spaces (ahem cleaning them). Since having kids, I’m also a lot more passionate about using natural products when I can and swapping out toxic products for less or non-toxic ones.
It’s incredibly simple to use.
- Take a dollop (I start with a teaspoon size for my sink).
- Add a bit of water and scrub away with your favorite scrub brush.
- Rinse with hot water and BOOM! So shiny ! (cue the Moana song)
Let me know what you think in the comments! Where did you use this DIY natural cleaner!?