Natural Cleaning Hacks That Are Actually Doable

Have you ever opened up the drawer in your washing machine and been greeted with a gruesome stench? Although it’s easy to assume that your washing machine will always be clean, the reality is that it can get extremely damp and unclean. This can result in nasty smells that seem to linger for weeks. So, you need to neutralize the smell and restore it to its former glory. You can do this with baking soda and vinegar. 

There’s a high chance that your garbage disposal goes through a lot. If you use it every day, it’s having to constantly contend with chunks of old food – many of which will smell and linger in the pipes for a few days. When this happens, it’s highly likely that the odors will then make their way out of the pipes and into your kitchen and the rest of your house. 

Let’s be honest; we’d all love our houses to smell like freshly baked cookies all the time. And while there are so many other amazing smells that come from your cooking exploits, it’s fair to say that other foods – such as fish, burnt bacon, and leftover oil – can make your whole house smell rancid. The odors can linger for days, and it can often seem as though they just won’t go away. 

If you’ve ever opened up the door of your fridge and been greeted with a waft of smells, you’ll know that they’re normally pretty nauseating. Often, the combined smells of these different smells will merge into one and put you off your dinner – and it can often seem impossible to get rid of them. And while you could use chemical cleaners to deep-clean your fridge, sometimes all you need is half a lemon.

If you mostly keep your clothes folded up in a drawer, you might know that sometimes even freshly cleaned clothes can start to smell musty. This is typically due to a lack of airflow in the drawer or the presence of moisture. So, what can you do? Well, you don’t have to start cleaning your clothes in a concoction of chemicals. Instead, all you need to do is grab some baking soda and essential oils. 

Toilet brushes are an essential addition to any bathroom, but they do get pretty messy and gross as the months go by. As if that wasn’t enough, most people tend to forget about them – making the holders a breeding ground for germs and bacteria. You can tackle this without the need for chemical cleaners, though. To clean a toilet brush holder, simply pour in a mixture of white vinegar and lemon juice. 

You probably don’t need us to tell you that kitchen sink drains often smell. And when you’re constantly pouring dirty water and other food particles down there, it’s really not surprising. But the more you do this, the more it’ll smell and the higher the chances of it clogging. You don’t need to use chemical drain unblockers to fix this problem, though. All you need instead is some baking soda, white vinegar, and boiling water. 

When you head to the grocery store or pharmacy, you won’t have to look too hard to find so-called toilet sprays. The idea is that you spray the toilet both before and after you take a number two in an effort to reduce the smell and keep your bathroom smelling clean. But why would you spend your hard-earned money on ready-made sprays when you can make your own at home?

Many people forget to actually clean the things that clean for them, as they assume that they’re always clean. But the reality is that dishwashers can get extremely dirty and smelly as the weeks go by, which is why it’s so important to clean them regularly. And while there are many chemical products on the market that claim to do this for you, you can do this yourself with a few bowls of white vinegar. 

Is there anything worse than stiff, crusty towels? No, we didn’t think so. Nobody wants to dry themselves in sandpaper-like towels, but it can often seem impossible to keep towels soft and fluffy – unless you choose to replace them sooner rather than later. And while this is certainly an option if you have the money to replace your towels frequently, another option is adding some vinegar to your washer. 

You probably don’t need us to tell you that bathrooms can get pretty smelly. From people using the toilet to damp, musty towels, the whole room can start to smell pretty nasty as the day goes on. Because of this, many people opt for chemical sprays that all claim to eliminate odors and freshen up the space – but you don’t need to spend your hard-earned money on these products. 

Whether you haven’t quite toilet-trained your puppy or you’re struggling with the scent of your cat’s litter box, you’ll know that the smell of your pet’s messes can overpower your home. And once you’ve smelled it, you can’t un-smell it. But instead of using potentially harmful chemicals to clean these messes and restore your home to its former glory, you can use some baking soda instead. And it’s pretty easy to do.

If you’re someone who loves to spend time at the gym, there’s a high chance that your gym bag is full of all kinds of smells – from the lingering sweat from your gym towel to the cheesiness of your old socks. And while you could try and clean your gym bag in the washing machine, it’s highly unlikely that it’ll be able to clean every nook and cranny and remove all of the odors. 

You probably don’t need us to tell you that trash cans can stink. After all, their job is to literally hold as much trash as possible – so it’s no wonder that they smell. That doesn’t mean that you have to live with these smells, though. If you want to freshen up your trash can without using any harsh chemicals, you can reach for your box of baking soda instead. 

Although good-quality mattresses can last around a decade, you still need to take good care of them. This means rotating it every so often and cleaning it regularly – especially as mattresses are often covered in sweat stains and dead skin cells. To do this, you should start by sprinkling baking soda onto the mattress and leaving it for an hour or so. This will soak up any odors or lingering moisture. 

If you regularly buy lemons, you’ll already know that this citrus fruit can make a welcome addition to fresh bakes and drinks. But it turns out that lemons can also act as natural cleaners for your home. This is especially true if you want to clean the inside and outside of your kitchen cabinets and don’t want to use nasty chemicals for the job. After all, lemons can clean and deodorize at the same time. 

Smoke is one of the worst things you can have in your home. The smoke particles get everywhere, and they can linger for years, making your whole house smell. But if you’ve had enough of this smell and want a fresh and clean home, you’ll be happy to know that you don’t need to buy chemicals to eliminate smoke odors. All you need is a bowl of baking sofa and half a lemon.

When you’re using your oven on a regular basis, it’s no wonder that it gets dirty. And while you can head to the grocery store and buy a whole host of chemical oven cleaners, what many people fail to realize is that you can clean an oven naturally. To do this, all you need is some lemon juice and vinegar. By scrubbing this mixture onto the oven, you should be able to get rid of dried-on stains and leave it smelling fresh.

Your air conditioner constantly works overtime to provide you with clean air, but it does that by trapping dirt, debris, and bad odors in its filters. As a result, your air conditioner can start to smell over time. The easiest way to solve this without chemicals is to rinse the filters every so often, but that’s not the only thing you can do. If you have essential oils to hand, you can also use them. 

We’re going to hazard a guess and say that the entryway to your home is probably a smelly mess. In fact, most people’s entryways are. This is all thanks to the build-up of shoes, dirt, backpacks and more. And while keeping on top of clutter is one of the best ways to clean up this space, you can also use natural cleaning products to banish lingering smells that just won’t go away.

When you think about it, your couch has to go through a lot. As well as dealing with all of the sweat and skin particles that come off your body, it also has to deal with crumbs and debris from general wear and tear. As a result, it can start to smell. But you can combat this by sprinkling your whole couch with baking soda and letting it sit for an hour. 

Your bathtub drain has to deal with a lot. As well as handling the large amount of water that goes down it whenever it’s used, it also has to deal with the dirt, debris, and dead skin that comes with it. This can result in smelly drains and, in some cases, intense blockages. And while there are many chemicals on the market that all claim to help you, you don’t need to use chemical cleaners. 

Mold can be a very dangerous problem, which is why it’s always best to tackle mold as soon as you spot it. This is especially true in an attic, where it can often go unnoticed for months or even years on end. Thankfully, you can tackle mold without the need for harsh chemicals, and to tackle a moldy attic you can simply use a mixture of white vinegar, water, and the essential oil of your choice. 

Sometimes, you want to freshen up your bedsheets, your couch, or your towels in between washes. After all, you know that they’re not dirty enough to need a wash, but they still don’t smell as fresh as they could. But what do you do? Well, you’ll be happy to know that it’s very easy to make your own fabric refresher when you’re stuck in this middle ground, and you can do so using vodka and essential oils. 

Sometimes, the things that are causing your home are staring you right in the face – but you just don’t realize it. And this is the case with many people who have furnace vents in their homes. Although most assume that these vents are clean and odor-free, the reality is that the filters of these vents can become overloaded with smelly debris and dust which then makes its way into your home. 

Everyone vacuums their carpets, right? And while this is definitely something you should be doing on a regular basis, one thing you might not realize is that vacuuming alone won’t get rid of any odors or smells that are trapped in the fibres. Because of this, you need to use another cleaning agent – and you’ll be happy to know that you don’t need to use potentially damaging chemicals for this task. 

When your dog is sleeping on the same bed every night, it’s fair to say that it’s going to get dirty. From the muddy paws to the pollen that gets stuck in its fur, all of this muck can then find its way onto the bed and start to smell as a result. But if you don’t have the time to be washing your dog bed in the washing machine every week, there is something you can do in the meantime.

Due to a lack of air circulation and the fact that many people use the underside of their bed to store junk and their old socks, this area of the home can really start to smell. Before too long, this smell can make its way out from under the bed and into the rest of your home – and it can be overpowering. That’s why it’s so important to deodorize this space every so often, and you can do that with baking soda.

Although basements offer extra space for homeowners to use as storage or as extra living space, there’s no doubt about the fact that basements can become damp and moldy as the years go by. This is due to a lack of ventilation and the fact that basements are underground. But you don’t have to spend a fortune using chemicals and professional cleaners to sort out a smelly and damp basement. 

Whether you keep your clean linens under the bed or in a cupboard, you’ll know that it’s very easy for them to succumb to bad odors as the weeks go by. But if you want to ensure that your linens stay fresh, you don’t need to wash them with extra chemical cleaners. Instead, you can use dryer sheets – just like the ones you already use in your tumble dryer. 

As your laundry basket is home to dirty clothes, the whole thing can stink up your house. And while there’s nothing you can do about its use in the home, you can do something about the smells. In fact, there are a few things that you can do to naturally tackle the smells in your laundry basket. Your first option is to place a clean cloth with some essential oils on it into the laundry basket. 

The burners on your stove are constantly dealing with a barrage of food debris. This, coupled with the heat that comes from the stove, can result in burned-on food that just won’t budge. And while you could use chemicals to get rid of them, why would you want to use chemicals on the appliance you cook on? You should avoid chemicals at all costs when it comes to your cooking appliances.

Have you ever wondered if there was a natural way to fill your whole house with a fresh scent? Of course, you can buy air fresheners and candles from the grocery store, but is there another way? Well, we’re happy to tell you that there is – and all you need to try this natural cleaning hack out for yourself is a fan and some dryer sheets. Then, stick the dryer sheets to your fan.

With little airflow in the confined space, closets often get damp and musty – and this can leave your clothes smelling strange, even if you’ve just washed them. Thankfully, there’s an easy, natural way to keep your clothes smelling fresh, and that’s to use potpourri. You can normally buy bags of this from the grocery store, and you can then just hang it up with your clothes to absorb moisture and release a delicious fragrance. 

Although frozen food rarely smells too bad, sometimes you may find that your freezer does start to smell a bit funky. And while they’re typically contained to this one space, opening and closing your freezer can result in these smells making their way out of the freezer and into your home – and nobody wants that. That doesn’t mean that you have to simply live with these nasty smells, though.