Fall is in the air, and for some reason it makes me want to clean my house more than spring time. I am always looking for natural cleaning products to use, some I make and others I just pick up in the store. But what I have found interesting over the past several years is learning about the different natural cleaners that we have in our houses already.

- Baking soda is a non-abrasive scouring cleaner on counter-tops, bathtubs, sinks and ovens. Add ½ cup to your next load of laundry to help with perspiration odors. Sprinkle baking soda on your carpet before you vacuum to help deodorizer your carpets. 
- Lemon Juice or White Vinegar can neutralized hard water deposits, dissolves buildup and dirt on wood and tarnish on silver. The strong smell of vinegar will dissipate as the vinegar dries. 
- Soap in the liquid form, flakes, powders or bars are able to clean just about anything, however avoid using soaps that contain petroleum bases. 
- Cornstarch can be used when you are cleaning your windows, polishing furniture or shampooing carpets. 
- Isopropyl alcohol is a great disinfectant. I like doing a 50/50 mix of water and isopropyl alcohol in a spray bottle that can be sealed well. Spray this on glass cook tops or countertops. Note: avoid non-glass tops with this.
- Borax (sodium borate) is a wonderful cleaner, deodorizer, and disinfectant. It works well on painted walls and floors.

I have blogged about some of my favorite natural cleaning recipes. Use the index on the side of the blog to for "cleaner".