Some days are a non-stop cycle of messing up and cleaning my kitchen. Here’s my problem: I find a clean kitchen incredibly inspiring. If I don’t have other pressing obligations, then a gleaming countertop, a polished stove, and empty sink are an irresistible invitation to embark on my next culinary adventure.
And I’ll tell you forthrightly, I’m a messy cook. A good cook, but a messy one.
When Michael and I were first married, we lived in a townhouse with 7 ½ foot ceilings. It was a culinary (mis)adventure that precipitated a whole kitchen remodel. My brother Mike was visiting—and it really is risky business to allow two Bronners in the kitchen together—but I must say, the basil blue cheese sauce we made for our turkey burgers was supremely delicious. The fact that the sauce spurted out of the blender and doused the popcorn ceiling above didn’t seem like much of a price to pay. And when that popcorn ceiling, once wet, began falling off in clumps…well, the damage was done. At least we had full bellies with which to tackle the aftereffects.
All this to say, I am quite skilled at making extreme kitchen messes, which means by necessity, I have extensive experience in cleaning them up. The apple butter aftereffects you’ll see in this video are 100% true-to-life. I did not enhance the mess for the sake of this video.
Extreme messes do not need extreme cleaners
But though I make intense messes, I do not use intense cleaners to clean them up. I still use many of the same versatile, simple, and non-toxic cleaning products that work throughout my house. Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Magic Soap, Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds Household Cleaner, vinegar, lemons, salt, and a few other handy friends. I do not need corrosive or antibacterial cleaning agents whose hazards and side effects are significant.
While I have covered many of these GIY (Green-It-Yourself) recipes individually in other articles, I want to compile them here for you so that you can see the complete picture. These green cleaners are precisely what I use to clean my kitchen.
Why green cleaners are especially important in the kitchen
The two benefits of natural cleaning products that I mention repeatedly are the lack of residues and the lack of fumes. It is super important not to have any residues on kitchen surfaces where they might come into contact with food and thereby end up being ingested. When it comes to fumes, while hazardous VOCs (volatile organic compounds) are never good for us, if you add heat to them—such as if a residue were left on a heating element—they become even more concentrated in the air. Plus, if they are in cooking spaces like the oven or the microwave, the fumes can saturate into the food and be ingested.
Amongst conventional kitchen cleaners, you’ll find one of the most hazardous of all household substances: oven cleaner. Conventional formulations often rely on sodium or potassium hydroxide, which have a pH of 14, the maximum alkalinity the scale measures. They are designed to eat through any crud, and they don’t know the difference between oven surfaces or living tissue. Any unintentional exposure to people or pets is extremely damaging. Further, they are very hazardous to aquatic life downstream of sewer systems and can upset the balance of septic systems.
Lastly, disinfectants are not regularly needed in the home. The guidance from the USDA and the FDA both here and here repeatedly stress washing with “hot, soapy water,” and not with disinfectants. In 2016 the FDA issued a specific warning not to use antibacterial hand soaps, and the CDC gives housecleaning guidelines that say to clean with soap and water often, but that disinfecting is not warranted on a regular basis and should be reserved for times of active sickness.
Though I may sound redundant, the point I come back to regularly is: hazardous cleaners aren’t necessary. You can get surfaces just as beautifully and hygienically clean with simple, versatile, safe cleaning products, the standout of which is soap and water.
What you’ll need for green cleaning your kitchen
- GIY All-Purpose Cleaning Spray made with Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Magic Soap (2 Tbsp. or 30 mL) or Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds (½ Tbsp. or 15 mL) in 2 cups water.
- GIY Scouring Powder made by filling a shaker jar with baking soda.
- GIY Glass Cleaner made with a 50/50 distilled white vinegar/water or pure club soda.
- Sturdy stiff brushes in a variety of sizes – I use a dish brush and a larger one for stove grates.
- Absorbent, lint-free, washable cloths. I use microfiber cloths which I wash in Patagonia’s Guppy Friend bag. I buy the cloths from the automotive care section.
- Lemons or distilled white vinegar
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Table salt
How to green clean each component of your kitchen
There are so many different surfaces in our kitchens that it can seem like a lot to tackle. However, the only cleaners I have under my kitchen sink are the All-Purpose Spray, Glass Cleaner, and Scouring Powder. My lemons are in the fruit basket and the vinegar and salt are in the pantry. That’s it.
Counters, Cabinets, and Appliances
The most used cleaner in my kitchen is my GIY All-Purpose Cleaning Spray. This is effective on the vast majority of surfaces. Its near-neutral pH makes it safe for all manner of stone and metal. It is gentle on wood and engineered surfaces, as well as plastic, paint, and more. It even cleans stainless steel.
Spray with the All-Purpose Spray and wipe with a damp cloth. For brushed stainless steel, be sure to wipe in the direction of the grain.
Stove Tops
Hot water is my secret weapon when it comes to stove cleaning. Soften cooked on splatters by laying a washcloth over them and pouring on very hot water from your kettle. Pour just enough to saturate the cloth but not have extra running out. Take care not to scald yourself. Let that sit for 10 minutes. Then, gently scrape off loosened grime with a plastic scraper.
To capture grease and other cooking smears, spray with the All-Purpose Spray and wipe with a damp cloth. Dry and polish with an absorbent, lint-free cloth. For glass cooktops, finish with the Glass Cleaning Spray and wipe dry.
Scrub grates in a sink with Sal Suds and a stiff brush.
Ovens
A note about the lemons I recommend using for the next several components: I have an overly productive dwarf lemon tree, but if lemons are not readily available for you, you can replace them with vinegar for all of these uses. The kitchen won’t smell as lemon-fresh, but the acidity of the vinegar will work just the same.
There are a variety of ways to clean ovens, but this is what I do. If you have crumbs, loose ash, or whatnot in the bottom, use a handheld vacuum or hose attachment on your upright vacuum to remove any loose debris. I find that a vacuum works better than trying to brush out the detritus because I inevitably lose a lot in the gap between the oven and the open oven door, with much of it then falling onto the floor. The vacuum is my secret green oven cleaner.
Then, for the rest of the oven, make an acidic steam bath to coat the surfaces. Cut 3-4 lemons into quarters and place in a pan with a lid. Add ½ cup (120 mL) water. Alternately, add 1 cup (240 mL) vinegar and 3 cups (720 mL) water to the pan. Cover the pan and heat it either on the stovetop or in the microwave until the lemons are softened and steamy. Keeping the pan covered, place it in the oven, remove the lid quickly and shut the oven door. Keep the oven off. Let the oven sit for 2 hours. Then, open the oven and wipe down the surfaces.
For hardcore, baked on residues, make thin, spreadable paste with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Spread this on the residues and let it sit overnight. Scrape it off gently with a plastic scraper. Then spray the surfaces with the All-Purpose Spray and wipe with a damp cloth.
Microwaves
A microwave similarly harnesses the cleaning power of the acidic lemons. Quarter two lemons (or use ½ cup [120 mL] vinegar) and place them in the microwave. Turn the microwave on high for 2 minutes, and then let it sit closed for 5 minutes. Open the microwave and wipe down the surfaces.
Garbage Disposals
Before you get rid of the lemons you just used for the oven or microwave, give your garbage disposal a quick refresh. Place the lemons, or small vinegar ice cubes, down the disposal and run it until clear.
Sinks
Keep your kitchen sink clean and sparkling by spraying with the All-Purpose Spray and then sprinkling on Scouring Powder (which is just baking soda). Use a stiff brush to scrub the sink. Don’t forget to brush underneath the rubber flange in the drain. Grime and odors love to hide there. Rinse the sink thoroughly with hot water. Give the faucet a wash with the All-Purpose Spray and then dry all surfaces for the best finish.
Cutting Boards
Scrub a cutting board with a stiff brush and a small squirt of Sal Suds or Castile Magic Soap. Rinse with hot water. For a deeper cleaning and deodorizing, sprinkle half a lemon with salt and scrub the board thoroughly. Rinse the board thoroughly with hot water. Dry with a towel and then let air dry.
Ready for the next culinary masterpiece
I love cooking. It is how I process, how I celebrate, how I welcome people into my home. It is deeply therapeutic for me and is definitely one of my love languages. But along with cooking comes the inevitable cleaning. I have made it easy on myself, or anyone who helps me, with these simple and non-toxic go-tos.
Sal Suds cleaner shows >60% biodegradation after 28 days per ISO 14593.
Further reading
These tips and many more are in my book, Soap & Soul: A Practical Guide to Minding Your Home, Your Body, and Your Spirit with Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, available now in hardback, eBook, and audiobook (read by me!) at your favorite bookseller.
I loved this article! The video was great too! The kitchen at my house is always messy and this is very helpful. I just recently bought a bottle of Sal Suds so I could make some money this summer cleaning at my campground. I was originally going to get another product but then I realized that Sal Suds readily biodegrades. So I bought a big bottle of it to invest in my little business. I also bought some of the lip balm and the lotion. The lemon lime lip balm tastes like Sprite! The patchouli lime lotion is very easily absorbed and I only have to use a little bit. Do you plan on making bigger lotion bottles soon? Just wondering.
THANK YOU!
Hi Emerick- I work with Lisa on Going Green and wanted to chime in to say we are a camping family and always bring Sal Suds along because of how fantastic it works, even in the hard water we find in the California mountains. It’s our go-to for dishes and we use the All-Purpose Spray for counters, sinks, stove, and floors inside the trailer and the tables and benches outside. Unfortunately we don’t have plans for a larger lotion bottle, which is too bad since I use the Peppermint multiple times a day during the hot summer months. Good luck with your campground business! ~Patty (Going Green Manager)