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Natural soap: how to use it to clean your home

You might be committed to using only natural soaps and other products on your skin and hair, but how much thought have you given to your home cleaning kit?

The good news is that it doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive to keep your home naturally clean. In fact, some products are so gentle (and effective) that you can use them to cleanse your face as well as the kitchen sink!

Lemon, vinegar and baking soda all have their place in the natural cleaning cupboard, but even they can be too harsh for some surfaces. Enter natural soap, the often underrated champion in your natural cleaning caddy.

Lisa Bronner, cleaning influencer and author of Soap & Soul: A Practical Guide to Minding Your Home, Your Body, and Your Spirit with Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps (£19.99, Countryman Press) is passionate about sharing the many benefits of using natural soap for keeping your home cleansed and healthy.

Lisa is the granddaughter of Emmanuel Bronner, the founder of the iconic soap brand Dr Bonner’s Pure-Castile Soap. The soap contains no artificial fragrances, detergents, preservatives or dyes, is famed for having 18 uses – including everything from washing your hair to laundry care. And, according to Lisa, that’s just for starters! There is a plethora of ways to use the natural soap.

Below are some of Lisa’s favourite homemade cleaning recipes:

All-purpose house spray made with natural soap

You will need:

A spray bottle

60ml Dr. Bronner’s Lavender Castile Soap

1lt water

Fill the spray bottle with the water. Add the Castile Soap and some tea tree essential oil, if desired. Swirl gently to mix.

Almond Soft Scrub

You will need:

A squirt bottle

120ml Dr.Bronner’s Almond Castile Soap

400g baking soda

120ml water

30ml white vinegar

In a big bowl, combine the baking soda with the Castile Soap. Mix it with a fork until well blended and no lumps remain. Mix in the water. Add in the vinegar and stir thoroughly. Add extra water if needed until the mixture is a pourable consistency. Pour the solution into the bottle using a funnel. To use, squirt over your surface and wipe with a damp microfibre cloth, then rinse with a wet cloth.

Citrus Plant Spray

You will need:

A spray bottle

15ml Dr. Bronner’s Citrus-Orange Castile Soap

1lt water

Combine all the ingredients in a spray bottle. That’s it! To use, spray plants thoroughly, ideally in the morning or evening to thwart a bug infestation. Shake the plant first to avoid harming beneficial insects like bees.

Lisa’s book, Soap & Soul, offers a wealth of knowledge about green cleaning, with more recipes you can make at home, as well as advice on how to spot greenwashing, and why cleaning is good for the soul!