I think today’s post is going to be my favorite of the series because the photos really show the power of natural cleaning products. I used to hate cleaning my master bathroom. We don’t have a window that opens and the fumes from our old cleaning supplies always gave me a headache. I would clean one fixture and take a break just to get away from the harsh smells. Now that we’ve made the switch to all natural products I never have that problem. I still hate cleaning the nasty bathroom, but the smells are actually pleasant.
Before you read on, let’s all agree to pretend I let the bathroom get really, really dirty so I could better illustrate the power of three simple, natural ingredients you probably have in your kitchen right now. Agreed? Good. I feel better.
Here are the before and after photos of our bathroom along with tips on cleaning it using nothing more than white vinegar, baking soda, and a lemon.
This is the faucet of our shower before I cleaned it. It’s obviously covered with hard water stains. I’ve had professional cleaning people come to my house and tell me they can’t get these off without using harsh chemicals. I always tell them to leave it because it’s so easy to clean. You only need one powerful, natural ingredient.
That’s right, a lemon! I just cut it in half and use the actual lemon to scrub the hard water stains on any fixture. I’ve even used it to remove rust stains from a bobby pin I left sitting in the shower.
Like I said, just rub the lemon on the fixture and rinse. The spots will magically disappear before your eyes and you’ll be left with this!
A dramatic improvement!
Next I tackled the tub with white vinegar and baking soda. I keep my baking soda in the box, but I poke holes in the top so I can sprinkle it onto the surface I’m trying to clean. I put the white vinegar in a spray bottle and spray it all over the baking soda until it starts to foam. Then I scrub. You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to remove dirt and grim once the foam has a chance to loosen it up. As you scrub, the two ingredients turn into a paste like a mild version of comet cleanser. Then you just rinse it all away with hot water. Be sure to rinse it well or the baking soda will leave a white residue behind. Here are the before and after photos of the tub.
The tub before. I know it’s gross! Can you see the ring of dirt and dead skin?
No more ring around the tub!
Next, I put the baking soda and white vinegar to work on the sinks and this time I remembered to take pictures of it in action. Check it out.
This is my sink before I cleaned it.
Here the baking soda and vinegar are working their magic.
Once I started scrubbing, the baking soda and vinegar mixed together into a paste that really made the sink and faucet shine!
Like new! Again, make sure to rinse well with hot water or the baking soda will leave a cloudy white residue.
The last thing I tackled was the toilet. I saved it for last because it’s my least favorite job and it’s probably the most embarrassing photo to share with you. First, a few tips. I sprinkle the inside of the bowl with baking soda then I spray it with vinegar. I let the foam work for a few minutes then scrub with a toilet brush. Next, I spray down the whole toilet with vinegar and wipe it clean. That’s it. It only takes a few minutes and the vinegar acts as a disinfectant killing the germs, neutralizing odors and removing all evidence of accidents from little boys who still have trouble aiming. Here’s the proof.
As much as I hate to admit it, this is the before photo of the toilet.
And here is the after. All clean!
That’s it. Three inexpensive, easy to find, all natural ingredients to clean, deodorize and disinfect the bathroom. I didn’t take any photos of the floor, but I just vacuum it and then mop it with my Oreck Steam Cleaner. Nothing but hot steamy water and some white vinegar.
Have you tried using natural cleaning supplies on a really tough job? We’d love to hear about it!
Don’t forget to visit Krista at Hope in the Waiting to get her tips for decluttering and organizing your bathroom.
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Mix 1 cup olive oil with ½ cup lemon juice and you have a furniture polish for your hardwood furniture.
works great!
will the lemon work on glass shower doors? Love your hints!
I don’t have glass shower doors so i havent tested it, but I’m guessing it will work the same. The acid in the lemon breaks up the hard water stains & any soap scum so it’s easier to scrub off and rinse away.
Does it matter whether it is apple cider vinegar or white vinegar?
I’d stick with white vinegar for cleaning.
This sounds weird but after cleaning you glass shower doors spray them with a little bit of Pam, it helps keeps the water from staining it and dirt from sticking to it
Thank you for these great tips! Before I got pregnant, and especially now that I am, I was always trying to find natural ways to clean, but the hardest place to give up the “industrial” cleaners was the bathroom! But I think I just may have to after seeing your before and after pictures!
Would this work on the bronze fixtures?
Brittany, good question. I know lemon juice is a great natural cleaner for bronze pans so my instinct is yes. But there are so many finishes on fixtures theses days I can’t say for sure. Its pretty mild, but you can always mix it with a little water and test a small spot first. Hope that helps!
I have used baking soda on bronze fixtures in the past and it has actually ruined finish by turning it silver-ish/faded bronze color. I’m not sure what type of finish it was however based on my experience I would be careful using it on bronze. Maybe only use a little bit?
Do you dilute the vinegar with water? Or is it just straight vinegar in a spray bottle?
I don’t dilute mine b/c I like the full strength of the vinegar in the bathroom. But if the vinegar smell bothers you try a 50/50 or 75/25 mix of vinegar/water. Another commenter suggested adding lemon oil to dilute the smell.
You can also fill a jar with vinegar and orange peels and let sit for 7-10 days for a nice orange scent.
Thanks girls! Calie, I tried the lemon half on our sink the other day that has serious hard water stains and was absolutely shocked at how well it worked. Can’t wait to attack everything with vinegar and baking soda, hahaha!
I am so glad to see someone else using vinegar in the bathroom. most people look at me like I have two heads when I say that I use vinegar to clean everything including the bathroom
.
I have used straight vinegar for years and people have always thought I was crazy. A friend once told me my house smelled like a pickle but my tile floors still look new and the smell goes away within an hour.
I saw this on Pinterest and was so inspired I literally went straight to the store for lemons, vinegar and baking soda. Can’t wait until my kids’ piano lessons are over so I can go home and try it!
OMGosh me too! We relocated to the east coast and our new home has hard water stains on all the sinks and faucets…even the door of the outside of stainless steel refrigerator (where the ice and water dispensers). The owners had tried desperately to the remove them with harsh chemicals and was unsuccessful, so you can imagine my excitement when I came across this pin on Pinterest. I immediately went to the store to pick up lemons, vinegar, baking soda, and spray bottles. I really wish I would have taken before and after pictures, because the hard water stains literally disappeared. I can’t wait to clean the faucets and bathrooms before our household goods are delivery.
Woohoo! So glad it worked for you.
I use vinegar to clean my bathroom too! I add a few drops of lemon oil to the spray bottle because my husband doesnt like the smell of vinegar. Im actually looking forward to cleaning my bathroom asfter reading this because I want to try the lemon on hard water spots! haha!!
Have you ever tried Mr.Clean magic eraser sponge? It is amazing how it gets rid of soap scum in the shower and tub. No scrubbing just wipe it away. You have to try it.
just I would pass on to you so you can try,
I have used on my carpets that are off white.
Vinegar and Baking Soda cleaner on pet stains!!
It really works and works awesome on juice stains.
1. Sprinkle the spot with baking soda then spray on the vinegar (white) Let it do it’s bubbling then gentley with a soft brush work through.
let dry then vacuum. I have done this also on my wool carpets it didn’t fade it’s colors.
The vinegar smell will fade within 24 hrs
2.Clean your car rims with lemon juice in a spray bottle and baking soda after a long winter and all the snow/salt. They will look like new !
@Susan…thanks for the great tip. We don’t have any pets but I’m sure this will be really helpful to a lot of people!
I was curious if you knew of any natural and effective ways to clean mildew out of a shower? I have been trying forever and can’t seem to find anything that works. Thank you!
Just a note here. I believe many times, it’s not the mold/mildew that can’t be cleaned away, rather the ‘stain’. Sometimes it stains the caulking and that cannot be removed, no matter what you try. Just need to pull it off and put new caulk…also an easy job!
@Amy- I’ve used hydrogen peroxide on mildew in the past and it worked pretty well. Just pour some on the mildew, let it sit for a little while, and then scrub with an old toothbrush. Hope this helps!
@Amy Hydrogen peroxide does work, but it sounds like you might have some tough mildew if you’ve tried a lot of things with no luck. The strongest natural ingredient I’ve found to combat mildew is tea tree oil. It’s more expensive than using hydrogen peroxide or white vinegar, but it seems to kill most molds. It has kind of a strong smell (although I personally don’t mind it) which goes away after a few days. If it bothers you, you can run a fan or open a window for a few hours after cleaning with it. Let me know if it works for you! You can buy tea tree oil at Whole Foods or other stores that sell health products. You can also get it online. A little will go a long way.
will this also work for stainless steal fridges? do you have any recommendations for washing wood floors?
thanks
@fabiana yes. It should work on a stainless steel fridge. I use it on my stainless steel sink and tea pot. I have a post scheduled for tomorrow on washing wood floors naturally
Two really easy tips.
Here is what I do with vinegar: Collect orange peels in a jar. (My kids eat a lot of clementines so this is easy) Fill the jar with vinegar then let it sit for about 10 days, shaking gently every once in a while. Then strain the vinegar through a coffee filter into your spray bottle. This really cuts the vinegar smell and the citrus boosts the cleaning power.
Or use some essential oils for a fresh scent!
How does one clean marble in the bathroom ?
Love this! I have a hefty list of recipes for homemade cleaning products (http://www.laurelofleaves.com/2010/12/homemade-cleaning-products/), but I think I like your toilet cleaning method better. Thanks for all the awesome ideas!
I’ve been using the baking soda vinegar trick in my sink, shower and toilet for a while, but the lemon is new; Thanks for the advice!
I always use vinegar and baking soda but didn’t know about the lemon. Awesome!
I am so excited to clean my bathroom!! I’ve never been excited about cleaning my bathroom. I really have hope that it will actually be clean this time. Looking forward to using the peroxide for mildew! Thanks!!!
OK, you have me sold. I need to clean my bathrooms also so I’ll be making a trip to the store for some lemons this evening. Thanks….now I’m off to find your post on cleaning wood floors.
Yay! You’ll have to let me know what you think. The wood floor is one of my favorite new natural cleaning tricks. It smells so good and nothing else I’ve cleaned with made my floors shine like that.
For some reason the lemon didnt work with me :/. I have really hard water, and have to add lemishine to the dishwasher and even that doesnt take away all the spots. Cant wait to move out of this apartment!
I just finished scrubbing my tub. For the hard water spots, I found I had to alternate between the lemon and vinegar quite a few times, but it ultimately did come clean.
We have used lemishine in our dishwasher for the past year or so, and it is fantastic stuff! Last couple of runs I used vinegar because I ran out of the lemishine. I poured a cup of vinegar into an upright cup in the top rack of the dishwasher and ran it through it’s normal cycle. The dishes came out great!
One trick I use to really get the toilet bowl well, is to pour a bucket of water down the bowl first. It flushes the toilet without letting more water in, so the baking soda and vinegar (or whatever you’re using) can really get in there well and cover all surfaces!!!
HUH!! I did not know that! I will definitely do that the next time I clean the toilet bowl!
Bummer. I’m with Rebecca. The lemon did not work on my shower… I’ll still try the vinegar and baking soda in the bathroom.
I have a old bathroom which is very hard to keep clean, and I can’t wait to try these advices! I was wondering how you clean your bathroom floor? Mine has tiles, and is not easy to clean.
Kari, I use a steam cleaner on my floors. The steam would be good for old tile b/c it can get in the grooves. You can also mop with white vinegar to kill germs. If you have spots make a paste out of baking soda & water and scrub with an old toothbrush. But I love the steam cleaner b/c it really lifts dirt without much effort.
Do u think I could use the lemon for hardwater stains on glass? My shower is all glass but full of water stains…my spring cleaning is coming up and need some help!
Stephanie – I think the lemon will work on glass. The acid in the lemon juice breaks ups the hard water stain. I use the actual lemon (cut in half) to scrub the surface. You can also follow it up with white vinegar and a soft cloth for stubborn stains. Let us know how it works.
I haven’t tried it yet but I saw on Pinterest to use a Bounce sheet or other dryer sheet on soap scummed glass shower doors.
I love this!!!! I’m trying to turn to the natural side of things and this blog was exactly what I’ve been looking for! Found you on pinterest, thanks so much for sharing!!!
How do you apply the tea tree oil for mold/mildew? Do you dilute it at all? I have some serious mold/mildew along the caulking on our tub. I’d like to try and clean it before deciding to completely replace it. So far, none of the commercial cleaners have worked. I have some tea tree oil and want to try it. Thanks!
Sara – I usually dilute it a little. It’s really strong. Try putting it in a spray bottle. After you spray it let it sit a little then scrub. Good luck!
I just cleaned my whole bathroom just as you suggested. I was so giddy the whole time that it was almost fun….almost.
thanks for the tips and inspiration!
I tried using a lemon on hard water stains with no luck. Am I missing something? The stains looked exactly like the shower faucet in your before picture. How long and how many times did you scrub before the hard water stains disappeared???
Karen, I just cut the lemon in half and scrub as I would with a sponge or wash rag. No more than a minute for the faucet I showed in the photo. When I was done the lemeon half looked like I had squeezed all of the juice out of it. It was kind of flimsy and thin after scrubbing with it. Then I rinsed it with hot water. Most people have had success with this, but a few did say it didn’t work for them. I’m wondering if it has something to do with the area and what’s in the water? I can’t say for sure. My other recommendation is to try making a paste of baking soda and vinegar. Scrub it with that first. Then try the lemon again. Good luck! I hope it works!
I use a recycled parmesan cheese shaker to put my baking soda in…works great! Happy cleaning all!
Love the natural cleaning tips. Do you think the vinegar and baking soda would work on a plastic shower curtain? I have tried vinegar and water in various strengths to no avail.
Oh wow! Thanks for the great tips! I am going to try the lemon on our shower handle tonight!
Oh, I found your blog post via a mention on the Frugally Sustainable page on Facebook
I love DIY cleaning stuff…and I’ve not tried lemons yet… We live in an area with lots of hard water, so I’m wanting to give this a try. Otherwise, I literally wipe down all the fixtures and the bathtub and walls with a towel after every shower. It only takes a few minutes and really helps keep things clean a long time 
Love and hugs from the ocean shores of CAlifornia, Heather 
What do you use to scrub the bathtub and sink? A hard bristle brush? Washcloth?
I use a washcloth
I wonder if the lemon would work on my really old windows… the outside is terrible!
It just might, especially if you mix it with white vinegar.
Thanks for sharing. I have been using vinegar and and baking soda for a while to scrub my shower and am anxious to try the lemon trick on the hard water spots. One thing I would add though: I have read from several internet sources that vinegar in not truly a disinfectant, even though it certainly helps. (As with any cleaner, of course the germicidal benefits will vary with the kind of vinegar, the nature of the surface being cleaned, and the method used to clean.) So I love it for mirrors and for adding shine to hard surfaces, but from what I’ve heard I wouldn’t advertise it as a bathroom or kitchen disinfectant since it doesn’t kill bacteria and viruses with the same effectiveness that chemical cleaners must in order to be labeled as a “disinfectant.” Has anyone else heard this? If I’m mistaken I’d like to know.
Karen – That’s a great question. I started using vinegar after reading on a local doctor’s website that it was a great alternative to chemical cleaners. Here are some tips I’ve learned. Straight vinegar is obviously the most potent so if you’re worried about killing germs on surfaces like cutting boards or toilets, don’t dilute it with water. Also, letting it sit gives it more time to work so when cleaning sinks or counters you can spray them down and let the vinegar sit before wiping them down. If you look at my recent post on cleaning the kitchen, I use hydrogen peroxide first, wipe it down completely, rinse, then use vinegar, wipe it down and rinse when I clean my sink. You DO NOT mix the hydrogen peroxide and vinegar. You clean with one including wiping and rinsing then clean with the other. This is a double doese of disinfectant and gives me peace of mind.
I’ve been cleaning my bathroom and kitchen with vinegar (and hyrdogen peroxide) for over a year now and we haven’t had any problems, but this is just my personal experience.
Also, I recently read that, “Heinz company spokesperson Michael Mullen references numerous studies to show that a straight 5 percent solution of vinegar—the kind you can buy in the supermarket—kills 99 percent of bacteria, 82 percent of mold, and 80 percent of germs (viruses). He noted that Heinz can’t claim on their packaging that vinegar is a disinfectant since the company has not registered it as a pesticide with the Environmental Protection Agency. However, it seems to be common knowledge in the industry that vinegar is powerfully antibacterial. Even the CBS news show “48 Hours” had a special years ago with Heloise reporting on tests from The Good Housekeeping Institute that showed this.”
Hope this helps. Again, this is just what I’ve experienced and read. I’m not an expert and haven’t tested the power of vinegar in killing bacteria or viruses.
I use white vinegar and water mixture to clean almost everything in my house. Dusting, windows, it’s even safe on my wood floors. Thanks for the lemon tip, I am going to try that!
Do you think limes would do the same as lemons? I ask only because i saw this tip today and happen to have extra limes in the fridge and no lemons today.
Limes aren’t as acidic so I’m not sure it will work as well. Give it a try. I’d love to hear how they work.
I’ve been looking for a way to get rid of hard water stains without using harsh chemicals. I can’t wait to try lemons on them – I will be buying some tomorrow! Thanks for sharing your natural cleaning tips!
Im wondering if the same would work with Limes instead of lemons?
Limes are not as acidic as lemons so I don’t think it will work as well. But if you try it, let us know how it goes.
Wonderful tips, thank you.
I was just wondering if the lemon would get rid of soap scum and water marks on glass shower doors?
Can’t wait for your reply
I don’t have glass shower doors so I haven’t tried it, but I think it would work. It’s the acid in the lemons that breaks up the hard water stains and soap scum. I use the actual lemon, not just the juice, and that seems to work best. Try cutting the lemon in half, remove the seeds and scrub a small spot to see if helps break up the gunk. Let us know how it works. You can follow up with the vinegar/water solution and that should do the trick.
I have super hard water stains on my glass shower doors. I’ve tried the pure lemon, pure vinegar, vinegar/water combo… *nothing* is working! I’ve tried all the cleaning products. It looks so gross too and I wish I could get rid of them, especially because we are moving and I don’t want to leave it like that. Not sure what else to try, but I thought I’d let you all know the results of my experimenting you guys were wondering about. If you guys have any other suggestions, please share!
Sorry to hear it didn’t work on your glass shower doors. I wish I could test what was in the water in different areas. Someone else commented earlier this week to say how well it worked on her glass shower door. I’m guessing it depends on what’s in your water.
Use lemon oil, I did this all the time when I had old spotted glass shower doors.
Try sprinkling some salt onto the lemon, then rubbing on your shower. I’ve heard this works for the super hard stains.
My mom uses Spray-n-wash laundry stain remover on her shower door and it works good – you might give it a try
Mr Clean magic eraser works well also. Haven’t tried it yet but I saw a post on pinterest that combined vinegar and regular dawn dish soap. Could be worth a try.
Magic Erasers COMPLETELY remove all that nastiness on your glass doors! I used them for 6 years on mine.
I just started using Magic Eraser on my shower doors and it works great
I know it’s definitely not natural but the Mr.Clean magic eraser works like a charm for everything..
Mr. Clean magic erasers do work wonders on most anything. However my husband decided to help get some marker off of my skin by using a magic eraser and I had a chemical burn that resulted in a nasty little scar, so what ever is in it, is very potent.
Thanks for sharing, Christy. Sorry about your arm. Yikes!
I have had success cleaning glass shower doors by rubbing with either baby oil or lemon oil…yes, sounds greasy, but it worked for me!
spray it with WD 40! Spray on doors and wipe off, it really works!
My mom sold Avon for years and they sell a product, Skin So Soft, it will remove water marks and soap scum off glass shower doors. You might want to try it out…it worked for us.
Do mix the vinegar with the water in your floor steam cleaner?
Ive done it both ways. Sometimes I just spray the floor with vinegar first, but you can mix it right in too.
I just tried the lemon thing on hard water stains and it didn’t work at all!
Sorry. It didn’t work for you. There were a few people who didn’t have success with it but most have had it work. It might depend on your water. Did you use the actual lemon or just the juice?
I used the actual lemon and had no success in the tub.
( Is there something else you have to do with it? Like use lemon and baking soda or the lemon and vinegar? Because it was no bueno for me.
just the lemon is what I use. It’s worked for the majority of people, but a few haven’t had success. It may depend on what’s in your water. Hard to say. Sorry it didn’t work for you
I tried another tip that worked really well. I mixed 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 dish soap in a spray bottle for the bathroom. We have hard water also, so it’s difficult to get our bathtub clean. I sprayed the mixture on, left it for about an hour and then went back and wiped it off with a Mr.
Clean Magic Eraser. It worked wonderfully. I’ll have to try the baking soda/vinegar mix and see which is better. I’m also wondering what would happen if I tried a lemon/vinegar mix. Hmmm….
Once a week put a little shampoo, like from the travel-size bottle from hotels, into the toilet bowl and swish around with the toilet brush.
After using literally every cleaner in the grocery store and hardware store I had given up on cleaning my bathtub thinking the only solution was to demo it and install a new one. I even had the water tested thinking that a water softener would prevent build up in the future. Imagine my surprise when the test came back stating that we did not have hard water. Wow, what do I do now? My daughter read your blog and suggested I try using lemon. Wish I had a before picture. with in minutes the lemon cleaned away 10 years of white stains and the faucet began to shine. It works on shower doors as well. We can now see through the doors once again. That little lemon saved me thousands of dollars – no need to remodel now!
Use a SOS pad on the glass shower door for hard water. It’s not an all natural cleaner but it works without scratching the glass. We do it all the time for our and it works wonders!
Could spend hours reading your information
Try a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser on your shower doors that have the hard water build up. They’ve worked pretty good on mine.