Natural Cleaning Mini Challenge [Giveaway!]

Natural Cleaning Mini Challenge Giveaway win some free microfiber products Natural Cleaning Mini Challenge [Giveaway!]

So far, it’s been all about improving our nutrition and health from the inside, but today we switch gears and start making sure we are avoiding toxins from the outside too!

Everyday we are exposed to hundreds of chemicals in the air, water and our environment, and many more through products we use in our homes and beauty care. Cleaning products tend to be the worst offenders and are some of the most dangerous to have around the house with kids.

Most cleaning products contain harsh solvents, detergents and fragrances as well as harmful chemicals like bleaches, ammonia, sulfates, and parabens. If you’ve ever read the back of a bottle of cleaning spray or bleach, about the damage those chemicals can cause to skin, the respiratory track, eyes, lungs, etc, plus the warning “Can be fatal if swallowed.” Not particularly things you want under your sink with kids around!

As with many things, making your own can save you a lot of money on cleaning products and is much healthier!

What I Use:

Personally, since I discovered Microfiber for cleaning, I don’t use anything else! A product that cleans naturally with only water… I was sold! (Tip: you can also add a couple drops of lemon essential oil for a fresh scent while you clean!)

If you haven’t tried microfiber, the basic idea is that the microscopic fibers in the cloth pick up much more dirt, bacteria and germs than regular cloth. I’ve even seen microfiber alone take off a huge streak of butter on a window (don’t ask….)

My favorite microfiber products that basically clean my entire house are:

The Antibac Envirocloth- a Heavy duty microfiber cloth with silver fibers embedded in it to kill bacteria and germs. It cleans everything from my cabinets to counters to stainless steel appliances. I also use it to clean my bathroom and can literally clean the bathroom from top to bottom with it. I now keep one microfiber cloth in each room for fast cleaning.
The Polishing Cloth- I use this on windows for a natural streak free shine with no chemicals. I use one half wet and one half dry and just wipe down with the damp and dry with the dry side. This also works great for polishing mirrors, appliances and electronics.
The Dusting Mit: Actually picks up dust, even the dust that collects on top of fans (unless perhaps you dust those more often that I do and don’t have dust on top of your fans…). The kids love using this one too and I don’t mind because no chemicals are involved.
The Telescopic Mop- Hands down my favorite because it lets me mop my entire house without chemicals in 10-15 minutes! It uses a heavy duty microfiber pad that can be machine washed and no bucket or chemicals are required! They even make a kids version of all of the above and my kids love to use them!

The company I get my microfiber from has a household package that contains the Envirocloth, Polishing Cloth and Dusting Mit, as well as a mop starter set.

You can also make your own DIY cleaners and disinfectants for your house, laundry, etc for pennies and they often work as well or better than chemical-laden store bough options. These are a few of my favorite:

Make Your Own Natural Homemade Laundry Detergent-Video Tutorial
Natural Stain Treatment Reference Sheet [Printable]
Natural Homemade Laundry Detergent
Natural All-Purpose Cleaner Recipe
Natural Oven Cleaning
Natural Homemade Glass Cleaner Recipe
Easy Homemade Scouring Powder Recipe
Natural Cleaning and Organizing Checklist
Natural Bathroom Cleaning
Natural Kitchen Cleaning

The Contest:

I want you to see how awesome natural cleaning can be too, so I’m giving away a Microfiber Cleaning Package that includes: A Microfiber Mop and a microfiber cloth package! [Note: For anyone who entered before now: Norwex contacted me and they do not allow giveaways of their product (even though I had purchased the products myself). As per their rules, I have removed their products as part of the giveaway and will be substituting with other microfiber products of equal or greater value. I apologize to those who were hoping for Norwex products and will make sure the new prizes are a suitable substitute]

Enter in the widget below and one lucky winner will win this package on Friday, July 27th! After you enter, leave a comment telling me the cleaning job that you have the toughest time switching to a natural option for!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

What is your toughest cleaning job to do naturally? Share below!

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Filed Under: Natural Living

About Wellness Mama

Wellness Mama is a full-time housewife with a background in nutrition, journalism and communications. Her passion is helping others achieve optimal health through a “Wellness Lifestyle.” She has helped hundreds of clients lose weight, increase athletic performance, improve fertility, and overcome numerous health problems and diseases. Connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, & Pinterest.

Disclaimer: Many of the links on my site, especially those from Amazon, Mountain Rose Herbs, Tropical Traditions and OraWellness are affiliate links. Should you click on these links and decide to purchase anything, I will receive a small commission and you will have my sincere thanks for supporting Wellness Mama!

DISCLAIMER: The statements made here have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These statements are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure or prevent any disease. This notice is required by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

theevangelista

I think the bathroom is the toughest to switch to natural cleaning methods, because of the paranoia surrounding germs, etc. I’m really hoping I win because I’d *love* to give microfiber a try!
Jess

Hands down, the toughest job is the toilet. I moved into a new apartment, and even if I clean more than weekly, the toilet still has odor that won’t go away…. UGH!!!!
SK

I find that cleaning the stains out of my toilets (without using bleach) to be the hardest job to chage over the green cleaning.
http://natsmithillustration.etsy.com/ Nataliesmith1289

the toughest natural cleaning for me is the shower. i use vinegar water and scrub scrub scrub!!! i also LOVE paper towel trying to get rid of that habit. I think microfiber would replace it well though
http://profile.yahoo.com/JJUUQNCZ2BWR22IXBJVGD74JXI Lisa

Biggest challenge is keeping my hardwood clean with a dog and 2 kids running around with natural products.
Hezjo

Cleaning up after the dogs….
http://profile.yahoo.com/JJUUQNCZ2BWR22IXBJVGD74JXI Lisa

Biggest challenge is keeping my hardwood clean naturally with a dog and 2 kids running around.
JustTheFlax

I’d have to agree with others and say bathroom. I love my Comet cleanser! I don’t have any microfiber so would love to win
Claire Garbat

Nothing! We switched to natural cleaning five years ago and haven’t looked back
Emily

Cleaning up raw meat! It just doesn’t feel clean without the bleach spray.
http://profile.yahoo.com/M7AQUF53KXCZZJ6YWJN2QCRMBU Amber

Definitely the shower! If I let it go for too long, I almost always resort to chemicals to get it clean!
Emily

I have a 3 year old pet stain on the carpet that is impossible to remove. Add to that its, in the only area of the house that is safe for my baby to play on the floor away from wood stove and stairs. Gross out!
Em

My biggest challenge is the grout in my kitchen. With two little ones and a very, very large dog my floors are never clean for long. Our kitchen has the most traffic of all the rooms in our house, it seems as soon as I get it clean and turn around, it’s dirty again. The grout though is the worst! All the spills and the sandy Florida dirt that my dog tracks in make the grout lines perfect little dirt trays. I looked up your grout recipe and am going to try it out!
Karen

I LOVE my anitbac clothes! My biggest challenge is mopping-I have a traditional mop, and usually end up using some cleaning product with it. I’ve been eyeing the microfiber mop for a while, but just can’t afford it right now. Thanks for the chance to win it!
Becky

I’m in agreement with many of the other responders in saying the toilet “area”. With 2 three year olds intent on learning to stand up to go to the bathroom it starts smelling like an outhouse quick easily.
Stephen Sarahbeth

The shower!!! It is just hard to keep up with all the soap scum…
PatziB

Biggest challenge for me is the toilet bowl. And the shower…
I already use microfiber, but not for the bathroom, since I don’t have enough.
Anne Blanton

Today was my toughest challenge. My dog is having tummy trouble – she’s inside the house and weighs 50 lbs. That’s a lot of stuff coming out either end. The microfiber is really up to the challenge and so is the Natural Cleaning solution.
Bsdgirl

I have four little boys and they waste no time making the bathroom super nasty. It’s all I can do not to douse it in bleach, shut the door fast, and run away screaming.
Marcie

I am having trouble with the bathroom. Cleaning the grout in the shower and cleaning the toilet. I have been using your natural cleaning recipe to clean the toilet.
Bayjessi

I have to agree with a lot of you that the toilet it the toughest! Seems like I have to clean it everyday or it has rings and smells yucky.
Leah Bebout

Our shower curtain is the toughest thing to keep clean. Our city water turns it all kinds of colors.
http://whatissharondoingnow.wordpress.com/ Sharon

I agree with several others….getting the toilet sparkling clean
andi

I’ve definitely had the hardest time switching over to natural products in both the bathroom and kitchen … I’m trying to develop a more friendly stance towards bacteria, but am still a recovering germophobe!
http://www.morethanmundane.com/ Krissajeldy

Bathroom/toilet for sure!
http://www.morethanmundane.com/ Krissajeldy

I use a steam mop and it works great!
Sanabria201

I think the toughest cleaning job is the shower!! I’dlove to see how the microfiber would work!
Ellyn

The bathroom–floor especially!
Abigail

The top of my stove! How to get off the hardened spatters?
Lorraine Robinson

my daughter has an autoimmune disorder and I have been trying to do everything more naturally. Would love to try these and clean the bathroom which I feel is the hardest to disinfect without chemicals
Chantal

The toilet :/
Edoucette7

Definitely the toilet!! And I couldn’t figure out how to tag you in the FB share!
Cathy

Definitely the toilet! We buy the “greener” cleaners for this job but they are much pricier than other toilet bowl cleaners. Plus, regardless, I end up using bleach or a cleaner with it after any sort of tummy illness in the house.
Daniellereck

Definitely the oven! I dread cleaning it as I’m terrified of the dangerous chemicals involved to get the baked in grime off! It’s like chemical warfare with protective gloves, mask and heavy duty apron, and on top of it you have to find someone to mind your kids for the day while you do it so you can make sure they keep out of the kitchen. I’ll be trying the think layer of bicarbonate soda next time. Thanks for a wonderful blog Wellness Mama
Deb

the toilet. i use vinegar and baking soda, but eventually it needs a bleach cleaner…and i’m not happy about that…
http://www.loveandbacon.com loveandbacon

Biggest challenge for me is the bathroom. As someone mentioned already, the germs! It’s tough to trust natural cleansers when all you want to do is bleach all the things.

Oh, and our white tile kitchen counters. Getting the grout clean is tough… but a good scrub with borax does the trick.
Sherri

The bathroom, and in particular the toilet. It’s hard to not use some nasty chemical when you think about nasty germs!
Sucremaple

I just moves into a new house and want to start fresh and try an all natural approach to cleaning! I have heard about microfiber cleaning for awhile and have so many windows to keep little finger prints off of (we already have four children and will God willing have more).
Jessica West

As others have mentioned, the toilet would be the most difficult for me. I’m not especially concerned about germs, but the toilet is different. I have been looking into trying out microfiber since I first read about it here. Which do you use for the toilet?
http://www.facebook.com/dawn.m.white.92 Dawn Marie White

I think my toughest job I’ve had a hard time making the switch is the grout in my shower. I can’t seem to keep it white without bleach. I hope microfiber can help me with that.
Amber Carroll

The toilet is definitely the hardest thing for me to not use bleach or ammonia on.
Megan

We have a lot of manganese and iron in our well water – the showers, tubs, and toilets are the worst! Please help me get away from Comet. I’ve even tried spraying my showers and tubs with diluted lye soap (that I make), it helps, but doesn’t quite get it clean. Any thoughts?
Sarah L

I would say switching to a natural stain remover for clothes has been the hardest for me. I use homemade laundry detergent that I love but I still use Shout for stains.
http://mamarama.me/ Mamarama

The only reason I hang on to my bleach spray is to clean the sink after I’ve rinsed raw meat in it. I want to be careful about salmonella!
LInda

I just got new flooring so this would be great because I’m trying to figure out the best cleaning plan
Jenny

My toughest since throwing everything out was the dog accident!! We have six kids and the stainless fridge can be hard too. I found a solution though. First a little olive oil then vinegar and it shines like new and cleans all of the gross smudges!! Thanks for offering this!
Ohwellpat

The glass shower!!!!!
Lindsey

The bathroom is definitely our “hot spot” unfortunately. Between attempting to potty train a short toddler, having hard water & all the traffic it sees from visitors its pretty bad. And my 2yr old insists on climbing on everything as I’m disinfecting then pops his thumb in his mouth!! Yikes :/ I barely have time to clean much less go back over everything with water One step SAFE natural cleaning would be AWESOME!!!
Sufficientgrace

My biggest challenge in cleaning is my bathtub.
Alexandra

Second to the toilet, my biggest challenge is cleaning up after my cats. I need something that will disinfect various surfaces, mainly the floor and counters, without getting kitties sick.
Cancernp

my toughest job is kitchen food prep area. AFTER the food prep, I just want it to be really clean!
Stephanie Pooler

The hardest thing for me to clean naturally is the oven.
Amy

Bathroom!!!
Jen

My biggest natural cleaning challenge is dish detergent. I love suds!
Carrie

With a 5 year-old boy, I find my biggest challenge is keeping the bathroom (especially the area around the toilet) clean and fresh. It is a full time job unto itself!
Jesus

The toughest clean job is the car after two months of no cleaning during spring and summer LOL.
Guest

Getting rid of bathroom mold on the shower curtain with natural products it the hardest for me where I live. Your mold remover is great, but I still have to spend so much time scrubing…it just grows to fast!
Amya

The carpet, for sure. Light-colored carpeting seemed like such a good idea before we had four kids, an elderly cat with bladder issues, and a 95-lb, incessantly shedding dog with a sensitive stomach who also likes to occasionally “forget” that he is house-trained.

Yuck!!!
D & L Sand

I’m not entering the contest because I already have a good supply of microfiber cloths. I bought mine in the auto department of WalMart. For floors I plug them into my Swiffer mop handle and away I go. I thought your non-winning readers might like to know that.

I agree that toilets are the hardest to clean green, though.
Lauramyamasaki

Biggest challenge is the toilet bowl as well. It drives me crazy to see the water ring inside. Always trying to scrub it clean, using baking soda, and even borax powder.
peaks99

Cleaning the soap scum from the bathroom is always a difficult task for me. I would love to try the microfiber cloths. Very interested!
Sarag

Soap scum in the bathroom glass shower door. I have tried everything natural and it just will not stay clean. Haven’t tried microfiber. I’d really like to try microfiber on the floors! No bucket sounds amazing!
Linn

I would have to say that the toilet is the toughest place when it comes to swithing to natural cleaning.
Stacie Post

My toughest switch will cleaning the floors. I have an 18 month old and y’all know how that goes. I hate the feel of a dirty floor underneath my feet!
Candicemvega

The kitchen sink is the hardest for me….it’s so germy. I feel like I have to use those chemicals. Would love to be proven wrong by something else, say microfiber
Erin g.

Cleaning the toilet is the hardest for me to use natural cleaners for. I hate cleaning the toilet, and I want all the germs to be gone!
Jessica Kessel

I’m on your email list!
Jessica Kessel

I also would love a natural DIY cleaner for the showers! So I can let me kids spray!
Nora

I use all natural cleaners for everything already. This mop is on my wishlist!!
Nora

I’m on your email list.
Scholargrl90

This may sound weird, but the toughest cleaning job for me to commit to doing naturally is dusting the furniture. Maybe it is because I have a baby who is at just the right height to slime them and leave behind scum and fingerprints. Cleaning without chemicals sounds like a dream, healthy and less clutter!
Scholargrl90

I signed up for your email list.
Lm

the bathroom is the hardest switch to natural cleaning products. I have extremely hard water and and its hard to soak shower walls with vinegar until the mineral layer dissolves.
musajen

Ditching the toilet bowl cleaner is probably the trickiest give-up for me.
Salania

My toughest job is trying to get my oven clean. Even when I use harsh cleaners like Easy Off it still doesn’t get everything off and the oven super clean like I would like it to be.
Cseibe

Definitely the toilet. Other things don’t seem as icky, and you can put off cleaning them without guilt; but toilets look and smell icky. I feel the necessity to clean the toilet thoroughly, using a brand name product to kill the germs and remove the offensive smell.
McC

When I moved into my new house there was an inch of dust on the fan in my bedroom! I want to try this to keep all the dust at bay!!
Jenny P

The bathroom! That dang shower door. AND convincing my husband that this is all we need! I can’t wait to throw out ALL of my cleaners! We have so many too!
Ae_helm

The stove top. There’s a little scrubber pad thingy that I love!
Erin B.

My last area to switch to natural products is our toilet - I am still stuck with the toxic stuff. This weekend when a drop of it fell on my skin after the cleaning the toilet it actually stung! Yikes! Microfiber may be the answer. I have tried natural products but our hard water leaves staining that will only be removed with conventional cleaners. I am ready to give microfiber a try.
Sarah

Oh my goodness. I have heard so many great things about these clothes and would LOVE to own some of my own. I have a very tough time getting my stainless steel appliances and bbq cleaned off without a bunch of streaks or chemicals. Help! I’d love to take some before/after photos using these!
Dana

Going to be kitchen counters and sink after handling raw meat.
Jacki Weishaar

The granite counters in the kitchen. I used to use vinegar, but it was warping the stone.
FredaD

Mold & mildew in the shower stall…..I haven’t found a way to get it clean yet, chemical or not!
Lauren

Mildew and soap scum in the shower! We are renting a town home and I’m pretty sure the mold and mildew is there to stay. I can’t get it to go away!
Chantel

I finally did completely switch over to all natural cleaning. The toughest thing for me was the toilet because i thought i needed to clean it with bleach. But then i read on some blog (can’t remember which one) that we don’t eat out of our toilet so why should we even care if it’s disinfected? Now I just squirt some white vinegar in there and scrub. Works just fine.
Ahedstromkoepl

I think using natural products to keep the bathroom clean is a hard switch. I use vinegar and water for most cleaning, but the bathroom just seems like it should have bleach cleanings. Its a process, and microfiber is something that I am interested in exploring further.
http://www.pursuingjoy.blogspot.com/ Tracy

hmm ~ I guess the toilet. That’s pretty much the only thing I still use a commercial product on…
JryoRk

I agree with lots of others….. The toilet is the hardest! I have 3 boys who certainly need to work on their aim!
CanDoGirl

Trying to keep polished wood gleaming. I’ve tried various oil/lemon concoctions with no luck.
Shadesgirlak

For me, the biggest challenge is probably keeping up with dusting (especially the fan and light fixtures) properly. Working full time means I want to spend the evening with my family, so cleaning gets put on the back burner and then only the major necessities get done weekly.
http://www.facebook.com/sherrie.thompson Sherrie Thompson

The bathroom was the hardest, but I’ve noticed the vinegar and water mix (with orange) does an awesome job.
Krista

The shower! Particularly because I hate cleaning the shower and wait till the only product that will get the stains out is the magic eraser!
Getmoredirt

One of my biggest challenges are getting calcium deposits off faucets, sinks, tubs. Actually cleaning the bathtub also.
S Vyvlecka

Kitchen sink! Can’t seem to make it look clean without something harsh like bleach Hoping the microfiber may do the trick
Lala

the SHOWER is my toughest cleaning area! Can’t seem to get rid of the scum and yuckiness without bleach I have switched to just vinegar and hot water to mop my hardwoods, but would LOVE to try microfiber!
Mike

They all used to be tough, until I picked up some microfiber cleaning cloths from Costco. I’d love to “upgrade” to some higher quality cloths!!!
Erica

My biggest challenge is not using bleach in the laundry.
Sara

I’ve switched to all microfiber cleaning, it has been super easy and I can’t believe how well the Norwex cleans. I got the wet/dry mop, the household cleaning package, the heavy duty scrubber, and the dish clothes, I plan to keep adding to my collection and getting the washcloths, which are cheaper than replacing with what I currently use. The hardest thing about switching to natural cleaning is not using bleach on my white towels!! If I win ill be giving the prize to a friend who is currently building a new house!!
Susepal

Scrubbing the shower… I worry about chemicals going down the drain
Craig

Dishwasher for sure. Natural products just don’t seem to get the dishes clean.
Mjlynes

The bathtub!
Brooke_redfern

My toughest challenge to clean naturally are my husbands socks (he works with rock which = water, dirt and mud) . It’s extremely hard to get them white again.
Danielle O.

My tub! We live in a really old house with a really old tub. The thing just never looks clean!
http://www.facebook.com/saraheb87 Sarah Harris

The toughest place for me would have to be the toilet!
Lynda H.

… without a doubt the toilet…how could I not use bleach?
Brandie

Definitely the shower!
Amber

My biggest challenge is the laundry. I use fragrance and dye free detergent which is an improvement, but when I’ve tried homemade detergents, the laundry doesn’t seem as clean. I’ll be sure to check out your recipe and give it a try.
ErinG

I think cleaning stains from my white porcelain sink or from my linoleum is hard to convert to green cleaning. I use vinegar water all the time but for tough stains…. I really want to reach for the bleach!
Jenny

Well, I just started using some microfiber from the local store and it is working nicely. There was a small pack of 4 different small cloths. Just enough to test it out. The toughest for me was when the dog had diarrhea, dog poop has to be the most foul thing on this earth! My husband yelled, “where’s the emergency stash of cleaners?!?” (like I said I got it all out of the house just days before) So I caved and gave him some harsh cleaner. Other than that I’m just trusting that your all purpose cleaner is good enough for the kitchen and other areas where bacteria might be. My stainless steel appliances look great when I clean them with olive oil followed by vinegar!
Amber

Cleaning soap scum from the tub and shower is the toughest to give up on the chemical-laden cleaners. The spray-it-and-forget-it approach that those cleaners take is soooo convenient, until i think about the residue I am soaking in with my next bubble bath!
Napua

I think the thoughest natural cleaning job is the bathtub. So much extra scrubbing is needed, and then I wonder if it’s disinfected too.
Aariel Paradee

The bathroom is definitely the toughest for me…specifically the toilet!
Kristen

The biggest challenge for me is the toilet. I did do the baking soda, vinegar or H2O2 but it just needed cleaning so much sooner and got a dirt ring around the inside of the bowl and smelled bad right away…so i went back to my 7th generation toilet bowl cleaner and that seems to work…
Elizabeth Quinnrn

We are all aboUt microfiber and natural cleaning products. Much better than paper towels. Less waste and I can wash a whole pile of dish towels and hang them to dry.
Lgalifi

TThe toilet! We have a lot of natural stone throughout our house so i can’t use any harsh chemicals and i’ve tried everything ! But the toilet -hands down. We have hard water as an added bonus, and the lovely aroma… Yay me!!
Bia Bernum

My glass stove top is really difficult to get clean. I’m a lazy cook, so I don’t watch things too well when I cook…and thinks have been known to boil over.
Christaleddleman

I use borax for the shower and tough stains on carpet and pots/pans. It rules.
Courtney

I happened to be browsing through these replies and wanted to let you know that white vinegar does a great job at cleaning my toilet! I pour in about 2 cups and swish it around all the sides with the toilet brush before I go to bed. Then when I wake up I give it another quick scrub, flush and voila! Give it a try sometime and see what you think!
http://twitter.com/angiedavidson75 Angie Davidson

Use baking soda. It gets rid of the odor as well as cleaning. You can also use an alka seltzer or a denture tablet. (not together!) Drop a tab in the bowl, go do other stuff, and come back in about 15 minutes. Use your brush and flush!
http://twitter.com/angiedavidson75 Angie Davidson

I use vinegar to clean just about everything in my house.
kameha3

I haven’t found anything to combat bathroom mildew like bleach does. I am finding it very hard to break up with.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=194801496 Justine Capraro

we have hard water too that stains the best thing I have seen is scrub with baking soda then pour in vinegar and scrub again gets rid of the stains!

Natural Cleaning Mini Challenge [Giveaway!]

What I Use:

The Contest:

Like What You Read?

Search Wellness Mama

Latest Pins on Pinterest

My Facebook Friends

Wellness Success

Natural Cleaning Mini Challenge [Giveaway!]

What I Use:

The Contest:

Related Posts

Like What You Read?

Search Wellness Mama

Latest Pins on Pinterest

My Facebook Friends

Wellness Success