Huzzah! We finally get to talk about cleaning bathrooms, which we all know is the most fun a person can have. What joy, cleaning a toilet! What adventure, scrubbing a bathtub!

Ok, so maybe not. Honestly, cleaning a bathroom is mostly something we want to get over with, certainly not spend a bunch of time thinking about.

But have you ever been cleaning a shower and just noticed that smell and feeling in your mouth and throat from all the chemicals? It's not a good feeling, and it isn't good for you. We know there are connections between those chemicals (and the plastic bottles they come in) and lower health. It's not good.

It's not good for the Earth either. Just think of those nasty chemicals where even the fumes stick on you. Now, you are going to wash them down the drain into everyone's water supply.


This is bad news, but the good news is that we can do something about it. Switching to greener cleaners can be better for our health, the Earth, AND our wallets. Yep. This stuff will save you money. So, maybe you have never considered buying or making your own natural cleaning products, but check these out.

Clean your bathroom. Save the world. Makes perfect sense, right?

Here are a few tips to get you started- 

1. Keep your products to a minimum. Bathrooms can easily be overrun by bottles of lotions and potions and so forth. But how many of them do you actually use? Donate everything else, because without clutter, mess is easier to tackle.

This goes for cleaners too. You don't need 50 different products. Replace with natural options as you need to, and minimize your methods.

2. Green your Basics. Is your toothbrush recyclable or compostable? Was a tree cut down for your toilet paper? Are you using bar soap to cut down on plastic waste? These kinds of switches are SO simple, but they add up and pack real environmental punch. Are you washing with rags or reusable sponges? You can cut out a lot of waste this way.

3. Try switching one cleaner! There are so many natural cleaners and ideas out there. This is honestly just the tip of the iceberg. I am so glad you are ready to do this, but like everything on this site, you are best off to take it one step at a time.

4. If something doesn't work, try something else. Some people complain that natural cleaners don't work as well. Well, in some cases that is basically going to be true! But those hardcore chemicals that bite right through grime aren't great for your body either. Still, if something isn't working, check and find another recipe. Something will work.

So, I will note that many of these recipes use essential oils. I used to be a total essential oils skeptic, but for the few things we have used them for, they have really worked. I don't think they are the be all end all, but I do think you shouldn't turn down a good idea just because there are essential oils in it. If you are more into them than I am, you can check out this great post by The Organic Goat Lady with all sorts of essential oil wisdom.

Ok, so I found lots of great stuff, let's brace ourselves. It's about to get bathroom-y in here.

If You Aren't About to Make Things... 

Some of us just don't have time to whip up a bunch of cleaners ourselves. IT'S OK. You want to fight the battle in a way you can sustain in your own life, and there are tons of great options out there.

from Uncommonly Well

Uncommonly Well has absolutely awesome lists of the best of green and natural cleaning products out there for every space. I was planning on writing something like this myself, but this awesomeness already exists, so I am just going to point you there. This is their overall list, and this is their bathroom list.

We currently mostly buy our cleaning supplies (and honestly have not run out of a lot of these things since we started to live a greener life... maybe we need to clean more!?). I would definitely recommend Method and Seventh Generation cleaners.

Shower and Tile Cleaner

from Happy Mothering

This shower cleaner recipe from Happy Mothering looks really effective. And wouldn't it be nice to clean the shower without that icky chemical feeling in your throat?

from Bren Did

The best overall cleaner I saw was from Bren Did. Again, simple ingredients and totally doable! And I love how she starts- when are we polluting our home instead of cleaning it?

from Natural Soap Mom

If you want to reduce waste from your home (and why wouldn't you- the Earth has plenty of waste already), a key issue is making things last. This makes me think of shower curtain liners, which are just plastic, so you probably want to get years of use out of each one you buy. That means cleaning it, not letting it get nasty and then tossing it. If you want some guidance on how to do that (without it being too miserable) check out this post from Natural Soap Mom.

Toilet Cleaner

from Mama's Instincts

This toilet cleaner from Mama's Instincts looks simple to make and effective. Love that you can make one big bunch of it, though no diy recipe is enough to make cleaning toilets fun.

from Happy Mothering

If you want your toilet to smell fresh between scrubs, these toilet bombs from Happy Mothering might do the trick (what a terrible name- a toilet bomb sounds like the world's worst bathroom visit).

from Retro Housewife Go Green

Retro Housewife Go Green has a similar recipe as well. Once you see a bunch of these, you get a sense of what materials are put together to make each thing work. And the essential oils add a lot of great smells.

from Mindful Momma

Who knew toilet bombs were so popular? I think it's the name. Mindful Momma, another blog that I love, has a post about how she makes hers as well (and they are fizzy). These really have me thinking and we might try it!

Glass Cleaner