Most of a home can be cleaned with vinegar, lemon, baking soda, salt and a bar of soap. This note summarises which natural agent cleans what and why, where each one falls short, and what must never be mixed.
Agent cards
Vinegar (white / apple cider)
Acetum • Vinegar • Vinaigre — Active compound: acetic acid (~5%). A weak acid; dissolves limescale and soap residue, cuts grease, neutralises odours. Glass, taps, kettle scale, odour removal, fabric softener in laundry. Reduces some bacteria and viruses, but is not an approved disinfectant — cleaning and disinfecting are not the same thing.
Lemon
Citrus limon — Active compound: citric acid. Dissolves limescale, removes odours, polishes copper and brass together with salt. Mildly antibacterial, not a disinfectant. Being acidic, it damages marble and natural stone.
Baking Soda (sodium bicarbonate)
Natrium bicarbonicum — Mildly alkaline (mineral-derived, not a plant). A mild abrasive: scrubs shiny surfaces without scratching; cuts grease, absorbs odours. Mixed with vinegar, they largely neutralise each other — use them separately.
Salt
Sal — Sodium chloride (NaCl). An abrasive scrubber; absorbs moisture and spills. Combined with lemon or vinegar, it forms an acidic scrubbing paste. Its action is mechanical; use carefully on delicate surfaces.
Castile Soap (olive oil soap)
Sapo (Olea europaea) — A surfactant made from vegetable oil. Lifts grease and dirt from water by suspension. Floors, carpets, upholstered furniture and general surfaces. Use with minimal water on untreated wood.
Chemistry corner
The essence of natural cleaning in one sentence: acid for limescale, base for grease. Mineral deposits such as limescale, soap residue and rust dissolve with acid (vinegar, lemon); grease and oily dirt are more easily removed with a base (baking soda, soap).
Myth: "Vinegar + baking soda = super cleaner"
Mixing vinegar (acid) with baking soda (base) produces fizzing from released carbon dioxide. Chemically, they largely neutralise each other; what remains is water, CO₂ and a little sodium acetate. Use them separately for effective cleaning: scrub first with baking soda, then rinse with vinegar.
Never mix
Mixing vinegar with bleach (hypochlorite) releases toxic chlorine gas.