We have 96 intervals of 15 minutes every day, meaning you have many opportunities to make a difference.  Each day this month, I’m giving you a 15-minute project idea. Pick your favorites to improve your day, yourself or your world. I promise you have time for this.

I’m going to share a valuable secret.  You don’t need those fancy, expensive and often dangerous chemicals to clean your house.  You don’t need them at all.  Natural, basic cleaners are the solution to a clean, safe house and since I’ve been using them, I’ve been pleased with the results.  Use these simple strategies to introduce or enhance the  common household items benefits to your life.

I’m going to review my three favorites for each category, but if you’d like tons more tips, see the info saved on my Natural Cleaners Pinterest page.

Great Uses for Vinegar. Vinegar’s uses are a new discovery for me.  But as we see its many benefits, I’ve begun using it more and more.  Here are my three favorites:

1. Vinegar rinse agent saves your dishes, dishwasher. Cheaper and works much better to clean the white film on your dishes. I’m never buying a rinse agent again.
2. Vinegar keeps your towels soft and absorbent.  1/4 cup in the washer is all you need (with your washing machine detergent–but you can even make homemade washing machine detergent and it’s great!)  You can also do a vinegar load to clean the washer.
3. Vinegar cleans your bathtub/shower.  Vinegar is perfect for removing stains and the pee smell from your bathtub/shower.  Just put towels or paper towels down on the bottom/sides and pour vinegar on them (this keeps the vinegar in place). Wait 6-8 hours and remove.  Wash towels in vinegar load or trash paper towels.

Tip! Buy Cleaning Grade Vinegar.  It should be in the cleaning section and it’s usually cheaper than food-grade vinegar.

Practical Ideas  for  Baking Soda. Baking soda has been a long-time staple for me.  When I was younger, I used it for everything I could think of and even picked up a few tips from friends and family. Here are my three favorites:

1. Baking Soda solution whitens your teeth.  1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp hydrogen peroxide and 1/2 tsp water.  Brush teeth for two minutes. You can do this weekly until you get the shade you want.  When I was younger, I used to brush my teeth with baking soda regularly–salty, but gets the job done.
2. Baking Soda is a great basic cleaner.  When you’re cleaning your fridge, freezer or pantry shelves.  After you’ve removed everything, wash the inside with a baking soda and water solution.  It helps to clean and deodorize.
3. Baking Soda cleans reusable sport/thermos/drink bottles. Washing them in a baking soda and water solution regularly will get rid of stale smells and keep them clean.

Tip! Buy XL bags of Baking Soda.  You can find them at warehouse stores or in the cleaning section of many stores.  Those little, standard boxes are great, but run out quick.  Keep an old or mis-matched measuring spoon or cup in the container, so you can always get out exactly what you need.

Tip! Remove Greasy grime with Cream of Tartar. I also just discovered Cream of Tartar removes the greasy build-up left behind by cooking sprays.  I made a paste of Cream of Tartar with water, then put it on our teapot and let it work for about 10 minutes.  When I scrubbed it off, everything looked new! It was so easy–I’ve been trying to clean that teapot for 10 years; even Goo Gone didn’t work!