Ditch the bleach: Top 10 tips for getting your house clean on a budget

Experts offer safer - and cheaper - alternatives instead of stuffing your cupboards with a different cleaning supply for every job

By Judith Mendiolea

Originally published by The Telegram Apr 07, 2026

Baking soda added to detergent can help remove persistent odours, according to food safety professional Hiley Montijo. Judith Mendiolea

The smell of bleach has become shorthand for cleanliness.

It lingers in hallways after a deep scrub. It floats out of bathrooms after a hurried wipe-down. For many households, that sharp, chemical scent signals that germs are gone and surfaces are safe.

Then, as one walks down the cleaning aisle of any grocery store, the message is clear: you need a different product for everything. One for mold. One for drains. One for mirrors. One for odours. One for floors.

But what if there’s a cheaper — and safer — alternative?

According to professional cleaner Nicole Chandler, most of the cleaners on the market come back to the same few ingredients, and a little do-it-yourself can save your pocketbook.

“I feel like a lot of people know these hacks, but they don’t apply them because it takes a little bit more time and effort and patience with the natural cleaning hacks that I implement in my life,” she says.

Chandler has more than 15 years of professional cleaning experience. Over time, she’s reduced her reliance on harsh chemicals like bleach — not because they don’t work, but because they are often overused.

“Bleach is good for heavy-duty cleaning. But whenever you have already done the cleaning with the bleach, I would use it minimally, right? Because of how chemically infused it is,” she says.

Nicole Chandler, a professional cleaner with more than 15 years of experience in P.E.I., says many households rely on more products than necessary, when simple ingredients like vinegar and baking soda often do the job Contributed

Hiley Montijo, who works in food safety in P.E.I., also warned about improper chemical use inside homes.

“Another thing to consider is not mixing too many chemicals, because you can cause an unpleasant chemical reaction, and it can be serious,” she says.

And, if bleach is being used, she added, there should be no improvisation.

“If you use bleach, only use bleach,” she says.

Together, they advocate for the use of fewer products, understanding how they work, and applying them properly.

Below are the cleaning habits both professionals say make the biggest difference.

1. Borax: The product hiding on the bottom shelf

For Chandler, one of the most overlooked tools is Borax.

“Borax is super, it’s like my go-to,” she says.

She described it as effective on soap scum, rust, grime, mold and mildew, and safer than many chemical-heavy alternatives. It can also be added to laundry to freshen clothing.

She warned that mixing harsh cleaners with mold can release dangerous fumes.

“If you put like bleach or like heavy chemicals or maybe like multi-surface cleaner on mildew or mold, it’s really bad for you to inhale it,” she added.

Borax, she said, avoids that risk while still doing the job.

2. Baking soda: The quiet workhorse

Both women return repeatedly to baking soda.

“I use baking soda to remove odours when I wash clothes,” Montijo said. “I like to add detergent and baking soda powder to help neutralize smells.”

She also recommended it beyond the laundry room.

“You can also use it on mattresses or couches to absorb odours, and then you vacuum it and it smells fresh.”

Clothes dry on a line after being washed with detergent and baking soda. Judith Mendiolea

It’s also a powerhouse in the kitchen.

“The same thing works in the fridge to remove odours, although the best way to prevent smells is not to interrupt the cooling airflow,” she added.

Chandler echoed the fridge tip, noting baking soda can sit in a small jar and be replaced every few months to manage odour.

3. Vinegar: The foundation of almost everything

If baking soda is the quiet workhorse, vinegar is the backbone.

“It comes back down to vinegar and baking soda,” Chandler said.

She uses vinegar diluted with water for general cleaning — mirrors, hard water buildup and toilet grime.

For stubborn buildup inside toilet bowls, she recommends plunging the water out, lining the inside with vinegar-soaked paper towels and letting it sit.

Try cleaning your floors with a mixture of white vinegar and liquid detergent. Food safety professional Hiley Montijo says it can help remove stubborn dirt from sealed tile and laminate floors. Judith Mendiolea

Montijo supported vinegar use in floors as well for deeper mopping.

“You fill your bucket with water like always, add a small splash of multi-surface cleaner, a splash of white vinegar, and a teaspoon of liquid detergent, and it removes the toughest dirt and leaves floors shiny,” she says.

She cautioned that this works best on sealed tile or laminate, not porous clay or unsealed wood.

4. Unclogging drains naturally

Instead of relying immediately on commercial drain cleaners, both suggested maintenance methods first.

Chandler’s method combines baking soda, vinegar and boiling water.

“The combination of the vinegar and baking soda helps with the breaking down, the buildup, and then the hot water flushes it out,” she explained.

Montijo added that a similar version works well for lighter clogs.

“When sinks get clogged with hair, you can pour hot water and baking soda, wait a few minutes, and if it’s not too thick, it unclogs,” she said.

Both stressed this is preventative or for mild blockages. Severe plumbing issues still require professional help.

5. The mirror trick most people miss

Streaky mirrors are often blamed on product quality, but Chandler said it may actually be your lighting that’s the culprit.

“The trick for it to not have streaks on your mirror is to have the light off,” she said.

She said bathroom lights can cause cleaning products to dry too quickly, leaving streaks behind. It’s a tip she read and didn’t believe until she tried it for herself.

“I don’t know where I read it. I forgot. But I was like, no, that’s not true. That’s not true. You can’t, there’s no way that the light does that. But I tested it, and ever since then, I always do my bathroom mirrors with the lights off,” she said.

She also recommended using microfiber cloths instead of paper towels or disposable dusters. Used dry for dusting and polishing, they collect particles rather than pushing them around.

“I also encourage (people) to buy it as well because you’re going to save money because you just wash it and reuse, wash and reuse,” she added.

Create your own bleach alternative using lemons, water, baking soda and peroxide. Unsplash

6. Make your own non-toxic bleach alternative

For those who want disinfecting power without the fumes, Chandler offers a homemade option: three to six cups of hot water in a large container, add one quarter cup of baking soda and one quarter cup of peroxide, along with a few slices of lemon.

“You let that sit for 10 minutes, and this is safe to add in with your wipes, your cleaning, bathrooms and kitchen, and then the lemon acts as something that kills the scents. It does just the same as bleach,” she says.

Plus, it doesn’t stain clothes.

“We’re burning holes in our pocket when we’re going to the grocery store to get cleaning products, thinking that we need this and this because of what the label said,” Chandler adds.

7. Clean in the correct order

Montijo emphasized that effective cleaning is also about sequence, not just product.

“The correct steps are to remove the organic matter first — anything dirty, dust, food pieces — then wash with soap to remove what’s stuck, then rinse with clean water, dry it, and finally inspect,” she said.

Skipping steps, she said, can reduce effectiveness and can leave residue behind.

8. Keep meat safe while cleaning the kitchen

Because of Montijo’s experience with food production chains, her advice extends beyond surfaces. She encourages people to notice any bad odours in the kitchen, for they might be more than just an unpleasant smell.

“For safety, don’t leave frozen meat at room temperature. It’s better to let it thaw in the fridge to prevent uncontrolled bacterial growth,” she said.

Kitchen cleanliness, she noted, is mostly about bacterial control.

9. Let sunlight remove turmeric stains

For households that cook with turmeric, Montijo shared a lesser-known solution.

“If you cook with turmeric and it stains, sunlight dissolves it. If you put the garment in the sun, it’s photosensitive, and it will disappear,” she said.

No extra chemicals required.

Wool dryer balls are displayed alongside laundry detergents in a P.E.I. store. Professional cleaner Nicole Chandler recommends them as a reusable alternative to disposable dryer sheets. Judith Mendiolea

10. Small prevention habits that save deep cleaning later

Chandler suggested lining the tops of kitchen cabinets with newspaper or recycled flyers to catch grease buildup. Replace monthly, and deep cleans become easier.

She also prefers wool dryer balls with essential oils over disposable dryer sheets for scent and static control.

For both women, the approach is about shifting away from chemical-heavy routines toward simpler systems and using modern products more intentionally.

“We’ve always had baking soda and vinegar,” Chandler added. “That little concoction is really good to get out there for people to read because it’s effective. And you’re saving money.”