Easy Recipes For Making Your Own Cleaning Products

Having recently cleaned my wooden staircase with a simple solution of white vinegar and water, which brought it up a treat, it prompted me to look into other effective homemade cleaning ideas. Not only are they money-saving and fun to make, unlike many commercial cleaning products they contain none of the toxins we would rather reduce in our homes, so they’re better for you and the environment, too.

Natural home made cleaning products — Photo by Good Soul Shop on Unsplash

What You’ll Need

Many homemade cleaners use a variation of the same or similar products, so I would recommend doing a shop for the basic supplies before you get started. Available from most supermarkets and budget home stores, here are some of the key items to make your cleaning products with:

White Vinegar – lots of it!
Baking Soda
Lemons
Peppermint or Lavender Oil, Teatree Oil
Eco-Friendly Liquid Dish Soap (washing up liquid)

Oh and as you use up your old, commercial cleaners, make sure to save the spray bottles as they will come in handy!

General Surface Cleaner

This is a multi-surface, all purpose cleaner so you can wipe down worktops to wardrobes with it:

¼ cup of white vinegar
1 tbsp baking soda
1 litre of hot water
½ a lemon

Kitchen & Bathroom Cleaner

This is an alternative cleaner you might like to try in the kitchen or bathroom:

Hot water
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tbsp eco-friendly liquid dish soap

Almost fill an empty spray bottle with hot water, then add the vinegar and washing up liquid. You could also add some essential oil if you wish.

Kitchen Cleaning Paste

If you want to buff up stainless steel pots and pans, make a paste using baking soda and water. Use a damp cloth to apply and rub gently, rinse and dry.

Bathroom Scrub

When things get a bit grubby and grimy you need a scrub that can be used on the bathtub, sinks and toilets. Simply combine 1/4 cup baking soda with 1 tbsp eco-friendly liquid dishwashing soap and apply with a non abrasive pad.

Loo Cleaner

Combine 3/4 cup of white vinegar with 3/4 cup baking soda. Add several drops of lavender or tea tree oil and scrub the toilet bowl with it. It’s effective and leaves a fresh aroma with no chemicals.

Glass & Window Cleaner

The simplest solution for cleaning windows is mixing 50% white vinegar with 50% water and applying it with a microfibre cloth.

Or you could mix up 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1 cup water and a couple of drops of eco-friendly washig up liquid, shake it all up in a spray bottle and set to work on your glass.

Laundry Detergent

This is something I’ve been interested in trying for a while, I haven’t done it yet but I fully intend to. The recipe for homemade washing powder is from Fresh Skin and seems nice and easy to make:

500ml washing soda crystals (available from supermarkets usually on the bottom shelf of the laundry aisle)
1 bar soap (preferably natural – coconut oil based soaps work well)
Lemon essential oil for fragrance

Grate the soap in a food processor or by hand. Add the grated soap to the washing soda crystals and mix well. Store in a sealable container. Use one to two tablespoons per load. Add a few drops of lemon essential oil to each dose if you’d like to boost the fragrance.

Fabric Softener

Vinegar can disinfectant and deodorize your clothes, and if you add ½ cup to the rinse cycle, it will also work as a fabric softener.

Conclusion

I hope you found these tips on DIY cleaning products helpful. You could make considerable savings on buying cleaning products as well as doing your bit for the environment. I’d love to hear your suggestions in the comments below. For professional help with home cleaning, take a look at TidyChoice, the leading platform for cleaning services in London.

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