How to Make your Own Homemade Cleaning Products
To have a clean home with homemade cleaning products is very important to me. I make most of my cleaning products myself.
Spring Cleaning is a real thing for me. I like to get all the nooks and crannies that sometimes get overlooked. I get down on my hands and knees and clean my floors and baseboards. Every cabinet in the house needs to be cleaned inside and out.
It all starts with my glass spray bottles and some simple ingredients that most of us have on hand. It’s so much better for the environment and as a bonus, it’s easy on your pocketbook to use homemade instead of store-bought cleaners.
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Non-Toxic Products
- White Vinegar
- Water
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- Lemon Juice
- Castile Soap
- Baking Soda
- Coconut Oil or Olive Oil
- Favorite Essential Oils
You don’t need to use harsh chemicals, just some natural ingredients and a little elbow grease are all you need to have a clean home.
Do Homemade Cleaning Products Work?
Not only do they work but their cost is next to nothing.
Essential Oils like Tea Tree are antibacterial and will help to kill germs.
Full disclosure – I tend to use soap and water on a clean cloth for most of my general cleaning, like the countertops every day. I even use soap and water on my wood and glass. I just follow it immediately with a clean towel to wipe it dry.
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Basic DIY Cleaning Recipes
Here are some basic natural cleaning products and their recipes
General Cleaning
- All-Purpose Cleaner/Glass Cleaner (Do NOT use on porous materials like granite or marble)
- One Part Water
- One Part White Vinegar
- 20 Drops of Lemon Essential Oil
- Add all to a glass spray bottle and shake gently
I use a microfiber cloth with my all-purpose cleaner, especially on glass and mirrors as it doesn’t leave streaks or lint.
- Wood Furniture Cleaner
- 1/2 cup of white vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp glycerin oil
- 20-30 drops of lavender oil
- Add all to a spray bottle and shake gently to mix ingredients
- Floor Cleaner
- 1 cup of vinegar
- 1 gallon of warm water
- You can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil if you want to have a fresh scent.
- Mix in a bucket or my favorite floor cleaner
Kitchen Cleaning
- Stone Countertop Cleaner
- 2 cups of water
- 2 tbsp rubbing alcohol
- 1 tsp of dish soap or castile soap
- Add all to an empty spray bottle and shake gently
- Sink Scrub
- 1-1/2 Cups of Baking Soda
- 10 drops of Lavender Essential Oil
- 10 drops of Tea Tree Oil
- a few drops of dish detergent or castile soap
- Put the baking soda in a ball jar and add essential oils, stirring well with a knife. Put a lid on the jar. To use shake some of the baking soda mixture into the sink and add a few drops of dish soap to a wet sponge or scrub brush and scrub.
- Garbage Disposal Cleaner
- Whole Lemon
- 4 ice cubes
- Cut the lemon in half and put it in the disposal with a few ice cubes and run for several minutes
- Dishwasher Rinse Aid (I got this recipe from Vintage Home Designs)
- White Vinegar
- Lemon Slices (4-5)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Sprigs of Rosemary
- 4-5 Drops of Lemon Essentials Oil
- Add lemons, rosemary, lemon juice, and essential oil to the container and then fill it with vinegar.
Bathroom Cleaners
- Toilet Bowl Cleaner – DIY Natural has 3 good recipes
- This is one area where I use a store-bought natural cleaner. We get mineral deposits that I can’t seem to remove with natural products. I also prefer the squirt bottles which work better than a spray bottle. Seventh Generation and Mrs. Meyer’s are good options
Laundry
- Laundry Soap – I don’t make my own laundry detergent.
- I a big fan of Stain Remover
This deserves its own section because this is a tricky business and something that I take very seriously.
It is always easiest if you treat the stain before you launder. Check your clothing as it comes out of the washing machine and don’t dry it if the stain is still there. Go through the removal process again. Drying will set the stain.
This is what I keep on hand in my laundry room
- A spray bottle with hydrogen peroxide with a few drops of dish soap
- A large jar filled with baking soda
- Borax
- Vinegar
- Spray bottle with rubbing alcohol
organic stains (sweat, blood, poop, any bodily fluids)
- Always start with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide paste.
- Let sit for a few hours and then wash as normal
- If the stain has set, pour boiling water over the stain and then apply the soda/peroxide mixture.
red wine stain
- First – Don’t scrub the stain
- Attend to it as quickly as possible
- Apply baking soda or salt to the spot immediately. Don’t scrub or rub in, just let it absorb the red wine.
- Club soda is also a great antidote to red wine spills and stains. Dab the affected area with club soda and a soft cloth. Do not rub.
- If that doesn’t work, apply 3 parts hydrogen peroxide and one part dishwashing soap. Let sit for 20 minutes to an hour and blot clean. Repeat if the stain isn’t fully removed before washing
grease & Oil Stains
- Dab the stain with rubbing alcohol until wet, allow the alcohol to break down the oil for a few minutes, and then rub the spot with dishwashing soap. Wash with the warmest water recommended for the fabric. Line dry!
Yellowing white clothing
We have well water and even with an iron buster and water softener my whites still yellow.
My best answer by far is to add 2 cups of white vinegar and 2 cup of baking soda to the filled tub of the washing machine. I let it agitate for a few minutes and then soak for 1 hour before washing as normal. Check the directions your washing machine as you may have a soak cycle.
other stain tips
- Deal with this as quickly as possible
- Run water through clothing from the opposite side of the stain
- Blot don’t rub
- Don’t put it in the dryer if the stain doesn’t come out. Repeat the stain removal process.
Other cleaning tools
Here are some of my favorite tools that I use to help make cleaning a little easier
- Microfiber cloths
- Old Toothbrush
- Long rubber gloves
- Old Kitchen Towels torn in half for cleaning rags
- Pumice stone
- Steel wool scrubbers
- Tote
If you are a friend of Living Large in A Small House you can get all the recipes on a printable to hang on the inside of your kitchen sink door. It’s available in my RESOURCE LIBRARY.
Drying your Clothes on a Clothesline
I would love to have a space where I could put a clothesline.
Hanging your clothes on a line is great for the environment (not running a dryer)
Your white clothes are also naturally brightened by the sun and smell very fresh!
My friend Eryn from Eryn Waylen Online has a clothesline that her husband built for her birthday. Get the plans HERE.
photo from @erynwhalenonline Have a Clean Home with Homemade Cleaning Products
You can have a clean home with homemade cleaning products.
I work really hard to only put good, clean foods into my body.
Clean products are the only thing I put on my skin.
I also want to take the toxicity out of my home with good cleaning products that are on my floors and clean my clothes. The good news is my DIY cleaning products work. I feel good that I’m not adding toxic chemicals in our home.
Enjoy your toxic free clean house!
Peace and Love,
Meet Me
My name is Lynn. I live in the suburbs of Chicago in a 1,300 sq. ft. home with my Handy husband, Keith.
I’m an open book about my life on my blog. You can find out more about me by visiting my About page.
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Featured
- I a big fan of Stain Remover
Thank you for sharing this Lynn. I love cleaning our home with items we have around the house, and I picked up a few new ones from you today!
Same! I eat organic and put clean products on my skin – I need to do the same with my home!
Thank you for sharing this with us on Crafty Creators Link Party. It is so helpful for me. I did not know tea tree oil was antibacterial. I have a neutrophil disorder which means I can’t fight bacteria, viruses, etc on my own, so I always have to use bleach & other harsh products. So knowing that is so helpful to me!
I can’t swear by that but it’s what I’ve heard and read when looking for safe products