Make your own cleaning products!
Homemade cleaners can be just as effective as the store-bought options, and with a lot fewer nasty chemicals. Making your own is surprisingly easy and quite cheap with simple ingredients like vinegar, bicarb soda, essential oils, salt and lemon juice. Little effort is required, just a large jug, a funnel and some clean spray bottles that you can then use regularly around the home.
We have collected various cleaner recipes to share with you. From all-purpose cleaners, glass and mirror cleaners, heavy duty cleaners and toilet bowl cleaners, you will surely find a few here to try yourself.
Ensure you scroll to the bottom to take note of the important safety and cleaning tips.
Before you start tips:
- Make sure you label any bottle / container of homemade cleaner with what it is and the ingredients it contains.
- It’s best to spot test your homemade cleaners – test on a hidden spot for your first use.
- Always keep all cleaners away from children and pets.
- For extra dirty surfaces, you may need to scrub a little harder than the chemical store-bought cleaners.
ALL PURPOSE CLEANERS
Try using these homemade all-purpose cleaners on counter tops, removing hard water stains, cleaning rubbish bins, wiping away wall smudges, and much more.
Scented All-Purpose Cleaner
One part white vinegar
One part water
Lemon rind
Rosemary sprigs
Combine the above ingredients together, pour into a spray bottle, shake, and then let it infuse for a week before using.
All-Purpose Cleaner 1
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons bicarb soda
Tea tree essential oil
Eucalyptus essential oil
2 cups water
In an empty spray bottle, add white vinegar followed by the bicarb soda, and wait for the foaming to subside. Add in 10 drops each of tea tree and eucalyptus essential oil. Fill the rest of the bottle with water. Shake well before use.
All-Purpose Cleaner 2
1 cup water
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup dishwashing liquid (colour free)
In a spray bottle, combine all the ingredients and shake gently to mix.
All-Purpose Cleaner 3
4 cups hot water
1/2 cup detergent
1/2 cup vinegar
4 tsp borax
8 drop of essential oil
Place hot water, detergent, vinegar, borax and essential oil into a 2L jug, mix to combine. Fill jug with water, stir and pour into a spray bottle.
GLASS AND MIRROR CLEANER
These homemade cleaners will leave your windows and mirrors sparkling. The recipes with essential oils leave a pleasant scent, the recipe with rubbing alcohol helps it evaporate quickly to minimise spots and streaks.
Tip: avoid cleaning windows on hot, sunny days or in direct sunlight, as the solution will dry too quickly and leave streaks.
To clean mirrors, spray the solution on paper towel or dry cleaning cloth, then wipe mirrors clean.
To clean glass, spray onto glass and clean using a zigzag motion with a dry cleaning cloth.
Scented Glass Cleaner
2 cups water
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup rubbing alcohol 70% concentration
1 to 2 drops of orange essential oil
Simply combine these ingredients and pour them in a spray bottle, ready to use.
Glass Cleaner 1
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
Combine ingredients together in a spray bottle.
Glass Cleaner 2
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 cups water
Lemon essential oil
Grapefruit essential oil
Combine ingredients together in a spray bottle. Shake well before use.
OTHER HOMEMADE CLEANERS
Natural Heavy-Duty Scrub
1/2 lemon
1/2 cup borax powder
Rust stains on porcelain or enamel sinks and tubs are no match for this heavy-duty homemade cleaner. Dip the lemon into the borax and scrub the surface, then rinse. (This is not safe for marble or granite.)
Drain Cleaner
1 cup of bicarb soda
Boiling water
Simply pour the bicarb soda down the drain, followed by a kettle full of boiling water.
Simple Soft Scrub Cleaner
1 1/2 cups bicarb soda
1/2 cup liquid Castile soap
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons water
Tea tree essential oil
Ideal for sinks, basins, baths and showers. Using an empty dishwashing bottle or squirt bottle put in all ingredients. Wait for the foaming to subside and screw the cap onto the bottle and shake it vigorously for around 2 minutes. To use, squeeze the cleaner onto the surface, and scrub using a wet washcloth or cleaning brush.
Toilet Bowl Cleaner 1
1/3 cup liquid Castile soap
2 cups water
2 tablespoons bicarb soda
Lemon essential oil
Eucalyptus essential oil
Lavender essential oil
Using a large squirt bottle, pour castile soap, water and bicarb soda. Wait for the foaming to subside, then add in 5 drops each of lemon, eucalyptus, and lavender essential oils, which both freshen and disinfect.
Shake well before use, squirt into the toilet bowl and allow it to sit for a few minutes before using a toilet brush to scrub the bowl clean.
Toilet Bowl Cleaner 2
1/2 cup bicarb soda
1/2 cup white vinegar
No need to mix this cleaner in advance, simply add the ingredients to the toilet bowl, let it sit for several minutes, and flush. You can also use the toilet brush to scrub down before flushing.
SAFETY NOTES
- Never combine ammonia-based cleaners with chlorine bleach or products containing bleach, such as powdered dishwasher detergent. The fumes they’ll create are extremely dangerous. Before doing any mixing, read the product labels first.
- Always label all homemade cleaners with all the ingredients. In the case that a child or animal consumes it, it’s important to know what the mixture contains.
- Do not use acidic cleaners on granite, as they will etch the stone and proceed cautiously on stainless steel. Some manufacturers recommend against using vinegar on their appliance surfaces.
- Don’t use vinegar on marble, stone or granite – it can strip them.
WHY these ingredients?
Bicarb soda – an ideal deodoriser, an effective antiviral agent that can eliminate grease and grime, especially when used together with vinegar. Use the bicarb soda you find in the baking aisle.
White vinegar – the natural acidity in vinegar makes it a great natural anti-fungal and antibacterial to disinfect, cut through grease, de-scale, clean glass and so much more. Use the white vinegar you find in the dressing/sauces isle at the supermarket.
Essential oils– to refresh the air and give a pleasant smell. Some essential oils like lavender or tea tree oil have antibacterial effects. The best to use in cleaning are: lemon, lavender, eucalyptus, tea tree and orange.
Detergent – it helps to lift dirt and grime. Use a PH neutral, fragrance free and septic tank safe detergent.
Castile Soap – Similar to detergent it helps to clean dirt and grime, it is an olive oil based hard soap.
Borax – A mineral, salt that dissolves easily in water to make a solution. Borax has powerful antifungal properties that can be used to scrub, disinfect, and deodorise. Can be found most supermarkets and hardware stores.
Sources:
www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/tips/a24885/make-at-home-cleaners/
www.homestolove.com.au/the-only-7-natural-cleaning-recipes-youll-ever-need-12377
www.familyhandyman.com/project/how-to-make-homemade-cleaner-with-simple-ingredients/
theorganisedhousewife.com.au/cleaning/kats-cleaning-spray/
theorganisedhousewife.com.au/recipes/homemade-all-purpose-cleaner/
theorganisedhousewife.com.au/recipes/cleaning-recipes/diy-glass-cleaner-recipe-sparkle-spray/