Homemade Natural Cleaners – Easy DIY Cleaning Products and Recipes!
You would be forgiven for thinking that homemade natural cleaners don’t do as good of a job as man-made chemicals.
We’ve grown up with them in our houses so we assume that they’re the best.
But really, they aren’t the best. They’re harsh on the things you’re cleaning, they’re terrible to breathe in, and many of them have warnings on them saying not to touch them with your bare skin.
Is that really something you want to clean your house with? No, of course not. That’s why natural cleaning is making such a big comeback.
Natural cleaners made with 100% natural ingredients are just as tough as the chemicals you’re familiar with.
The basis for most natural cleaning is vinegar, white vinegar to be precise. It can be used in every room of the house for a variety of different things.
Here’s a recipe for an all purpose cleaner that you can use just about anywhere to clean anything.
For the exceptions to this skip to after the recipe.
Related: How to Clean Your House with Essential Oils
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#1. All Purpose Cleaner with Vinegar
Ingredients
- White Vinegar
- Citrus peels (orange, lemon, lime, or grapefruit or a combination of them all)
- Citrus essential oils (Optional)
Directions
Fill a 1-2 quart mason jar halfway with citrus peels.
Fill the rest of the jar with vinegar and place lid on top.
Give the mixture a shake and leave it sit for 1-2 weeks. The longer it sits the more potent the cleaner.
After 2 weeks are up remove the peels and strain the vinegar to remove any bits of fruit that may be floating around.
Dilute this with one part water to one part vinegar in a spray bottle.
Add 3-4 drops of essential oil if you like. It will not only aid with the citrus smell it will also add to the cleaning power.
Related: Tips on Cleaning your House with Lemon
#2. All Purpose Antibacterial Cleaner
This antibacterial cleaner is gentle and effective and best of all it kills much of the common bacteria that can be found in the home.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups of water
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 25 drops of orange or lemon essential oils
Directions
Combine the ingredients and pour into a spray bottle. When ready to use simply spray on the surface to be cleaned and wipe with a damp sponge.
What You Should Not Clean with Vinegar
Vinegar should never be used on granite or marble as it can damage those materials over time. A lot of people also find the smell of vinegar a little too pungent.
If you aren’t sure about the smell of vinegar and how it will go over in your house, start by using it in the kitchen and bathroom.
Avoid bedrooms and the living room until you know how your family feels about it. Or you can use an all-purpose cleaner that doesn’t have vinegar like the one below.
#3. All-Purpose Homemade Cleaner without Vinegar
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon castile soap
- 3-5 drops of essential oil
- Water
Directions
Add baking soda, soap, and essential oil into a spray bottle then add water to fill the bottle. Shake vigorously.
Tea tree oil and citrus-based essential oils are the best options as they add extra cleaning power, but really any essential oil will do if you only want the nice smell.
#4. Gentle Floor Cleaner
This gentle floor cleaner, when used regularly, will keep your floors clean and fresh smelling.
Ingredients
- 1½ cup white distilled vinegar
- 2 cups water
- 10 drops orange essential oils
Directions
Mix all of the ingredients together and pour a spray bottle and then mop the floor using a bucket of warm water. You can also make large batches of this floor cleaner and pour into a gallon jug and then mix half and half in a bucket of hot water.
#5. Homemade Natural Toilet Bowl Cleaner
One of the places I see the most resistance to change is around the toilet. People think that a natural toilet bowl cleaner won’t get the job done, but in fact, it will!
Vinegar and the cleaning power of essential oils are all you need to get your toilet fresh and clean.
Here’s one recipe that I love to use, but you can change which essential oils you’re using. If you’re interested in learning more about cleaning with essential oils check out this article that goes further in-depth on the topic.
Ingredients
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 7 drops ginger essential oil
- 7 drops clove essential oil
- 7 drops cinnamon leaf essential oil
Directions
Combine ingredients in a glass spray bottle and shake vigorously before using. Let the solution sit for an hour before scrubbing clean.
#6. Powdered Toilet Bowl Cleaner
This powdered toilet bowl cleaner only contains two very effective natural ingredients:
Ingredients
- 2 cups pure borax
- 1 cup baking soda
Directions
Mix the borax and baking soda together in an air tight container and store in a cool dry place until ready to use.
Before cleaning flush the toilet to wet the sides. Then sprinkle the powdered cleaning making sure to get under the rim also dump a portion into the bottom of the toilet bowl. Let sit while you clean the rest of the bathroom then scrub with a toilet bowl brush and flush.
#7. DIY Natural Oven Cleaner
Now, I don’t know about you but the oven cleaners you buy from the store have always terrified me. Use rubber gloves, don’t breathe the fumes, don’t use the oven for hours afterwards.
Do I really want to then put my food in a cave full of that stuff? No thank you! Here’s a great natural cleaner you can use in your oven that you won’t have to glove up for.
ingredients
- 1 cup baking soda
- ¼ cup washing soda
Directions
Mix with just enough water to create a paste then apply it to all surfaces in the oven. Let it sit overnight then rinse clean.
Yes! It is THAT simple. Using natural cleaning products is incredibly easy and when you start down the path of cleaning with natural products you aren’t going to want to stop.
#8. DIY Natural Glass Cleaner Recipe
Here’s a great glass cleaner you can make using a lemon.
ingredients
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice (Freshly Squeezed)
- 1 quart water
Directions
Combine the two in a spray bottle and shake vigorously.
That’s all! That’s the whole recipe and it works great on glass inside and outside of your house. Don’t throw the lemon away after you’ve squeezed out all the juices either.
Check out this great article full of different ways you can clean the house with a lemon. Lemons aren’t just for margaritas anymore. They’re for cleaning microwaves, showers, dishes, and so much more.
#9. DIY Window Cleaner
This window cleaner works best when used right after it is made while the cleaner is still hot or warm.
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
- 3 Tablespoon Vinegar
- 1cup hot water.
Mix all ingredients in a spray bottle and then spray on window and clean. The lemon juice helps to cut grease and dirt as well as the vinegar.
#10. Grout Cleaning
Not only is this grout cleaner effective it is often more effective than those chemical laden grout cleaners.
Ingredients
- 1 cup baking soda
- 1 cup peroxide
Directions
This grout cleaner is best if used fresh right after it is mixed. Mix the baking soda and peroxide together and apply to your grout with a toothbrush and let it sit for at least 15 minutes. Then scrub using the toothbrush.
You should only clean small areas of grout at the time. (For more details see the article on grout cleaning.)
#11. Home Made Wood Furniture Polish
This homemade furniture cleaning will leave your wood furniture with a beautiful shine and a slight lemony scent.
Ingredients
- 1 cup mineral oil
- 2 or 3 drops of lemon extract
Directions
Combine the mineral oil and lemon extract in a glass or plastic spray bottle. To use spray furniture polish onto a soft cloth and work into the wood.
#12. DIY Laundry Detergent Recipe
The laundry is another place that can seem incredibly daunting to make your own soap for. But it is just as simple as any of the other recipes I’ve shared so far. Have a look at this recipe which is easy to store and very gentle on your clothes.
Ingredients
- 5 oz. castile soap finely grated
- 1 cup washing soda
- ½ cup baking Soda
- ½ cup citric acid
- ¼ coarse sea salt
Directions
Mix the ingredients and store in an airtight container. Add 1-2 tbs of detergent to every load of laundry.
If you want you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oils to get a wonderful fresh scent in your laundry. Or if strong scents bother you leave essential oils out completely!
Some essential oils you might consider using are lemon, rosemary, eucalyptus, lavender, lemongrass, palmarosa, cedarwood (great for dealing with moths!), or spearmint.
Click Here to Buy Essential Oils
#13. Natural Stain Remover for Clothes
This stain remover for clothing will get most stains out when directions for use are followed.
Ingredients
- ½ cup of hot water
- 1/4 cup peroxide
- ¼ cup borax
Directions
Add the borax to a cup of hot water in a spray bottle and shake well until the borax is dissolved and then add the peroxide and shake again.
To use, spray on the stain and rub in and let set several minutes before putting the item into the wash.
To further boost the stain removal of your entire wash add ½ cup borax to your laundry detergent.
DIY Natural Cleaners – Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for glass bottles to put your DIY cleaning solutions in here are a few you should check out. The best ones are brown or blue to keep out the sun and allow your cleaner to last longer. Or you can just make small batches as and when you need it.
Related: How to Clean Wood Floors with Vinegar
Have you tried homemade natural cleaners before? Feel free to share in the comment section.
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