Last update: 2 years ago
Every homeowner dreams of a clean and sanitary home, free of germs and unhealthy elements. To achieve that, we often scrub our homes down with bleach, chlorine and other industrial chemicals, which can cause nose and skin irritations, allergies, respiratory issues, and a lot more. Many people don’t know that these dangerous chemicals can be found in all kinds of common cleaning detergents, and by using them, we unknowingly expose ourselves to danger.
Fortunately, nature has provided us with many natural alternatives. There are many common household ingredients, which, when combined create simple, but strong green cleaning products. And the best part is that you can make them yourself. Here are 10 DIY household cleaners you can try:
DIY all-purpose cleaner
It’s tough to find an excellent all-purpose cleaner because most of them possess a strong smell, which can make people feel nauseous. Even most green cleaning recipes contain white vinegar – even though the smell evaporates fast, it can still be unpleasant to work with for some people. Therefore, we had to find a powerful natural green cleaning product that also smells nice.
What you will need:
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 2 cups water
- 2 tbsp. salt
- Some orange peels
- Some lemon peels
- A spray bottle
Instructions:
Mix the salt, water and vinegar in a plastic container. Stir until the salt dissolves, then add the orange peels. Leave it for about 24 hours so that the orange peels can soak well, and the essential oils can get mixed with the rest of the ingredients. Then remove the peels and pour the liquid into a spray bottle.
The orange peels should eliminate the strong smell of the vinegar, leaving your home with a fresh citrus smell. You can use the homemade all-purpose cleaner to wipe countertops inside the fridge, the stove, microwave and even most floors (perfect for tiled surfaces).
Natural oven cleaner
Unless cleaned after each use, the oven accumulates a lot of greases and burnt leftover food particles over time. All these things turn into a sticky substance, which seems impossible to clean. This is when most people turn to heavy-duty detergents, which don’t provide the needed results but contaminate the food once you start using the oven again. Here’s a lazy natural oven cleaner recipe that requires only two ingredients:
What you will need:
- A bottle of vinegar
- 1 cup baking soda
Instructions:
The best time to use this green oven cleaning method is in the evening. All you have to do is spread a generous amount of baking soda all over the oven and then spray it with vinegar (you can either put it in a spray bottle or just make a small hole in the cap and pour it inside the oven).
The reaction between the base and the acid will result in some fizzing and foam forming. Leave it to work overnight, and in the morning, just scrub a little gently to loosen the dirt, then wipe with a clean damp cloth until you remove everything. It works like a charm, and it’s the perfect DIY household cleaner for busy people.
Homemade plastic polish
Many plastic items around the house require regular cleaning and additional disinfecting – chairs, toys, buckets, some dishware, and various panels. Cars also contain many plastic elements, which could benefit from an occasional wipe. Since most plastic polishes sold in stores are expensive, you can use this easy green plastic polish alternative:
What you will need:
- ½ cup white vinegar
- ¼ cup baking soda
- 1 – 1 ½ litres water
- A soft cloth
- A spray bottle
Instructions:
Combine the vinegar and the baking soda in the bottle. Add the water, close the bottle, and shake until the baking soda disappears into the two liquids. Spray the homemade plastic polish on the piece you want to freshen up and work the mixture into the surface with a soft cloth.
The baking soda will act as a mild abrasive that will remove any stuck dirt, and the white vinegar will disinfect, polish and bring shine to the plastic surface.
Heavy-duty homemade scrub
This simple green cleaning product is perfect for removing rust stains from sinks and bathtubs, old paint stains from tiles, and all kinds of other hard stains that need some extra scrubbing to come off.
What you will need:
- Half a lemon
- ½ cup borax (a harmless laundry booster, can be found in the detergent aisle)
Instructions:
Dip the cut part of the lemon in the borax, and then use the lemon to scrub the surface you want to clean. Afterwards, rinse with some water. Keep in mind that this solution is not recommended for marble and granite surfaces. The lemon is highly acidic, and these surfaces are porous, which means that when it gets on them, it will get inside and eat its way through them over time.
Natural silver cleaner
Silver utensils and jewellery are present in almost every home. Unfortunately, they blacken over time because of the process of oxidization. Clean silver elements around the house the non-toxic way, using this DIY silver cleaner:
What you will need:
- A bucket
- Some aluminum foil
- Boiling water (enough to cover the silver)
- 1 cup baking soda
- A pinch of salt
Instructions:
Line the inside of the bucket with aluminium foil and put the silver in the bucket. Pour in the boiling water, then add the baking soda and the salt. Let it soak for a few minutes and watch as the tarnish disappears all by itself, no scrubbing and wiping needed. If you have to quickly clean a single piece of silver, you can just rub it with some toothpaste and a soft cloth, rinse with warm water, and let it dry in a ventilated area.
Natural glass cleaner
Many store-bought window cleaners smell strange, leave strikes, produce too much foam or are just ineffective. You can use the green cleaning recipe we share here not only for washing windows but also for all kinds of glass surfaces, like the living room and coffee tables, water bottles, mirrors, and much more.
What you will need:
- 1 cup distilled water
- 1 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1 cup rubbing alcohol
- Peppermint essential oil (optional)
- A spray bottle
Instructions:
Add all the ingredients to a spray bottle and shake well to mix. To add extra cleaning power and a pleasant scent, add around 20-30 drops of peppermint essential oil. The rubbing alcohol in this DIY household cleaner will dissolve all the hard particles stuck to the glass surface, the vinegar will disinfect it, and the distilled water leave it streak-free.
DIY toilet cleaner
Even though it’s proven that the toilet is not the dirtiest place in the house (it’s the kitchen, the kitchen sponges in particular), it still gathers lots of dangerous bacteria. Here’s another homemade cleaner with vinegar that will help you tackle that area.
What you will need:
- ½ cup baking soda
- ¼ cup vinegar
- Tea tree essential oil
- Scrubbing brush
Instructions:
This is very easy to use a green cleaning product, which acts as a heavy-duty scrub and deodorizes the toilet while it cleans it. First, pour the baking soda into the bowl and add around ten drops of the tea tree essential oil. Then add the vinegar and use the brush to scrub away all the buildup while the mixture fizzes. It perfectly removes limescale and mildew.
For daily cleaning, you can fill a small spray bottle with some vinegar and a few drops of essential oil (any scent would work, tea tree is preferable because of its antiseptic qualities). Spray the toilet seat, leave for a couple of minutes, then wipe.
Homemade wood cleaner
Wood cleaners are tricky because you need something gentle enough to protect the porous surface of the wood and strong enough to kill all the germs and remove the dirt and dust. It turns out. Olive oil is the perfect green cleaning product for the task:
What you will need:
- 1 ½ cups distilled water
- 1 cup distilled white vinegar
- 8 tbsp. olive oil
- Lemon essential oil (optional)
- A spray bottle
Instructions:
Add all the ingredients to a spray bottle and shake well to mix. For a more pleasant scent and additional cleaning power, you can add 20-30 drops of lemon essential oil. Using this natural homemade cleaner is easy – spray on the surface and wipe away with a soft microfiber cloth. Make sure the room is well ventilated while it dries.
Natural laundry detergent
It’s challenging to find a natural laundry detergent that doesn’t use borax (which is not dangerous, but it’s also not the perfect choice for babies and people with gentle skin). Here’s the safest green cleaning product for laundry we found:
What you will need:
- 1 cup washing soda
- ½ cup baking soda
- ½ cup citric acid
- ¼ cup salt
- 1 bar of glycerin soap, finely grated
- A jar with a lid
- A desiccant
Instructions:
Mix the grated soap with the other four ingredients and thoroughly stir until you can’t tell apart the different ingredients. Place the desiccant in the bottom of the jar (to prevent the forming of clumps) and pour the DIY household laundry cleaner on top of it. Use 2-3 tablespoons with each load.
Homemade bleach cleaner
Bleach is both evil for nature-friendly homeowners and a necessity for everyone who wants clean white clothes. To create a successful bleach cleaner, you need to find the right combination that brightens the clothes, smells nice and doesn’t irritate the skin.
What you will need:
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¾ cup hydrogen peroxide (3%)
- ¾ cup baking soda
- 7 cups water
- Lemon essential oil
- Plastic bottle or container
Instructions:
Combine all the ingredients in the container and shake well to mix them. Store away from sunshine. Use 1 cup per load, and wash the clothes in the hottest water setting possible. If you’re not satisfied with the whitening qualities, you can always add more lemon juice.
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