Most household cleaning products are full of toxic chemicals that have dangerous side-effects on you and the environment. If your cleaners zap germs by leaving more toxins in their place, then you need to rethink your products. There are so many safer, natural alternatives to cleaning products that are just as effective, but nowhere as harmful. What’s more, these products are also cheaper than regular cleaners. So if you want to save money and keep your home safe, here are six DIY cleaners you can make.
1. Window Cleaner
Ingredients
½ tsp liquid hand soap
3 tbsps white vinegar
2 cups water
Spray bottle
Method
Put everything into the bottle and give it a good shake to incorporate all the ingredients.
Spray it over your glass windows the way you normally would and wipe with a microfiber cloth.
For this glass cleaner, make sure you use hand soap that has no moisturizing properties, because this can leave behind a residue. Unlike commercial glass cleaners which leave behind a film of wax, this cleaner clears up stains and leaves you with just clear, sparkling windows.
2. All-Purpose Cleaner
Ingredients
½ tsp washing soda
2 drops liquid soap
3 drops tea tree oil
2 cups hot water
Spray bottle
Method
Pour everything into the spray bottle and shake vigorously.
Spray over surfaces and wipe them down with a sponge wipe.
You can use this all-purpose cleaner on everything from tabletops to countertops to bathroom tiles. The tea tree oil kills germs and also leaves behind a clean, fresh smell.
3. Bathroom Cleaner
Ingredients
½ cup baking soda
Liquid detergent as needed
Glycerin (optional)
Method
Add the liquid detergent to the baking soda until it becomes thick and looks like whipped cream.
With a sponge, take some of this mixture and wipe down your surfaces with it.
If you aren’t using the entire mixture at one go, store in an airtight glass jar along with ½ tsp of glycerin to prevent it from drying out.
You can use this cleaner to wipe down your tiles, sink and bathtub. It’s especially effective for cleaning your bathtub because it removes grime in one swipe, leaving your tub sparkling white.
4. Oven Cleaner
Ingredients
1 cup baking soda
1 tsp liquid detergent
Water as needed
Method
Wet the insides of your oven fully and then apply a layer of baking soda over it. Let this sit overnight.
The next day, wipe the insides of your oven with a wet cloth to remove most of the grease.
To give it a final clean, wipe it with some liquid detergent diluted with water.
This recipe makes cleaning your oven a breeze. Baking soda attaches to grime and removes it effortlessly. You need to use baking soda liberally around the insides or it won’t be able to remove the grease effectively.
5. Deodorizer
Ingredients
5% strength vinegar
Method
Store 5% strength vinegar in a glass spray bottle and don’t dilute it with anything.
Spray this directly on any surface that has a strong smell and let it sit overnight before you rinse it.
This deodorizer is perfect for around the house. You can spray it on your cutting board to remove the smell of garlic and onions. You can also spray it on kitchen counters or around food spills. If you have pets in the house, spray this mixture over areas where they’ve had accidents. This gets rid of the smell and dissuades them from repeating it in the same place.
6. Mold Cleaner
Ingredients
2 tsp tea tree oil
2 cups water
Method
Pour this mixture into a spray bottle and spray over areas affected with mold. Do not rinse off.
Tea tree oil is very potent against mold. It can kill existing mold and prevent it from growing back in the same area. If you can’t get tea tree oil, undiluted white vinegar is also very effective against mold.
