Crafting natural cleaning products at home is simple and can help rid your home of harmful chemicals. All it requires are some basic ingredients and an empty spray bottle.
Rubbing alcohol is an effective natural disinfectant and can be used to clean nearly every surface in your home, adding essential oils for an aromatic touch.
1. All-Purpose Cleaner
Save yourself from purchasing multiple cleaning products by opting for an all-in-one green cleaner, according to Peterson. Just combine equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle (distilled is best suited for glass surfaces) along with essential oil or lemon for a truly sustainable clean that also works on wood surfaces.
Baking soda can provide extra scrubbing power when added to any cleaning solution, acting as a natural deodorizer, mildly abrasive material and less expensive than commercial scouring powders. Just be careful that vinegar solutions do not come into contact with stone countertops and other delicate surfaces as their acid can damage them over time.
2. Glass and Mirror Cleaner
Cleaning glass and mirrors can seem like an endless battle – fingerprints, toothpaste residue, makeup smudges and gunky grime constantly challenge us to clean them away – only for them to return just when we think we have won! Just when we thought our streaky foe had been vanquished…it returns!
DIY Natural Cleaning Recipe: an Ideal Choice Fortunately, this DIY natural cleaning recipe works just as effectively as chemical cleaners available on store shelves at minimal cost and with most ingredients already lying around in your pantry!
Combine all ingredients in a 32 ounce spray bottle (preferably made of glass, though plastic works too), shake to mix, then use to spray and wipe glass surfaces before drying with a clean cloth.
3. Tub and Sink Scrub
DIY cleaning solutions can be an easy and economical way to reduce chemical cleaner use in your home, with various natural ingredients working efficiently to keep it sanitary without harming either the environment or yourself.
DIY cleaners are easy to make using items already found in your pantry, such as homemade tub and sink scrub with just three ingredients that will efficiently eliminate dirt and grime from bathroom surfaces.
Add some essential oils such as lemon, pine needle, tea tree or peppermint for a fresh scent that also kills germs and bacteria to give your natural cleaners an appealing scent and rinse after applying to desired surfaces.
4. Floor Cleaner with Vinegar
This natural floor cleaner recipe is safe to use on most hardwood floors as well as tile, ceramic and vinyl surfaces – and even works great as a carpet deodorizer!
Vinegar is an effective natural degreaser and can penetrate even the toughest grease deposits, while adding rubbing alcohol helps kill germs and prevent streaking when used alongside vinegar solutions.
Add some essential oil for added fragrance, but keep in mind that some people may be sensitive to certain kinds of oils, which could result in headaches or asthma exacerbations.
To create the cleaner, combine water, plant-based liquid soap, and distilled white vinegar in a bucket and stir. Dip a clean mop or cloth into this solution and squeeze out excess moisture before applying directly to your flooring surface.
5. Drain Cleaner
Instead of opting for caustic drain cleaners1, this DIY recipe–made up from ingredients you likely already possess–is safe and effective for most drains. While it may take multiple attempts to clear out stubborn hair or grease clogs, this approach should at least be explored before resorting to more harmful caustic cleaners.
Vinegar, baking soda and natural lemon juice all work as effective natural cleaners. Vinegar kills mildew and soap scum while baking soda helps remove fridge odors. To create an all-purpose surface spray blend equal parts vinegar with water in a spray bottle before adding essential oils for fragrance.
Lynn Redmile (she/her) is a contributing product reviews analyst for the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she has been conducting reviews of nutrition, fitness, beauty, home, pet and cleaning products since 2012. For over thirty years she has written extensively about cleaning supplies.