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How to Make Homemade Cleaners

 

Looking to discover more natural and safer ways to clean your home or just looking to save some cash. Either way homemade cleaners can accomplish both. You can find hundreds of recipes online and it can be a little overwhelming, so fully understanding your ingredients is very helpful. For those who like to experiment on their own, fill free to find what ingredients works best for you. For those who like recipes, there are plenty in this article.

 

Main Homemade Cleaner Ingredients

Baking Soda – Baking soda is a cheap and natural cleaner. It works well with getting rid of odors and dirt.

Vinegar – Vinegar is a disinfectant and works well on odors. It kills most mold, bacteria and germs. Vinegar will not leave behind any soap or other chemicals like most cleaners. Do not use on marble (it will eat away at the surface). Some people don’t enjoy the smell, but it disappears after the vinegar dries and you can use essential oils to add a fragrant.

Lemon Juice – Lemon juice works well at getting rid of grease and works as a natural bleach. It is a good disinfectant and leaves behind a good fragrance.

Olive Oil – Olive oil is used as lubricant to help polish wood surfaces.

Salt – Works well in scrubbing solutions. It gets rid of mildew and rust well. 

Castile Soap - Castile soap is an oil based cleaner that works well at getting rid of grease and bacteria.

Cornstarch – Cornstarch works well at absorbing oil and greases. It is also is good at getting rid of odors and cleaning windows.

Boiling Water – Boiling water help remove clogs and cleans drains.

Toothpaste – Toothpaste is used to clean silver and sometimes is used as a stain remover.

Essential Oils – Essential oils are just used to add a fragrance to your cleaners. 

Hydrogen Peroxide – Hydrogen peroxide makes a good disinfectant and is environment friendly. 

Borax - Borax should be handled with care. It is a natural mineral salt, but can cause irritation to the skin and be harmful if ingested. It is a laundry cleaner but can be effective in other household cleaners. 

Washing Soda – Washing soda deodorizes, disinfects and breaks up stains well. It is a natural and safe cleaner. Don’t use on fiber glass, aluminum or no wax floors. 

Ammonia – Ammonia is poisonous and should be handled with care. It works great on breaking up stains and grease. Don’t ever mix with bleach (it can create harmful fumes).

After knowing what all the basic cleaners do, you can experiment with what works best for you. Just be careful when mixing different ingredients. I wouldn’t recommend mixing bleach with anything. 

Recipes for Basic Cleaners

1. Mix one part vinegar to one part water. 

2. Combine in a gallon jug:
        - ¼ cup of Borax
         - 4 cups of vinegar
        - 10 cups of water or until container is close to filled

3. Combine a cup of baking soda to 5 cups of hot water (letting the baking soda dissolve), then add:
        - 1 cup of ammonia
        - 1 cup of vinegar
        - 5 cups of cold water

4. Combine
        - 1/8 cup of washing soda
        - 1 cup of lemon juice
        - 8 cups of water

5. Combine
       - 2 cups water
       - 2 cups vinegar
       - 2 cups lemon juice

Homemade Window and Mirror Cleaner

Combine:
     - 1 gallon of water
     - 1 cup of vinegar
     - 1/8 cup of cornstarch
More on cleaning Windows

Recipes for your Flooring

Carpets – Three parts water to one part vinegar.

Grout – Clean with a paste of baking soda and water. 

Wood Floors – One part olive oil to two parts vinegar and three parts water.

Tile and Linoleum – Combine 1 TB of dishwashing liquid, 5 cups vinegar and a gallon of water.

Wood Surfaces

1. Buff and Shine - Mix together
     - 1 Tablespoon of olive oil
     - 1 Tablespoon of vinegar
     - 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice
           Apply to surface and allow it to sit for a few minutes and then wipe dry. You should make this new each time you use it.

2. Fix scratches – Rub with the insides of a walnut.

Odors

Refrigerators – Clean out with one part vinegar to one part water. Then add a box of baking soda to your refrigerator.

Air Freshener - Mix a couple cups of water to a half cup of baking soda and a couple drops of essential oil. 

Drains and Disposals – Pour a 1/3 cup of Baking Soda down your drain, followed by a cup of hot vinegar. Let it sit for 10 minutes and then run hot (or boiling) water down the drain.

Shoe Odor – Mix one part baking soda to two parts cornstarch (and some essential oils if you would like). 

Adding Fragrant to a Room – Add some of your favorite spices and/or fruits in a pot and boil for a few hours.  Some good combinations:
     - Cinnamon sticks, cloves and allspice
     - Cinnamon sticks and apples
     - Orange or lemon rinds
     - Apples and vanilla

Silver

1. Tarnished Items – Soak in a sink full of hot water, a ½ of baking soda and aluminum foil.

2. Shine – Polish with toothpaste.

More Homemade Solutions for your…

Bathrooms
Kitchens
Laundry Room
     - Dryer Sheets
     - Laundry Detergent
     - Static Balls
     - Fabric Softener

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