Homemade cleaning supplies are the best. There. I said it.
They’re cheaper than store-bought. You can store them in reused containers to reduce waste. And you control the ingredients, so you can be sure you’re not “cleaning” your home with toxic chemicals.
Before I began making my own cleaning supplies, I didn’t think that they could clean as well as nasty chemicals like those in bleach either. Acidic natural cleaners like vinegar are actually as effective as bleach at killing germs but without the super toxic chlorine.
From laundry soap and toilet cleaner to a good old all purpose spray, here are 10 cleaning supplies that you can make to save money and reduce your family’s exposure to harmful chemicals.
10 DIY Green Cleaning Supplies
1. Laundry Soap
I promised you laundry soap, and here it is! Julie’s recipe costs roughly three cents a load. It’s much healthier than most of the store-bought stuff and cheaper than natural brands of laundry soap.
photo via jilldoughtie
2. Drain Cleaner
Step away from the Drain-O, y’all. That stuff is incredibly toxic. You can kind of tell from the directions, can’t you? This homemade drain cleaner is as safe as those volcano projects you made as a kid in science class.
3. DIY Cleaning Wipes
Those plastic containers full of bleach-soaked wipes are convenient, but they’re also wasteful and toxic. Try my recipe for reusable cleaning wipes instead!
4. All Purpose Cleaner
Homemade all purpose cleaner is so easy to make, you’ll never go to the store for the chemical stuff again. You can reuse the bottle from your last purchased all purpose cleaner to store this homemade version. If you hate the vinegar smell, try making this with infused vinegar instead.
photo via Lisa Brewster
5. Try Soapnuts
Soapnuts really do grow on trees, and they release natural saponins. Saponins make for good, sudsy cleaning. You can use them to make a liquid cleaner, laundry detergent, and even dishwashing detergent that works in your dishwasher.
6. Grease-Fighting Dish Soap
It might seem impossible to get super greasy dishes clean with natural cleaning supplies. That’s why I was super excited to run across this recipe from Hello Natural. She says that it works better than a “certain blue bottle.” I can’t wait to find out!
7. DIY Shower Spray
Shower sprays are just convenient, aren’t they? I love anything that lets me put off actual cleaning. The DIY shower spray recipe from The Prairie Homestead looks amazing and simple to make. Like with the all purpose cleaner above, you can clean and reuse an old spray bottle from one of the store-bought cleaning supplies that you’re replacing.
cleaning photo via Shutterstock
8. Grout Cleaner
This recipe is simple enough to share right here. To scrub grout, just make a paste with baking soda and water. My even simpler method is to sprinkle the baking soda right onto a wet rag, and get scrubbing.
toilet photo via Shutterstock
9. Toilet Cleaner
My DIY toilet cleaner is another one that’s simple enough to just explain in a few sentences here. Ready? Pour about 1/2 cup baking soda into your toilet bowl. Follow it with 1/2 cup white or apple cider vinegar. Close the lid, and let the toilet volcano do its thing. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes, then wipe gunk away with a toilet brush. No scrubbing required!
oven photo via Shutterstock
10. Oven Cleaner
Did your oven set off the smoke alarm and ruin supper? It’s time for a cleaning! You don’t need harsh chemicals to clean your oven. Wellness Mama has you covered with a DIY oven cleaner that’s non-toxic and easy to make.