If you do a search for “natural homemade cleaners”, you will find about a gazillion results out there. So why am I trying to reinvent the wheel?
In a word, simplicity.
Contrary to what the cleaning aisle at the supermarket might say, you don’t need a lot of different specialty products to get your home clean. And when you look up homemade cleaners online, a lot of recipes call for many different ingredients for different types of cleaners. But it doesn’t have to be that complicated. With just a few basic items, you can do the vast majority of your household cleaning, save money, and keep your home free of the toxins found in many store-bought cleaning products.
White vinegar, lemon juice, and baking soda are about to become your new best friend.
Here are a few recipes that will help you do most of your everyday cleaning.
All-Purpose Cleaning Spray:
For countertops, sinks, toilets, and for spot cleaning floors
Mix 1 part white vinegar and 1 part water in a spray bottle. Spray and scrub.
For really tough soap scum or mineral deposits, warm the solution first, spray, and let sit before scrubbing, or use straight vinegar (but avoid straight vinegar on tile grout – it can cause the grout to break down).
Bathtub / Sink Scrub:
In a bowl, make a paste with baking soda, a squirt of your dish soap*, and a squeeze of lemon, to the consistency of frosting. Dip cloth or sponge into paste and scrub.
For really stubborn grime, allow to sit 10-15 minutes before rinsing.
Mirror & Glass Cleaner:
2 tsp vinegar
1 quart water
Mix in a spray bottle. Spray on mirror or glass, and wipe clean with old newspaper. (The ink doesn’t smear, and it leaves no lint!)
Floor Cleaner:
1/4 Cup dish soap*
1/2 Cup white vinegar or lemon juice
2 gallons warm water
Combine in sink or large bucket, and use with mop.
You can use this on any floor, unless the manufacturer has specified to avoid all detergents.
Photo by Scott Feldstein
Some other tips:
• Don’t use vinegar on marble – it can damage the surface.
• If you’re concerned about the smell of vinegar, you can always add a few drops of essential oil to your mix, but know that the odor of vinegar disappears as it evaporates.
• Vinegar is a disinfectant, but for raw chicken juice and other clean-ups involving bacteria, you will want something more powerful, like hydrogen peroxide. Read more.
• For really dirty toilets, you can shake in some baking soda in addition to using the all-purpose cleaning spray, and add a little lemon juice, too, if you like.
• If you don’t want to cut up fresh lemons, keep a squeeze bottle of lemon juice in your fridge. You can buy this, or make it yourself by squeezing some lemons ahead of time. If you buy it, make sure it only contains 100% lemon juice, with no added oils or essences.
• Use 100% cotton microfiber cloths for your cleaning – they will not leave lint behind, and you can throw them in the wash afterward and re-use them.
*About dish soap: when you purchase dish soap at the store, look for words like biodegradable, septic-safe, and non-toxic. Don’t buy anything that contains petroleum distillates or phosphates. Some good brands are Seventh Generation and Earth Friendly Products (this is what I use and I love it – it’s cheap and lasts forever).
These basic recipes should take care of 95% of your basic housecleaning needs. They will also save you money and most importantly, they are safe and non-toxic, so you and your family can rest easy.
Have you tried making your own cleaners? Please share your successes or failures!
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Hi! I’ve been making my own cleaners for 3 years now and I’ll never go back.
all-purpose cleaner: water, vinegar, essential oils
laminate floor cleaner: water, 1 cup vinegar, 6 drops essential oils
toilet cleaner: baking soda + vinegar + boric acid
clothes detergent: 1 part olive oil soap in flakes, 1 part b.soda, 1 part boric acid (3 tbs/load)
clothes softener: vinegar
The worst failure so far has been the window cleaner (alchool, ammonia, water).It’s supposed to work like a charm but it never ever cleaned my windows so I returned to good ol’ vinegar and newspapers and I’m very happy I did!
Thanks for a great post Katie!
I love Dr. Bronner’s peppermint soap for my homemade cleaners. It smells so fresh and clean! I have also stopped using anything on my mirrors since I got a microfibre cloth that just uses water. My windows, mirrors and chrome faucets really sparkle!
I use Murphy’s Oil Soap for my floors but I’ve seen mixed reviews on whether it is truly ‘green’ or not. Does anybody know the true scoop? It is one of my favourite scents of a clean home.
Jenni @ My Web of Life’s last blog: Giving Up Carbon For Lent
Jenni, unfortunately the consensus seems to be that Murphy’s Oil Soap is not a good choice. I know a lot of people love the scent, but I believe it is artificial fragrance, and there are other ingredients that are chemically questionable. Maybe we can work on developing a natural substitute!
Thank you ! These easy recipes for cleaners are just what I was looking for!
Great post! I grew up in a household where cleaning was (1) simple – we had 4 main cleaners: toilette, bathroom surface, glass/window, and soap/water, (2) frequent – makes it easy and quick, and (3) expected – there’s that saying, “tidiness begets tidiness” and it’s true.
I switched to green cleaners about 3 years ago, and my headaches disappeared along with the smelly cleaners. I won’t go back, just forward! Recently, I’ve started making some of my own cleaners. My current routine as I’m transitioning:
- window/glass: water, vinegar
- all-purpose: (1) acidic: vinegar, soap, water; (2) alkaline: washing soda, borax, soap, water
- floors: soap, water
- toilette bowl: Seventh Generation
- laundry: Seventh Generation
- dishes: Seventh Generation
I’m working on phasing out the remaining SG cleaners too.
We have been making our own cleaners for a few years too. I love it. So simple and so inexpensive. We do use Murphey’s Oil Soap on our floors too, which I love, but I’m not sure about how great it is either. I’m curious to know though! I also put a bowl of water with lemon in the microwave (that hopefully we won’t have much longer, but if you have one…) let it sit a while and then it wipes clean so nicely!
jeana’s last blog: Please do me a quick favor? AND recipe for Chicken Parmesan Sandwich and Cracked Pepper Potato Chips
Jeana, see my reply to Jenni above about Murphy’s!
this is a great post..just what i needed to get more green..now to get my mother who lives with me on board..you don’t have a good recipe for hand soap do you?
Making soap is a more complicated thing, involving fats, lye, etc. The best thing to do is buy something like Dr. Bronner’s or another natural brand. Maybe we’ll explore soap-making here in the future!
Thanks. I will look into it more.
I have a girl friend who gets the dr. bonners but extends its life by diluting it in a glass foaming dispenser. A great idea and economical.
http://inthehomeandbytheway.blogspot.com/2010/02/what-you-put-on-your-hands-does-matter.html
3trikes’s last blog: Crafting therapy.
Homemade cleaners and I don’t even have to leave the house to track down ingredients – I’ve got everything here already! What could be simpler than that?
Thank you for this post!
Kara’s last blog: Today on Simple Homeschool: At the Heart of Homeschooling
Hi there,
This is really helpful info, thanks so much! Do you know if vinegar will ruin GRANITE counter tops? You just mentioned marble, so I wanted to be sure.
Thanks for all you’re doing!
Steff
Steff, I have heard mixed info on this. Some say yes, some no, some say it depends whether your granite counters are sealed or not. The best thing to do is ask the people who installed the counters. If you can’t do that, then the consensus seems to be that the best thing for granite is just plain hot water. They do make special cleaners for stone but I don’t know how safe or toxic they are – I will have to look into this!
This is great! I was just reading a similar article in this month’s Natural Home Magazine. This is definitely one to bookmark!
Eren’s last blog: February Home Projects: Paint and Pretty Dishes
I make my own laundry detergent (powder, not liquid). I use borax, baking soda, washing soda, and grated Dr. Bronner’s bar soap. Seriously works like a charm. I previously tried Ivory bar soap but for some reason it wasn’t dissolving in the water and kept leaving white spots on my clothes. Having some Tide left over, I used it one day when I didn’t have time to make my own…never doing it again. All the clothes felt as though they had some sort of residue on them. Sorta slimy-like.
I also use white vinegar in my downy ball for fabric “softener” and love it!
Besides this I have some Method brand cleaners that I need to use up. After reading the ingredients and seeing “fragrance” I’m not going back there again!
I’ve been using vinegar and hydrogen peroxide for a while now and love it. If you hate the smell of vinegar, and can’t wait for it to evaporate, you can follow it with a little spray of peroxide to kill the smell. I kinda like the nose-burn of vinegar cause it gives me some added assurance that it must be working!
Is there any simple spray solutions for cleaning toilets that you recommend? I don’t like touching the lou until a cleaner has had a chance to kill the nasties. LOVE THE SITE!
Thanks for the luv, matt!
The all-purpose cleaning spray recipe is good for toilets, especially the parts where water is not sitting. You can shake in some baking soda, too, and scrub it with your toilet brush and then let sit.
This is so great…thank you! I really love this website and am finding the information so informative.
Jan (Family Bites)’s last blog: Chicken-Club Pizza
Awesome! My husband is tentative about switching to homeade cleaners, but he’s slowly getting on board. The first step was moving to more natural brands. Hopefully having some simple recipes will help him be willing to give it a go!
She’s never broken out to it and it works well. I just wish I could buy it in a size larger than 100 loads so as to reduce the environmental impact of containers, transportation, etc. Just wanted to throw out another brand that’s working to give better options than the typical harsh chemicals we find everywhere.
On a side note, after learning our daughter reacts to corn products, even in the detergent on her clothes, we discovered Ecos Free and Clear. Only 4 ingredients and one is water
I have two questions…
1. This might sound crazy but I just bought a pack of microfiber clothes and I’m sort of unclear on how to use them?!? Specifically…if I use them to clean my countertops (just regular cleaning) do I just rinse them and hang them to dry to reuse or do they need to be washed if they get wet?
2. When you use newspaper to clean glass using natural cleaners, are they still recyclable? This also feels like a crazy question but I really don’t know!
Thanks
Chrystal
Just wash those cloths whenever they’re dirty – if you just use water on them and they still seem clean enough to you after air drying, you can reuse them. Otherwise, throw them into the washer after you’re done with them. You will be able tell if they are still fresh or if they smell like they need to be washed.
I don’t think you can still recycle the piece of newspaper you use to clean your mirror and/or glass, but it will break down and decompose.
I love these simple cleaners! I’ve been using baking soda in my toilet and vinegar and water as an all-purpose cleaner for a while now. I love it. I can turn my kids loose and not worry about them inhaling or spraying each other with toxic cleaners (they are crazy boys). I bought a bunch in bulk last time I went to the store. I also LOVE white vinegar as the softener on my laundry!
I am in need of a good stain cleaner – homemade or purchased, but as natural as possible. I have a 2 yr old and 1 yr old, so need something that will handle food stains, poop stains, etc… Anyone have any recommendations? Thanks in advance!!
Hi Eva! A homemade one that I’ve loved so far is using oxygenated non-chlorine (obviously) bleach and peroxide. I’ll dampen the stain with some peroxide and then pour some of the powder straight onto it and let it soak in a little tub. Once the powder dries I put a little more peroxide on it.
Usually by that time I can lift up the dried cake that’s formed and see my stain is gone!
Wow! Ok – I will try that on a couple of items that I have set aside after 4 washes with every possible thing I could think of…I’ll let you know how it works
I need to figure out a homemade stain remover, but for now I love Bac-Out from Biokleen. It’s especially good for food, poop, and other organic stains – not things like markers, paint, ink, etc.
Thanks for these good reminders.
Just a thought. At the top of your post you mention the basics: baking soda, vinegar and lemon juice. But then during the post itself you refer to baking powder frequently. I just think that might confuse some of the people that are new to the organic cleaning game–baking soda and baking powder are not exactly the same.
Thanks again for writing this blog!
Amy’s last blog: Fab Friday Foto–Volume XIII
Whoa, Amy, thanks for catching that! Total mis-type on my part. It’s now corrected!
What a great post! I love using natural cleaners. But, I’ll have to admit, I tried using a baking soda/borax mix for the dishwasher and it didn’t work very well. Anyone have any ideas?
Jennifer Barker’s last blog: Self-Conscious or Prideful?
Jennifer, I found a good recipe here. http://recycleyourday.com/homemade-dishwasher-detergent/ A lot of recipes call for borax, which is “natural” but there is some research that says it is not exactly safe or gentle. This recipe looks good!
I use the same basic formulas, but I always add essential oils. Not only do they smell nice, but many have antimicrobial qualities that add to the power of your cleansers. I also make different versions of natural “Lysol” with water and essential oils, and use a fine misting bottle to spray it.
Casey M’s last blog: Wow
nice suggestions, thanks, Casey!
@ STEF, I have always heard that vinegar isn’t good for Granite. The guys who put in our countertops told us not to use vinegar.
I am looking for a natural cleaner for my 100+ year old hard wood floors. They are not sealed 100%, but I need to clean them anyway & cleaners in the stores say not to use on unseal hard wood. Please help.
The Baking Soda + Lemon Juice trick works as an oven cleaner too!
I’m going to try the toilet cleaner tricks right now! Thanks!
where can i find microfiber cloths good for cleaning? I can only find little ones for electronics. thanks!
I bought mine at my local grocery store in the household section, not with the cleaners. Maybe with the car washing stuff? I can’t exactly remember. But if your local grocery doesn’t have, try the drugstore (CVS/Walgreens).
Thank you for this wonderful post!
Last year my husband and I decided to go a more natural route with our cleaning. We are still working on using up some “green” household cleaners (not so sure if they’re really all that green) but here’s what we’ve come up with so far:
All purpose Cleaner: Vinegar or Baking Soda and water
Disinfectant: Undiluted Vinegar and Hydrogen Peroxide (sprayed on one over the other, then wiped clean and rinsed with water). We make a homemade raw food for our cats and use this to disinfect the counter after cutting up all that raw meat. Works great. Haven’t gotten sick yet, and been using it that way for almost a year.
Laundry: Soapnuts (no need for softener even!)
It’s so wonderful to know that we’re using safe cleaning supplies, especially when our kittens love to lick everything.
Thank you! I just made my 1st all-purpose cleaner and I feel so great!
Great information! Any tips on where to find microfiber cleaning cloths?
Lindsay, see above – I just replied to Jackie re: the cloths.
I bought micro fibre at my local fabric store. I tried to serge edges but found you need special needles as it is so thick… it works just as well just cut into the sizes you want. and we specify by colour the rooms they get used in so the kitchen isn’t wiped down with the toilet wipe.
3trikes’s last blog: Crafting therapy.
My organic cleaning fairy cleaned my thermal stainless steel coffee pot while I was away, and I had to share her secret here. I have since been doing this as a multi purpose cleaner diluted.
she saves her lemons and limes that are going bad in the fridge… or the ones that have had the life squeezed out of them and stores them in the freezer. When she has a good collection she boils them in a large pot of water for a while. then using the lemon water she poured it into our gungey coffee pot and swished it about. and presto. (stainless steel) coffee pot like new. yay lemons!
3trikes’s last blog: Crafting therapy.