Homemade Cleaning Products

Homemade Cleaning Products. A list of a few simple ingredients I use to make my own homemade non-toxic cleaning products.

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I feel very strongly about the use of chemicals in any area of our lives, in particular, cleaning products. And today we are venturing into the land of green cleaning. I like to think of it more as natural cleaning (the word green usually invokes in my head the image of someone who doesn’t shave, or eats vegan bacon….vegan bacon…just, why?!?! Don’t even get me started on that!). Natural cleaning is a way of caring for your house that is respectful of God’s amazing earth and our own health.

Many would argue that there are countless harmful effects that chemicals from commercially produced cleaners have on our bodies and our environment. While I don’t have a vast enough knowledge to know the details of it all, we have chosen to try and eliminate some of these chemicals (and save quite a bit of money!) by making our own. You should definitely do your own research on the cleaners you use and see what you can find! We started with simple changes that didn’t take a lot of time or effort – a new way of doing the same old thing.

Homemade Cleaning Products

I have listed a few cleaning products from our home. Alternative cleaners that are gentle on our skin and our environment.

Vinegar

I use vinegar to clean just about everything. It is a classic and traditional cleaner that has been used for generations. It cuts grease, removes odors, and helps remove stains. I dilute it with water 1:1 ratio and put it in a spray bottle.

Sometimes if we have citrus on hand I will take the citrus peels (oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, etc) and soak them in the vinegar for a couple weeks to make a powerful all-purpose cleaner. The oils in the citrus not only provide a great scent, but also provide a bit of extra cleaning power.
I use this and a washrag to clean dirt off the walls, the toilet, the mirrors, the counters, the stove, the refrigerator, etc.

Baking soda

I use this when I got some serious dirt to scrub. I use it (along with a sponge or scrub brush, and sometimes even some vinegar) to scrub my kitchen and bathroom sink, my shower, etc. Baking soda, a mineral based cleaner, gives you that grit to really help clean. It also helps to neutralize odors. You can sprinkle this on the carpet before vacuuming to help with odors.

Castile soap

This soap is a wonder! It’s great for face soap, hand soap, body soap (the unscented one is even good for a gentle baby body wash), and all-purpose cleaner for around the house. Squirt a little amount on your wet rag and get to scrubbing! Or squirt some in a bucket of warm water and use that to rinse your rag or mop out as you wash. Walls, baseboards, counters, toys, you name it!

Essential oils

Not only does adding essential oils to homemade cleaning mixes totally boost cleaning power, but it will make your home smell amazing – no artificial fragrances required.

I like to add them to my vinegar solution. Some of my favorites are: tea tree, rosemary, lemon, orange, peppermint, and lavender (although there are many many others that work great too!). You can add any combination of those that sounds good to you.

Essential oil room freshener

I love having my essential oil diffuser running! It’s going almost all the time. Not only does it smell great and improve your mood, it also can kill airborne bacteria. If you don’t have a diffuser you can also add about 1 cup of water and 20 drops of oil to a squirt bottle and spray it into the air. My current favorite blend is orange, lavender, and peppermint.

Hydrogen peroxide

This is a great alternative to regular bleach. I like to add some into my white laundry instead of bleach, and it’s way better for ya! Hydrogen peroxide is non-toxic and a natural disinfectant. It’s also good for cleaning surfaces. Use it to wipe down your countertops or cutting boards every now and then.

All these homemade cleaning products are cheap and effective. That’s how I roll, y’all! I love knowing exactly what I’m using around my house and thus what will come into contact with my family members. There are probably 100 other natural cleaners out there, so if you have any additional ideas please leave them in the comments, I’d love to hear them!

Blessings!