DIY Cleaner Bonanza!

Welcome to the DIY cleaner bonanza where all your DIY cleaning dreams come true!

The following is an assortment of DIY cleaner recipes that I either found online or have gathered over the last few years. I’ll add comments under the ones I’ve tried before- others would be for more experimental use. I think the toughest areas for DIY cleaners to be on par with store-bought options are dishwashing and laundry. I think it’s still beneficial to make your own, but I think you may need a bit more trial and error and patience. If you make something that doesn’t quite cut it, don’t throw it out- try mixing equal parts home-made with store-bought. You’ll still save money and you may be able to perfect your recipe over time. Also- many of the ingredients are the same across recipes- this means that you may have more cost up front; but, luckily, you will be able to use the same ingredients to make many household cleaners. Over time you can save a LOT of money! And you get to feel empowered by doing it yourself! One last note- you really can’t go wrong with mixing together simple solutions such as baking soda and vinegar for cleaning most things, so don’t worry if you don’t have all the listed ingredients.

All purpose cleaning spray #1:

Makes 32 oz.

2 C water

½ C distilled white vinegar

1 teaspoon castile soap

¾ C hydrogen peroxide

20 drops tea tree oil

20 drops lavender or lemongrass essential oil

*I really like this recipe and have made it numerous times. I don’t worry about getting the proportions exactly right or if I’m missing one of the ingredients. You can always leave out the hydrogen peroxide and you would still have an effective cleaner.

All purpose cleaning spray #2:

½ C baking soda

1 C vinegar per gallon water

optional- dash of castile soap

drop or two of essential oils such as lavendar

*I like this one because its so simple and you’re likely to have all the ingredients already!

Laundry Detergent (http://diynatural.com/simple-easy-fast-effective-jabs-homemade-laundry-detergent/):

1 bar of shaved bar soap

1 C borax

1 C of washing soda

*Caveat: I haven’t tried this one yet. I have, however, been adding borax and baking soda to my laundry loads and then just using a little bit of detergent. Natural detergents can be really expensive so I’m trying to get the most mileage out of them. Relatedly, I read in the newspaper that most people add too much detergent to their laundry and they end up with clothes that still have detergent in them even once the cycle is over. If you have a front-load washer, you can see if you’re clothes are still soapy by running them through the wash without soap. If you see suds, you’re using too much detergent. I’m sure you could also do this with a regular machine by opening the lid mid-way through the cycle to take a peek.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner #1 (http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/homemade-natural-toilet-cleaner.html):

2 T baking soda

1 T olive oil

1 teaspoon of lemon or other scent

Toilet Bowl Cleaner #2 (http://www.marthastewart.com/goodthings/diy-toilet-bowl-cleaner):

Let ½ C vinegar sit in toilet for a few minutes (or ½ hr for hard water), brush and flush

Add ½ C borax to remove stains, let sit overnight if needed

Toilet Bowl Cleaner #3 (http://www.bukisa.com/articles/158363_how-to-make-toilet-bowl-cleaner):

2 C water

2 C white vinegar

1 C hydrogen peroxide (sold at Walgreens in first aid aisle)

2 ½ C baking soda

optional: 20-30 drops naturally antiseptic oil such as lemon, lavender, orange or grapefruit

Mix everything together besides the baking soda. When ready to use, add ½ to ¾ C of the solution first and let sit for a few minutes. Use toilet brush to scrub, the add ½ C of baking soda (be sure to sprinkle on parts not covered by water).

*I haven’t tried any of the toilet bowl cleaners yet but I’m weirdly excited to try them.

Dishwasher detergent (http://diynatural.com/simple-effective-jabs-homemade-dishwasher-detergent-rinse-agent/):

½ C borax

½ C washing soda

¼ C citric acid (can be bought online or at a specialty beer store. If unavailable can use 10-15 unsweetened lemon Kool-aid packs instead but don’t use any other flavor)

¼ C kosher salt

mix together. When ready to use add white vinegar to rinse compartment. Add 1 T of the detergent mix per load

*I tried a similar recipe (minus the salt, I believe) and had to mix with regular detergent to get the job done. Hopefully the salt is the key ingredient!

Shower cleaner:

I just tried this today after getting a tip from my friend: sprinkle borax on the floor of your shower and scrub with a sponge or brush. Most effective when dry or it’ll just dissolve. This works wonders for getting rid of soap scum. I would recommend wearing gloves, though; borax is less toxic than other cleaners, but it can still irritate your skin and eyes.

See this webpage for many more DIY cleaning recipes (including natural air freshener!): http://eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm

*They include information on the cleaning properties of many natural ingredients.

*The air freshener ideas are great (did you know that commercial air fresheners coat your nasal passages to reduce sense of smell??). I find the idea of simmering water with cinnamon and other spices on the stove particularly appealing, especially this time of year! My friend was actually just telling me about this great natural present she received: spices such as cinnamon and cloves combined with an orange in a jar with instructions to heat in water for a great home fragance! What a great DIY gift idea!

Happy cleaning!