Homemade Cleaning Products

Making my own cleaning products almost makes me excited to clean.  Almost.  I've never liked using a ton of chemicals in our home with two little ones, so making my own allows me to control exactly what is being used to get rid of germs!  It's fun to make cleaning products and much more eco-friendly, not to mention cheaper!  I've recently started making all of our own cleaners.  White vinegar is the best cleaner ever! I use it for everything!  You can make almost any type of cleaner from some basic ingredients:

--original Dawn dish detergent

--white vinegar

--washing soda

--baking soda

--Borax

That's all it takes for most cleaners!  Those are some cheap ingredients that will make tons of awesome cleaning solutions! A lot of homemade cleaners also use ammonia, but I try to avoid using that stuff.  Yuck.  The first cleaner I ever made was the bathtub/shower cleaner that I swear by.

The next time you're out, pick up a few cheap plain spray bottles from the store or do what I do and reuse those old, store-bought bottles!  I also use old, cut up t-shirts as cleaning rags because I'm crunchy like that!  Here are a few of the recipes I use to make my own tried and true cleaners:


Homemade Window Cleaner
½ t mild dish detergent
3T vinegar
2 cups water
Put all of these ingredients into a spray bottle.  Shake this up and use it just like the commercial variety.

Homemade Stain Remover

1 part baking soda
1 part hydrogen peroxide
2 parts water
Mix it all in a container to spot treat or just add straight to laundry if pre-soaking. Shake before using each time.

Homemade Fabric Softener

1 part hair conditioner
1 part white vinegar
2 parts water
Pour it all in your new fabric softener container and stir (don't shake because it will foam a little) and the mixture will thicken. Use like normal.  I use an old coffee creamer container to hold this. This is safe for HE machines because it does not create a lot of suds!

Homemade Bathtub/Shower Cleaner
White Vinegar
Original Dawn
Mix equal parts in a spray bottle.  Spray down shower/bathtub, let sit for 2 hours.  Wipe away all scum and grossness!

Dishwasher Cleaner
1 cup White Vinegar
Baking soda
Put one cup of white vinegar on the top rack of your dishwasher.  Run the dishwasher with just the cup of vinegar in it on a hot cycle.  When that is done, sprinkle  baking soda all over the bottom of the dishwasher and run another cycle.  Your dishwasher will be fresh and clean!


These are my favorite cleaners!  I plan to make our own laundry detergent once our endless supply of cheap All Free & Clear runs out that I got with coupons.  Do you make your own homemade cleaners?  Have an awesome natural cleaning tip?  Share in the comments!  I'd love to hear!