Dodge the Side Effects of Commercial Cleaners + Save Money with These DIY Cleaning Product Recipes
Got baking soda, white vinegar and lemon juice? That's practically all you need for a fresh, clean home!
Whether you’re looking to save money on pricey cleaning supplies or simply want to make a switch to healthier, more natural cleaning solutions (or both!), these DIY cleaning product recipes made from pantry and kitchen staples are free of harmful chemicals and just as effective as their store-bought counterparts — for a fraction of the price! Here, you’ll find a roundup of the best, expert-backed DIY cleaning product recipes and our top hacks for how to use them so you can get the most notorious mess magnets in your home gleaming — in minutes!
What are the benefits of DIY cleaning product recipes?
Studies have linked complaints like wheezing, headaches and hormone glitches to the ingredients in commercial cleaning products. In fact, researchers from the Environmental Working Group tested household cleaning products and found that 53 percent of the products contain ingredients known to harm the lungs, and about 22 percent contain chemicals reported to cause asthma to develop in otherwise healthy individuals. (Click through for a deeper look into the chemicals in commercial cleaning products that can make you sick: News: Your Disinfectant Wipes Could Be Making You Fat, Foggy and Tired — MDs Weigh In on The Health Dangers of “Quats”.)
Dodge the dangers of commercial products with the below homemade cleaning solutions, guaranteed to power through grime.
1. DIY cleaning product recipe for all-purpose cleaner
- 1/4 cup castile soap
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 10 drops lemon essential oil
- 20 oz. warm water
A combination of castile soap, like Dr. Bronner’s Baby (Buy from Amazon, $10), fresh lemon juice, lemon essential oil and water creates an effective cleaner that can be used anywhere—from kitchen counters to bathroom tile! The castile soap produces a nice mild lather for deep cleaning without scratching. And the citric acid in the lemon juice and essential oil cuts through bacterial buildup while adding a crisp, clean scent. Just pour all ingredients into a 24 oz. spray bottle, shake well then spritz onto a rag to use.
2. DIY recipe for glass and window cleaner
- 1 cup rubbing alcohol
- 1 cup water
- 1 Tbs. white vinegar
For clear windows without the toxic scent of commercial cleaners, combine 1 cup of rubbing alcohol, 1 cup of water and 1 Tbs. of vinegar in a spray bottle, suggests Rosa Nogales-Hernandez, head home cleaning valet at ValetLiving.com. Then, spritz the glass and wipe with a rag. The vinegar’s acetic acid cuts through smudges, and the alcohol ensures the spray evaporates quickly. (Click through for DIY ways to remove hard water stains from glass.)
3. Recipe for shower and bathtub cleaner
- 1 cup baking soda
- ½ cup dish soap
- ⅓ cup borax
- 2 Tbs. white vinegar
Lifting soap scum and mildew from your bathtub or shower walls is easier than you think thanks to a simple solution. Findley’s recipe: In a spray bottle, mix baking soda (it scrubs), dish soap (it removes dirt), borax (it whitens grout), 2 Tbs. of white vinegar (it fights germs) and 1 cup of warm water. For tough scum, nix the water, up the vinegar to ¼ cup and heat it before adding, which boosts its cleaning power. Let the solution sit on the tub’s surface or shower walls for 15 minutes, then wipe.
4. DIY recipe for toilet bowl cleaner
- 1 cup baking soda
- 1½ cup white vinegar
Nixing new brown stains, blue stains, yellow stains and orange stains (click through to learn more about pink mold stains) from a toilet bowl is as easy as reaching into your pantry for a little baking soda and white vinegar, says Marina Lawrence, owner and founder of the residential and commercial Pennsylvania-based cleaning company Life Maid Easy. Baking soda’s gently abrasive particles help shine the inside of the bowl and neutralize odors, while white vinegar creates a reaction that causes the mixture to bubble up and eat away at dirt and grime. To start, pour 1 cup of baking soda into the toilet, then add 1½ cups of white vinegar. Let the mixture bubble up for 30 seconds, then flush for a squeaky-clean bowl. For deeper-set stains, let the mixture sit in the bowl for up to a few hours, then flush.
Related: 4 All-Natural DIY Cleaners That Leave Your Toilet Sparkling — For Less
5. Recipe for oven cleaner
- Juice of 2 lemons
- Water-filled baking pan
The simple, all-natural way to get an oven sparkling: Fill an oven-safe baking pan with water and add the juice of two lemons. Place inside the oven and turn it on low. Once the water starts to boil, carefully remove the pan. The steam and citric acid combination will help loosen the grime and grease inside the oven for easy removal. Just be sure to let the oven cool before wiping it with a damp cloth.
6. Recipe for furniture polish
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup vinegar
- ½ Tbs. lemon juice
Many furniture polishes contain harsh solvents that can damage wood surfaces. Luckily, it urns out your wood furniture is a lot like your skin: It benefits from a good moisturizer. “It’s easy to make a cleaner and conditioner in one,” promises Mary Findley, coauthor of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Green Cleaning. “The olive oil polishes while the vinegar disinfects and the citric acid in the lemon juice lifts stains.” Simply add the olive oil, vinegar and lemon juice to a jar, twist on jar’s lid and shake to combine. Dip a dry cloth in the solution and rub into the furniture, going with the grain.
See how well it works here:
7. DIY cleaning product recipe for mopping solution
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 1 gallon warm water
When getting floor clean after his renters leave, Jeff Pierce, Airbnb Superhost and author of Master of Vacation Rentals, relies on tried-and-true white vinegar to get floor tile sparkling in a flash. For floors, mix 1⁄2 cup of white vinegar with 1 gallon of warm water in a bucket; mop and allow the floor to air-dry. The vinegar’s acetic acid cuts through dirt and residue fast and dissolves it for a clean finish.
8. Recipe for drain cleaner
- 1 pot hot water
- 1 cup baking soda
- 1 cup lemon juice
You can clear out even the toughest drain clogs using DIY solutions — no need to fish out stuck clumps. Just pour one pot of hot water (not boiling) down the drain, allow tub or sink to empty, then pour in 1 cup of baking soda and 1 cup of lemon juice. The foaming action of the baking soda and lemon juice dissolves clogs with ease. Let sit for 30 minutes, then wash away with hot water.
9. DIY cleaning product recipe for carpet spot cleaner
- ¼ cup salt
- Splash of club soda
With loved ones and guests constantly on the go in and out of your home, dirt, mud or sand can get tracked onto entryway doormats and even indoor carpets. Pierce, who knows a thing or two about cleaning stains off carpets after having guests, says it’s easy to lift even stubborn stains fast, no pricey cleaning products or steam-cleaner required. Just sprinkle ¼ cup of salt on spots, then top with a little club soda. Let sit for a few minutes before wiping with a damp sponge. The club soda’s carbon dioxide will break down dirt molecules without harming fabric, while the salt absorbs grime and odors.
10. Recipe for microwave cleaner
- Peels from 1 orange
- Water-filled mug or bowl
Microwaves can become caked with food bits that seem impossible to scrub off. The easy recipe all over TikTok and Youtube: Pop a few orange peels into a water-filled bowl or mug and microwave for 1 minute, then wipe walls with a cloth. The oils from the peel mixed with steam will pull any buildup right off the walls.
This Youtube video shows just how well it works:
11. DIY recipe for garbage disposal cleaner
- Peels from 1 lemon
- Handful of ice cubes
The oils in lemon peels deodorize even the smelliest garbage disposal, promises natural cleaning expert Kait Schulhof of ACleanBee.com. Just toss in a few rinds, then run the disposal. Their juice and oils will eliminate germs and leave a fresh, fruity scent. “For really tough odors, drop a few peels in an ice cube tray filled with water, then grind the cubes in the disposal—the ice will scrape the walls and help the peels do their job more thoroughly.”
For more tips on how to clean with homemade products, click through these stories:
Spring Cleaning: Before You Spray Harsh Chemicals, Try These ‘Clean’ Hacks That Save Money
What Is Cleaning Vinegar? (And How To Use It Around Your Home)
10 Brilliant Uses for Club Soda: From Cleaning Tips to Beauty Hacks
This article originally appeared on our sister site, Yours.
