When I first started couponing 2 1/2 years ago I was so excited that I bought just about anything that ended up being free after coupons. I remember one trip where I got tons of Windex, Lysol and other cleaners completely free and I was absolutely thrilled! Before couponing I tried to stay away from the non-natural cleaners, but when it was free…. I found it much harder to resist.
So, I started using these non-natural cleaners and would get major sinus infections each time. It took me a couple of times to see the connection, but I ended up throwing all of these free cleaners away.
But then there was this dilemma… how could I go back to paying the price I was before for all of the natural brands? As much as I love Seventh Generation products, goodness, they are expensive!!
I did some research online and talked to a few friends and found out that it is SUPER easy and SUPER cheap to just make your own non-toxic cleaners and all you need to have on hand are a few products that you likely will have in your pantry anyway!
To get a natural cleaning supply going you will need:
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White Distilled Vinegar (store-brand works great too) |
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Baking Soda |
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Various Essential Oils (*optional) |
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Water |
Yep, that’s it! There are other things you can add in later if you want to, but I haven’t found it necessary to have anything besides the ingredients above.
Counters and Floors:
Mix 1/2 cup of vinegar per 1/2 gallon of water. Add several drops of your favorite essential oil (I use tea tree oil). Mix it right in an empty spray bottle for counters, or in a bucket (or the sink) for cleaning your floors. You can also add some Rubbing Alcohol into the mixture if you want to.
Tubs & Showers:
Scrub with Baking Soda and Water. That’s all! There’s really no measurement for this, just however much you think you need to scrub the soap scum off.
Sink & Counter Scrub:
Mix baking soda with some drops of your favorite essential oil (I like peppermint oil for this!). Use the baking soda mixed with a little bit of water as a scrub.
For those of you who make your own cleaners, what do you use? What’s your favorite essential oil to use in your cleaners? Any tips or tricks that you would recommend?
**Note: DO NOT mix vinegar with bleach products for any reason. It will create a toxic chlorine gas.
I found that if you place a paper towel soaked in vinegar on spills in your oven while it is still warm for about thirty minutes, you can simply wipe up the spill with a damp dish cloth. It’s much better than scrubbing with soap pads or using toxic oven cleaner. It’s works great for self-cleaning ovens, too.
@Mary, Oh that’s great to know!! Do you know if it works on spills that have been there for a while?
Our oven is pretty awful.
I try to use only natural cleaners as well, thanks for the tips. I now see that I was not using baking soda to it’s full potential. I also use peroxide to get a nice “whitening” effect on my counters, floors, etc.
@Samantha Cernock, Sweet!! I use hydrogen peroxide as a whitener for my teeth… didn’t think to use it as a whitener for the counters. Definitely a great bleach substitute!
I use baking soda and water to scrub my sinks and showers, then pour vinegar over it to make it bubbly (foamy). Once the bubbles go down the drain, I rinse thoroughly. This not only cleans the sinks and showers, it cleans the drains as well. Additionally, it leaves them smelling fresh and squeaky clean!
You can add vinegar (1 cup or so) to the rinse cycle instead of fabric softener. This environmentally friendly solution leaves no residue on your clothes, like most fabric softeners. There may be a faint vinegar smell if you don’t get the laundry totally dry. You can also hang dry in the sun (weather permitting).
@Rachel, I use the vinegar fabric softener as well and it really does work great! I’ve been meaning to start drying a few things in the sun… I’ve never done it before and I keep hearing such wonderful things about it.
@Surviving The Stores, Me too. I haven’t tried it because I don’t have a clothesline or anywhere to put one. I hear some stuff gets stiff, but once worn for a little while clothes will soften.
I also hear drying in the sun is a great way to rid clothes of smells that don’t come out through the wash.
I do this too, and the washing machine repair man told me it’s way better than using fabric softener, as supposedly using it can cut down on the life of your washer!
I also use baking soda and vinegar to open and deodorize the drains. I pour a handful of baking soda and a cup of vinegar down the drains. When the bubling stops, pour hot water. Repeat this until water runs freely down the drains.
I also use vinegar to clean and shine mirrors, glasses and chrome.
I live in an area that has hard water….Unfortunately, natural soaps and essentials oils for cleaning absolutely does not work. These ingredients will not rinse away in hard water. I would recommend exploring using this basic recipe for general household cleaning:
2 cups distilled water
1 teaspoon borax (works better than baking soda)
2 Tablespoons of white vinegar
Warm water to warm in microwave, add borax and stirr to dissolve, add vinegar….Put in a clean spray bottle. Spray surface, wipe off, rinse and dry….OPTIONAL: a pinch of dishsoap (greener type) Please note: Borax can be posionous if ingested….Keep all cleaning products away from children and pets!
I use a similar recipe to the one from the website except mine calls for 2 cups water, 1/2 c vinegar, 3/4 c hydrogen peroxide, 1 teaspoon castile soap, 20 drops tea tree oil and another 20 drops of essential oil (optional). I love this cleaner. I mix it with baking soda to make a paste for scrubbing sinks, and I spray it on the counters, bathrooms etc. for other cleaning. Its from the book Gorgeously Green.
Does anyone have something that just works great for toilets? My daughter needs something to use and I would love for it to be natural. I have tried baking soda before, and maybe we just need for her to learn to scrub harder… but just wondering.
Thanks