I’ve been playing around with the idea of trying out some homemade cleaners for our house lately. It seems that the cost of cleaners in the store can get a little ridiculous sometimes, and I feel like I’m constantly running out of something or needing something new. I’ve heard so many good things about homemade cleaners, and I think this summer is a great time for me to give it a shot!
Here’s a quick roundup of some of the best recipes, tips, and ideas that I’ve found so far:
- Make these DIY toilet fizzies to keep your bathroom clean with minimal effort.
- Try this refreshing shoe spray for any old shoes that aren’t smelling so clean.
- This miracle stain remover promises to get a stain out of anything!
- This DIY dishwashing detergent is way more affordable than buying it from the store – this post also includes a recipe for laundry detergent and foaming hand soap!
- If you’re dealing with a clogged drain, this is a great natural solution to unclog it.
- This DIY fabric refresher spray is perfect for clothes you haven’t worn in a while that aren’t dirty but need some freshening up.
- And while you’re at it, go ahead and make this DIY wrinkle releaser so you don’t have to break out the iron once your clothes smell good!
- This post has several different DIY cleaning recipes that are all very simple and super affordable!
- This natural bleach alternative is perfect if you’re trying to avoid unnecessary chemicals, and it’s perfect for whitening laundry and as a general cleaning solution!
- This DIY laundry soap recipe makes over 350 loads, and the post also includes a DIY Oxiclean recipe and a fabric softener recipe!
- Clean your toilet really quickly with these peppermint toilet bombs.
- When I see homemade cleaner recipes that are this simple, I wonder why I’m not already doing this!
- Make your own homemade Febreeze!
- Save your orange peels for a few days and then use them to make your own organic cleaner. This is such a genius idea!
- If you really want to go all-out, you can create this entire kit with just about every cleaning supply you’ll ever need!
- I’m definitely going to try this homemade carpet deodorizer. I hate how smelly carpet can get, and the carpet in our bedroom needs some serious help!
- This homemade bathroom cleaner is meant to be all-purpose and can tackle your whole bathroom by itself.
- I’ve seen these DIY cleaning wipes all over the internet but I haven’t given them a shot yet…I’d imagine they would save a lot of money over purchasing them, though!
- I’m really curious about if this homemade dishwashing detergent is as effective as the store-bought stuff!
- I rarely use dusting spray because I’ve heard it can be bad for real wood furniture, but I bet this lemon-scented spray would be gentle enough to use regularly!
- This DIY scrub cleaner looks like it would be really effective in those harder-to-clean spots!
- Here’s a homemade glass cleaner recipe to make sure your mirrors and windows are nice and spot-free.
- I want to try this DIY cleaner and conditioner for wood and other hard surfaces – my dining room table would be the perfect spot to test this out!
- I don’t have granite counters, but if you do here’s a homemade granite cleaner meant just for keeping them clean!
- I’m always on the lookout for good carpet cleaners – this one looks like it just might be able to help tackle all of the stains left from our dogs!
- I don’t know if I’ve ever cleaned my garbage disposal, but after seeing these DIY garbage disposal refreshers I’m feeling like maybe I should!
- This all-purpose lemon vinegar cleaner has the cleaning power of vinegar without the strong smell.
- I bet this homemade orange cinnamon cleaner smells fantastic!
- Here’s a DIY toilet bowl cleaner (you can use it in-between using those DIY fizzy tablets!)
- Before you go out and start making all of your homemade cleaners, be sure to read this post on the ingredients you should never mix!
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Have you ever tried any homemade cleaners? I’m excited to give it a shot!
GOLD / wonderful pomegranate / 28905 posts
Baking soda works great to neutralize odors in carpet. It’s also wonderful for cleaning cast iron skillets and the inside of your oven. I’ve been making my own liquid homemade laundry detergent for almost a decade. It’s just grated ivory soap, washing soda and borax. Just throw citrus peels in your garbage disposal to clean and get rid of odors. Vinegar + water is the best all purpose cleaner. I use it on butcher block, Quartz, laminate and glass. I do a 1:4 ratio of Dr Bronner Citrus Castile soap to water for foaming hand soap. I used to make my own dishwasher powder detergent but it always left a film. And when we got a new fancy machine — I’m too afraid to use homemade. We’ve gotten some really good deals from BJs with their coupon plus manufacturers coupons.
The only thing I can’t get away from is bleach in the toilet bowl and Lysol wiping the Counter after processing chicken!
Interested to check out the toilet fizzies!
kiwi / 511 posts
I have contemplated making my own laundry detergent but for me and my time I would rather buy it
Plus with my DH and DS both having sensitive skin I want to stick with what works for them now. In theory making my own would be fine for them but I don’t want to take the risk.
For fabric softener I just use straight white vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser. This works great if you put clothes in the dryer or even line dry. Towels are still kind of rough after a line dry but not as rough as they were when I used either store bought fabric softener or nothing, and they soften up more quickly after one shower.
I would be interested to see how these actually work for you.
apricot / 370 posts
baking soda and vinegar have been my go to cleaners for all kinds of things, and it amazes me what it can do, especially when you scrub it in, or let it sit and/or boil it. if i need an extra boost or depending what is being cleaned, i’ll add dawn and/or hydrogen peroxide which is maybe not so natural, but seems to give a huge boost in cleaning powers.
GOLD / wonderful pomegranate / 28905 posts
@kakimochi: I looooove baking soda and vinegar. The most amazing ingredient- ever! You can cook AND clean with it. Magical.
@Mrs.Maven: it takes us maybe 30 minutes to make 2 five gallon tubs of detergent. It lasts our family of four a very long time. And the cost comparison is insane. My girls both have eczema and it’s worked very well for us. But definitely understand about sticking with what works when your kids have sensitive skin!
guest
DIY Toilet Fizzies says, “In a small glass, mix together the vinegar and hydrogen peroxide” but the article on combos to avoid says not to mix these. Wondering if the combo specifically cleans the toilet better?