How To Make Your Own Household Cleaners From Common Ingredients

Are you a clean freak? As you know, I just love a clean house so I’ve tried my share of cleaners. There are specialized cleaners for everything now – tub, shower, sink, toilet, glass, floors. They can get really expensive even if you buy them with coupons or at the local warehouse club.

There is a really simple solution for most cleaners that is just as effective as the store bought variety. Stock up on baking soda, white vinegar, borax and washing soda for next to nothing at the grocery store and mix up your own batch of cleaners.

There’s no difference in name brand vs generic here, so I get a huge gallon jug of vinegar for about a dollar. You can usually get the others for pretty cheap too.

Washing soda is sold in the laundry aisle near the detergents. I’ve only seen the Arm & Hammer brand but there may be others out there. If you google, you can usually find a printable coupon for $1 off. Keep in mind that washing soda is different than baking soda. Don’t interchange them in baking!

Since these cleaners don’t use harsh chemicals, they are not only cheap but they are much better for the environment and safer for your kids and pets. Do make sure to keep them out of reach of kids and pets though.

1. Dish Detergent – Mix 2 cups borax with 2 cups washing soda. Store in a lidded container in a dry place. Use 2 Tbsp per load of dishes. If you’re feeling fancy, add 20 – 25 drop of grapefruit or lemon essential oil for a fresh scent.
2. Glass Cleaner – Mix 1/2 teaspoon liquid dish detergent, 3 tablespoons white vinegar, and 2 cups of water in a spray bottle. Shake and use to clean glass and mirrors.
3. All Purpose Cleaner – Mix 1 cup white vinegar and 1 cup water in a clean spray bottle. Use to clean counter tops, mirrors, sinks and more.
4. Fabric Softener – Add 1 cup white vinegar to the rinse cycle of your laundry. You can also put in into an old fabric softener ball or in the softener dispenser if your washer has one.
5. Surface Scrub – Mix 1 1/2 cups baking soda with 1/2 cup water to make a paste. Use it to scrub sinks, showers and toilets. For stubborn stains, let it sit on the stain for about 15 minutes first.
6. Microfiber Cloths – Use coffee filters for a cheap substitute.
7. Stainless Steel Cleaner – Use undiluted white vinegar in a spray bottle to cut through oil and fingerprints to shine up your steel appliances. This works great wiping with a coffee filter.
8. Dishwasher Rinse Agent – Fill your rinse agent dispenser in the dishwasher with white vinegar instead of rinse agent to keep your dishes spot free. This one tip alone saves a ton of money!

The uses for these ingredients are almost endless. Do you have your own “recipes” for cleaners that you use? Feel free to post them in the comments.