O ne of my first green-our-house-for-baby projects was to rid our house of household chemicals. Not only are they dangerous to have sitting around where baby might find a way into them, but they also are harmful just by being used to “clean” the home environment.
Some people subscribe to the concept that you should use up the products you already have to prevent waste, and slowly transition to the new DIY recipes. If that works for you, great!
I took the more extreme approach and replaced everything all at once. In my view, there’s no use keeping toxic chemicals in your house longer than necessary, especially because these diy cleaning recipes are so cheap and easy to make.
In the long term, making your own cleaning products is a great way to save money on groceries as well as make your home healthier.
3 DIY Cleaning Recipes that Work!
I did tons of research online, looked at countless recipes, and finally settled on a couple to try. Any alternative must be both healthy and effective. I assumed the process would take a lot of trial and error. To my surprise the new recipes worked even better than their chemical alternatives, with just a few tweaks.
Even my DH commented that the garbage can looked like new after I had cleaned it with my All Purpose Cleaner concoction. To save you the time of research and experimentation, here are the recipes I use with a few hints I learned along the way.
All Purpose Cleaner
- 1 tsp Borax
- 2 Tb White Vingar
- ¼ cup Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap (I use the Peppermint)
- Water
First, fill a microwavable glass with about 1 cup of water. Microwave for one minute. Mix in the Borax. Stir to dissolve. Set aside until cooled. Mix the borax solution, vinegar, and castile soap in a Spray Bottle. Add 8 oz cool water.
I use this spray to clean surfaces and just about anything else that needs cleaning.
Glass Cleaner/General Disinfectant
- 1 part White Vinegar
- 1 part water
Fill a spray bottle half way with the vinegar. Then fill the rest of the way up with water.
I use this as a glass cleaner. I also spray it on surfaces after using the abrasive cleaner.
Abrasive Cleaner
- Castile Soap as Needed
- Baking Soda as Needed
I first used a recipe that premixed the Castile Soap and Baking Soda in a jar. The consistency was great at first, but over time it completely hardened into an useless solid cake in the bottom of the jar.
Instead, I now just drizzle some of the soap over the sink/tub/toilet bowl I’m cleaning, and sprinkle some baking soda over it. If I have time, I let it sit for a while, then scrub. It should form into a consistency something like paste.
