Homemade Natural Cleaning Recipes

With warm weather perking up, spring fever has definitely hit this girl! I’m so excited to open our house windows wide and breathe some fresh air into our home. I’m also excited about not having to wear big heavy coats. I even peeked at my spring and summer clothes hidden away in the closet and got excited about wearing my bright colored pants again!

Another item that comes around in the spring is cleaning. It is the time when we air out the house and welcome in new, fresh starts as blossoms and buds spring to life.

This year, to welcome spring, I decide to try making my own cleaners. This is a trend that I’ve seen around but it always just seemed too complicated. With the vast array of cleaners available on the market and the ever expanding “natural” and “green” cleaners, it always seemed easy to just grab a bottle at the grocery store and go on my way.

Except I started researching how to make natural cleaners at home and I realized that it is very simple. So simple it only takes four ingredients to make most of the cleaners I need. Four ingredients that cost very little. The money savings reeled me in. Then, after making and testing them I was sold.

First, they were SO easy and quick to make. Second, they do not have an odor.

Hallelujah, I didn’t feel like I was breathing fumes for while I was cleaning. The natural ingredients also make me feel better when cleaning in the kitchen –  plus if you have pets and/or kids you don’t have to be worried about them getting into toxic cleaners. They may not taste good but if eaten they cause no harm.

I am officially sold on making my own cleaners. Some I will still buy, but the following are too quick, easy, effective, and cost effective that there is no reason for me not to use them from hereon in.

All-Purpose Cleaner

Mix equal parts of vinegar with water into a spray bottle. Add a few squirts of lemon juice.

I use this cleaner for most everything – glass, countertops (marble, granite, and other specialty countertops have specific cleaners – doublecheck counter specifications), toilet surfaces, floor touch-ups, etc.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Pour 1/4 cup of baking soda into the toilet bowl followed by 1 cup of vinegar. Let fizz and sit a couple of minutes. Then scrub and flush.

This is my favorite way to clean toilets! It is like a science experiment in the bowl when it fizzes like crazy! Dare I say it makes cleaning fun?!

Wood Cleaner/Polish

Mix two parts of olive oil with 1 part of lemon juice. Rub into furniture. Make sure to wipe off excess.

I used my glass bottle project to make this mixture. It worked great!

Drain Cleaner

Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain followed by 1/2 cup of vinegar. Let fizz and then flush with hot water.

Another fun science experiment type of cleaning! I boiled a kettle of water and poured it down the drain to flush the mixture.

Stainless Steel Polish

Rub straight olive oil onto stainless steel surface. Make sure to buff off.

I also have some new tricks I’ve come upon to make cleaning easier – as well as new tools to make the job easier – that I’ll be sharing later this week!