Natural Cleaning!

Homemade house cleaners are easy to make with simple, affordable ingredients like white vinegar, baking soda, castile soap, and essential oils.

Make your own!

Making your own house cleaner and washing-up liquid offers significant benefits, including 

cost savings, reducing your exposure to harsh chemicals, and minimising your environmental impact. You have control over the ingredients, which is especially useful for those with allergies or sensitivities. 

Let the fun start!

Financial benefits

• Saves money: Homemade cleaning solutions are often much cheaper than commercial products, especially since you can buy basic ingredients like white vinegar and baking soda in bulk. For example, a homemade glass cleaner costs significantly less than a store-bought version.

• Reduces clutter: By using a few core, multi-purpose ingredients, you can reduce the number of specialised cleaning bottles and supplies cluttering up your cupboards.

• Lower long-term costs: Avoiding harsh chemicals can also prevent damage to surfaces and appliances over time, which saves money on replacements or repairs. 

Health benefits

• Avoids toxic chemicals: Many conventional cleaning products contain harsh chemicals that can cause skin irritation, trigger allergies, and create poor indoor air quality. Making your own allows you to use non-toxic, natural ingredients.

• Safer for families and pets: Using natural ingredients removes the worry of harmful chemical ingestion by children or pets.

• Protects sensitive skin: Individuals with skin conditions like dermatitis may find relief from switching to natural cleaning products, as many commercial products can irritate the skin.

• Improves air quality: Store-bought cleaners can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that cause respiratory irritation and other health issues. Natural homemade alternatives reduce this indoor air pollution.

• Customisable fragrances: Instead of relying on overpowering chemical scents, you can use natural essential oils to add a pleasant and custom fragrance to your cleaners. 

Environmental benefits

• Reduces plastic waste: Reusing the same spray bottles and containers to mix your products eliminates the need to continually purchase new single-use plastic bottles.

• Biodegradable ingredients: Homemade cleaners use ingredients that are biodegradable and don't harm aquatic ecosystems when they go down the drain.

• Lower carbon footprint: Buying ingredients in bulk and making your own cleaners reduces the energy and emissions associated with manufacturing, transporting, and packaging commercial products.

• Cruelty-free: You can be certain that your homemade cleaning products and their ingredients have not been tested on animals. 

Other benefits

• Simple to make: Many DIY cleaning recipes are straightforward and require only a few common, inexpensive ingredients.

• Satisfying and educational: Mixing your own cleaners can be a creative, rewarding process. It also helps you learn about the powerful cleaning properties of natural ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, and castile liquid soap. 

Recipes

 Simple Castile Soap-Based Recipe

This recipe is a good option for a natural, biodegradable liquid. 

Ingredients:

• 450ml distilled water

• 60ml liquid castile soap

• 1 tablespoon washing soda (or baking soda)

• Optional: 1 tablespoon white vinegar

• Optional: 5-15 drops essential oil (e.g., lemon, tea tree, eucalyptus) 

Instructions:

1.         Combine the hot or warm distilled water and washing soda in a bowl. Stir until the soda is dissolved.

2.         Add the liquid castile soap and essential oils (if using) and stir gently to combine.

3.         Pour into an old bottle or a new pump dispenser. 

House General Cleaner

A simple and effective all-purpose household cleaner recipe involves mixing 500mls of water (distilled preferably), 125ml of white vinegar, and a few drops of essential oil (like lemon or tea tree) in a spray bottle. For an alternative, you can use a mixture of water and a few drops of pH-neutral dish soap or even a 4 tbsp of baking soda with hot water and some vinegar for a more moderately powerful cleaner. 

All-Purpose Cleaner RecipeThis recipe uses common kitchen ingredients to create a versatile cleaner that can be used on various surfaces around your home. 

Ingredients:

• 500mls water

• 125ml white vinegar

• A few drops of essential oil (optional) 

Instructions:

1.   Combine the water, white vinegar, and essential oil in a clean spray bottle.

2.   Cap the bottle and shake well to mix the ingredients.

3.   Spray on countertops, bathroom fixtures, and other surfaces, then wipe clean. 

Other DIY Cleaner Options

• Baking Soda & Vinegar: For a stronger clean, mix 4 tbsp of baking soda with 125ml of vinegar and 1/2 gallon of hot water in a spray bottle. 

• Soap and Water: For most surfaces, a simple mixture of water and a few drops of a pH-neutral liquid dish soap is very effective, according to The Spruce. 

• Alcohol-Based Cleaner: For faster drying or for surfaces that need extra sanitizing, mix 75ml of rubbing alcohol, 175ml of water, 5-10 drops of essential oil, and 1 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid in a spray bottle. 

Tips for Use

• Add Soap After Water: When making a soap and water solution, add the soap after the water to prevent excess bubbling. 

• Use a Cloth: For sensitive surfaces or to control the amount of product, spray the cleaner onto a cloth rather than directly onto the surface. 

• Avoid Mixing with Bleach: Do not mix homemade cleaners with other chemicals, particularly bleach.