There was a time (many years ago now) when I defined effective cleaning by how the air smelled. It's not really clean unless I can smell the chemicals! Thankfully, that is no longer the standard by which I measure the cleaning prowess of the solutions I'm using. In fact, I now do everything in my power to avoid those toxic chemicals I believe are harmful to my health and the health of the environment. Why? Because you can make your own cleaners with items from your pantry that work just as well and smell better!
DIY Cleaner Basic Ingredients
If you're starting a DIY green cleaners pantry, the following are the top ingredients you'll want to have around. Some combination of these ingredients will make you almost all of the recipes you find below!
• Baking Soda
• White Vinegar
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Borax
• Essential oils, like tea tree oil, lavender oil, eucalyptus oil, or lemongrass oil
• Castile soap (like Dr. Bronner's)
• Fresh herbs, citrus, or citrus peels
• Olive or vegetable oil
• Water
BATHROOM
1 How To Make Your Own Bathroom Cleaners
2 How To Clean Your Bathtub with a Grapefruit and Salt
3 How To Green Clean the Grout In Your Bathroom
KITCHEN
4 How to Make Your Own Kitchen Cleaners
5 How To Clean Burnt Pans with Vinegar and Baking Soda
6 How To Green Clean Silver with Baking Soda and Aluminum
7 How To Green Clean Grease from Kitchen Surfaces
8 How To Clean the Stove Naturally
LIVING ROOM
9 6 Ways to Green Clean Your Couch Upholstery
10 How To Make Your Own Wood Polish
11 How To Deep Green Clean Your Carpets
12 How To Clean Brass with Lemon Juice and Baking Soda
13 Homekeeping Help: How To Clean and Maintain Marble
LAUNDRY ROOM
14 5 Ways To Get Great Smelling Laundry Without Softener
15 A DIY Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipe
16 5 Homemade Natural DIY Fabric Softeners
17 Use Chalk to Rid Your Clothes of Greasy Stains
18 4 Ways to Clean Green with Fresh Herbs
19 How To Make Your Own Clothing Freshener and Dewrinkler
SPECIALTY
20 An Excellent Homemade 3-Ingredient All-Purpose Cleaner
21 An Easy Homemade 3-Ingredient Spray Air Freshener
22 5 Home Remedies to Remove Rust
23 6 Ways to Clean with Olive Oil
24 DIY Cleaning: Make Your Own Yoga Mat Spray Wash
25 How To Clean a Wool Rug with Snow
(Images: 1. Sarah Starkey; 2+5; Sarah Trover; 3. Sarah Starkey; 4. Adele Peters; 6. Kathryn Wright)
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I can't believe AT is still listing cleaning silver with the baking soda/tin foil method. All those posts (there's at least one on TheKitchn too) are filled with readers explaining why it's not a good idea. Here's what I've said before....
I asked a professional silversmith for more information on this method and this is what they had to say:
We do not recommend the process especially with silver-plate as it cleans by galvanic action which the interaction between metals and chemicals. It works; however, the chemical process stays in the cells of the metal and keeps on working and corroding the metal long after it has been rinsed off. Sterling silver is safer to use in this process than plate as silver plate is a combination of metals which is a bad mix for galvanic action.We still recommend a good silver polish above and beyond anything else.
What about cleaning the kitchen sink?
Some people swear that bleach is necessary, another method I've seen involves layers of paper towels and vinegar.
Is there a method that's low on resources and labor?
I hate draino, but our rental had really clogged pipes when we moved in last month. I've had surprisingly fabulous results with baking soda and vinegar. This totally sold me on natural cleaners. If baking soda and vinegar can rival the death juice that is draino, I trust their powers elsewhere in my home!
I dedicated a whole week of posts to money saving and DIY cleaners on my blog this week: http://www.dvineliving.co.za. I always love to read and learn about these things. Love the idea of green cleaners and ways to save money, because cleaning goods has become so expensive!
Thanks AT!
Wonderful post, but I still don't see any alternative to dishwashing liquid. Does such a forumula exist?
Hey EMMI I believe there are some dishwashing recipes on www.tipnut.com and also I have heard of people just using Dr. Bronner's ...but Im not sure how. Maybe try www.younghouselove.com...I think they had a post on it too...search "cleaners" at their blog.
Does that last picture have a bottle of Bombay Sapphire in the background? It looks more like a set-up to make a mojito with the gin and mint in the picture!
@Ernickam thank you!!
I don't think I could bring myself to waste a grapefruit on cleaning the tub. Unless I had a grapefruit tree in my backyard. But I don't. Alas, they just don't grow in New England...
Scary but true tip: use a bottle of coke instead of Draino. the phosphoric acid will burn through the clog!
GREAT Post! Thanks! @ livaca: I live in California where grapefruits are plentiful, but alas, I too, would not waste one on cleaning. @ Ernickam and Emmi: I use Dr. Bonner's for dishwashing - my mom also...I have no complaints.
Thanks for tips/recipies. I use a pumice stone on hard-to-remove stains on bathroom sink and toilet. Unsure whether pumice is 'green' or not, but nothing works like pumice. Does not seem to ruin the finish on fixtures. Been doing this for years. I buy mine on Amazon.
Cleaning the carpet in your residence can be a cumbersome job and could consider some time to get done. There are a good deal of items that require to be done, like relocating the furniture, finding the right cleaning answer, and many others. It would be best to timetable it on dates when you have a long weekend or for the duration of spring cleaning, as lengthy as the moments function for you. Proper arranging also enables you to be a lot more productive in cleaning. You can take help form carpet cleaning Carlsbad.
thanks