DIY Homemade Household Cleaners: Ingredients + How to Get Started

DIY Homemade Household Cleaners: Ingredients + How to Get Started

This is the first post in a series on DIY Homemade Household Cleaners

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It seems like everyone is taking interest in making their own homemade household cleaners these days, and they have good reason to! A recent shopping trip revealed prices as high as $6.00 for store bought cleansers, including kitchen, bath, and general cleaning varieties. When you start pricing laundry soap, you are more in the ballpark of $10.00 and possibly more. As if the cost of these cleaners is not scary enough, think of all of the chemicals are you releasing into your home each time you use them. If you have a family member sensitive to such ingredients, or even want to be a little more Earth friendly, these chemical filled concoctions may not be for you. So what do you do? You follow suit and join the many who are now making their own house cleaning products, saving not only their budgets, but the planet as well!

DIY homemade household cleaners do not have to be complicated or time consuming. In fact chances are, you probably already have a great deal of the ingredients in your pantry at home. If making your own cleaners interests you, take a peek below at how easy it is to get started, what you will need, and what you can concoct! You just may be surprised! Jot down these ingredients and head to your local market or pantry. Once you have them gathered, you are so close to getting started!

What ingredients do you need to make your own Homemade Household Cleaners?

The following ingredients are common occurrences in the DIY homemade cleaners you are going to learn how to make. You will want to make sure you understand their uses and what they can do for you. These products can be found at your local grocer, including Walmart and Target. (Thanks greenerchoices.org for this great list!)

1. Baking soda:
Most people already have baking soda in their pantry as it has so many uses. Baking soda can be used for a variety of household cleaning purposes where you need to add some scrubbing power or remove odor.

2. White vinegar:
Vinegar is another pantry staple. Many people use it to clean kitchen surfaces and unclog drains. It packs some serious cleaning power and is a staple for many homemade recipes.

3. Borax:
Borax is the perfect water softener and even sanitizer. It is a staple to most DIY laundry soaps since it removes odor well.

4. Castile soap:
Castile soap has been used for years as a general cleaning agent. It is very mild, and available in liquid or bar form.

5. Washing soda:
You should note that washing soda is not the same thing as baking soda. You want to specifically buy “washing soda” which is made by Arm and Hammer as well as a few other manufacturers.

6. Rubbing alcohol.
Available in drug stores and supermarkets, you want to buy just the generic solution used for first aid.

7. Lemon juice:
This fruity ingredient is perfect for removing stains and is powerful when cutting through grease. It can also be used to remove tarnish on household items made of copper or even brass.

8. Fels Naptha soap:
Fels Naptha has been used for years as a natural cleaning agent. In the famous green and red packaging, it can be found in the cleaning aisles at your local grocer.

IMPORTANT NOTE: NEVER mix vinegar and bleach together, and NEVER mix bleach and ammonia together, as this can create toxic fumes! Some commercial cleaners may also contain these ingredients, so be careful to never mix / combine cleaners containing these ingredients.

A few more items you will need:

*Storage containers:
You are going to want to invest in a few great containers to store your cleansers in. For the liquid products, you can find spray bottles at your local dollar store. Simply transfer the finished product to the spray bottles when you are ready to use them. NOTE: Do NOT re-use spray bottles that had other cleaners previously in them, as this could cause unknown chemical reactions. For powder products, a glass jar with lid works great and can keep the product protected. Clearly label your storage containers so you and your other family members know what they are!

*Scrub brush
*Soft sponge
*Soft reusable cloths or rags
*Scoop
*Mixing bowls
*Mixing spoons
*Measuring cups

Once you have all of your supplies, you are ready to start making your very own cleaning products! Most of these can be whipped up in only a matter of minutes, and each carries a variety of uses with it! Once you start, you won’t go back to store bought cleaners again.

So help green up the planet and keep a little more green in your wallet. Watch for future posts in this DIY Homemade Household Cleaner series to learn more about how you can start whipping up your own homemade cleaners today!

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