3 Safe & Natural D.I.Y. Home Cleaning Products

sustainablelivingreport | March 29, 2017 | Avoiding Toxins, Green & Eco-Friendly Living, Green DIY Projects

Cleaning your home can be fraught with danger… But these safe & natural D.I.Y. home cleaning products can keep your family safe – and leave your home sparkling clean at the same time!

According to the Environmental Working Group, indoor pollution is one of the most dangerous environmental hazards to health—and home cleaning products are a major contributor of these toxins. Besides potential immediate reactions such as eye, skin, and respiratory irritation, headaches, dizziness, and nausea, the long-term effects of these chemicals can be even worse, and may include respiratory diseases and cancer!

You may think that harsh chemicals are necessary if you want to have a clean home, but in fact, this isn’t true at all. Many natural cleaning products are just as effective as the chemical-filled kind, but a lot better for your health – and they can be inexpensive too!

While the cost of commercially available cleaning products made of safe and natural ingredients has declined in recent years, it’s still much cheaper to make your own.

All you’ll need to get your home sparkling clean – sans the nasty chemicals – are rags and brushes, a spray bottle, and a few simple ingredients like vinegar, baking soda, vodka or rubbing alcohol, lemons, castile soap, and essential oils.

Here are 3 safe & natural recipes for making your own D.I.Y. home cleaning products:

All-Purpose Kitchen Cleaning Spray

For quick clean-ups, this is safe to use on everything from counters to stovetops—but avoid spraying on glass (it’ll leave streaks).

¾ cup of water

¼ cup rubbing alcohol or vodka

5-10 drops tea tree, peppermint, orange, or lemon essential oil

1 teaspoon liquid castile soap

Pour all ingredients into a large spray bottle. Shake well, and spray onto surface and wipe with a flannel rag (which is a little more sturdy than cotton).

Heavy-Duty Scrub

For a slightly obsessively clean person, there’s nothing worse than lifting up the grate on stovetop burners and finding caked-on gunk… This scrub is just what you need to get things squeaky, shiny clean.

¼ cup castile soap

¼ cup baking soda

5 drops clove oil (or essential oil of your choice)

A few drops of water

Mix ingredients in a bowl. Apply to stained surface with bristle brush or scrubbing side of a sponge. Scrub, wipe up residue with a wet cloth.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

This concoction will make everyone’s favorite part of cleaning a little easier.

½ cup baking soda

¼ cup white vinegar

10 drops tea tree oil

Add ingredients to the toilet bowl. It’ll fizz a little—don’t panic. Let it sit for 5 to 15 minutes, then scrub with a toilet brush and flush.