All my life, I have been fortunate to have had professional help with the heavy duty cleaning in my home. All I needed to do was light cleanings of counters, mirrors, bathrooms and floors in between cleanings. My cleaning supply consisted of a lot of single-duty harsh cleaners that were expensive and bad for the environment. I didn’t know anything else. ?
Well, when I moved into a new apartment 6 months ago, I decided that I would take on ALL the cleaning by myself. I was pretty proud of myself, until I remembered that I didn’t know how to clean!! ?♀️
Enter the internet.
I started researching and found several cleaning blogs, websites and YouTube channels that have helped me learn how to clean. My two favorites are FlyLady and Clean My Space. Not only have I learned some cool tips and tricks to clean on my own {lazy} terms, but I also learned that you don’t need those expensive cleaners full of harsh chemicals. My whole outlook on cleaning has changed. I still don’t LOVE cleaning, but I actually enjoy it most of the time, especially when I’m creating my own DIY cleaning recipes.
Don’t get me wrong, I still have some store-bought cleaners, but I rarely use them. Nowadays, these are the 6 ingredients that I have on hand at all times to clean pretty much anything:
- Dish soap – your basic blue soap works wonders well beyond your dishes!
- Distilled white vinegar – yes, the same one you use in your salad. I don’t like the “cleaning vinegar” because it’s harsher (it has more acidity), it’s more expensive, and it’s toxic. The salad one works just fine, thankyouverymuch.
- Baking soda – yep, the same one you use for baking, and the same one you keep in the back of your fridge. Those little boxes are miracle workers.
- Rubbing alcohol – the same one you have in your bathroom cabinet. It disinfects WAY more than just cuts and bruises!
- Hydrogen peroxide – again, the same one you have in your first aid kit. It disinfects and gets rid of bacteria.
- Essential oils – make sure you get 100% pure essential oils. They work on your diffuser and also for cleaning!
Are you seeing a pattern here? That’s right, these are all multipurpose products!! They have many uses around the house, and are generally safe and non-toxic. When you have children in your home, this is a plus! ?
Ok, without further ado, here are my 8 favorite DIY cleaners for the entire home. I have used these again and again, and love them:
1. All Purpose Cleaner
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp dish soap
- 10-20 drops essential oil (optional)
Mix ingredients in a spray bottle. This works for pretty much any surface around the house. For kitchen counters and disinfecting, you can add 1 cup of rubbing alcohol to the mix.
2. Glass, Mirror, Stainless Steel, or Chrome Cleaner
- 1 part water
- 1 part white vinegar
Mix ingredients in a spray bottle. This cleans surfaces to a streak-free shine. I use it on all my mirrors, glass surfaces, stainless steel appliances, kitchen sink, and bathroom faucets.
3. Tub & Tile Cleaner (light duty)
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 tsp dish soap
- 10-20 drops lemon or tea tree essential oil (optional)
Mix ingredients in a spray bottle. The white vinegar helps it dry faster (perfect for damp bathrooms), and the lemon and tea tree essential oils are natural disinfectants (they also smell good, lol).
4. Tub, Tile & Grout Cleaner (heavy duty)
- 1/4 cup baking soda
- 1/4 cup dish soap
- 2 tbsp hydrogen peroxide
- 10 drops lemon or tea tree essential oil (optional)
Add ingredients to a small bowl and stir until combined. Apply with the smooth side of a sponge and let sit about 5-10 minutes. Then scrub with the scrubby side of the sponge (or brush if you’re cleaning your grout), then rinse and buff dry. When you’re cleaning your sink and bathtub, make sure you use a scrubber that is safe for your porcelain finish!
5. Daily Shower Cleaner
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 20 drops tea tree essential oil (optional)
Mix ingredients in a spray bottle, and spray your tile walls after showering. The vinegar helps it dry faster, and the tea tree oil helps disinfect. You should still clean your walls, but you will notice less soap scum buildup, which equals less cleaning, SCORE!
6. Toilet Bowl Cleaner
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- 1/4 cup dish soap
- 1/4 cup hydrogen peroxide
Add ingredients to a squeeze bottle (like a ketchup dispenser, I got mine at the dollar store). Shake and squirt around the toilet bowl and under the rim. Let sit a couple of minutes, then scrub with a toilet brush and rinse.
7. De-Greaser Scrub (kitchen appliances or garage)
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- 1/4 cup dish soap
Add ingredients to a small bowl and stir until combined. Apply with a sponge and scrub. Rinse with a clean sponge or cloth. This is also good for degreasing hands after working with oil or grease.
8. Tile Floor Cleaner
- 1 gallon hot water
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 tsp dish soap
Add ingredients to a bucket and mix with mop. This could also work on vinyl or hardwood floors, but I only have tile floors, so I have never tried it. Just make sure you wring the mop well to remove the excess moisture.
So what do you think? Would you use them? What other DIY cleaners do you use? Let me know in the comments below, because I would love to try them!
Don’t forget to pin this for later!
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