DIY, Don't Buy: 10 Household Cleaners You Can Easily Make at Home

To clean the house, time-tested products are used: baking soda, vinegar, citric acid, mustard, hydrogen peroxide. Some components are good at removing dust and sticky food stains, others are good at removing old grease, and still others cope with limescale deposits. We have collected 10 recipes for the most effective detergents.

Benefits of Using Homemade Cleaning Products

90% of store-bought household chemicals contain substances that are harmful to health. These are anionic surfactants, chlorine, sodium hydrochloride, phosphates, formaldehyde, phenol and cresol, triclosan. Manufacturers add such components to cleaning products because they effectively remove stains and have disinfectant properties.

Harmful powders, gels and sprays have only two alternatives:

• organic detergents;
• homemade cleaning recipes.

The former cost on average 1.5–2 times more than ordinary household chemicals. And if you carefully study the composition, it turns out that manufacturers are often disingenuous when they call their product environmentally friendly.

Homemade cleaning products are truly safe for your health if they are made from natural products. They can be confidently used in a home where allergy sufferers, small children and the elderly live. At the same time, the production of household “helpers” around the house costs housewives mere pennies.

How to make your own detergents - the best recipes

Let's look at a few simple ways to prepare your own products so that you can then wash dishes, household appliances, glass and other household items.

Recipe 1. Dishwashing paste

This dishwashing detergent removes food residues well, breaks down grease and disinfects surfaces. Does not leave a soap film on plates and bowls, like store-bought gels with surfactants. Additionally, an automatic washing machine can be used instead of regular powder, as it softens hard water.

To prepare the paste you will need the following ingredients:

• soda ash (sodium carbonate) – 3 tbsp. spoons;
• mustard powder – 3 tbsp. spoons;
• laundry or baby soap (you can use leftovers) – 20 g;
• water – 1200 ml;
• citrus essential oil – 7–8 drops.

Grate the soap on a coarse grater, add a glass of water and place on the stove. Wait until the chips are completely dissolved, but do not bring the mixture to a boil. Add another 1 liter of warm water. When the solution has cooled a little, add soda ash and mustard powder and drop in essential oil. Mix the ingredients thoroughly until smooth.

Store dish soap in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shelf life – 2 weeks. Wear rubber gloves before using the product, as it dries out the skin greatly.

Recipe 2. Soft dishwashing gel

Soap gel is not as effective as paste, but it is quite capable of dealing with light stains on dishes. When used, forms a lush foam. Its main advantage is 100% safety for the skin. The product can be used without rubber gloves.

To prepare the gel, take the following components:

• laundry or baby soap - 0.5 bars;
• vodka – 2 tbsp. spoons;
• glycerin – 8 tbsp. spoon;
• water – 1000 ml.

Grate the soap bar, add water and melt on the stove until a gel-like mass forms. Add vodka and glycerin, stir. Beat with a mixer. Store detergent in glass or plastic containers for no longer than 2 weeks.

Recipe 3. Powder for cleaning plumbing fixtures

Homemade powder does an excellent job of removing limescale and polishes sinks, bathtubs and faucets to a shine. Has a disinfecting effect and eliminates unpleasant odors.

Prepare the following components:

• coarse table salt - 1 tbsp. spoon;
• mustard powder – 5 tbsp. spoon;
• baking soda - 1 tbsp. spoon;
• citric acid – 1 tbsp. spoon.

Mix all products thoroughly in one container. Store the powder in a plastic container. Shelf life – 6 months.

Recipe 4. Glass washing liquid

This product is suitable for removing dirt on mirrors and windows. But never use it to clean wood, stone or leather surfaces.

To prepare the liquid you will need the following ingredients:

• table vinegar - 0.25 cups;
• alcohol – 0.25 cups;
• water – 2 glasses;
• lemon essential oil – 2 drops.

Pour the listed components into a plastic bottle with a spray bottle and shake. Store no longer than 1 year. Try not to use the liquid in hot sunny weather, otherwise it will quickly dry out and leave streaks on the glass.

Recipe 5. Toilet disinfectant

It is not necessary to buy aggressive liquids with chlorine to fight bacteria in the toilet.

Prepare a home remedy using the following ingredients:

• water – 0.5 cups;
• vinegar - 3 teaspoons;
• starch - 4 tbsp. spoons;
• salt – 3 teaspoons;
• tea tree or lavender essential oil – 10 drops.

Mix the listed ingredients. Pour the product into the toilet, leave for 20-30 minutes, then start cleaning.

Recipe 6: Kitchen Cleaner

Sooner or later, the table, countertops and kitchen cabinets become saturated with grease and unpleasant odors.

A natural home remedy made from the following products will help you bring order to your kitchen:

• water – 0.5 liters;
• laundry soap – 0.5 bars;
• hot red pepper – 0.5 teaspoon.

Rub the soap and add water. Place on the stove and wait for the chips to dissolve. Add pepper to the mixture and mix thoroughly.

Recipe 7. Burnt fat paste

Suitable for cleaning frying pans and pots, stoves, baking trays. But do not use the product on plastic or wooden countertops.

To prepare the pasta you only need two ingredients:

• baking soda;
• hydrogen peroxide.

Mix them in such a proportion to make a paste. Apply the product to the contaminated surface and leave for half an hour. Then start cleaning.

Recipe 8. Gel for washing white clothes

It deals with stains almost as effectively as phosphate powders, while having a slight whitening effect and antibacterial effect. Easily rinsed with water during washing. Suitable for washing machine use.

Prepare the following components:

• laundry soap – 1.5 bars;
• soda ash – 150 g;
• borax – 150 g;
• water – 2500 ml.

Dissolve the soap shavings as described above. Add baking soda and borax, stir. The product will reach the desired consistency after 12 hours. For 5 kg of laundry, use half a glass of gel. Shelf life – 3 weeks.

Recipe 9. Floor cleaning solution

If you have not wet cleaned your home for more than a month, ordinary water will no longer help deal with dirt, bacteria and unpleasant odors.

Prepare a solution from the following ingredients:

• warm water – 10 liters;
• table vinegar - half a glass;
• salt – 2 tbsp. spoons;
• any essential oil – 8–10 drops.

The floor must first be washed with a cleaning agent, and then walked over again with a damp cloth. At the end of cleaning, ventilate the room.

Recipe 10. Mold control agent

Ideal for use in older homes and areas with high humidity.

Mix the following ingredients:

• water – 2 glasses;
• alcohol – 1 teaspoon (or vodka – 2 tablespoons);
• tea tree essential oil – 10 drops.

Pour the solution into a spray bottle. Spray once a week over baseboards, under beds, in kitchen cabinets and other problem areas.

Thus, you can make your own detergent from budget and affordable products that are found in almost every home. You will spend no more time than going to a hardware store for household chemicals.The cleaning products listed in the article do an excellent job of removing dirt without causing harm to your health.