5 Green and Safe Homemade Cleaning Supplies for a Better Home

Consider making your own homemade cleaning supplies for a healthier home.

Have you ever looked at the ingredients on many of the store bought household cleaners in your home and wondered just what you were wiping all over your house?  Just breathe in when you’re cleaning and decide whether the cleaner you’re using is something you want in the lungs and on the hands of your family.  While many of the store bought products consider themselves ‘green,’ you can make truly green products with things you may already have around your home.   

Before you think about different cleaners, remember that warm water and a little elbow grease can go a long way!

Why Make Homemade Cleaning Supplies?

Making your own homemade cleaning supplies can save you money and you will know exactly what you are using around your home to keep it clean. You can also add you own essential oils to keep your house smelling fresh!

1. Citrus/Vinegar Cleaner

One of my favorite cleaners is a citrus/vinegar cleaner that can be used around your home.  To make the cleaner, combine equal parts vinegar and water in a glass jar.  Add the peels of oranges, lemons, or other citrus product.  If you are making a quart, you will need about 5 oranges.  Allow the mixture to sit for around 10 days then strain the peels and put the cleaner in a spray bottle.

2. Homemade Laundry Detergent

Laundry detergent is expensive, and if make a large batch of this recipe, it is sure to last you for months. There are more and more options to purchase green and healthy detergents, but it is also easy to make your own.

Ingredients

• 4 Cups water
• 1 bar grated Fels-Naptha soap
• 1 C Arm and /hammer washing Soda
• 1/2 C Borax
• (essential oils are optional)
• 5 gallon bucket and hot water

Directions

1. Melt together soap and water until dissolved
2. Add washing soda, Borax and melted soaps to 1/2 filled gallon bucket of hot water until dissolved
3. Finish filling bucket with hot water and let sit overnight until it looks like jello (you can add essential oil at this point – 50 drops is usually good)
4. Use the soap mixture half part soap and half part water. For front load washers, use 1/4 C – 1/3 C per load. For top load washers, use 1/2-5/8 C per load.

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3. Homemade Glass Cleaner

Glass cleaners can by made using a few tablespoons vinegar, 2 cups of water and a splash of detergent. Wash glass by putting the solution in a spray bottle and wiping with paper towels or newspaper.

4. Homemade Hand Soap

• 2 Tbsp liquid castile soap (I like Dr. Bronner’s)
• Water
• Essential Oil (not necessary and completely optional!)

Simply combine the water and soap and shake if needed!

5. Homemade Dish Soap

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 c boiling water
• 1/4 c grated castile soap bar 
• 1 tbls washing soda 
• 1/4 c liquid castile soap
• 20 drops essential oil 

Instructions

1. Add grated castile soap to boiling water and stir until dissolved.
2. Stir washing soda and liquid soap
3. Let cool overnight then add optional oils
4. Transfer to repurposed soap dispenser and use as regular dish soap.

Using Baking Soda

Baking soda is one of my favorite household cleaning ingredients.  Baking Soda can be used to decrease smells, remove stains, cut grease, and even put out fires.  Sprinkle it where there are odors or leave an open container in the fridge.

Using Vinegar

Vinegar is a homemade cleaning supplies powerhouse. Made from Acetic acid, vinegar can kill bacteria and cuts grime such as dirt and grease. You can simply combine vinegar with equal parts water as in the general cleaner above, or use it with salt or baking soda on grout and tough to clean mineral deposits.

Homemade cleaning supplies are a great way to practice green practices in your home and save money at the same time. Learn more about homesteading skills you can practice and bring backyard farming into your home.