When you can pick up a bottle of Lysol at your closest dollar store for $1, the convenience of buying store-bought cleaning products seems to be the way to go. The truth is, there are a ton of easy ways that you can spend less than a dollar on creating your own cleaning products that will be much more effective and not as harmful as the chemically enhanced store bought products.
Start With the Basics
Creating DIY cleaning products is easy when you start with the right base. By combining bases or simply distilling them with water makes these products usable anywhere, anytime.
White Vinegar
The acidic properties of vinegar makes it perfect for destroying bacteria and viruses. Vinegar is known to many as the ‘miracle cleaner’ since it can be used on virtually everything. It’s nature’s replacement for bleach when you keep the pH at 2.0!
Lemon Juice
Lemon juice not only cleans but disinfects as well with its high concentration in citric and ascorbic acids. It works as a great polisher for multiple different surfaces and leaves you with a great lemon scent!
Coconut/Olive Oil
Natural oils are always good for conditioning and polishing furniture with the oil components being a great way of lifting dirt.
Add an Abrasive
Salt
One of the most affordable ingredients and also nontoxic, salt is versatile when it comes to cleaning. It can act as a catalyst to mix with the above bases (White Vinegar, Lemon Juice, Coconut/Olive Oil) to enhance their effects or can be used as a scrub for all those tough spots!
Baking Soda
Also known as sodium bicarbonate, the superfine powdery grit of baking soda makes it a perfect candidate for everything. It’s a great odor defense, polisher and catalyst for creating more efficient cleaning products.
End With the Essence
Essential Oils
Essential oils are the cherry-on top for DIY cleaners. Not only are they eco-friendly, they also offer antimicrobial properties that add that extra touch to all DIY cleaners.
Combine for an all Purpose Cleaner
- Combine 1 part olive oil with 2 parts baking soda, add a touch of essential orange oil to power through grease on stovetops.
- For all of those failed Pinterest recipes and burnt cookies add some baking soda and hot water to any pot or pan to soak and scrub away at all your kitchen mishaps.
- If your dishwasher isn’t doing the job at getting coffee stains out of mugs, try mixing equal parts salt and vinegar into a paste and watch the stains disappear as you massage them away!
- No need to purchase expensive cleaning solvents for your bathroom accessories. Coat any hair brush, comb or accessory with a paste combining baking soda and water to remove product buildup.
- Toilets are always a chore to clean. Freshen up this duty by combining 2 teaspoons of tea tree oil with 2 cups water, coat the bowl and rim using a spray bottle and wait 20-30 minutes before you can scrub away!
- Clean out your drains with baking soda and white vinegar to watch a fun chemical reaction eat away at any clogged drain!
- For an all purpose cleaner combine 1 part vinegar with 1 part water, add a few drops of your favorite essential oil in a spray bottle and you’re all set with a safe and effective cleaner for all around the house!
- To polish your furniture combine 1 part olive oil and 1 part water with 2 parts lemon juice, dampen a washcloth with your new solution and wipe any wooden furniture.
- Remove carpet stains by sprinkling baking soda over the stain, wait 10-15 minutes. In the meantime, mix together 2 cups of warm water with 1 tablespoon of vinegar and more baking soda to blot the stain with a sponge until your carpet looks as good as new!
Don’t Undermine the Benefits
When the convenience of store bought products is calling your name remember the benefits of using natural, eco friendly ingredients. Local AC wants to make sure you’re breathing clean air whenever possible. Contact us today if you need your air checked!
