Making your customized all-purpose cleaner is a wise choice not only for financial reasons but also to protect the environment. Many ready-made detergents are full of hazardous chemicals which, in the end, could harm both our health as well as the planet.
For you who would opt for creating your own cleaner with natural ingredients, you can be certain that you are not bringing unknown things into your home. Moreover, the DIY cleaner is versatile. You can even create a limited and strong fragrance of the cleaner that is according to your unique preferences.
In this guide, we will show you step by step how to make your all-purpose cleaner at home. We will tell you what you need to include, which tools are needed, and the necessary precautions to take in order to make a cleaner that is cheap as well as eco-friendly and can be used everywhere in your home.
Materials and Equipment
To get started, gather these materials and equipment:
- A spray bottle (preferably glass)
- Distilled water
- White vinegar
- Baking soda
- Lemon or other citrus fruits
- Essential oils (optional)
- Funnel (optional)
- Measuring cups and spoons
The preferred thing is to use a glass empty bottle since plastic responding to the material can be a hazard, so a glass one could be the best option. Nearby grocery stores or stores are possible places to buy the needed items.
DIY All-Purpose Cleaner with Vinegar
First off, let’s prepare a relatively straightforward vinegar-based mix that could effectively address dirt and grime both at home and outdoors.:
Step 1:
Get out the white vinegar, a spoon of either washing soda or castile soap, a phosphorus-free dishwashing or your own choice, and distill it with 2 cups water. Alternatively, boiled water works well as it is without impurities. Venturi, acetic acid, a natural disinfectant, and the alkali of the soap or the ash, which also act the same, are the main cleaning agents of the mixture.
Step 2:
Transfer the mixture using a funnel and filling up the whole of a cleaned glass spray bottle. If the material has been included, you should shake the bottle well to make sure the ingredients are evenly mixed. Glass spray bottles are believed to be sturdy, cleanable, and minimize the chemical reactions that might take place through plastic bottles.
Step 3:
To make it easier to identify this cleaner from others in your home, consider adding a drop of food coloring to the mixture. This is especially useful if you store multiple cleaners in spray bottles, as it assists in distinguishing them.
An all-purpose cleaner is easy to make and it’s not a one-size-fits-all product. If you would like it to have a sweet fragrance, you can try adding a few drops of such oils like lavender, citrus, or tea tree oil. You can make your house smell extremely fresh with them, besides, they have additional antibacterial or antifungal properties. You will find some great oil mixtures to start the discussion later in this article.
Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner Recipe with Dawn
For really dirty situations, for example, those developed in the kitchen or on stovetops, this recipe can be extremely useful:
Step 1:
- Get all these household products together:
- ½ teaspoon of washing soda, and it will help you to deal with difficult-to-remove grease.
- 1 teaspoon of Dawn dish soap (grease-cutting dish soap, similar to Dawn). Dawn is well known for its ability to get through oils and fats.
- 1 teaspoon of borax, which is a green cleaning solution that also deodorizes.
- 2 cups of distilled or boiled water.
Step 2:
Mix all the ingredients in a spray bottle and leave some space, like one inch, at the top for the sprayer to have room. This process can be simplified using a funnel. When all the ingredients are poured into the bottle, you should shake it gently to mix the ingredients well. The washing soda and borax will take a bit of extra shaking to dissolve completely so be sure to shake very well.
Step 3:
Just want to do something personal? Try using a drop of food coloring to make your cleaner different or put a couple of essential oils for the scent. In the flash, pick a lemon, eucalyptus or peppermint for a cleaner and fresher aroma.
This can be a very versatile cleaner that can be used on any surface of your home like porcelain bathtubs, sinks, mirrors, bathroom tiles, and even those greasy kitchen surfaces. By the way, it’s safe to use it on children’s toys, just rinse them off well with water and let them be dried before using them.
Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner for Wood
If your aim is to gather a product that can gently clean yet nourish your wooden surfaces in the process, this will be an ideal recipe:
Step 1:
Type in 1/2 white vinegar, 1/4 olive oil, 1 squeezed lemon, and 1 vegetable glycerin are the materials you need. E.g. you can add 1 fresh lime, the juice of which is said to be effective in treating bacteria, and even more teeth-freshening action. You can add some if you want your wood to look shinier and be moister.
Step 2:
Use the clean glass spray bottle to pour these ingredients. Because this cleaner is oil-based one, it is recommended that it is gently stirred up instead of being shaken up vigorously to prevent bubbling.
Step 3:
Here you go! This oil mix will also give your kitchen a fresh and clean smell. You can also use a drop of lemon essential oil. Lemon and olive oil blends perfectly and the aroma you get will be a zesty one. Just twist the bottle a little bit gently to mix them.
Step 4:
The best practice here is to the right way to use
it by using a cloth that has been sprayed to a limited extent and then use a dry one to compound the process and get rid of any remaining cleaner. Furthermore, the bottle should be shaken up for each use to blend the oil and vinegar, especially when the two may have been naturally separated.
This wood cleaner is not just the optimal choice to keep your surfaces clean but it will also leave them sparkling and well-kept. Moreover, it is made eco-friendly and free from harmful chemicals, making it safe for your pets and children to use it.
One can learn to be the master of green living by simply adhering to the above simple recipes and creating their own homemade green cleaning products, which correspond to their own needs, and avoiding store-bought chemics, all things considered. In no time, your place will be just clean, but is also will be fresh, and free of chemical residue!
When to Avoid Using Natural Homemade All-Purpose Cleaners
In addition to their ability to be used in any environment and the fact that they leave close to no pollution, homemade all-purpose cleaners are very destructive and may be their downside in certain case.
Hard surfaces sensitive to the acidic nature of vinegar are also an environment where homemade all-purpose cleaners should not be used. The reason for this is the metals that are found in the harder rock surfaces may get eroded and thus develop rough edges as a result.
The same applies to when they need to remove the toughest dirt, molds, or bacteria in any area that needs careful sterilization like bathrooms and kitchens. One may also be sorry that they will not be there in the long run, after producing many different homemade cleaners without any of the usual preservatives and consequently a shorter shelf life for the product.
Always make sure to test a new cleaner on a small, inconspicuous area before completely using it to avoid problems. For particular spots that need cleaning or sensitive surfaces, it may be best to opt for professionally produced products, which could be a safer alternative to prevent damage or inefficiency.
FAQs
Do I need to use distilled water for these homemade cleaners?
The best choice is to use distilled or boiled water because in this way the water absorbs any impurities that may reduce the effectiveness of the cleaner. However, you may use tap water if you have no other alternative.
Can I substitute ingredients in these recipes?
Yes, these recipes are flexible, and you can substitute or adjust them as you like and the ingredients are available. Keep in mind that adding or changing any ingredient may either lessen or increase the effectiveness of the cleaner or alter the scent of it.
Are essential oils safe to use in cleaning products?
Essential oils, when used in the right amount and sparingly, could be a source of nice smell and could even enhance cleaning. Yet, you might also have some people who complain because of the certain scents that are not compatible with them, so in this case you should test small amount and if it is doing no harm then you may proceed. You also need to ensure that these oils are stored safely away from animals and children who tend to move around the house. Moreover, avoid direct contact with the oils to avoid getting mucus system issues if you are allergic to some scents.
Conclusion
It’s not only money-saving, but it’s also a way to be flexible and independent when you make your all-purpose cleaner at home. Besides that you can the procedures as per your taste, likes, or smells preferences. The ecological substitutes are the next solution that is both cost and health-wise effective, elegantly meeting a variety of cleaning needs with the added sustainability benefits of avoidance of landfill and less pollution.
Nevertheless, it is crucial to remember some restrictions and safety measures in the case of their use when it comes to certain cleaning requirements and delicate surfaces. Through such plans, the setup of a clean and chemical-free home is no longer a problem. Hence, why not try them out? Your wallet, health, and the environment will love you for it! Happy cleaning!
