15 D.I.Y. Natural Cleaning Supply Recipes: Detox Your Home One Product At A Time
When I discovered that cleaning supplies weren't cleaning my home, but were linked to causing or worsening asthma, cancer, birth defects, and allergies- I was shocked! I never thought natural cleaning supplies were the solution to my problem.
I grew up in a Puerto Rican household where my mom was a tad bit compulsive about cleaning. Not in the “OMG if this room isn’t tidy I’ll freak” kind of way. In the “We’re waking up at 6 AM to do a complete overhaul of our entire apartment because I’m not raising animals, I'm raising daughters” kind of way.
Despite working fifty hours on her feet, a -does anyone even live here?- type of apartment was my mothers’ happy place, which meant excessive amounts of Clorox, Windex, and of course- Fabuloso. For years, I too was very particular about the cleanliness of my home. Even in college, I’d get down on all fours and scrub my bathroom floor and tub on a weekly basis. I had no idea that the fumes I inhaled while ritually cleaning my dorm room might be harming me in the process and that natural cleaning supplies were the solution.
The Environmental Working Group investigated 3,000 cleaning supplies in the U.S. concluding that fumes from some cleaning products cause or trigger asthma, are carcinogenic and release low levels of cancer-causing formaldehyde and that women working cleaning jobs while pregnant have a higher risk of having children with birth defects. Some of the ingredients in the most popular cleaning supplies include a laundry list of toxic chemicals such as:
Formaldehyde
Phthalates
Perchloroethylene
Triclosan
Quaternary ammonium compounds
Ethanolamines
Diethylene glycol monomethyl ether
Instead of panicking, I did what I do best- research! For generations, women found ingenious ways to maintain a clean home and I was sure I could accomplish the same without the use of harmful cleaning supplies. I put on my mad scientist lab coat, okay it’s an apron, and tested as many recipes as I could find. I’d tweak recipes adding more or fewer ingredients depending on the results, and found that not only did my natural cleaning supplies pass my cleaning tests but they were also less expensive than store bought options.
Below are my top 15 natural cleaning supply recipes:
Laundry
Lavender Powdered Detergent: Add all ingredients to a 24 Oz mason jar. Stir well and use ½ cup to each laundry load.
24 Oz Mason Jar with a lid
1 Cup All Natural Bar Soap (Grated) I like Dr. Bronner’s Castile Bar Soap
2 Cups Washing Soda
2 Cups Borax
2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
Lavender Fabric Softener: Add drops of essential oil to vinegar, shake well before use and add ⅓ of a cup to 1 laundry load.
1 gallon of White Vinegar
30 drops of Lavender Essential Oil
Bleach: Add one of the ingredients below to your rinse cycle.
Lemon Juice from half a lemon.
¼ Cup Borax
¼ Cup Hydrogen Peroxide
Kitchen
Citrus Dishwashing Liquid: Combine ingredients in a glass pump bottle.
2 Cups Water
¼ Cup All Natural Bar Soap (Grated) I like Dr. Bronner’s Castile Bar Soap
¼ Cup Castile Liquid Soap
2 Teaspoons Washing Soda
1 Teaspoon Vegetable Glycerin
Oven Cleaner: Add water to your oven then completely cover with baking soda. Add more water to the baking soda and let it sit overnight. In the morning wipe the loosened grease off of your oven. Use castile liquid soap to get any remaining grease or baking soda mixture off.
2 Cups Baking Soda
Water as needed
¼ Cup Castile Liquid Soap
Bathroom
Bathtub & Shower Cleaner: Spray pure white vinegar on your entire shower and let sit for 30 minutes. Add baking soda and Castile liquid soap to shower, and wash off with sponge or washcloth.
1 Oz White Vinegar
1 Oz Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Castile Liquid Soap
Tea Tree Toilet Scrub: Pour baking soda and tea tree oil on the toilet bowl. Add vinegar and scrub the toilet bowl while the mixture fizzes.
¼ Cup Baking Soda
¼ Cup White Vinegar
10 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil
Lavender Hand Soap: Combine all ingredients in the foaming dispenser.
9 Oz Foam Dispenser
2 Oz Castile Liquid Soap
7 Oz Filtered Water
2 Teaspoons Olive Oil
2-5 drops of Lavender Essential Oil (or Tea Tree, Lemon, Mint)
Floors
Lemon Tile Cleaner: Combine ingredients in a glass container. Mix well and mop as usual. Not recommended for wood floors.
1 Cup White Vinegar
2 Cups Water
30 drops of Lemon Essential Oil
Citrus Wood Floor Cleaner: Pour warm water in a bucket with Castile liquid soap and olive oil. Sweep and mop floors as usual.
Bucket of Warm Water
¼ Cup Castile Liquid Soap
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Carpet Cleaner: Add liquid castile soap with vinegar and then warm water to spray bottle, add baking soda and quickly screw on the bottle top. Vacuum the area, use the abrasive area of the sponge on the carpet, spray the area, and rub and dab with the towel.
1 Cup White Vinegar
2 Cup Warm Water
2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Castile Liquid Soap
1 Absorbent Towel
1 Sponge
All Purpose
Citrus All Purpose Cleaner: Combine ingredients in a glass spray bottle, mix well, and spray the desired amount to your countertops, refrigerator, etc.
1 Cup Water
½ Teaspoon Washing Soda
1 Teaspoon of Castile Liquid Soap
20 drops of Eucalyptus Essential Oil
Sink Drain: Boil a large pot of water. Pour 2 cups of water down the drain followed by baking soda and then the vinegar. Immediately cover with a pot lid. Once it stops fizzing, pour the rest of the pot of hot water down the drain.
2 Cups Water
½ Cup Baking Soda
½ Cup of White Vinegar
Lemon Window & Mirror Cleaner: Combine ingredients in a glass spray bottle, mix well, and spray the desired amount.
½ Cup White Vinegar
2 Cups Water
½ Teaspoon Castile Liquid Soap
30 drops Lemon Essential Oil
Lemon Wood Cleaner: Combine ingredients in a glass spray bottle, mix well, and spray desired amount.
1 Cup Water
½ Cup White Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
15-20 drops of Lemon Essential Oil
Buying ingredients in bulk for my natural cleaning supplies means saving both time and money while using products that aren’t harmful. I’ve never looked back and once you’ve tried one of the D.I.Y. natural cleaning supplies listed above, neither will you. I’d love to hear which natural cleaning supplies you choose to make or if making healthy cleaning supplies is in your future.
Did you love this recipe? Share it with your girls.
Are you interested in working with a Health Coach who understands what it's like to be completely overwhelmed, overweight, and exhausted? I'm your girl!
I know what's like to want to practice self-care but not have time. What's it's like to care about your eating habits, weight and lifestyle but not have direction or someone to keep me accountable. And let's just say it's much easier when you have someone on your team.
I WOULD LOVE TO HELP YOU CREATE THE LIFE OF YOUR DREAMS!
Check out my services and let's arrange your FREE Wellness Consultation today!