Cleaning products contribute significantly to the large amount of plastic bottles we get through every year. Marketing people have done a great job in persuading us we need a different product for every single task. In 2017 the average UK family spent £587 on cleaning and services!
The truth is cleaning needn’t be complicated and most household cleaning jobs can quite easily be done using the same product. A basic multi-purpose cleaner will work just as well in the kitchen as in the bathroom.
A few years ago, I started making some of my own cleaning products. You’ll find that once you have bought some basic ingredients, they can be used for lots of different things. Most household cleaning jobs can be done using white vinegar, bicarbonate of soda and citric acid, which can all be bought relatively cheaply in bulk and reduces the need for all those plastic bottles. I also use lavender & tea tree oil to disguise the smell of the vinegar.
Home made cleaning product recipes
Home Made Cleaning Products are very effective, kind to the environment and much cheaper than shop bought ones. Once you have a few basic ingredients, there are many products you can make at home that take very little time.
All these recipes require the following ingredients. Most of these are used in multiple products
- Bicarbonate of soda
- White wine vinegar
- Citric acid
- Salt
- Castile soap or soap flakes liquid
- Washing soda
- Various essential oils
Equipment needed
- Squirty bottles
- Jam jars
- Cleaning brushes and old toothbrush
- Old towels or t-shirts
- Old laundry liquid bottles
- Gloves
Toilet Bowl Cleaner
- ½ cup baking soda
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 5 drops tea tree essential oil
- Sprinkle the baking soda around the inside of toilet bowl. Mix the vinegar with the essential oil and sprinkle or spray around the toilet bowl. Allow to fizz and leave for 10 minutes. Scrub well and then flush.
Fabric Softener
- Add ⅔ cup white vinegar and few drops of essential oil to the start of your wash cycle, along with your washing powder, to soften clothes and keep colours vibrant.
Dishwashing Powder
- 1½ cups baking soda
- ½ cup citric acid
- ⅓ cup fine sea salt
- 10 drops lemon essential oil
- 10 drops lime essential oil
- Combine ingredients in a large glass jar, add lid and tip upside down to mix. Use 1 Tbsp of powder per dishwasher load.
Citrus All-Purpose Spray
- 2 tsp liquid soap
- 10 drops wild orange essential oil
- 10 drops lemon essential oil
- 10 drops peppermint essential oil
- Put all ingredients in a 500ml spray bottle and top up with filtered water. Shake gently to combine.
Paste Cleaner
- ½ cup baking soda
- 3-4 Tbsp liquid Soap
- 5 drops tea tree essential oil
- 5 drops lemon essential oil
- Stir ingredients together until they form a creamy paste. Dip a cloth into the mixture and scrub your bath, tiles or oven, then rinse off with water.
Kitchen Scourer
Mix equal quantity of borax substitute and Bicarbonate of Soda. Shake over sink adding a little water to make paste. Using gloves and scrub sink to remove stains
Mirror Wipe
Mix favourite essential oil in to white Vinegar in spray bottle.
Polish with cloth.
Laundry Liquid
Begin by dissolving the washing soda in the hot water. Then add the rest of the ingredients. Shake to combine and use up to half a cup per washing load.
Basic Floor Wash
•3 cups white vinegar
•12 cups of hot water
•20 drops of pine essential oil or one of your own choice.
Mix the above in a bucket and mop.
Take an audit of your cleaning products today and see what you can change. There are lots of recipes on the internet for making your own products. If this isn’t for you then just take a look at what you actually have in your cleaning cupboard and ask yourself if you really need to continue to buy everything. Lastly, remember to recycle any plastic bottles!
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