This article contains sponsored links from my favorite brand Mountain Rose Herbs. I love their high quality organic/fair trade products, and am blown away by their commitment to zero waste.
The most toxic aisle in any store is always the one with household cleaners. Our homes can be more toxic than outside pollutants, because of all of the chemical laden household products used. We have been programmed to be extremely germ-conscious, and think that only the strongest chemicals can keep our home and laundry clean. The strong chemicals are then masked with artificial fragrances to make them smell good. The problem with this is that these chemicals cause allergies, asthma, bronchitis, contact dermatitis and other skin aliments, not to mention the environmental pollution into our air and water, and the manufacturing pollution to make these products.
I recently ran out of the eco-friendly household cleaner that I regularly use, and this time decided to make my own. I have used every ingredient in this DIY multipurpose cleaner separately to clean or disinfect but had never made my own multipurpose cleaner. To my surprise this DIY cleaner worked just as well if not better. The other exciting benefit is the money that will be saved by making my own cleaning products.
What you will need:
1 Liter Spray Bottle
Small Plastic Container
White Vinegar
Baking Soda
Hydrogen Peroxide
Tea Tree Essential Oil (optional)
Lavender Essential Oil (optional)
DIY Multipurpose Cleaning Spray
Pour 1/8 cup of baking soda in the spray bottle using a funnel. (I used a piece of paper to funnel the soda into the bottle). Next add 1/4 cup of white vinegar, and fill the rest of the bottle with water leaving about 1/2-2 inches from the top empty. Finally add 20 drops of tea tree essential oil or 20 drops of lavender essential oil. Tea tree oil and lavender oil are also antibacterial essential oils, so they make great additions to any cleaning product.
DIY Multipurpose Cleaning Polisher
For a polishing cleanser for tough dirt, mix 1/2 cup of baking soda with 1/2 cup of hydrogen peroxide. These two cleaners will both disinfect and deodorize.
Making your own household cleaners is not only healthy, but very cost effective. Once you invest in a few essential oils, you are good to go!
(Image by D Sharon Pruitt)
jenny says
Thanks for including the list of products you prefer (for those who don’t want to do it from scratch.) It’ll be making the transition to more natural cleaners a lot easier. Thanks for sharing!
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Jenny,
I think it’s good to use natural cleaning products period, whether you buy it or make it yourself. It’s better for our water supply and the earth. Not to mention many toxic cleaning supplies create allergies. Glad to help.
Carol Johnson says
It is cool that you can you everyday products to make all natural cleaners. Definitely better than the toxic version.
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Carol, I’m always surprised how effective this simple DIY cleaner is. Let me know if you try it out!
Steph says
I use vinegar and hydrogen peroxide to clean fruit/veggies, cutting board and especially to clean my floors, it just eats the dirt right up. Here’s a tip, as per mercola.com, separately the vinegar and peroxide as opposed to mixing has stronger disinfecting properties.
“In tests run at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, pairing the two mists killed virtually all Salmonella, Shigella, or E. coli bacteria on heavily contaminated food and surfaces when used in this fashion, making this spray combination more effective at killing these potentially lethal bacteria than chlorine bleach or any commercially available kitchen cleaner.
The best results came from using one mist right after the other – it is 10 times more effective than using either spray by itself and more effective than mixing the vinegar and hydrogen peroxide in one sprayer.
Science News August 8, 1998; Vol. 154, Issue. 6; pg. 83-85”
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Steph,
This information is so valuable. You really don’t need harmful toxic chemicals to clean with. Plus using simple all natural ingredients is so cost effective too.