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When I first started making homemade cleaners, it was because of economy. We were low on the finances and I needed every way I could find as a housewife and stay at home mom to four kiddos to save money.
Later, when our son was diagnosed with autism, we began a quest to remove as many toxins from our home as possible. Thankfully, I already had an arsenal of information given to me by some amazing friends and mentors.
One of my favorite things about making my own cleaners is that when I purchase the ingredients, I have enough to make the recipe many times over! This really reduces the cost and keeps me last-minute prepared. I don’t have to run to the store because we’re out of glass cleaner, I have the ingredients to make more right in my pantry.
Let’s talk about some the basic ingredients I use for homemade cleaners.
Vinegar
Vinegar is a natural, safe ingredient that dissolves grease and is an effective disinfectant for some bacteria such as E. coli and listeria. It can be combined safely with baking soda, essential oils, water and isoproyl alcohol.
Essential Oils
Essential oils not only smell great, but they are also a good option for natural disinfecting! Choose citrus oils for the best combination between disinfecting and scent options. Lemon, orange, grapefruit… Lemongrass essential oil is actually in the mint family but has a lemon scent and is a great disinfectant.
Isopropyl Alcohol
Isopropyl Alcohol is a great disinfectant if it’s used straight, and it will basically kill anything. Logically, the more you dilute it, the less effective it will be however, it combines well with other ingredients listed here and is an excellent addition to window cleaners and is an amazing degreaser.
Although that’s pretty much it for ingredients, there is one more component to consider when making your homemade cleaners: A glass bottle.
These ingredients can be pretty harsh on plastic spray bottles, so I recommend investing in a glass one.
I purchase these because they have the silicone sleeve on the bottom which protects the bottle itself and makes it more slip resistant.
Let me just give you a really quick recipe for combining these ingredients into a good combination spray cleaner and disinfectant for general cleaning in your home. I use this combination for windows, mirrors, kitchen counters and bathroom faucets and fixtures.
Basic Household Spray Cleaner/Disinfectant
1 Cup White Distilled Vinegar
1/2 Cup Isopropyl Alcohol
1 Cup Water
20 Drops of Essential Oils (citrus oils or lemongrass)
Combine in a spray bottle and use for normal household cleaning and disinfecting.
The cost of this is approximately $ .70-.75 per 20 ounces (the amount this recipe makes) making it a very economical option for us! Do you have a similar recipe? Drop a comment and tell me what has worked for you!
