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3 Green Cleaners You Can Make at Home

Homemade and Green Household Cleaners

Store-bought cleaners are full of extra chemicals that you might not want in your home. Thankfully, making your own homemade cleaning solutions can be pretty easy. You might even own most of the ingredients already.

Whether you’re prepping for a thorough spring cleaning or just need to tidy up around the house, here are some DIY cleaners you can make to keep your whole home fresh.

Basic ingredients for DIY cleaners

An empty green spray bottle next to a clear plastic bottle with no top and the word "Vinegar" on it. Also, there's a blue sponge to the left.

One of the reasons DIY cleaning solutions are so great is their simplicity. With a short list of ingredients you can whip up a solution that will help you clean most messes around your house. Here are a few of the most common green cleaning items you’ll need.

  • Baking soda
  • White vinegar
  • Hydrogen peroxide
  • Lemons, oranges, and other citrus fruits
  • Olive or vegetable oil
  • Water
  • Washing soda (e.g., Arm & Hammer)
  • Borax
  • Castile soap (e.g., Dr. Bronner’s)

You’ll also want to stock up on the containers of your choosing, like mason jars and spray bottles. Once you have your ingredients and containers it’s time to get mixing!

DIY All-Purpose Cleaner

A blue spray bottle with a red trigger and tip spraying liquid on a wood surface. A White person's hand is holding the spray bottle in the left hand and a yellow microfiber cloth in the right.

This all-purpose cleaner smells lemony fresh and can even be used on glass. Simply add the ingredients to your spray bottle and shake everything up.

  • 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 cup hydrogen peroxide
  • 2 cups water

DIY Bathroom Cleaner

A light blue tile being washed down with soap and a yellow sponge. A brown-skinned arm with a pink glove is doing the cleaning.

Bathroom cleaners are usually chock-full of harsh chemicals, like chlorine and bleach (which are what can make your bathroom smell like a locker room). If you want a less-harsh, better smelling solution, try this:

  • 1 2/3 cup of baking soda
  • 1/2 cup vegetable-oil-based liquid soap
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar

Mix it in a spray bottle and use it on tiles, tubs, and toilet surfaces.

Note: If you’re going to use the same sponge for everything, always do the toilet last! You’re better off just using a couple different sponges for different surfaces.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Traditional hard soap bar from Marseille (France), pure soap flakes, baking soda, cotton towel, spoon, clothes peg and home made washing up liquid in the glass bottle on the grey table.

Making your own laundry detergent is incredibly easy and cheap, so you’re getting the best of all worlds with this recipe. To make your own washing detergent, gather your ingredients:

  • 16 cups water (8 boiling, 8 cold)
  • 1 cup Borax
  • 1 cup Castile soap
  • 1 cup washing soda
  • 1 bucket

First, boil 8 cups of water. Add your Borax and washing soda to your bucket and mix them together.

Then, add your Castile soap and boiling water. Be careful while pouring the boiling water to avoid splashing yourself. Then, mix everything together.

Once everything is mixed, add 8 cups of cold water and mix again.

Let the mixture sit until it’s at room temperature. Then, use anywhere from 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup depending on the size of your laundry load.

Bonus tip: Purchase or renew your 2-10 HBW Home Warranty

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2-10 HBW offers quality Home Warranty Service Agreement coverage for homeowners. Let us help you protect your home and budget.

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