Homemade Natural Cleaning Recipes: A Complete Guide

You only need a few basic ingredients to put together a non-toxic cleaning toolbox. In fact, you might be surprised to find that most of the supplies you'll need are so safe you can put them right on your skin, or even eat them! Stock up on these basics and you can tackle all your major cleaning duties without exposing yourself, your family and the environment to toxic chemicals and dangerous fumes:Distilled White Vinegar: Vinegar is an absolute must for anyone interested in homemade cleaners. Vinegar cleaning is one of the oldest cleaning methods around; long before bottled cleaning products came along, vinegar cleaning solutions were a household staple. Non-toxic, edible and dirt cheap, vinegar is practically a miracle product. Vinegar has antibacterial and antifungal properties, making it a good choice for both general cleaning and disinfecting in virtually every room in the house. Many people find vinegar's strong odor objectionable, but the smell disappears as soon as the product dries. You'll go through this faster than any other cleaning supplies so stock up on a few large bottles of distilled white vinegar.Baking Soda: Here's another magic product that's cheap, non-toxic and has a fantastic variety of uses. Baking soda balances pH, meaning it neutralizes substances that are acidic or alkaline (this is why baking soda is well-known for its odor-neutralizing properties). It also makes a great scrub for cleaning bathtub grime, dried spills and baked-on foods, and you can mix it with other supplies to create cleaning pastes.Dr. Bronner's Magic Pure Castile Liquid Soap: Personally, I love these soaps. I keep one bottle in the shower because this "18-in-1" product (as the label claims) is actually made to be used as a skin and hair cleanser. But what I really love this soap for is making homemade household cleaners. Dr. Bronner's isn't the only liquid soap out there, but It's important to note that you need pure liquid soap, which is not the same as liquid dish soap, hand soap, detergent and similar products so don't confuse the two! Dr. Bronner's soaps are great for all-purpose cleaning, and they come in a variety of fragrances; my personal favorites are the peppermint, citrus and baby (unscented) formulations.Borax: Borax is a naturally-occurring substance used in a variety of household applications, including deep cleaning and deodorizing. But you do need to take special care when making natural cleaning recipes with borax; while it's generally considered safe, it should never be ingested or inhaled, so keep it well out of reach of children and pets. Wear gloves when using borax, since it can cause serious irritation if it gets in your eyes.Lemon Juice: Lemon juice does more than just add refreshing fragrance to your homemade cleaners. It has antibacterial properties, and its acid content can tackle tough household troubles like soap scum and hard water deposits.Washing Soda: You'll need this inexpensive ingredient if you plan on making homemade laundry detergent. Just don't confuse this with baking soda, since the two are not interchangeable.Essential Oils: Essential oils aren't an absolute must for making homemade cleaners, but if you want your cleaning supplies (and your clean home) to smell good, they make a fragrant addition to these natural cleaning recipes. You could spend hours browsing the endless varieties of scents available, but think about how you'd like each room of your house to smell when you're finished cleaning: fresh peppermint for the bathroom? energizing orange for the kitchen? relaxing lavender for the bedroom? The possibilities are endless.Spray Bottles: You'll need a few clean, empty spray bottles to store your homemade cleaners. I highly recommend getting some large, high-quality bottles (even the good ones are inexpensive) since I've found that the spray triggers on the cheaper versions usually break, and the small ones you find at the drugstore need constant refilling.Bar Soap: This is only necessary if you plan on making homemade laundry detergent. Don't use heavily-perfumed bar soap; instead, choose from Ivory soap, Fels-Naptha, Sunlight bar soap, Zote and Kirk's Hardwater Castile.Well you've got your tools assembled, now let's get to the natural cleaning recipes!