Natural, Homemade Cleaner Recipes with Essential Oils

Guest post from Karen DeBeus

I think our grandparent’s generation had it right. Keep it simple and natural.  They didn’t have the fancy items we have today and they managed their homes just fine.

When it comes to cleaning products for the home I have been keeping it simple and natural for years.  It began back when our budget was tight and we needed to save money. We decided to cut back on things that put the biggest dents in our bank account and let’s face it, cleaning products are expensive. I did some research and discovered homemade products can be just pennies per use.  As time went on, I also realized how much healthier homemade cleaning products are.

Now, for the record, I didn’t go and start replacing all of my store-bought cleaning products with homemade ones right away but rather started experimenting a little at a time.

If you are skeptical, I understand. I was too at first. I just assumed that nothing could clean quite as well as the store-bought products.  Oh, was I ever wrong!  I found that not only did homemade products clean just as well as store-bought, they actually can do a better job.

Natural, Homemade Glass and All-Purpose Cleaner
The first homemade product I used was a simple vinegar and water solution for cleaning glass.  (Nowadays, I see glass cleaners advertised with vinegar as an added extra!)

I don’t even remember where I heard that vinegar would work on glass but I thought I would give it a shot.  I proceeded to clean the windows and was thrilled at the results.  No streaks, and sparkly windows!

I purchase a gallon of vinegar at our local supermarket for anywhere between $1.49- $1.79.  Then I fill an empty spray bottle with equal parts vinegar and water.  Give it a shake and you are ready to clean.  Spray windows, mirrors, and all glass with this solution and they sparkle!

Vinegar is a natural deodorizer and disinfectant.  I use this solution to wipe down counters, faucets, sinks, etc. as well.  I use it as an all-purpose cleaner in my kitchen and bathroom.  I also spray down my shower with it afterwards to prevent soap scum buildup.

Floor Cleaner
One of my favorite uses for the vinegar and water solution it to clean my laminate flooring in the kitchen and entryway.  It is the best cleaner I have found for these types of floors.  I simply take a rag and my spray bottle, spray the floor in sections, wiping as I go. It is fast and easy.  If you prefer to use a wet mop, you can fill a bucket with equal parts vinegar and water, however there tend to be more streaks with this method.  With the rag and spray bottle, it wipes it down and dries it at the same time with no streaks.

I keep one bottle of this solution in my kitchen and one in my bathroom so it is on hand at all times.

Homemade Cleaning Recipes with Essential Oils
One negative side effect of the vinegar solution is that your house may smell like a salad for a short time afterwards.  Have no fear this only lasts until the vinegar evaporates. If you prefer to have a scented cleaner add some essential oils to your cleaners.  You can tailor your products to suit your preference of scents!  Some good ones to try are lemon, lavender, pine, or orange.  Essential oils will also boost cleaning power.

The Power of Lemon Juice
Lemons are also very useful in homemade cleaning.  You can add a few drops of lemon juice to the solution above for extra cleaning power.  Sometimes I use a cut lemon and rub it over my stainless steel kitchen sink and let it sit awhile.  Then, rinse and finish with a spray down of  the vinegar solution.

Lemons also have antibacterial and antiseptic properties.  Adding lemon juice to your cleaners boosts their effectiveness as well as adding that fresh, clean lemon scent.  Most store-bought cleaners add the scent of lemon to their chemical cleaners and you pay a heavy price for it.

Baking Soda-{Not Just For Baking}
Baking soda is also known for its natural cleaning purposes.  Besides taking odors out of the fridge, you can use it as an abrasive when cleaning.

I have a temperamental coffee pot, in that whenever I pour my coffee, some seems to drip out of the spout onto the counter.  Our counter top is Formica and rather porous, so the stain seems to set in easily. The result is my counter constantly gets this mucky brown coffee stain. Now I am not about to give up my caffeine fix, so I need to find a way to deal with this problem!

Using baking soda and lemon juice together work great for this problem. Simply  rub the counter with lemon juice and let it sit for just a bit.  Then, sprinkle it with some baking soda, rub it, and the stains disappear!

Homemade cleaners are so easy, so simple, and so healthy.  When I look at the labels of household cleaners, it is scary! Frankly these days, so are the prices!

So stick with homemade, natural items and your home will be sparkly clean, and your family will be safe!

Challenge:  Replace {one} of your current cleaners with a homemade cleaner.  Use it for a week and see the results and just how easy it is to make your own products!  Then, gradually introduce new ones into your cleaning supply.  Before you know it, all of your cleaners can be natural and homemade, and you’ll be skipping the cleaning product aisle in your grocery store!