Frugal Living with Homemade Cleaning Products

This post is an awesome resource, filled with useful and economical homemade cleaning recipes for every room and surface in your home.

If you are looking for eco-friendly and frugal versions of store-bought cleaners, just have a good look at this article because there are plenty of recipes down below.

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Homemade Cleaning Products for Your Bathroom

Toilet cleaner:

Sprinkle borax or pour vinegar over your toilet bowl and let sit overnight. Brush in the morning and flush.

Shower cleaner:

Mix together 1 tablespoon soap (liquid), ½ cup vinegar, 1 teaspoon of washing soda, 1 teaspoon of borax in a spray bottle. Shake well. Fill the rest of the bottle with water. Spray all over your shower and let sit for about 20 minutes. Go back to your shower when the time has elapsed. Scrub with a sponge and rinse thoroughly.

Soft scrub:

Mix together ¼ cup water, 1 tablespoon castile soap, 1 cup baking soda in a spray bottle. Give it a shake. Apply the solution to your bathroom surfaces and let it work for a few hours. Wipe down and rinse well.

Tile cleaner:

Combine ½ cup water (warm), ½ cup soap (liquid), 1 2/3 cup baking soda in a spray bottle. Shake. Pour 2 tablespoons vinegar. Spray the mixture all over your tiles. Let sit, then scrub and rinse well.

Homemade Cleaning Products for Your Kitchen

Oven cleaner:

Make sure your appliance is unplugged. Wet the outside of your oven and liberally sprinkle baking soda over it. Let it sit for a few hours. Wipe down with a sponge. Rinse and wipe dry.

For tougher stains:

Heat the oven (use the hottest setting available). Mix ¼ cup of laundry soap (powdered) and 1 cup of vinegar in a bowl. Stir to make a paste. Turn off the oven.

Apply the paste over the surface. Use a generous amount of paste over grease areas. Let the mixture work for about an hour. Scrape using a spatula. Rinse and wipe dry.

Sink cleaner:

Use the same approach to clean your kitchen sink. Sprinkle baking soda over it and let is work for a while. Scrub and rinse. Voilà!

Counter cleaner:

Combine ¼ cup vinegar and 1 cup of dish soap (castile soap works fine) in a spray bottle. Shake vigorously before use. Spray on your counters and wipe down. Dry.

Homemade Cleaning Products for Everything Else

Antibacterial cleaner:

Use 4 cups water, 1/2 cup vinegar, 1 tablespoon of castile soap and 15-20 drops essential oils. Combine these in a glass spray bottle and give it a shake. Use the solution on doorknobs, worktops, counters, etc.

All-purpose cleaner:

Combine 1 cup vinegar (either white or apple cyder vinegar) and 1 cup water in a glass spray bottle. Add a few drops of essential oils. Shake well. Use for stainless steel, glass, wood and porcelain.

Stain remover:

Use baking soda or table salt to absorb wine spills and other liquids from your tablecloth, carpet, garments. For whites: use fresh lemon juice. Place a lemon slice over the affected area and let sit. It’s best to place it outdoors so that the sunlight can work its magic. Don’t use lemon to remove stains from colored garments.

Floor cleaner:

Fill a bucket with about two gallons of water and pour one cup of vinegar. Stir. Dampen your mop with the solutions and clean all types of floors. Dry well.

Glass cleaner:

Combine 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 cup water and 1 cup rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle. Shake the bottle and spray all over your windows, glass stovetops and tables, mirrors, etc.

Dust cleaner:

Fill half a spray bottle with white vinegar (apple cider vinegar works too) and fill the rest of the bottle with water. Add essential oils if you desire. Shake vigorously. Spray over surfaces and wipe clean.

Laundry Detergent:

Mix one cup of Borax, one cup of soda wash and grate one bar of soap (like Ivory)

I myself personally use rubbing alcohol to clean my windows.  I totally use baking soda to clean my oven!

I did use this borax/soda wash/bar soap laundry detergent for awhile, but I thought it was beating up my clothes too quickly – shirts pilling and losing their color.  What about you?  Which of these have you tried?  Which ones do you use on a regular basis??

The article is a guest post contributed by Patricia Cornwell. She runs a small company called Canary Wharf CleanersLondon.