Getting rid of toxic cleaning products was one of the first changes our family made when we decided to “go green“. If you are new to living an eco-friendly lifestyle, making your own natural homemade cleaning products is a great way to start protecting the planet, and your family. Cleaning products are among the most hazardous substances you will find in your home. It’s almost impossible to be sure about the safety of a store bought cleaning product because there is no federal law that requires pre-market safety testing by the manufacturer. The hazards of many products are only revealed after consumers have been injured. To make matters worse, manufacturers are not required to list the exact ingredients on the label. Who wants to bathe their children in a tub filled with toxic residues or let their baby crawl around on a floor cleaned with chemicals that suppress the central nervous system? Not me! So how can you be sure that the cleaning products you use in your home are safe? Thankfully, the answer is quite simple…clean green with homemade cleaning products using safe and simple ingredients you can find right in your own kitchen!
Homemade All Purpose Cleaner- This recipe makes a wonderfully aromatic all purpose cleaner that helps disinfect as well. We use it for just about everything that needs a quick wipe down…the highchair, cupboards, counter tops, blinds, refrigerator , walls, you name it!
One Part White Vinegar and One Part Water
5-10 Drops Tea Tree Oil
5-10 Drops Essential Lavender Oil
5-10 Drops Lemon Essential Oil
Homemade Glass Cleaner- It only takes two ingredients to make an effective, simple and eco-friendly glass cleaner. Mix one part water and one part white vinegar, I told you it was simple!
Homemade Furniture Polish- This makes a wonderful 16 oz. bottle of natural furniture polish with a fresh lemon scent.
1 Cup Olive Oil
25 Drops Lemon Essential Oil
1/4 Cup White Vinegar
Fill the remainder of the bottle with water
Homemade “Oxyclean”- This recipe works just the same as oxyclean! I use it for laundry, spot cleaning the carpet and treating stains.
1 cup water
1/2 cup peroxide
1/2 cup baking soda
Homemade Tub & Tile Cleaner- If you have any mold, spray it directly with straight vinegar to kill spores. For general cleaning, mix one part baking soda and one part borax (a natural mineral) with just enough water to create a think paste .
Homemade Floor Cleaner- Add 1/2 cup vinegar and several drops of your favorite essential oil to a gallon of water. This simple mixture is perfect for mopping with, and wont leave any chemical residues behind for little ones to crawl around on.
Homemade Air Freshener- For a fantastic natural air freshener squeeze some lemon juice into a bowl of baking soda and leave uncovered. You can even add a decorative touch by adding flowers, pebbles, sea shells or whatever strikes your fancy! Throw leftover lemon peels into the garbage disposal for a quick cleaning.
Homemade Disinfectant & Toy Cleaner- Lavender and tea tree oil have amazing antibacterial properties. Simply add a couple drops of liquid castile soap (like Dr. Bronners) into two cups of hot water. Then add 30 drops of lavender or tea tree oil, or a combination of both. Pour it into a spray bottle and use on everything but glass.
Homemade Laundry Detergent- We like to use the Duggar’s homemade liquid laundry soap recipe every now and then. It works great for both regular laundry and cloth diapers, and is very economical!
Homemade Stovetop/Oven Cleaner- I found my favorite oven/stovetop cleaner in the “Crunchy Mamas” group on Baby Center, and have never found any other recipe that tops it!
Please remember to be responsible when tossing out any leftover toxic cleaning products after you have made the switch to homemade green cleaners. Products that are toxic for your home are also toxic for the environment, and shouldn’t be dumped down the drain or put into landfills. Check to see when your community is having a toxics and electronics recycling day and dispose of your old cleaning products there.
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Cleaning green with homemade cleaning products is the best way to be certain that you aren’t exposing your family to toxic chemicals, and the best choice for a cleaner, greener earth! Have you tried making your own eco-friendly home cleaning products before? Are you willing to give it a try? I’d love to hear about what you are doing to clean green!
*This post is linked to the Living Well Blog Hop.
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Thank you for being a follower of my blog. http://www.reallife-mythreegirls.blogspot.com. I’am now a follower of your blog.
You have some very intersting cleaning products. You know growing up my mother would always make her own cleaning remedies or potion. She used vinegar for everything and it worked. I look forward to visiting your site every day, Thank you!
Thank you so much for following back! I hope you enjoy reading my blog, I look forward to keeping in touch.
Smiles,
Terri
Awesome tips!! Thanks!!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE cleaning with vinegar! I buy gallons of it, it’s amazing. I started using it to clean after I had my first baby. I think it’s super effective and best of all, super cheap. Sometimes it takes a little more elbow grease but that makes it even better for the family! Thanks for posting the recipes!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipes, vinegar really is an amazing natural cleaner. Do you have any favorite cleaning recipes, or do you just mix it with water?
Thanks for linking up at blogging buddies thursday.. I’m following you back
Thanks for the follow, I look forward to keeping in touch!
Awesome to have these tips handy. I love essential oils they are allover my house. New follower from the hop. Hope you can do the same. Have a great day!
Thanks for hopping by, I am following you back
Your WTF Friday post is hilarious!
what a great post! I am your newest follower from the hop! I would love it if you would follow me too! Thanks so much!
-Nikki
http://chef-n-training.blogspot.com/
this post is awesome! I am going to have to try some of these out! I am your newest follower from the hop! I would love it if you would follow me too! Thanks so much!
-Nikki
http://chef-n-training.blogspot.com/
Thanks for hopping by, I am following you back….your blog is wonderful!
Hi there, I am a new follower. I would be so happy if you can join my blog. Thanks!
Thanks for stopping by, I am following you back
Hi! Following back from Measuring Flower. Super cute blog! I hope you have a great weekend.
Thanks for visiting! I’m following back
Popping in from Bloggy Moms. Love all your green tips here!
A new follower. Look forward to visiting often.
HI TERRI!
Love your blog found you on a blog hop and am following along now. Oh vinegar is my friend I use it for all sorts of crazy things!! I am working hard at purging chemicals from our lives. My 4 1/2 year old at the time (he’s now 6) was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor and let me tell you I look at every chemical far differently. I know anything could have caused it but I certainly am not taking any chances. I am sure I now sound crazy paranoid. If I haven’t scared you off I’d love it if you’d come by and follow along with us. Great blog!
I thought I was already following you, but now I definitely am. I love your carrier in your about me picture! I carry my twins together in a Moby wrap all the time but love my BabyHawk for my almost 3 year old.
If you haven’t entered already there are still 2 days to enter the Peter Rabbit Organics giveaway on my blog, they’re great baby food or snacks for the older kids.
http://lifeunexpectedadventuresofsahm.blogspot.com/2011/09/as-mom-i-feel-that-one-of-my-most.html
Jessica from Life Unexpected
Thanks for following back, I’d love to enter the giveaway, but I couldn’t find it! I even clicked on the “giveaways” tab. Perhaps I just overlooked it, sometimes mommy brain gets the best of me! Any chance you could give me a link?
~Terri
Thanks so much for visiting my blog, Chasing Rainbow. I am now following your great site.
Have a great week-end.
Thank you for following back, I look forward to keeping in touch!
~Terri
Thanks for linking up to Flutter By Fridays. These are great tips for eco-friendly living, I already make my own laundry detergent but look forward to trying all the other cleaners you have listed. Following you and hope you come back next Friday to link up!
~Aleacia@I’m Bloggin’
Hi Terri! Great post… Very helpful! Thank you so much for visiting and follow Mommyhood’s Diary. Following back.
Have a great weekend.
Thanks for sharing these great tips! I make my own cleaning products and skin care products and you’ll find several recipes on my blog.
Thanks for linking up to the Living Well Blog Hop!
Thanks Jo! Your bolg is fantastic, it’s an honor to have you stop by!
Hi, so happy to finally connect here and am your newest follower of your helpful and inspirational site. Will be trying the eco-friendly cleaning recommendations.
Love,
Me
Yay! I’m so sorry you had trouble at first! Thank you for following.
-Terri
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Just stumbled this post, and natural cleaners are something I’ve been trying to figure out. Lots of recipes I find have essential oils in them, but the thing is–I’m allergic! My mom loves oils and swears by them, but I get a migraine at one whiff!
Any suggestions on what I might do? Can I just leave out the oils? (I know that would probably lessen the effectiveness)
You can absolutely omit the essential oils, if you need help coming up with a good essential oil free solution just let me know!
~Terri
Here’s my go-to all purpose cleaner:
orange, lemon or grapefruit peels
large jar
vinegar
Steep the peels in the vinegar about three weeks. Toss the peels and dilute remaining liquid one-to-one with fresh vinegar. Bottle it up.
It makes a lovely, fresh smelling all purpose cleaner. I even spray it on the floors and mop with it. It makes the mop smell citrus fresh which makes the downstairs loo (where the mop is stored) also smell fresh. It’s the best cleaner I’ve ever used and it doesn’t come much cheaper or greener than this.
While I love essential oils, I find them pricey and don’t always have them in stock. No need for them with this cleaner!
Tracey,
That recipe sounds amazing! I love that it’s so economical, can’t wait to give it a try!
Smiles,
Terri
These are great! I can’t wait to mix up some of the homemade Oxyclean because I go through that stuff so fast during football and baseball seasons with my three boys. I’m also looking forward to trying the homemade furniture polish and tile/tub cleaner. Geez, you are actually making me exciting about cleaning! If you are interested, here’s my recipe for a homemade produce wash: http://thedomesticatedprincess.blogspot.com/2012/04/homemade-produce-wash.html.
Thanks so much for the wonderful recipes!! I was wondering if you have any suggestions for hardwood floors?
One of my earliest memories is of my mother cleaning with what looked to me like cooking ingredients. She would be listening to the radio as she poured baking soda, lemon, and vinegar combinations on the surfaces of our home. Here are a few basic household ingredients and items you can use to clean your home. Truly, nothing beats natural products when it comes to cleaning.
Homemade products work, are usually cheaper than store bought, and are healthier more times than not. Thanks for spreading the gospel!
Many a times home made products give better results than the commercially used ones. Or i must the after effects are better in natural products.
Great post
Thanks for sharing.
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