Keeping your home clean is hard enough, finding and making a cleaner shouldn’t be. Homemade cleaning supplies are cheap, chemical free, easy to make, and will last you a long time too.
The Struggle of Cleaning Supplies
How much does one bottle of cleaner cost and how long does it last? Can I make a cheaper cleaner?
Can you make a cleaner that has fewer chemicals than the ones in the store?
These questions all plagued me when I was new to cleaning my first home. I didn’t know what to clean anything with.
My mother had trouble with this in my youth too. I remember her buying a bunch of different cleaners that all were meant for specific areas of the house. Bathroom cleaner, kitchen cleaner, floor cleaner, window cleaner, all purpose cleaner, the list goes on.
It was a big deal if you used the cleaners in the wrong place, but no one could really tell me why I shouldn’t use the bathroom cleaner in the kitchen or the all purpose cleaner on the windows.
As I got older and decided to eliminate as many chemical cleaners as I can from my home I discovered that my grandmother was right all along. She always said, ‘Vinegar and water can clean almost anything.’
I agree with her wholeheartedly, vinegar and water can maintain the cleanliness of most surfaces in my home. I tried it out for many years and it worked out well most of the time.
Vinegar can kill the food borne illness that I think about most: E coli. and salmonella.
It is important to know that vinegar is not a disinfectant. It can kill mold and some food borne illnesses, but not all bacteria or viruses. If that is a concern for you, you can add some bleach to the mix. Please read the bleach bottle to figure out the dilution needed.
Having a cleaner that I feel confident can take care of the concerns I worry about most is reassuring for me!
How to Make a Vinegar Cleaner
Step 1 – Gather Ingredients and Tools for Your Homemade Cleaning Supplies
First, you need to gather the ingredients and tools you will need.
Ingredients:
Water, Vinegar, citrus peels (optional)
Tools:
Spray bottle, funnel, pot (optional)
I have used recycled spray bottles from old cleaners, and I have gotten cheap spray bottles from the store. Right now, I am using one similar to this one.
Step 2 – To Scent or Not to Scent
Do you want to add a citrus smell to your cleaner? I like to save citrus peels to add a nice scent, you could use essential oils instead.
I love using the peels of any citrus to create a new scent that way my home smells great and I have really gotten every last drop of use out of the citrus that I buy!
Step 2.5 – To Scent with Peels
If you want to use peels to scent then you will start by adding the peels and 1 cup of vinegar to your pot. Simmer the vinegar mix to release all the oil from the peels into the vinegar. The house will smell for a while, but not too long!
Strain the mix and get ready to mix.
Step 2.75 – To Scent your with Essential Oils
Measure one cup of vinegar and add whatever essential oils you would like to it.
Step 3 – Mix!
Take your scented vinegar or regular vinegar and add one cup to the spray bottle. Add one cup of water if you want it stronger and 2 cups of water if you want to dilute it more.
Step 4 – Shake and use!
Shake your mix and use it on surfaces you need to clean!
Vinegar, even diluted, should not be used on cast iron, aluminum, waxed wood, or natural stone surfaces. It is powerful and may dissolve the wax or oil coating on wood and cast iron. Vinegar may also eat away at aluminum and stone.
Please look into what kind of material your floors and counters are before using vinegar often.
Homemade Vinegar Cleaner
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Vinegar
- 2-3 Cups Water
- Citrus Peels (optional)
- Essential Oils (optional)
Instructions
- If you want to use peels for scent, boil with vinegar, strain and cool.
- In a spray bottle mix vinegar and water together. Add essential oils if you like.
Notes
Grease is Forever. . . Or Not!
Vinegar is a great cleaner most of the time. MOST of the time. There was one type of common grime that vinegar and water couldn’t tackle. . .
GREASE!
Grease was the bane of my existence.
My beloved cheap vinegar water solution did NOTHING against the stick of grease. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I kept searching.
Then I moved into my second apartment. The landlord didn’t want to pay cleaning staff between tenants so the handyman was the cleaning staff…
As you can imagine he didn’t take cleaning seriously and overall that was okay.
Except for the kitchen.
The cabinets were covered in grease and grease residue. It was disgusting. We complained, but nothing was really done about it. We had already moved in and they felt like it was our responsibility now.
I was faced with the one thing I couldn’t seem to figure out how to clean. It took me a while to figure it out, but eventually I found the solution and it has helped me clean grease off of everything!
How to Clean Grease with Homemade Cleaning Supplies!
The easiest way to clean grease is with baking soda.
Baking Soda soaks up the grease and it won’t leave residue behind. I have used it to clean up oil spills on my stoves, on toasters that have been neglected, pots and pans, and so much more over the years!
Step 1 – Is the surface flat and large or curved and small?
If the surface is big and flat you can sprinkle the baking soda right onto it.
If the surface is curved or small, mix 1 Tablespoon of water with 2 Tablespoons of baking soda to make a paste that is easier to spread and move around.
Step 2 – Rub It in!
Using a damp cloth rub the baking soda into the grease. You will see the soda turning an oil color as it soaks up the grease.
Step 3 – Repeat as Needed
Sometimes it takes a few passes to get the grease off. I wipe up the soda and reapply more as needed.
Step 4 – Spray with Vinegar Cleaner
Once it looks clean, wipe off as much baking soda as you can. Then, spray the surface with the vinegar cleaner. The vinegar will nutralize the baking soda and will help you finish getting the last of the baking soda off the surface.
Homemade Baking Soda Cleaner
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Baking Soda
- 1 Tablespoon Water (optional)
Instructions
- Mix and use a rag to rub into whatever greasy area you are cleaning.
- Wipe with a clean wet rag afterward or spray with the vinegar water solution and wipe.
I still have a few specialty cleaners from the store, but it is far fewer than my past and I am much happier for it!
The cleaners also last me so long, because I only use them for the one purpose they have.
I love that these homemade cleaning supplies are food safe.
Never again do I have to worry about whether my toddler should be around when I clean anymore. I know that everything is safe for him to be around.
Making homemade cleaning supplies has given me confidence, because I know that my home is clean, chemical free, and baby safe.
I love that I can restock my cleaning supplies without running to the store, because I always have the ingredients on hand.
What are your Favorite Homemade Cleaning Supplies?
Let us know in the comments below what you use to clean your home with!
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Keeping your home clean can be a challenge, but making your own cleaning supplies can simplify the process. Homemade cleaners are not only cost-effective but also free from harsh chemicals, making them safer for your family. Using ingredients like vinegar and citrus peels can create effective and pleasant-smelling solutions for various surfaces. It’s important to remember that while vinegar can handle many cleaning tasks, it’s not a disinfectant for all bacteria and viruses. Why not experiment with different scents and ingredients to find the perfect cleaner for your home?
Experimenting with different scents for different seasons would really set the seasons apart! Thanks for the great idea!
Keeping your home clean shouldn’t be a hassle, and I love the idea of using homemade cleaners! Vinegar and water seem like such a simple yet effective solution for most surfaces. I’ve always wondered why there are so many specialized cleaners when one or two ingredients can do the job. Adding citrus peels for a fresh scent is such a clever idea—it’s eco-friendly and makes the house smell amazing. But I’m curious, how do you handle tougher stains or grime that vinegar might not fully remove? Also, do you think using bleach occasionally compromises the eco-friendly aspect of homemade cleaners? I’d love to hear your thoughts on balancing effectiveness with sustainability!
What great questions!
I love being sustainable when I can. I reuse and reduce our intake whenever possible.
However, the goal of my home is to be generally clean, so if I feel like I need bleach or a stronger cleaner I use it without guilt. The amount of times I have to clean with those stronger cleaners is so few, because of my homemade cleaners. Because of the infrequency I have no guilt. Think about the amount of times you would be using those stronger cleaners if you didn’t have the vinegar cleaner too?
Thank you for commenting and let me know if you have anymore questions!
Keeping your home clean should be simple and stress-free. I love the idea of using homemade cleaning supplies—they’re eco-friendly and cost-effective. Vinegar and water seem like a great combination for most surfaces, but I wonder if it’s truly enough to handle tougher stains or deeper cleaning needs. Adding citrus peels for scent is a clever idea—it makes the process feel more personal and enjoyable. Still, I’m curious why using specific cleaners in the wrong areas was such a big deal in the past—does it really make a difference? And what’s your take on balancing natural cleaners with the need for stronger disinfectants? I’d love to hear more about your experiences with homemade solutions!
Sometimes I do use stronger products for tougher stains, but I use the vinegar cleaner for deep cleaning and I feel it works just fine.
I personally don’t think it really made a big difference where you use the cleaners. I think it was more a marketing tool, so that people felt they needed to buy more cleaners.
If you want a disinfectant, of course you can add a little bleach to the vinegar cleaner. I just learned recently that rubbing alcohol is a disinfectant too, so you can add that if you want to avoid bleach.
Thanks for the comment!