How to Make Your Own Cleaning Products

Creating your own cleaning products can be cost effective, better for the environment, and it’s also relatively straightforward.

You’ll be surprised what you can do with some regular items from your kitchen cupboards such as lemons, olive oil, baking soda or vinegar.

Yello has scoured (pun intended!) the internet and found the best homemade cleaning product recipes for you to try. These Do-It-Yourself remedies should leave your home looking good, smelling like new, and save you a few dollars!

All-purpose cleaner

Ingredients:

• Half a cup of white vinegar.
• Two tablespoons of baking soda.
• 10 drops of tea tree, lavender, or lemon essential oil.

Method: Mix the vinegar, essential oils and a little water before adding baking soda into a clean, 12oz glass spray bottle. Fill to the top with water. Gently shake the bottle to mix the ingredients, then spray, wipe with a cloth, and allow to dry.

Homemade Oven Cleaner

Ingredients:

• Half a cup of baking soda.
• Two-three tablespoons of water (or more/less).
• About half a cup of white vinegar. 

Method: In a small bowl, mix half a cup of baking soda and stir in two-three tablespoons of water, adjusting as needed to get a spreadable paste. 

Spread this all over the walls of your ovens, rubbing it in for a scrubbing effect, then let the mixture rest overnight.

In the morning, put some vinegar in a spray bottle and spritz everywhere you see baking soda, which will create a foaming action. Wipe with a damp cloth and rinse until clean.

Homemade disinfectant wipes

Ingredients:

• One cup of water.
• A quarter of a cup of vinegar.
• Eight drops of tea tree oil.
• Eight drops of eucalyptus essential oil.
• Eight drops of lemon essential oil.
• Empty wipe container. 
• 15 – 20 squares of cloth (eg. old t-shirts, old dish towels).

Method: Fold and place the cloth squares into the empty wipe container and set aside. Put the water, vinegar, and three essential oils in a mixing bowl and stir until well combined.

Pour this mixture over the cloths in the container and allow it to soak in. Launder and repeat until you think the cloths need replacing.

Glass Cleaner

Ingredients:

• Two cups of water.
• Half a cup of white or cider vinegar.
• A quarter of a cup of rubbing alcohol (70% concentration).
• One to two drops of orange essential oil for smell (optional).

Method: Combine all the ingredients and pour them into a 12oz glass spray bottle. Spray the solution on to a paper towel or soft cloth first, then on to the glass. But be careful not to use this solution on a hot, sunny day because it’ll leave your windows covered in streaks.

Sources: Keeper of the home, Good Housekeeping and HGTV.