DIY Cleaning Supplies
Learn how you can make your own alternatives to common cleaning products right at home.
DIY Bleach/Disinfectant
Alcohol: Combine two parts isopropyl alcohol to one part water. Let the alcohol/water mixture sit on surface for 30 seconds before wiping the surface.
Distilled White Vinegar: Pour vinegar directly on the suface, let sit for up to 30 minutes, and wipe. Alternatively, create a vinegar spray by combining a 1:1 ratio of vinegar and warm water with 20 drops of lemon or tea tree essential oils in a spray bottle.
Hydrogen Peroxide: Use 3% hydrogen peroxide right out of the bottle to wipe down surfaces, or dilute by mixing 2.5 parts water to 0.5 parts hydrogen peroxide. Leave the mixture on the surface for at least one minute before wiping.
Essential Oil + Castile Soap: Tree oil is one of the most promising essential poils with antibacterial properties along with eucalyptus, thyme, and cinnamon. Combining antibacterial essential oils with a few drops of castile oil (commonly made from vegetable oils) can create a bacteria-fighting cleanser.
DIY Surface Cleaner/Disinfectant Spray
You'll need:
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Spray bottle
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Distilled water
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Liquid castile soap
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White vinegar (for disinfectant)
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Isopropyl alcohol or peroxide (for disinfectant)
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Essential oils (optional)
How to prepare:
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Fill your spray bottle with 2 cups of water.
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Add 1 tbsp of castille soap.
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Cover the bottle and shake well.
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For disinfectant, replace 1 cup of water for 1 cup of white vinegar.
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Add 2 tbsp of isopropyl alcohol or peroxide.
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Optional: Add 20 drops of essential oils.
DIY Disinfectant Wipes
You'll need:
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1 cup distilled or filtered water
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1/4 cup rubbing alcohol
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8-12 drops of essential oils, such as lemon, tea tree, lavender, or citrus
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1 tsp liquid castile soap (optional)
How to prepare:
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Combine the ingredients in an air tight container and soak.
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You can use castile soap, a vegetable oil-based soap, to clean and disinfect surfaces.
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Essential oils like tea tree, peppermint, and lemon can be used to clean and disinfect surfaces.
DIY Room Spray/Air Freshener
You'll need:
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2 cups water
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20-30 drops essential oil
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2 tbsp baking soda
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Funnel
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Spray bottle
How to prepare:
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Add about 25 drops of your favorite essential oil to 2 tbsp of baking soda and stir to combine. Lemon, lavender, and eucalyptus are all great choices.
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Pour the baking soda and essential oil mix into the water and stir.
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Funnel the water into your spray bottle. Seal tightly and give the bottle a good shake to combine ingredients.
DIY Bleach to Whiten Clothes
Method #1: Use the sun's ultraviolet rays to whiten clothes. Install a clothing line outside and hang clothes.
Method #2: Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to washer drum before continuing with laundry as usual.
Method #3: Add 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide to the washer's automatic bleach dispenser for every load. Note: Do not pour directly on clothes!
Method #4: Presoak whites in tub, sink, or washer drum. Create a solution of 6 parts warm water to 1 part distilled white vinegar. Soak overnight, then wash as usual.
DIY Drain Cleaner
1. Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain.
2. Follow with 1/2 cup of vinegar down the drain (or use 1/2 of lemon juice depending on preference of smell).
3. Cover drain and let sit for 1 hour.
4. Finish by pouring a pot of boiling water down the drain.
DIY Alternatives to Detergents and Fabric Softeners
Detergent: Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to your washer drum before adding in your clothes. Place 1/2 cup vinegar in the detergent tray or softener tray to be dispensed mid-cycle.
Fabric Softener: Add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of vinegar to the fabric softener compartment when starting a load for soft feeling clothes. To get clothes to your desired scent, add 20-30 drops of an essential oil to the vinegar in the softener compartment.
Dryer Sheets: For an affordable and household option, tear a sheet of aluminum foil about the width of the dryer, fold the corners, then ball it up. The ball should be about 3-4 inches in diameter. Toss the aluminum in the dryer drum and replace the foil once it starts to fall apart.
Store-Bought Alternative to Dryer Sheets: To get clothes feeling soft and fluffy, add wool dryer balls or tennis balls to your dryer drum.
DIY Fabric Softener Crystals
You'll need:
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1 cup Epsom salt
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5-10 drops essential oils
How to prepare:
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In a small bowl, mix the salt and the oils together. Only use the oils if you'd like a natural scent! Otherwise they are optional.
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Add 3 tbsp of the mixture to each load of laundry that needs fabric softener. Add directly into your washer during the rinse cycle or right before the final rinse, not into the softener dispenser or the dryer.
DIY Powder Laundry Soap
You'll need:
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Bar soap
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Washing soda
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Borax
How to prepare:
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Mix equal parts of grated bar soap, washing soda, and borax in a container. You can add a few drops of essential oils for scent if you'd like.
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Use a tablespoon per laundry load depending on how dirty your clothes are.
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