Save Your Rambos With These Easy Homemade Cleaners

Nicole Bonnah | Jun 8, 2019 1:00 pm | Add a comment | 176 reads

Household items such as baking soda and vinegar work as effectively as shop-bought cleaners, if not more so, and cost next to nothing. You can even add essential oils to your DIY cleaners that will have your home smelling like a spa and your mood lifted. Next time you're standing over the mess in your home, don’t reach for your favorite product, which most likely contains an array of solvents, chemicals, and fragrances, and instead opt for mixing up one of these DIY standbys.

Top Safety Tip: Never combine ammonia-based cleaners with chlorine bleach or products containing bleach, such as powdered detergent, as this will create deadly chlorine gas. When making your DIY cleaning mixers, read the product labels first and always label your own DIY cleaners. 

Scented All-Purpose Cleaner

What you will need:

  • One part white vinegar
  • One part water
  • Lemon rind
  • Rosemary springs

Combine all the above ingredients together, pour into your choice of a spray bottle, shake and then let infuse for a week before using. Once infused, you can use this solution to remove hard water stains, grease, sticky smudges and to clean garbage cans, windows, and much more!

READ: Why the Bathroom in Your Chinese Apartment Smells Awful (And How to Fix It)

Kitchen Cleaner and Deodorizer

What you will need:

  • 4 tablespoons baking soda
  • 1 quart warm water

Baking soda is an effective cleaner and deodorizer, and this mixture is ideal for cleaning kitchen countertops, appliances, and the inside of your refrigerator. For an extra boost, use a cloth that’s been left to infuse with lavender essential oil. Simply sprinkle 3-4 drops of oil on a bamboo perforated or any other organic cloth, fold and keep in a tightly sealed glass jar. Once used, rinse through, leave to dry, and then add a few more drops of essential oil and keep sealed in the jar for next time.

Glass Cleaner

What you will need:

  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 cup white or cider vinegar
  • 1/4 rubbing alcohol 70 percent concentration
  • 1 to 2 drops of lemon or orange essential oil

There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing your reflection in the windows, or letting rays of sunlight through smudge-free balcony doors. Next time you need to wash your windows or mirrors, combine these ingredients and pour into a spray bottle. For mirrors, spray the solution on a paper towel or a soft cloth. This concoction will have your mirrored and glass surfaces gleaming.

Brass Cleaner

What you will need:

  • White vinegar or lemon juice
  • Table salt

This mixture is great for non-lacquered cabinet knobs, bathroom fixtures, and more. Dampen a sponge with vinegar or lemon juice, and then sprinkle with salt. Lightly rub over the surface. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water, then immediately dry with a soft clean cloth.

Heavy-Duty Scrub

What you will need:

  • 1/2 lemon
  • 1/2 cup borax powder

When you require a superhero mix, this one will not falter. Rust stains on porcelain, and enamel sinks and tubs will be defeated immediately with this DIY cleaning champion. Dip the lemon into the borax, scrub the surface, then rinse. Please don’t use on marble or granite. Tip: You can find borax, a laundry booster, in the detergent aisle in international supermarkets, or order online.

Grease Cleaner

What you will need:

  • 1/2 cup sudsy ammonia

Sudsy ammonia contains detergent that helps remove tough grime. Mix 1/2 cup with enough water to fill a one-gallon container. You will be able to clean your oven racks, stove hoods, and grills by dipping a clean sponge into the solution and wipe over the surface before rinsing with clear water. You can also use the solution for soaking! Yes!

Water Ring Remover

What you will need:

  • One part white non-gel toothpaste
  • One part baking soda

Please note that this solution does not work on unfinished wood, lacquer, or antiques. Dampen a cloth with water, add the toothpaste mixture and rub with the grain to buff over the spot. Then take a dry cloth and wipe off. Use another soft cloth (perhaps the one you have infused with essential oil in a glass jar?) for a final shine. Polish as you usually would.

READ: Bye, Bye Limescale! White Vinegar Will Transform Your Bathroom, and Perhaps, Your Life

Images: Live Simply, Unsplash,