Homemade Cleaning Products That Will Save You Money

Cleaning the house is one of those things that we just can’t get away from. We spend hours each week cleaning our whole house, to then repeat it all again the following week. I think that it would be quite safe to say that it is a bit of a love hate relationship.

Just recently however, I have started thinking about what is actually in the cleaning products that I use. To be honest I don’t think that I can pronounce half of the ingredients that are listed, which is a little worrying when you think about it. So it made me wonder, ‘why do I take so much time and care with regard to what I let my family eat and drink, trying my best to stay away from anything nasty, yet I am happy to fill (or pollute if you prefer) our home with the smell of chemicals each day?’, so I decided to do a bit of research into homemade cleaning products.  At first I thought that what I would find would be very complicated and a bit more hassle than I would like. But, I was pleasantly surprised. The ingredients of most of them are minimal and I already had most of them in my cupboards anyway. And best of all, they are natural!

So here are 3 cleaning products that I am really excited about giving a try and hopefully you will be too. 🙂

Homemade All-Purpose cleaner

Ingredients:

• ½ cup vinegar
• 1 tbsp Borax (or Borax substitute*)
• 1 tbsp hydrogen peroxide
• 2 cups hot water
• Juice 1 lemon
• Spring rosemary (optional)
• Essential oil* (optional)

Method:

1. Tip some Borax into a mixing bowl, add hot water then whisk until fully blended
2. Add hydrogen peroxide, vinegar and lemon to the bowl and whisk gently.
3. Transfer into a spray bottle and add some drops of essential oil, and the rosemary sprig if you want to add a natural fragrance.

The reason that this is a great all-purpose cleaner is because of its clever ingredients. The Borax is a natural disinfectant and can easily cut through grease. The hydrogen peroxide naturally cleans and shines the surface while the vinegar breaks down any bacteria, with the added bonus of the refreshing smell of the lemon juice.

I don’t know about you but I can’t wait to give this a go on my kitchen worktops.

Leather Cleaner

Ingredients:

• Good quality paper towels
• ¼ cup vinegar
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 10 drops of essential oil (optional)
• Small container*

Method:

1. Make sure that your piece of leather furniture is free from any crumbs or dust. Give it a once over with the hoover and then a wipe over with a damp paper towel.
2. Add the vinegar and olive oil into a small container and mix well.
3. Spot test the cleaning solution on a small hidden spot. Leave it for 20 minutes. If it is ok, then work the solution into the rest of the leather. Move in circular motions, letting the vinegar cleanse the leather whilst the olive oil conditions it. Wipe down with clean dry paper towel.

The reason I want to try this is because our poor leather sofa does take a bit of a battering. We chose leather because it is the most practical material for us with our 2 boys. It has been great and it has served its purpose well. But it could do with a bit more TLC. So this will be a great way to bring it back to life.

Dusting Spray

Ingredients:

• 3 cups water
• ½ tsp Dr Bronners soap
• 1 cup vinegar
• ½ teaspoon olive oil
• 10-20 drops essential oil (optional)

Method:

1. Mix water, soap and vinegar into a large spray bottle*.
2. Add olive oil and essential oil.
3. Attach top of bottle, shake well and spray over dusty area.

This is one of my favourites because my boys love to help me dust. They especially love using the polish, but I don’t like them breathing in all of the fumes. So this will give me great piece of mind that while my house is looking ship shape, I don’t need to worry about my boys breathing in any harsh chemicals. The Dr Bronners soap* is one of the few expenses, costing around £12 per 100ml, but when you are using as little as ½ teaspoon of the stuff in a large spray bottle that will last you for weeks at a time, it actually isn’t that bad.

So there we are, 3 homemade cleaning products that are easy to make, great for your home and family, and brilliant for your purse! 🙂

What about you, will you be trying any of these homemade cleaning products? Or do you already make your own?