Make at Home

Natural Home Cleaning Products

Every spray, scrub, and liquid in this list replaces a harsh chemical cleaner — with ingredients that are safer for your family, your surfaces, and the planet.

🌱
No harsh chemicals

Conventional cleaners contain VOCs and hormone disruptors that linger on surfaces and in the air you breathe at home.

♻️
Zero plastic waste

Use glass spray bottles and reusable containers — no single-use plastic bottle thrown out every month.

💰
Dramatically cheaper

Vinegar, baking soda, and castile soap cost a fraction of branded cleaners and make ten times the product.

Actually works

White vinegar, baking soda, and essential oils have proven antimicrobial and degreasing properties — not just marketing claims.

What you'll use throughout

Distilled White Vinegar

A natural disinfectant and deodoriser. Its acidity fights bacteria effectively on most surfaces. Do not use on marble or natural stone.

Baking Soda

A gentle abrasive that lifts grime and neutralises odours without scratching surfaces. Works especially well in paste form.

Castile Soap / Sal Suds

Plant-based soap that cuts through grease and provides the cleaning action in liquid dish soap and surface sprays.

Distilled Water

For recipes you want to store longer than two weeks — distilled water has no minerals or impurities that shorten shelf life.

Rubbing Alcohol / Vodka

Adds disinfecting power to sprays. Helps ingredients blend and evaporates quickly without streaking on glass.

Essential Oils

Tea tree oil is antimicrobial. Citrus oils cut grease. Lavender deodorises. Always check safety if you have pets at home.

7 recipes

Cleaners worth making yourself

Surfaces & Counters

All-Purpose Disinfectant Spray

A simple daily spray for kitchen counters, bathroom surfaces, and door handles. Ready in two minutes.

2 mins 🫙 Stores 3–4 weeks 🧴 Makes 500ml
Ingredients
  • 1 cup distilled water
  • ½ cup distilled white vinegar
  • ¼ cup rubbing alcohol (70%)
  • 15 drops tea tree oil
  • 10 drops lemon essential oil
Method
  1. Combine all ingredients in a glass spray bottle
  2. Attach the spray nozzle and shake gently to mix
  3. Spray on surfaces and wipe with a clean cloth
  4. Allow to air dry — no rinsing needed
Scrubbing & Deep Clean

All-Purpose Cleaning Paste

A thick, gentle abrasive paste for sinks, taps, grout, and stovetops. Lifts grime that sprays can't touch.

5 mins 🫙 Stores 1 month 🧴 Makes 1 jar
Ingredients
  • 1 cup baking soda
  • ¼ cup liquid castile soap
  • 10 drops tea tree oil
  • 10 drops lemon oil
  • Water to adjust consistency
Method
  1. Mix baking soda and castile soap in a bowl
  2. Add essential oils and stir to combine
  3. Add water a teaspoon at a time to reach a thick paste
  4. Store in a wide-mouth jar with a lid
  5. Apply with a damp cloth or sponge, scrub, rinse
Glass & Mirrors

Streak-Free Glass Cleaner

Leaves windows and mirrors sparkling without the blue chemical smell. The alcohol is key — it evaporates fast and prevents streaking.

2 mins 🫙 Stores 2 months 🧴 Makes 500ml
Ingredients
  • 1 cup distilled water
  • 1 cup rubbing alcohol (70%)
  • 1 tbsp white vinegar
  • 5 drops peppermint oil (optional)
Method
  1. Combine all ingredients in a glass spray bottle
  2. Shake gently before each use
  3. Spray directly onto glass surface
  4. Wipe with a microfibre cloth in circular motions
Kitchen

Homemade Liquid Dish Soap

A lemon-scented dish soap that cuts through grease without drying your hands. Based on Sal Suds and white vinegar.

10 mins 🫙 Stores 1 month 🧴 Makes 350ml
Ingredients
  • ½ cup warm distilled water
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • ½ cup white vinegar
  • ½ cup Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 10–15 drops lemon essential oil
Method
  1. Dissolve salt completely in warm water
  2. In a separate bowl, combine vinegar, Sal Suds, and lemon juice
  3. Stir vinegar mixture into salt water until thickened
  4. Add essential oil and stir
  5. Pour into a recycled dish soap container
Kitchen

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

A dry powder detergent that uses only 2 tablespoons per load — making each batch last a very long time.

5 mins 🫙 Stores 6+ months 🧴 60+ loads
Ingredients
  • 1 cup salt
  • 2 cups baking soda
  • 2 cups Borax
  • 1 cup Lemi-Shine
  • White vinegar (for rinse aid compartment)
Method
  1. Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl
  2. Transfer to an airtight container
  3. Use 2 tablespoons per dishwasher load
  4. Keep white vinegar in the rinse aid compartment
Kitchen

Homemade Oven Cleaner

No fumes. No gloves. Just baking soda, water, and vinegar — left overnight to do the work so you barely have to scrub.

15 mins + overnight 🫙 Make fresh each time Easy
Ingredients
  • ½ cup baking soda
  • 2–3 tbsp water
  • ½ cup white vinegar (in spray bottle)
Method
  1. Mix baking soda and water into a spreadable paste
  2. Spread all over oven walls and door
  3. Leave overnight (8–12 hours)
  4. Spray vinegar over baking soda — it will foam
  5. Wipe clean with a damp cloth; rinse thoroughly
Drains & Pipes

Natural Drain Cleaner

Unclogs and deodorises slow drains with just baking soda and vinegar — no harsh chemicals that corrode your pipes over time.

5 mins + 1 hr wait 🫙 Make fresh each time Easy
Ingredients
  • ¼–½ cup baking soda
  • ¼ cup white vinegar
  • Boiling water (to finish)
Method
  1. Pour baking soda directly down the drain
  2. Follow immediately with white vinegar
  3. Let the bubbling mixture sit for 1 hour
  4. Flush with a full kettle of boiling water
  5. Repeat if needed for very stubborn clogs
Important note

"Never mix vinegar and castile soap directly — the acid deactivates the soap and leaves a curdled mess. Always use them separately or in recipes specifically designed to combine them (like the dish soap above, where salt stabilises the mixture)."