5 Fabulous ( and Cheap) DIY Cleaners or Your Cleanest Home EVER

8 Materials
Tired of having so many different cleaners for cleaning the house? Motivated to cut down on cleaning products and reduce toxic chemical use, I turned to my pantry and cupboards to make my own cleaning products.
With just a few basic ingredients, and for a fraction of the cost, I cut my cleaning tool kit down to 5 main cleaning products:
  1. All Purpose Cleaner
  2. Rug & Carpet Deodorizer
  3. Granite Cleaner
  4. Stainless Steel Cleaner
  5. Room & Linen Spray
All Purpose Cleaner: Mix distilled water, a couple of drops of dish liquid and several drops of your favorite essential oil ( I prefer Tea Tree disinfecting properties) for an all purpose cleaner to use on kitchen and bathroom surfaces.
Just spray, let sit, then wipe. This works on countertops, tubs, showers and even the toilet.
Carpet Deodorizer: Mix about a cup of baking soda mixed with  10 drops each of Lavender and Purification to make a sweet smelling carpet deodorizer. You can use it on upholstery and mattresses, too. Bonus Uses: shine your sink, deodorize the garbage disposal
Sprinkle the deodorizer over the surface, let sit at least 15 minutes, then vacuum.
Granite Cleaner: Add 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol and a few drops of dish soap and distilled water to a spray bottle for granite cleaner. Spray and wipe your counters to reveal a super shiny granite.
Watch to learn how to make the granite cleaner and see it in action!Tip: Never use anything acidic on granite or it will cause etching.
Stainless Steel Cleaner: This stainless steel cleaner is just distilled water and a few drops of dish soap. Spray your appliance, then buff dry to reveal streak free stainless steel that shines like glass! The reflection is like glass!
Room & Linen Spray: Combine distilled water, a little Vodka and your favorite essential oil to use as a room & linen spray. Bonus Use: soak cotton balls with spray and place in smelly shoes or anywhere you need to remove unwanted odors.
And that's what's in my DIY Cleaning Kit! Visit Mrs. Hines' Class to get step by step instructions for each DIY Cleaner plus 4 more cleaning hacks that make cleaning fun! And Sign Up for the SPRING CLEAN WITH ME Challenge!
Suggested materials:
  • Distilled water   (if you have hard water)
  • Glass spray bottles   (Amazon, Grove.co or Whole Foods)
  • Dish liquid   (grocery store)
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Sharon E. Hines
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Frequently asked questions
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  3 questions
  • Kathy Lovenburg Kathy Lovenburg on Mar 31, 2017

    Great ideas! My question is why distilled water versus tap water?

  • Norma Norma on Mar 31, 2017

    What is the vodka for!!??

  • Ruth Ruth on May 06, 2017

    How to clean grease and grime from oak or wooden cabinets?

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  • Rose Tovey Rose Tovey on Apr 24, 2017

    It could work on glass but if it is very spotty I use World's Best glass cleaner from Lowe's or Home Depot. Lives up to its name. And Spot Shot in a blue and orange spray can (Kroger) for spots on the carpet. I buy the Equate pads (like Tucks, Walmart) to use on dirty baseboards. Sometimes chemicals do make the job quick and easy.

  • Mary G. Witman Mary G. Witman on Feb 18, 2019

    Please be aware most essential oils are toxic to cats!!!! They do not even have to come in contact with them to have a reaction… Just breathing in the smell from the oil’s can cause a problem for your cat… Cats bodies do not process essential oil’s like ours do… Or even like dogs do…It’s not worth the risk!

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