The Cheapskate’s Guide to Making Cleaning Products That Won’t Kill You
By Daisy Luther
One of my favorite parts of spring is scrubbing down the entire house, throwing open the windows so the breeze can come through, and hanging rugs and bedding outside. Maybe it’s weird but I just love spring cleaning. However, what I don’t love is the expensive, chemical-laden cleaning products from the store. That’s why I spend some time making my own, from simple, non-toxic ingredients.
Many of the chemicals that we are exposed to on a daily basis never leave our bodies, but accumulate in fat and bone marrow. There’s little oversight and testing on those chemicals. We’re living in a toxic civilization that seems sparkling clean and sanitary, but is actually poisoning us.
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Cleaning products are rife with corrosive substances, irritating artificial fragrances, and petrochemicals. They can cause immediate symptoms like skin irritation, respiratory issues, allergic reactions, and eye irritation. Even worse, they can cause long-term issues like hormone disruption, brain cell death, permanent lung damage, and cancer. (You can learn more about the potential dangers of cleaning products in this article.)
It’s quick, frugal, and easy to make non-toxic cleaning products.
I order most of my basic supplies online in bulk and keep them on hand so I can always whip them up as needed. Not only are you sparing your health, but you’ll save a lot of money with DIY products!
Here’s what you need for a clean home:
- Baking Soda (Save lots of money by buying it in bulk
)
- Borax
- Vinegar
- Essential oils in your favorite scents
- Dr. Bronner’s liquid Castille soap
in your favorite scent
- Non-smelly cooking oil (I get something inexpensive for this, since we won’t be consuming it)
You can make everything you need from those items.
5 DIY Cleaning Product Recipes
Scouring powder:
- 1 part baking soda
- 1 part borax
- Essential oil of choice
In a mason jar, mix the baking soda with the borax. Sprinkle in some essential oil. (I like citrus or mint smells for the fresh clean fragrance.) Combine the mixture well, and put it in a sunny windowsill for a week to let the powders absorb the scent of the oils. If you aren’t concerned about the fragrance you can use this right away.
Spray surface cleaner #1:
- 2 parts white vinegar
- 1 part water
- Essential oil of choice
Fill a spray bottle with white vinegar and water. Add your favorite essential oils to cover the vinegar smell. This works on non-wood surfaces and glass.
Spray surface cleaner #2:
This one is good for wood surfaces. Mix this up as you go along, because the oil can go rancid.
- 3 parts unscented cooking oil
- 1 part vinegar
- Essential oil of choice
Yes, basically, it’s salad dressing. I like to add sandalwood essential oil to this because it’s…well, woody. Lots of folks use citrus oil to get that lemon fresh fragrance. Spray this on wooden furniture and work with the grain.
Hardwood floor cleaner:
Your hardwoods will gleam with this cleaner. If you use it on laminate it will be slippery. This is only for real wood floors.
- 16 parts hot water
- 1 part cooking oil
- 1/2 part lemon or lime juice
- Citrus essential oil
Other floor cleaner:
- 16 parts hot water
- 1 part borax
- 1/2 part Dr. Bronner’s Castille soap
- A few drops of tea tree essential oil
- A few drops of other essential oil for fragrance
If your floor is particularly greasy you can replace half of the water with white vinegar.
Resources:
- Find more natural household product recipes here
- 50-pound bag of baking soda
- Essential oils
- Dr. Bronner’s liquid Castille soap
Daisy Luther lives in a small village in the Pacific Northwestern area of the United States. She is the author of The Organic Canner, The Pantry Primer: How to Build a One Year Food Supply in Three Months, and the soon-to-be-released The Prepper’s Water Survival Guide: Harvest, Treat, and Store Your Most Vital Resource. On her website, The Organic Prepper, where this article first appeared. Daisy uses her background in alternative journalism to provide a unique perspective on health and preparedness, and offers a path of rational anarchy against a system that will leave us broke, unhealthy, and enslaved if we comply. Daisy’s articles are widely republished throughout alternative media. You can follow her on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter,.
