Keeping a clean home doesn’t have to cost a lot of money, despite what advertisers may try to tell you! These 5 thrifty homemade cleaner recipes are so quick and easy to mix up and you probably have all the ingredients on hand. You’ll be cleaning your way to savings.
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Before I started my frugal living journey, the thought never even occurred to me to make my own cleaners. I’m probably one of the “soggiest” people out there, so it literally never crossed my mind. It wasn’t until I started reading articles on how to save money that I decided to give it a try. It turns out, I love using a good homemade cleaner!
I have grown to love homemade cleaners for two main reasons:
First, they are CHEAP! My favorite homemade cleaner recipes use really affordable ingredients that are commonly found around the house.
Second, I don’t have to remember to buy them. By making my cleaners at home, I don’t have to keep track of when I am getting low or when I need to buy more. At this point in my life, one less thing I have to remember to buy at the store is GREAT NEWS!
Now that I’ve covered why I enjoy making my own cleaners, let’s jump into the homemade cleaner recipes!!
HOMEMADE ALL PURPOSE CLEANER
- 1-1/4 C. water
- ½ C. white vinegar
- 10 drops essential oil (optional)
Mix in spray bottle. Spray on surfaces and wipe clean. Do not use on marble or granite. I use this for most everything, just as the name implies.
HOMEMADE GLASS CLEANER
- ¼ C. white vinegar
- ¼ C. rubbing alcohol
- 1 T. corn starch
- 2 C. warm water
Mix together in spray bottle. Shake before use as corn starch settles. Spray on surface and wipe clean. I was hesitant about trying this recipe at first because I was sure it would leave streaks, but it does not!!
HOMEMADE TUB & TILE CLEANER
- 1 part blue Dawn
- 1 part white vinegar
Pour into spray bottle. Spray on surface, scrub, and rinse. Let it sit before scrubbing, to remove tougher soap scum. When I don’t keep up with my shower ritual, soap scum can build up quickly, but this cleaner works really well.
HOMEMADE DISINFECTANT
- 1 part water
- 1 part rubbing alcohol
Mix in spray bottle. Spray on surface and let air dry. One thing to consider is that cleaners don’t always disinfect. I use this disinfectant whenever I want to make sure surfaces are germ free, such as counters or cutting boards.
HOMEMADE WOOD FLOOR CLEANER
- 2 T. white vinegar
- 2 C. water
- 10 drops essential oil (optional)
- Splash of alcohol (optional)
Mix in spray bottle. Spray on floor and mop up with dry mop or wipe with clean cloth.
These are my very favorite thrifty homemade cleaner recipes for my household! I have messy kids with lots of germs, so I use these every single day. I still buy some cleaning products (ahem….Barkeeper’s Friend…love that stuff!), but these are my main one right now.
I’m sharing my FREE homemade cleaner recipe printable if you are interested in getting started too. I keep a copy of this printable in my homemaking binder so it’s ready when I need to mix up some more. Speaking of homemaking binders, check out this printable pack if you need a homemaking binder for yourself. This printable could slip right in there!
I’m with you – I NEVER thought about making my own cleaning supplies until recently. The only issue I have is the smell of vinegar sometimes lingers. Last time I diffused essential oils in each room after I cleaned and it seemed to help.
You bring up a good point with the vinegar. It isn’t my favorite, but at some point, I do want to get my hands on some essential oils and try to put them in the cleaners. Using a diffuser is a great option too! Have a great day, Aimee! –Sarah 🙂
Sarah, you’ve convinced me to give homemade cleaners another try! I tried using water and vinegar before (thanks to Pinterest), but the smell was awful. I’ll have to try it again with essential oil. Also, I really want to try that tub and tile recipe!
Oh, I hope the essential oils will help! I know the vinegar can be a big turnoff, but the oils should definitely help!