How to Make Your Home Cleaning Products

In today’s world of convenience and consumerism, natural remedies are not as frequently used as they once were. Natural home cleaning products are as effective and potent as the commonly available chemical products we use. They are cheap, can be made from day to day products and above all they are really beneficial when you don’t want your house to reek of chemicals all the time. Particularly helpful if you have a baby in your family because using such home products provides a healthier environment and minimum chemicals around your household while the baby is growing up.

Chemical products: Why avoid them?

The readily available chemical products that we use for keeping our house clean are more often than not manufactured with the aid of harmful chemicals which on extended exposure can cause health issues for people. There are a number of cleaning solutions which have elements in them which have been linked to pollution, health risks and have been deemed harmful and toxic in general like super-bug sprays. Many strong anti-bacterial cleaners have been found to have traces of contaminants which lead to thyroid damage, reproductive damage, hormonal damage and even cancer in some cases. Popular air fresheners have been linked with asthma and respiratory problems time and again. It is for these health hazards and also because of the cost-effectiveness that home cleaning products are gaining popularity gradually. Let us discuss a few alternative cleaning products you can make from day to day household things which cost you almost nothing but ensure a healthy and fresh environment.

Let us take a look at how to make some of the most effective but convenient home cleaning products.

Anti-Bacterial Cleaners
Anti-Bacterial chemical sprays are usually loaded with toxic products. To make your own anti-bacterial spray or your everyday disinfectant, mix water and vinegar in a 9:1 ratio where you combine 9 parts water with 1 part vinegar. Using this solution as a spray will act as a potent disinfectant and for better results spray the area with hydrogen peroxide after using this mixture to clean. Vinegar and hydrogen peroxide are both easily available and do not cost much. Moreover vinegar is a natural product and has to adverse health effects. Only precaution to be maintained here is to check beforehand if a cabinet or table surface is fading in color or reacting to the strong acidic nature of vinegar

Bathroom tile cleaner
Tile cleaners which are commercially sold in the market have been found to have traces of harmful contaminants and chemicals like benzene and toluene. Needless to say using chemicals to clean your home is not extremely hygienic and there are very effective substitutes that you can make yourself at home which are much less harmful but equally effective. Take half a cup of baking soda in a bowl and mix it with liquid soap stirring it till it reaches a frosting like consistency. Use this mixture with a sponge or half-cut lemon to scrub tiles and wash it off with water. This home product works like a charm and you can also mix 5-10 drops of scented essential oil like lavender, rosemary etc. to keep your bathroom fresh and fragrant.

Oven spills and stain cleaner
Mix 2 cups of hot water, 1 spoon full of natural liquid dish soap and a tablespoon of borax together into a solution. This combination is quite powerful when it comes to greasy spills and stains. Spray this mixture on to the spill and let the solution sit undisturbed for 20-30 minutes and then wipe off with a cloth using warm water. For extra messy spills, use a paper or cloth to wipe off the extra grease first before using this solution in the process mentioned.

Window cleaner
While the commercial window cleaners are commonly connected to respiratory problems and asthma, a very easy to make natural product cleans windows perfectly while keeping off harmful chemicals from being used in your household. In 4 cups of water, mix one teaspoon of natural dishwashing soap and half a cup of vinegar. Put these condiments in a spray bottle and use it to spray on windows and wipe clean using the rough end of regular kitchen sponge. To soak in little water puddles in between edges and base of window use a cotton cloth.

All-surface cleaner
A stronger version of vinegar and water mixture – this solution is an extremely potent home cleaning product. Mix 1 tablespoon of washing soda and 2 tablespoon of borax via a sieve in hot water. Then add 8 drops each of tea-tree oil, lavender oil, rosemary oil, tangerine oil and dishwashing liquid soap with hot water and mix again. Use this solution to clean any stains, spots or marks on furniture, floor or any surface. Ensure that you check the surface for any negative reactions to the mixture first.

Home-made Air freshener
Ironically, most air-fresheners readily available in market actually degrade the air in your home and release contaminants and potentially harmfully chemicals in the air that your breathe. Also a major cause of respiratory problems and asthma, these chemical-based air fresheners can be substituted by a home remedy which you can follow particularly for its effectiveness in removing kitchen odors. In a pot of water add 6-7 orange peels a couple of cinnamon sticks and cloves and bring this mixture to a boil. Once the water starts boiling, keep this mixture on simmer for a while in your kitchen. The room will soon be fragrant and any foul odor will be gone.

Laundry cleaner
The lather formed by laundry detergents are mostly made of artificial foaming agents and artificial fragrances which are infamously known for causing migraines or headaches. Instead, mix grated bar soap or soap flakes in equal proportions of borax and washing soda to make an equally strong home cleaning product. Keep this mixture stored in an airtight container and use around 1 teaspoon per load of clothes.

These are some natural home cleaning products which can be used instead of the chemical-based commercial products available in the market. These substitutes are not only easy to make, but also extremely eco-friendly, healthy and cost-efficient.