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Key Takeaways
- Making your own homemade natural cleaning products is easier than you might think.
- DIY cleaners aren’t expensive to make and work just as well as store-bought cleaners.
- You know exactly what ingredients are going into your cleaning products, making them a much safer option.
If you’ve been around here for a while, you know I’m all about making simple swaps that are better for our homes and our families. All without spending a fortune or feeling overwhelmed. And honestly? Switching to homemade natural cleaning products was one of the easiest eco-friendly swaps I’ve ever made.
I have to admit I was skeptical at first. Would a DIY cleaner actually cut through grease? Would it leave my bathroom smelling fresh without a bunch of harsh chemicals? Spoiler alert—yes, and yes! These are the homemade natural cleaning products I actually use in my own home, and I’m so excited to share them with you today.
Whether you’re just starting your non-toxic living journey or you’re looking to swap out that last bottle of store-bought cleaner under your sink, you’re in the right place. Let’s keep it simple, budget-friendly, and effective. Because that’s how we do things around here!
My Favorite Homemade Natural Cleaning Products
All-Purpose Cleaner
One of the very first homemade natural cleaning products I swapped out was my all-purpose cleaner. Once I learned that most store-bought all-purpose cleaners contain ingredients that can irritate your skin, eyes, and lungs with repeated use, I knew I didn’t want them in my house anymore.
And that fresh, clean scent you love? It often comes from “fragrance,” a little word on the label that can legally represent dozens of undisclosed chemicals, some of which are linked to allergies and hormone disruption. Not exactly what I want lingering on my kitchen counters!
So, I learned how to make my own all-purpose cleaner using no chemicals. It’s a simple recipe of white vinegar and water. (Vinegar contains acetic acid, which can dissolve mineral deposits, dirt, and grease, and can even kill some bacteria.)
I also add essential oils to my homemade all-purpose cleaner. Here are my favorites to use for cleaning:
Tea Tree: Tea Tree essential oil is antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal, which helps kill germs. The woodsy scent is a little strong, so only a few drops will work just fine.
Lemon: Lemon essential oil is antibacterial and a natural degreaser, which makes it great for cutting through kitchen grime. And the bright, fresh scent also leaves your home smelling clean without any fake, chemical fragrance.
Lavender: Lavender essential oil is antibacterial and calming, which makes it a nice choice for bathrooms and bedrooms. The soft floral scent is gentle enough to use generously without overwhelming the room.
Eucalyptus: Eucalyptus essential oil is antibacterial and antiviral, which makes it especially helpful during cold and flu season. The scent is strong and minty-fresh, so a few drops go a long way.
Homemade all-purpose cleaner recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup white vinegar
2 cups water
10-15 drops essential oil of your choice
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a spray bottle and shake to mix well. Spray on surfaces and wipe clean. (Shake to mix before every use.)
Floor Cleaner
I never thought twice about what I was using to mop my floors with until I was reading an email recently that asked what my dogs were licking off the floor. The email went on to talk about the chemicals our pets are ingesting every time they eat something we drop on the floor. (Or lick the floor for whatever reason because dogs are weird.)
Of course, I grabbed the floor cleaner I had been using for years to check the list of ingredients. I couldn’t even pronounce half the words, much less know what they were!
And since I walk around barefoot all the time, I also started to think about how those chemicals are being absorbed into my family’s bodies, both through our feet and into our lungs.
I decided that I would do some research and start making my own homemade floor cleaner. And wouldn’t you know it—the base for the best and safest floor cleaner recipe is just vinegar and water!
Homemade floor cleaner recipe
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup vinegar
1/8 cup rubbing Alcohol
1/8 tsp dish Soap
5-10 drops essential oil (optional)
Instructions:
Mix ingredients in a bucket, bowl, or spray bottle and use to clean most floors.
For hardwood floors, use:
2 cups water
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 tsp dish soap
5-10 drops essential oil (I love to use lemon!)
Toilet Cleaner
Cleaning the toilet isn’t exactly my favorite chore. Especially since there’s a man in the house. (If you know, you know!) Plus, I used to think only a cleaner with bleach was the only type of cleaner you could use to clean the toilet. But bleach is toxic to pets and can cause respiratory issues, especially in children, because their lungs are still developing.
Since I can’t use bleach and I don’t want to use it around my daughter or pets, I decided to look for alternatives. In the cleaning subscription box from Simply Earth, there was a recipe for Sprinkle & Sparkle Toilet Cleaner. I made the recipe and loved it! It’s so easy to make, gets my toilet sparkling clean, and smells great!
Homemade toilet cleaner recipe:
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons citric acid
1/2 teaspoon SCI powder
36 drops lemon essential oil
18 drops Energy essential oil blend
6 drops oregano essential oil
2 tablespoons baking soda
You’ll also need a 2-ounce jar, and you may want a face mask. (SCI powder is very fine and can cause sneezing or coughing if inhaled while mixing.)
Instructions:
With your facemask on, gently mix the dry ingredients in a jar. Once mixed, add the essential oils and stir until evenly combined.
To use:
Sprinkle 1 tablespoon into the toilet bowl and scrub with a toilet brush.
Laundry Soap
When my daughter was little, she broke out with a rash on her arms and legs, which I finally realized was coming from the laundry detergent I was using. I switched detergents immediately. However, it wasn’t until within the past 5 years or so that I realized how bad commercial laundry detergent really is for our health. (And our laundry!)
For instance, a lot of popular scented laundry detergents may be packed with carcinogens. A study found that these chemicals can even go up through your dryer vent, spreading toxins throughout your home. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to have to worry about that!
During my research for homemade laundry soap, I kept coming across soap nuts, which are berries that grow on trees in India and Nepal. They contain saponin in their shells, and when they come in contact with water, it creates a natural, gentle detergent. (I wonder what it looks like under those trees when it rains?)
You can put a few soap nuts in a small cloth bag and put them in your washing machine. But I decided to make them last a little longer by using them to make my own natural liquid homemade laundry detergent.
Homemade natural liquid laundry detergent recipe:
Ingredients:
1 cup soap nuts (I purchased mine from Azure)
4 cups water
1/2 cup organic distilled white vinegar (vinegar acts as a natural preservative)
Essential oils (optional)
Instructions:
Pour all the ingredients into a large pot. Bring to a low boil, then reduce temperature to medium-low heat to simmer with the lid on for 30 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to mash and stir the berries occasionally.
Once the 30 minutes are up, remove the lid and continue to simmer at low heat for an extra 30 minutes to remove excess water, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat. Using a mesh strainer, strain the liquid into a glass bowl and let cool. Once it’s cool, you can add essential oils if you’d like. Pour the detergent into a water-tight jar for storage. (I used a mason jar.)
(Optional Step) You can reuse the soap nuts for another small batch by adding another 4 cups water, simmering an additional 30 minutes, and adding the new batch of strained liquid to the previous batch.
To Use:
Use 2 tablespoons per regular load. Use 3-4 tablespoons for heavily soiled loads and add 1-2 tablespoons borax powder to the wash.
Pretreat tough spots.
Foaming Hand Soap
Hand soap is another one of my favorite homemade natural cleaning products. It’s super easy to make too. And if you want it scented, you can add any essential oils of your choice.
Homemade foaming hand soap recipe:
Ingredients:
1/4 cup Castille soap
water
essential oils (optional)
Instructions:
Pour Castille soap into a glass jar with a foaming soap pump dispenser, and slowly add warm water. Add 15-20 drops essential oils. Put the lid on the jar and swirl gently to mix.
Carpet Freshener
This carpet freshener recipe not only makes the room smell nice, it can also disinfect, act as a rodent deterrent, and kill fleas and their eggs.
Ingredients:
2 cups Borax
1 cup baking soda
10 drops essential oil
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Pour and store in an airtight container. When ready to use, sprinkle on carpet, let sit about 30 minutes, and vacuum as usual.
Final Thoughts
As you can see from this list of my favorite homemade natural cleaning products, making your own chemical-free products is easy and can actually save you money. The biggest thing to remember is to start small. Make one swap, then another later. Don’t try to do everything at once. I would start with the all-purpose cleaner and go from there.
FAQs
What is the best natural cleaning product for your home?
If you could only stock one natural cleaning ingredient, make it white distilled vinegar. It’s a natural antibacterial, antifungal, and deodorizer, and it costs next to nothing. A close second is baking soda, which works as a gentle scrub and deodorizer on almost every surface. Together, these two cover the majority of your everyday cleaning needs. Add a bottle of castile soap, and you’ve basically got a complete natural cleaning kit for just a few dollars.
Do baking soda and vinegar actually clean stuff?
Good question! There’s a bit of a plot twist with this one. Baking soda and vinegar each clean wonderfully on their own, but when you mix them together, they mostly just cancel each other out. Baking soda is a base and vinegar is an acid, so combining them creates a fizzy reaction that neutralizes both. What you’re left with is essentially salty water—not much cleaning power there!
So use them separately. Sprinkle baking soda on a surface to scrub, then spray with vinegar to rinse. Or use one at a time, depending on the job. Either way, they’re both incredibly effective. Just not as a team.
Can I use essential oils in my cleaning products? Do they actually disinfect?
Yes, and yes! Essential oils like tea tree, lavender, lemon, eucalyptus, and thyme have real antibacterial and antifungal properties. Tea tree oil, especially, is well-known for its disinfecting ability, and lemon is great for cutting grease.
That said, essential oils work best as a supporting ingredient alongside a true cleaner like castile soap or hydrogen peroxide. They boost cleaning power and add a lovely, natural scent. But on their own, they’re not strong enough to replace a disinfectant in high-germ areas like toilets or raw meat surfaces.
A few things to keep in mind: essential oils are highly concentrated, so a little goes a long way. And if you have pets, especially cats, some oils (like tea tree and eucalyptus) can be harmful to them, so you should always do a quick check before mixing up a batch.
Do homemade natural cleaners work as well as store-bought ones?
For everyday cleaning? Yes. For tough messes, grime buildup, and soap scum? With the right recipe, yes, and often just as well. The biggest difference isn’t really cleaning power; it’s that natural cleaners typically don’t contain synthetic fragrances, harsh solvents, or ingredients that linger on surfaces your family touches every day.
The key is using the right natural cleaner for the right job. Vinegar on glass gives you streak-free shine. A baking soda paste handles stubborn tub grime. Hydrogen peroxide disinfects bathroom surfaces. Once you learn which ingredient does what, you’ll wonder why you ever paid $6 for a spray bottle that’s mostly water and synthetic chemicals anyway.
