There are so many cleaning products out there that it can become overwhelming to choose the right one. Fortunately, you can avoid those conventional cleaning products, and clean your house using natural alternatives. 

Why you should make your own non-toxic cleaning products 

Provided by Eva Astoul

• Conventional cleaners are harmful to your health

The vast majority of conventional cleaners contain hazardous substances that humans shouldn’t be in contact with. 

When you use such products, the air inside of your home becomes polluted.

It accumulates these toxic chemicals that you are then breathing. 

Long-term use of these substances has been proved to cause asthma, allergic reactions, irritation, skin and eye issues, and can even lead to cancer. 

They can harm your immune system, your reproductive health and cause many other health conditions, like heart and lung diseases. 

And it’s important to mention that they’re even more dangerous to babies and children! 

Toxic cleaners are also believed to increase antibiotic resistance, which can bring many other health problems over time. 

• Conventional cleaners are polluting the Earth

When we use and dispose of conventional cleaners, we are unintentionally harming the planet.

Chemicals are poured down the drain and they end up in water streams and soil. They also contribute to polluting the air we breathe. 

Another point worth mentioning is that those cleaners are almost always packaged in plastic, or are disposable (like cleaning wipes). 

They’re often non-recyclable, so using them contributes to creating tons of waste.

And they end up in landfills, sitting there for hundreds of years! 

The production process of those cleaners is also contributing to global pollution.

Many contain chemicals that are petroleum-based, which is a non-renewable energy. 

And did you know that most of these products are tested on animals?!

• Other benefits of non-toxic homemade cleaning products

In addition to being healthy and good for the environment, natural homemade cleaners have other benefits! 

Conventional cleaners often serve a single purpose.

This means that you need to buy many products to clean your whole house. It can become expensive! 

On the other hand, only buying a few natural ingredients and creating homemade cleaning products is a lot cheaper and they work very well!

That’s a fantastic way to save money! 

It also means that your cupboards won’t be overflowing with countless products. You’ll have a lot more space in them!

So if you want to practice minimalism in your life and reap all its benefits, this is perfect for you! 

4 natural ingredients to use to clean your house

• White vinegar
• Baking soda
• Lemons
• Castile soap/Marsielle soap

6 simple recipes of homemade cleaning products that work very well 

Provided by Eva Astoul

• All-purpose cleaner 

This all-purpose cleaner will help you clean most things in your house. It’s great to remove dirt and sanitize surfaces! 

Take a spray bottle you already have, and fill it with equal parts water and white vinegar.

If you don’t like the smell of white vinegar, there’s a simple solution for that.

Add a few drops of your favorite essential oils! 

Or put a few citrus peels in the vinegar for 1 to 2 weeks. Then, remove the peels, and there you have a citrus-smelling vinegar! 

You can use this all-purpose cleaner everywhere, except on granite, stone, and marble surfaces.

• Dish soap

Castile soap is an amazing dishwashing liquid! 

Reuse a dishwashing liquid bottle, and mix one part water with four parts Castile soap. There you have it! 

These are fantastic zero waste essentials and you’ll be producing so much less waste in the kitchen! 

• Stovetop and oven cleaner

This cleaner works great to remove grease stains in the oven or on the stovetop! 

Take ¼ cup of baking soda and add a little bit of water to it, until you have a paste. Beware of not adding too much water, so do it slowly.

Apply the paste on the surface you want to clean, whether that is the stovetop or the oven, and let it sit for a few hours.

Then, scrub and clean the surface with a cloth. 

Such an easy homemade oven cleaner, without all the chemicals! 

• Microwave cleaner

Pour one cup of water into a bowl. Slice a lemon, squeeze its juice and add it to the water. 

Turn the microwave on for 3 minutes, and then, wait for a few more minutes without opening the door. 

The lemon water will create steam that will condense on the walls of the microwave. 

Wipe down the inside; everything should come out easily! 

• Toilet bowl cleaner

To create a toilet bowl cleaner that works, you’ll need to mix vinegar and baking soda. It will create an acid-base reaction.

This is perfect to kill germs and clean dirty surfaces like a toilet bowl! 

Sprinkle one cup of baking soda all around the toilet bowl. Add one cup of white vinegar.

Let it sit for at least ten minutes, and then scrub and flush the toilet. 

Creating a natural toilet cleaner means that you won’t be pouring down the drain toxic chemicals that will pollute water streams.

• Laundry detergent 

You need to grate a bar of Castile soap (or Marseille soap).

Add the soap shavings to a large pot of boiling water, and a tablespoon of baking soda to the solution. 

You can choose to add a tablespoon of washing soda to help remove stubborn stains but it is optional.

You may also want to add a few drops of essential oil to give your detergent a nice smell. 

Reuse an old detergent bottle and pour the final solution into it.