Lately, the shelves of cleaning isles have been pretty bare due to the high demand for cleaning products during the Covid-19 pandemic, but don't sweat it, we'll guide you on how you can make your own cleaners (that work miracles!) with simple ingredients you may already have in your home!
KEY INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED:
Blue Dawn Dish Soap: neutral pH, a mild soap that lifts off dirt and grime, gentle and safe on essentially every surface
Distilled White Vinegar: mild disinfectant, grease cutter, glass cleaner, de-scaler
Hydrogen Peroxide: naturally occurring bleach, uses oxygen to break bonds between dirt and bacteria and the surface they are on. An amazing disinfectant, stain remover and natural whitener.
Rubbing Alcohol: at least 65% USP in order for it to qualify as a disinfectant, can be mixed with water
Distilled Water: minerals and contaminants have been removed (optional--you can use regular tap water)
Optional: your favorite essential oil (some of our favorites include lemon, citrus, and peppermint) to give your home a little aromatherapy, energizing boost
1. TUB SHOWER CLEANER
Ingredients:
1 part Blue Dawn Dish Soap
1 part Distilled White Vinegar
How to Make:
Heat up vinegar in a microwave-safe bowl for 1 minute
Poor heated vinegar into your spray bottle and add equal parts of Blue Dawn Dish Soap to the bottle. Shake well.
Optional: add 10 drops of your favorite essential oil
Tips: If the solution seems too thick or soapy, then you can use 2 parts vinegar and 1 part blue dawn dish soap. Also, if you are adding essential oils, it is best to have the solution mixed in a glass bottle so the oil doesn't break down as quickly.
DO NOT USE on natural stone, marble, or other porous surfaces
2. ALL-PURPOSE SPRAY
Ingredients:
Distilled Water
2 tsp Blue Dawn Dish Soap
How to Make:
Fill your spray bottle with Distilled Water (or regular water) about 3 quarters of the way full.
Add 2 tsp of Blue Dawn Dish Soap. Shake well.
Tips: This solution is gentle enough to use on pretty much everything! We like to have it in one of our mister bottles to use on areas that don't require much solution, such as cupboards.
3. STAIN REMOVER
Ingredients:
Hydrogen Peroxide
Blue Dawn Dish Soap
Optional: Baking Soda
How to Make:
Add 2 parts Hydrogen Peroxide to 1 part Blue Dawn Dish Soap. Shake well.
Tips: This is a game-changer for removing stains. Simply spray on stain, rub it in (you can use baking soda to add a bit of abrasion if needed), then rinse it out. It can also be used as a pre-treatment before washing the clothes. Test in an inconspicuous area first as the hydrogen peroxide may discolor.
4. DISINFECTANT
Ingredients:
Distilled Water
Rubbing Alcohol
How to Make:
Add 1 part Distilled Water to 1 part Rubbing Alcohol in spray bottle. Shake well.
Tips: Note that disinfecting does not mean cleaning. You must first thoroughly clean the surface (removing dirt, grime, buildup) and then you can use this spray to disinfect (remove bacteria & germs) Use only a small amount where required, such as high-touch surfaces like light switches, your phone case, etc.
5. GLASS CLEANER
Ingredients:
Distilled Water
Distilled White Vinegar
How to Make:
Add 1 part Distilled Water to 1 part Distilled White Vinegar in a spray bottle. Shake well.
Tips: Use to clean windows and mirrors with a glass cleaning cloth, mircrofiber cloth, or paper towel. The smell of vinegar dissipates quickly, but we still recommend adding a few drops of essential oils.
SOME GENERAL TIPS
Label your bottles with a label maker or easel tape + permanent marker and use different shapes, sizes, and/or colors of bottles to make identifying easier
Use clean triggers and bottles only! You don't want to mix chemicals from an old product into your solutions
Only make enough for 1-2 months then use it. The DIY cleaners do not have the same stabilizers that are in store-bought products, so their shelf-life is shorter.
Never mix a recipe without knowing if it's safe to mix ingredients --- some things you should not mix together! Always be smart and safe :)