Homemade Cleaning Products: What You Should Know Before You DIY

Homemade cleaning products may be cheaper and non-toxic. But don’t forget to check the ingredients before diving headlong into the wonderful world of DIY cleaning supplies.

Homemade Cleaning Products: 4 Tips To Be A Pro DIYer

Homemade cleaning products are cheaper and more environment-friendly than store-bought options. Most of the main ingredients can also be found in your kitchen cupboards, such as vinegar and baking soda, that earn top marks as cooking ingredients and cleaners. Before you start mixing your own household cleaning products, it’s good to take note of the following:

1. Know Your Ingredients

Homemade cleaning products require a bit of science because being informed of how certain ingredients react to each other is important. For example, did you know that vinegar and bleach, if mixed, can damage your respiratory system? Some mixtures can also cause burns, such is the case of putting together hydrogen peroxide and vinegar. Yikes! So do your research, be informed, and begin by making only small quantities at first.

2. Different Cleaning Agents For Different Surfaces

It’s never a one mixture cleans all when it comes to household cleaning products. Baking soda, while it works amazing as a cleaning agent, can actually scratch marble if it isn’t used properly. Some homemade cleaners have ruined the wax of hardwood floors as well. Also, even if vinegar works great at cleaning stainless steel, you’d want to put it away when working with aluminum or cast iron surfaces.

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3. Cleaning Vs. Disinfecting 

The main difference between the two is this: cleaning involves getting rid of dirt, while disinfecting is all about killing germs. To be honest, there’s not much research available on whether or not homemade cleaners are able to disinfect as well as we’d like them to. But if you’d prefer, you can opt for store-bought environment-friendly cleaners as a way to get the best of both worlds.

4. Tips For Homemade Cleaning Products

Once you’re more informed with homemade cleaning products, you can start making batches of your own.

Here are three tips to help you begin:

• Damp microfiber is your best bet when it comes to wiping off dust and dirt.
• Essential oils like jasmine and lemon can add a refreshing and relaxing smell in homemade cleaners.
• If you’re not a fan of vinegar, use vodka as a substitute. Mix together equal parts of vodka and water and a few drops of your favorite essential oils to make an air freshener and efficient shower spray.

Save money and keep clean with these 5 homemade cleaning products you can make today:

Homemade cleaning products are gems, especially once you’ve gotten the hang of making them. Soon, you’ll be mixing and using DIY products for all your cleaning supplies. That’s what happened to me and I for one, can’t be any happier.

Let us know if you’re a homemade cleaning products pro or if you’re just starting out by leaving us a comment below!

Did you know you can make homemade bath supplies too? Read this to learn all about DIY bath salt!

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Editor’s Note – This post was originally published in February 2016 and has been updated for quality and relevancy