7 DIY Green Cleaning Products You Must Try: Natural, Eco-friendly and Zero-Waste
Updated: Dec 11, 2020
Many of us already know that commercially available household cleaning products are not only full of doubtful toxic ingredients but are also responsible for significant amount of plastic waste. Ideally we would like to get rid of them all and swap for eco-friendly alternatives. But easier said than done, right?
Luckily, making your own natural cleaning products couldn't be any easier. Did I mention that they are also zero-waste?! Most of the recipes listed below contain basic ingredients such as vinegar or utilise leftover ingredients such as citrus peels. They are extremely cost-effective, safe and only take a couple of minutes to make. These 7 DIY green cleaning products are the must try!
1. All Purpose Lavender & Rosemary Infused Cleaner
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Once you try this recipe, you won't be able to come back to commercial cleaning sprays. This natural cleaner is not only extremely good for removing any stain or dirt residue but it smells truly amazing... and the best part is that you can be as creative as you wish. Citrus peels leftovers would work wonders too! The main ingredient, vinegar, is known to kill not only bacteria but viruses and even mould! Meaning it is more than sufficient for your households cleaning needs.
HOW TO:
Place 1 cup of lavender flowers + a few sprigs of rosemary into a jar of your choice (depending on the size of jar you used, you may need to add more than these measurements). Fill your jar with about 2 cups of vinegar, give it a good stir and seal with a lid. Allow to sit for 1-2 weeks. Once it’s finished sitting, dilute with equal parts of water. Your green cleaning products journey has now officially started!
Disclaimer: Whilst this cleaner is suitable for most surfaces- high concentrations of vinegar can damage wood and marble overtime, unless diluted with water as advised.
2. Natural Laundry Detergent Powder
Made out of only 4 ingredients, extremely cost-effective, eco-friendly and kind to your skin. Simply combine all the ingredients listed below. Use 1-2 tablespoons per load, wash as usual. Safe to store for up to a year! Just as convenient, right? Not only sustainable, but now also an elegant decoration element in your laundry room. Not sure, what about you, but I absolutely LOVE this display by @fromevelynshear!
INGREDIENTS:
-3 cups of washing soda
-1 cup of baking soda
-1/2 cup of grated Castile soap
-10-15 drops of essential oil of your choice
3. DIY WASHING UP LIQUID (SOAP RESIDUE FREE)
This diy green washing up liquid is another quick yet effective green swap that anyone can make at home... saving all the plastic bottle waste in the mean time. Simply mix all the four ingredients and transfer to a bottle with a pump dispenser.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup of liquid Sal Sud soap
- 1 cup of water
- 2 teaspoons of baking soda
- 15-20 drops of essential oil of your choice (grapefruit or tea tree oils work great as they are also antibacterial!)
4. DIY Shower Spray Cleaner (vinegar free)
Easy to make shower cleaner for those of you that don't like the smell of vinegar. This green cleaner is great for showers with a glass shower screen and can be used on enamel as well. All you need is: borax, citric acid and essential oil of your choice.
HOW TO:
Boil 500ml of water and let cool down for about 10 mins. Add 2 tablespoons of borax and 1 tablespoon of citric acid. * Important to do it slowly as otherwise it will bubble up like a volcano! Mix well until dissolved. Lastly add 20 drops essential oil - optional. Transfer into a spray bottle.
5. DIY Plastic-free Dishwasher Powder and Tablets
Great green alternative to the conventional dishwasher powder. It could be used both as a powder OR turn it into tablets. All you need is 1 cup of baking soda, 1/4 cup of citric acid, 1 tablespoon of sal sud soap, 10 drops of essential oils and silicone moulds (if decided to go with the tablet option).
HOW TO:
Combine all dry ingredients in a glass bowl. Add the Castile soap in slowly and mix while adding it in. The mixture will foam as you add the Castile soap, but that’s normal, just keep mixing until it’s all incorporated. Then add the essential oils and mix one more time. Let it sit for ten minutes to let the foaming calm down. Your texture should look similar to wet sand after the ten minutes.
At this point, you can pop it into molds OR keep as a powder! To keep the powder from turning into a solid rock of detergent, make sure that you’re stirring the detergent about every 30 minutes until the mixture is completely dry. Once it’s dry, transfer to air tight container. Use 2-3 tablespoons per wash.
6. DIY Reusable Wet Wipes
These reusable natural wet wipes are real life saver and not only when travelling. Since they are made using only natural ingredients, they could be used on various surfaces as well as body parts. Best diy reusable baby wet wipes.
HOW TO:
Prepare the mixture of: small cup of previously boiled water, teaspoon of coconut oil, teaspoon of natural soap of your choice, 4 drops of essential oil of your choice. Soak little cotton rounds in the mixture, roll them up and squeeze into an empty soap tin, then close with a lid ready to go.
7. DIY Natural Scent Room Spray
Not an entirely "green cleaning product", however, this recipe is perfect for anyone looking for everything refresher but is trying to move away from synthetic and toxic substances in their household. All you need is an unflavoured vodka, rose water and essential oils of your choice.
HOW TO:
Simply combine 1 tablespoon of unflavoured vodka, 3 tablespoons of rose water (alternatively filtered H2O) and 15-20 drops of your favourite essential oils (some amazing combinations include juniper berry, peppermint, jasmine, and a bit of lavender. Transfer into a spray bottle. Fresh and relaxing!
Being green doesn't have to be difficult, time-consuming OR expensive, right? I hope this article gave you some inspiration to upper your green cleaning routine for a more natural and sustainable home.
What are your favourites? Have you tried any of them before? Make sure to let us know!
Much love,
Nicole
