Vinegar and water go together like peanut butter and jelly when it comes to cleaning the house. So I say, why not ditch the nasty chemical and petroleum-based cleaners in your home and make your own eco-friendly products—take a look below at my top 7 DIY cleaning recipes using vinegar.
Reasons To Make Your Own DIY Cleaners
- There is less packaging waste. You are not buying new bottles over and over again.
- It is good for your wallet.
- It is less harmful or actually not harmful at all to humans, animals, and the environment.
- Homemade natural cleaners always smell better than store-bought.
Benefits of DIY Cleaner Ingredients
- White Vinegar: cuts grease, deodorizes, and disinfects
- Baking Soda: cuts grease, deodorizes, lifts dirt and whitens
- Essential oils: helps freshen the air and diffuses unwanted odours.
- Lemon juice: disinfects, and whitens
- Olive Oil: lifts dirt
- Castile Soap: cuts grease, and lifts dirt’
I pretty much use a homemade vinegar cleaner with water and lemon, and sometimes essential oils for everything! I'm lazy like that. I can’t be bothered to mix all the different ingredients and have zillions of bottles. Besides, I don't even need to…a vinegar and water cleaner works for just about everything!
Here are a few of my favorite DIY cleaners. Feel free to mix and match and change it up. Do what works for you.
7 DIY Cleaning Recipes Using Vinegar
Try a vinegar cleaning solution.
All-Purpose Cleaner
- 3 parts filtered water
- 1 part vinegar
- 1-2 tsp lemon juice
- 5-7 drops lemon essential oil or Thieves essential oil
Add to spray bottle and fill remaining amount with hot water.
Glass and Mirror
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 1/2 cup filtered water
- Spray and wipe with a cloth or skoy towel
OR
- just plain old filtered water
All-Purpose Non-Abrasive Scrubber (tubes, titles, sinks)
- 1/2 cup castile soap
- 1/2 cup filtered water
- 1/4 cup vinegar
Mix in a spray bottle and clean away.
Floor Cleaner
- 1 gallon of warm water (bucket)
- 2 Tbsp vinegar
- a small squeeze of castile soap
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- optional: 4 drops tea tree essential oil
Furniture Polish (test on wood before)
- 2 cups of filtered water
- 1Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp vinegar or lemon juice
- Mix in a spray bottle
Oven Cleaner
- 1 cup or more baking soda
- Filtered water
- A squirt or two of castile soap
Sprinkle water generously over the bottom of the oven. Cover the bottom of the oven with enough baking soda. Let it sit overnight to allow the grime to loosen. Wipe up. Add a little Castile soap on your rag to wash the remaining residue from the oven. If it doesn't work well, try adding more baking soda next time.
Stainless Steel Cleaner (removes smudges from stainless appliances)
- 1 Tbsp oil
- 1 Tbsp white vinegar
- Put oil on a cloth and rub on the surface to get rid of smudges. Dab white vinegar on the other side of the cloth. Wipe and let dry.
So there it is. Versatile, affordable, non-toxic homemade cleaning recipes! These vinegar cleaner recipes all make me smile knowing their positive impact on the environment.
After making your different cleaners, head over to GS-JJ.com (sponsored) to customize your waterproof stickers and put them on your bottles. This way, you will know exactly what cleaner you are using.
So, how about you add a little more green to your life and make the switch to cleaning with vinegar and water, too?
Thanks! Vinegar is the way to go!
Thanks for these “recipes”! I usually use vinegar alone for a lot of cleaning and deodorizing and wanted to also use baking soda but haven’t gotten around to it. Now I have everything in once place!! And I have to agree about vinegar being the best window cleaner!!!
Water and vinegar is great for windows! hanks mel for stopping by…AGAIN! Yay!
AGREED! I use vinegar and baking soda to clean EVERYTHING. Thanks for the other tips! I’ll have to try them.
Thanks! Vinegar and baking soda are a great combo! 🙂
Thanks for this. I have used vinegar a few times and then stopped for whatever reason, I am going to bookmark this post and start using it again!!
YAY~ You will wonder why you ever stopped! 🙂
This is a great post. My mother and I used vinegar for cleaning when I was young because we couldn’t afford fancy cleaning products. It worked just as well. In fact, we used apple cider vinegar instead of hair conditioner. Now that I have a baby, I am looking for more ways to save money and be better to the planet. Thank you for you blog.
I use apple cider vinegar in my hair too as well as baking soda…thats it, no shampoo! I
Great ideas! My husband is a vinegar junky and would really appreciate these.=) http://bellesbazaar-heather.blogspot.com/
Thanks Heather! 🙂
It is like magic! I use it in my laundry and even in my hair!
Thank you Belinda! 🙂
Great! Start with plan water and vinegar for cleaning!
Awesome! Thank you, Beth!
That’s great! Thank you! 🙂
Great recipes!! I can’t wait to try them out! I started using vinegar and baking soda a few years ago for my household cleaning and since then I’ve found there is nothing vinegar can’t do. I’m still shocked.
Vinegar does more than just clean! 🙂
I really need to start making some of these homemade cleaning solutions. Thanks for sharing all the recipes.
Stumbled your post. Mine is at http://daybydayinourworld.com/2011/08/crazy-biker-boys/
Thank you. You should try a few of the recipes! So easy, fun and healthy!
Thanks for the recipes! I also use those free newspapers that come in the mailbox to rub over my windows when I’m done cleaning… if you let them dry you can still recycle them in other ways.
You are so welcome! I have never used newspaper before for cleaning windows, But I hear it does fantastic job!
This is a an awesome post! I can’t wait to try out some of these cleaners. I love essential oils too!
Thanks for the follow…I am following back! Have a great week!
Thank you!:)
There are so many ways and it’s cheaper….bonus!
Vinegar is my favorite mixed with water!
Coffe pot….great idea!
Where do you buy your liquid castile soap? – I love using Calendula Oil!
Dropping by via Stop and Stumble!
Would you please return the favor?
http://www.libslibrary.com/2011/08/dancin-in-streets-jman.html
I buy it at my health food store! Most health food stores carry Dr.Bronners!
Great post! I’m a big fan of vinegar, I never thought of using apple cider & baking soda on my hair, I’ll have to try it. Thanks for the tips!
Thanks, Kelly! Let me know how it works out if you decided to try it!
Thanks for stopping by! 🙂