12 Non-Toxic Homemade Cleaners You Can DIY

From mirrors to toilets, these recipes can be used to keep you house feeling fresh, clean and germ-free.

By Tinybeans Team August 16, 2021

Photo: Photo by CDC on Unsplash

If you are tired of buying toxic chemicals to clean your home, you can easily DIY homemade cleaners using the recipes below.

Non-Toxic Cleaners for the Bathroom

1. DIY Hand Soap
With the current pandemic raising havoc worldwide, I always do everything humanly possible to keep my kids safe. This means preparing an effective and non-toxic hand soap for them to use every day when they come home from school or after using the toilet.

For non-toxic hand soap, you need to fill 25% of the soap dispenser with liquid or grated castile soap and then top it up with water. Mix it well and place it in the bathroom for everyone to use after visiting the toilet or getting home.

2. Disinfectant
Despite being where we clean our bodies, the bathroom floors are prone to bacteria infestations; therefore, Eco Peanut recommends that you disinfect them regularly. And being an environmentally conscious parent, you can prepare a simple yet effective disinfectant for your floor using simple ingredients like lime, lemon, lime peels and white vinegar. Mix 0.24 liters of white vinegar, lime peels, juice of one lime and juice of one lemon and 0.24 liters of water. Mix this well and spray it on the bathroom floor and then rinse it after a few minutes.

3. DIY Toilet Cleaner
For the toilet, I have two solutions (heavy-duty and mellow cleaners) that I prepare for specific types of cleaning. The mellow cleaner keeps the toilet clean daily, while the heavy-duty formula helps with stain removal.

4. Mellow Cleaner Recipe for Toilets
To prepare this mellow toilet cleaner, you need to mix 0.24 liters of white vinegar, half a cup of baking soda, and one and a half teaspoons of tea tree essential oil, lavender, grapefruit or orange essential oils. Mix it well before cleaning your toilet. This DIY toilet cleaner will leave your toilet clean and smelling nice.

5. Heavy-Duty Cleaner Recipe for Toilets
For a heavy-duty cleaner, you should mix 0.24 liters of white vinegar, ¾ cup of baking soda, five drops of lemon essential oils and 10 drops of lavender essential oils. Mix them well before scrubbing your toilet.

6. DIY Shower & Tub Cleaner
For the tub and shower, I also have two unique recipes that I use, one is for heavy-duty cleaning, and the other is for mellow cleaning.

Mellow Cleaning Recipe for Tubs & Showers: I always spray some white vinegar on the shower’s surfaces or the tub for mellow cleaning and let it sit for about half an hour before rinsing it.

Heavy-Duty Cleaning Recipe for Tubs & Showers: For deep cleaning, I mix half a cup of salt, washing soda, a cup of baking soda and five drops of lemon. Mix the mixture well and then sprinkle it on a damp floor and leave it for about 10 minutes before scrubbing and rinsing the floor.

Non-Toxic Cleaners for the Kitchen

7. DIY Clogged Sink Drain Cleaner
For clogged pipes, I have a simple yet effective formula that I learned from my grandmother. To unclog the sink drain, I always pour eight tablespoons of salt and eight tablespoons of baking soda down the drain. And then top it up with some water and let it sit for about three hours.

When dealing with a grim-clogging situation, I always leave the mixture in the drain overnight. And then repeat this process twice to clear the drain.

8. DIY Dishwasher Detergent
A huge percentage of dishwashing detergents have fragrances that trigger allergic reactions in allergy sufferers. So if any member of your family has allergies, you should try a DIY dishwasher detergent. Mix 0.24 liters of water with liquid castile soap and then add it to the first detergent compartment. Fill the other compartment with four teaspoons of lime or lemon juice and white vinegar.

9. DIY Countertop Cleaner
Instead of wasting a lot of cash on a branded cleaner with toxic chemicals, you can mix water and vinegar. If your countertops are not made from stone, granite or marble, then you can create a mixture containing one part water and one part vinegar and put it all in a spray bottle.

But for marble, granite and stone surface, you should mix 0.36 liters of water, 0.12 liters of rubbing alcohol, half a teaspoon of liquid castile soap and a few drops of your favorite essential oil. Shake the mixture well and rub it gently on the surfaces using a cotton cloth.

Non-Toxic Cleaners for the Rest of the House

10. DIY Furniture Polish
For non-wood furniture, I mix 0.18 liters of olive oil with 0.6 liters of vinegar and apply the mixture to the furniture. This all-purpose cleaner works perfectly with a wide range of materials except for wooden surfaces.

For wooden surfaces, you need 0.96 liters of hot water, three teaspoons of white vinegar and six teaspoons of olive oil. Apply this mixture to wood surfaces and wipe gently using a cotton cloth.

11. DIY Floor Cleaner
For my floor, all I need is a mixture of warm water and three teaspoons of washing soda and I am good to go. After cleaning the floors, I always apply a mixture of white vinegar and olive oil in certain parts of the house and then rub it to create a shiny thin coat.

12. DIY Mirror & Window Cleaner
For my windows, I mix 5 parts water, 1 part white vinegar, squeeze some juice from half a lemon and some lemon peels in my spray bottle. Shake the mixture well before washing all the windows and mirrors in the house. You can spread the mixture all over the window using a cotton cloth or sponge.