50 Homemade Cleaner Recipes

Have you ever taken the time to look at the ingredients in the cleaning supplies in your home? If not, it’s worth taking a double look at those ingredients. Some of the ingredients are incredibly harmful to your health. Sure, they might kill germs, but what else are they killing in the process? Check out these 50 natural homemade cleaner recipes you can make at home, using simple ingredients you probably already have on hand!

50 Homemade Cleaner Recipes | Ready to ditch the chemical-laden, expensive commercial cleaners? Not matter what you need cleaned, you'll find an all-natural recipe for it here! Homemade dish soap, dishwasher detergent, grout cleaner, window cleaner recipes, carpet shampoo solution, and so much more!

I've talked a little bit before about how I'm a naturally horrible housekeeper. When I grew up, my mother cleaned everything – even our bedrooms! I was 16 and working my first job before I swept for the first time.  Needless to say, I got my first place I struggled to keep the house clean.

Cleaning will never be something I truly enjoy (like my oldest sister, who I call a little crazy because she LOVES cleaning!) but it is something I've become good at. By developing systems that work, like my morning speed cleaning session, and using cleaners that WORK, I manage to keep the house clean. I'm also breaking the cycle by teaching my kids to clean up at an early age!

50 Homemade Cleaner Recipes | Ready to ditch the chemical-laden, expensive commercial cleaners? Not matter what you need cleaned, you'll find an all-natural recipe for it here! Homemade dish soap, dishwasher detergent, grout cleaner, window cleaner recipes, carpet shampoo solution, and so much more!

I grew up in a family full of holistic health practitioners and have always been a bit of an environmentalist, so I was alarmed to find out what was in some of my favorite cleaners. The number of toxic chemicals just blew my mind & sent me searching for healthier brands.  

Over time, I started playing with making my own homemade cleaners & love how much money I save that way. By keeping a few key ingredients on hand at all times, I can whip up the majority of the 50 homemade cleaner recipes I'm sharing with you today! You can also snag a free printable with some of my favorite homemade cleaner recipes at the bottom of this post!

50 Homemade Cleaner Recipes

Homemade Kitchen Cleaners

1) Homemade Dish Soap: This 4 ingredient liquid dish soap uses essential oils to give your soap a little extra boost. I recommend using grapefruit or lemon for their cleaning properties, but you can use whatever smells great to you!

2) Liquid Dish Soap for Sensitive Skin: When my dishwasher died last month, I quickly learned how my dish soap dried my hands out! This DIY dish soap recipe includes 2 ingredients that help prevent that and is great for those with sensitive skin.

3) Herb Infused Dish Soap: This fragrant dish soap is very concentrated, so it helps stretch a dollar a whole lot further!

4) 2 Ingredient Dishwasher Detergent: This 2 ingredient homemade dishwasher detergent seems to have varied results, depending on how hard your water is. Since it cost less than a penny per load, it's definitely worth trying though!

5) Homemade Dishwasher Tabs: This one seems to work well if you have hard water and I love that it is made in batches. The boys often load the dishwasher and like putting in the soap, so something they don't have to measure makes me feel a lot more secure. It does use a lemonade drink mix though, so it's not my favorite recipe so far.

6) Homemade Dishwasher Detergent with Borax: This homemade dishwasher detergent uses borax, citric acid, and essential oils. I like that you can customize the smell, but I don't really trust the kids to measure out a Tablespoon every time they start the dishwasher.

7) Homemade Dishwasher Tablets: This one is my favorite dishwasher detergent recipe! I always have everything on hand for it. I can make a month's supply in about 15 minutes and it costs pennies per load!

8) Dishwasher Rinse Aid: This dishwasher rinse aid is so easy and cheap! Now, let's see if I can remember, because I still haven't used the bottle of the one that came with my dishwasher.

9) Dishwasher Cleaner: This is a step-by-step tutorial on how to clean your dishwasher using 2 simple household staples!

10) Granite Countertop Cleaner: I don't have granite countertops (yet!) so I haven't tried this one out yet. If you try it, let me know how it works!

11) Homemade Countertop Spray: Three ingredients and I'll have clean counters? It seems to be working so far! I'm using Melaleuca and grapefruit essential oils in mine, just to keep that grapefruit smell I love so much in the kitchen!

12) DIY Citrus & Rosemary Garbage Disposal Cleaner: Only 3 ingredients are needed for this garbage disposal cleaner! I don't have a garbage disposal (is anyone else afraid of them or is it just me?) but think most new houses and apartments do.

13) Microwave Degreaser: There are 20 cleaning tips here, but #3 really caught my eye! I've used vinegar to clean my microwave before, but I really dislike how the smell seems to hang out!

14) DIY Oven Cleaner: I despise cleaning my oven. We got a self-cleaning one, but I've heard too many horror stories to even consider hitting that bottom. Store-bought oven cleaners just stink and are full of nasty chemicals I don't want in my house. This is all stuff I like using around the house and looks like it will really help!

15) Coffee Pot Cleaner: She has quite a few kitchen cleaners and cleaning tips, but I really love the coffee pot one!

Laundry Room Cleaners

16) Powdered Laundry Detergent: This is an easy 3 ingredient laundry detergent powder that doesn't cost much to make at all!

17) Liquid Laundry Soap: This recipe makes 5 gallons of a great laundry detergent, but I'm not sure how well it works in HE washers. I've only used it in my older style washer so far.

18) Laundry Tabs: These look so easy to make and I'm a huge fan of laundry pods, but hate the chemicals in the store-bought ones.

19) Fabric Softener: This one saves time and money, plus it works so well!

20) Stain Remover: Once you get done checking out the stain remover, make sure you look at the rest of her cleaning series. She has a link at the bottom of the post, plus one to her home journal printables!

21) Wrinkle Release: I own an iron and I actually know where it is, but that's only because we did one of those wax melting crafts this fall. I don't think I've ironed clothes more than a handful of times since I got married over a decade ago, because I use a wrinkle release spray on my clothes instead. This recipe uses a bit of fabric softener that I might try to skip or at least find a more natural alternative instead of a commercial, chemical-laden one.

22) Homemade Dryer Sheets: These homemade dryer sheets are so easy to make and will save you a ton over the long run!

Bathroom Cleaners

23) Tub/Shower Cleaner: Taylor shares her own recipe for keeping her shower clean & some of her reader’s favorites!

24) Toilet Bowl Cleaner: Here's an easy way to clean both the inside and outside of your toilet.

25) Drain Cleaner: This is a simple yet affective way to unclog most sinks!

26) Grout Cleaner: I don't use bleach at all in my house, so I'll try either vinegar or peroxide instead, but the results from this are amazing.

27) Foaming Handsoap: Not only is this a great smelling recipe, she explains why I quit using antibacterial soap!

28) Liquid Handsoap: I'd add a few drops of Thieves essential oil to help kill germs to this one.

29) Homemade Disinfecting Wipes: The convenience of those handy wipes without the chemicals from the store-bought version!

30) Disinfectant Spray: Not only is this a great recipe, she explains a little about the history of Lysol which blew my mind!

31) Scrubbing Cleaner: Have an area that needs a little extra scrubbing power? Trying my homemade scrub cleaner!

32) Citrus Enzyme Cleaner: I'd seen the 3-month version she mentions and walked away. As I've mentioned in 20 Ways to Become a Better Mom, patience is something I'm working on and it's not just in regards to my children. Luckily, Jillee found a way to make this enzyme cleaner in only 2 weeks!

Homemade Floor Cleaners

33) Carpet Cleaner Solution for the Shampooer: She has a Bissell Little Green Deep Cleaner, but you can adjust the recipe to make the correct amount for your machine. We've slowly been removing all the carpet from our house and restoring the hardwood floors, but I still shampoo my area rugs.

34) Carpet Freshening Powder: This 2 ingredient carpet freshener is easy to whip up and will make your house smell so nice!

35) DIY Spot Shot: I haven't had to use this one yet, but I'm saving it in case someone decides to dump grape juice on the area rug.

36) Swiffer WetJet Solution: I actually quit using my WetJet years ago after hearing the cleaner that comes in it isn't safe to use with pets. I've since learned that isn't true, but I still hate the price tag on the refills for it. This homemade solution smells much better!

DIY Stain Removers

37) 3 Urine Stain Removers: These work great for both pet accidents and potty training kids! Unfortunately, I got the kids past that stage only to be given a puppy!

38) Mattress Stain Remover: I have 4 boys and 3 that still wet the bed sometimes. We use waterproof sheets under their normal sheets, but sometimes they work themselves loose a little bit. I'm definitely trying this out!

DIY Polish Sprays & Wipes

39) Wood Polish: This is the one I use to polish my table, chairs, and benches in the dining room. It involves using some elbow grease since you are actually buffing it into the wood, but it leaves everything shining. I do add some lemon or orange essential oil to it to help override the olive oil scent.

40) Dusting Spray: The first recipe listed here is the one I spray on a microfiber cloth and have the boys use to quickly wipe down the top of the entertainment center and bookshelves.

41) Copper Polish: I inherited my grandma's old copper tea set & while I don't actually use it, I want it to look nice! This is so much easier and better for the environment than some of the store-bought cleaners I had been looking into!

42) Jewelry Cleaner: I'm definitely going to have to try this out with my wedding ring!

43) Stainless Steel Cleaner: This 1 ingredient cleaner blew my mind! Going to try this on the outside of my microwave!

44) Brass Cleaner: Here are 3 different recipes for cleaning brass items.

Miscellaneous Cleaning Recipes

45) Leather Cleaner: She says this recipe also works on cutting boards, wood furniture, and more too!

46) Auto Upholstery Cleaner: With 4 boys, my car can get a little nasty! I'll have to try this when the weather warms up in the spring.

47) Makeup Brush Cleaner: Check the comments for another recipe too.

48) Room Freshening Spray: I've tried making several of these before but after looking at this recipe I figured out why the smell never stayed very strong – they were all missing one important ingredient!

49) Homemade Screen Cleaner: There are a lot of screens in my house: 2 TVs, many Kindles, Leapfrog tablets, and 2 cell phones.

50) Window Cleaner: She has 2 different window cleaner recipes. I have severe issues with ammonia, so I prefer the first one. She has an ingredient in it that I never would have thought about!

Subscribe below to snag this free printable with some of my favorite homemade cleaning recipes!

Subscribe to snag your FREE Printable!

Subscribe to grab your FREE Homemade Cleaner Recipes Printable and receive our newsletter full of ways to have a cleaner, healthier home!

Powered by ConvertKit

There you have it, 50 homemade cleaner recipes you can make at home to save money and have a healthier home this year! Is your favorite cleaner missing?  Leave a comment below & let me know!

50 Homemade Cleaner Recipes | Ready to ditch the chemical-laden, expensive commercial cleaners? Not matter what you need cleaned, you'll find an all-natural recipe for it here! Homemade dish soap, dishwasher detergent, grout cleaner, window cleaner recipes, carpet shampoo solution, and so much more!

Subscribe to snag your FREE Printable!

Subscribe to grab your FREE Homemade Cleaner Recipes Printable and receive our newsletter full of ways to have a cleaner, healthier home!

Powered by ConvertKit

Sharing is caring!

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

6 Comments

  1. What a great list! I pinned it for later, because I KNOW I’m going to need some of these 🙂 I found you on the Good Tips Tuesday Link Up Party and I’m another midwest mama! Thanks 🙂

    1. Thank you! I popped over & read your 10 Reasons to Simplify Your Life. Normally I have a favorite in “x reasons to…” type of posts, but I really loved the whole list. #9 was my motivation to start becoming more self-sufficient and learn skills that aren’t 100% necessary in today’s society – like how to sew, knit, and make my own body products.

    1. Susan, I’m so sorry! I thought I responded to you and just realized I didn’t. I am very fond of Plant Therapy. I fell in love with their oils last year and had been buying them off Amazon, but recently switched to buying them directly from Plant Therapy. They offer deals on their own site I can’t get on Amazon and have a rewards program. Right now, you can get $10 off your first order when you sign up for their mailing list too!

      I’m not completely brand loyal though & still use NOW brand for some of my cleaners and air fresheners. You can generally find them at Whole Foods, Amazon, or even at some grocery chains. Aura Cacia is another brand I love and use often.