Since having a baby, and that baby becoming a mobile, everything-goes-into-his-mouth toddler, I have been more committed to natural cleaning products.
Before doing some research, it always seemed overwhelming to make my own cleaning products. However, I found that so many of the cleaners share ingredients, and once you get your recipes & supplies on hand, you can keep up your cleaners easily!
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The Capsule Cleaning Supply Kit
So, I want to introduce you to what I call a “capsule cleaning supply kit”. My personal goal in creating a kit was to:
- Meet my kitchen, laundry, and household cleaning needs with *mostly* natural ingredients. The recipes below may include some ingredients that you would like to exclude – but most are simple, nontoxic substances.
- Use ~10 items to create these cleaners, with no recipe taking longer than a few minutes to assemble.
I tried multiple DIY recipes from Pinterest, blogs, Youtube, and more with only decent results. I felt frustrated that rings in my toilet would come back after only a few days, or that I couldn’t get stains out of my laundry. Then I found simple, homemade recipes from a professional cleaning business-owner that changed the game!
Supplies Needed
To get started assembling your own kit, these are the “ingredients” you’ll need:
- Baking soda
- Dish soap or liquid castile soap (brands vary in scent)
- Cleaning vinegar
- Rubbing alcohol
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Tea tree essential oil (and others if you prefer more scents – this is my favorite, budget-friendly, but high-quality set)
- Cornstarch
- Washing soda (or Borax)
- Sea or table salt
- Baby OxiClean powder
Storage
You’ll also need several storage containers for your cleaners. I use:
- These glass brown bottles – well-priced on Amazon, but I’ve honestly had a hard time finding reliable sprayers
- Plastic spray bottles
- An empty dish soap bottle – specifically for the toilet cleaner
- An empty large, plastic snack container – for powdered laundry detergent
- A cleaning caddy – optional but something I love!
Don’t be afraid to repurpose!
Cleaning Recipes
With this set of supplies, you can mix, match, and combine to make different cleaners!
The first 6 cleaning products are all from Melissa Maker, while I’ve also shared my favorite laundry recipes from others.
- All-purpose cleaner
- Glass, window, & stainless steel cleaner
- Tub & shower spray
- Toilet cleaner
- Daily shower spray
- Disinfectant spray
- Laundry spot treatment
- Laundry detergent (powder) — This particular recipe is recommended for sensitive skin and/or cloth diapers, which is why I chose it.
- Fabric softener – just 1-2 ingredients!! I will note that some sources recommend using table or sea salt, NOT Epsom.
Once you’ve chosen your recipes, download this free recipe card (no email address required!) to keep all your instructions on-hand with your supplies!
FREE PDF & Guide from Melissa Maker
Beyond simply using the recipes above, I want to share with you how you can get Melissa’s full guide to cleaning – which is how I originally found her!
In her book, Clean My Space, she shares her cleaning how-to’s, recipes, and schedules from years of trial and error. She breaks down exactly how to clean every room, how to tackle common challenges, and how to decide what areas are most important to you.
Even better, you can get the audio-version FREE through an Audible trial which comes with a PDF consolidating all of her recipes and worksheets in one place. It’s the perfect reference sheet to keep with your cleaners.
You can get it all free by following the instructions here!
What’s next?
If you are working to streamline your cleaning routines and save time around your house, definitely check out my daily & weekly routines workbook.
It’s a free excerpt from my personalized home cleaning system, Home, Clean Home and I would love for you to benefit from this fresh approach.
Other resources:
► Generate your own custom cleaning schedule
► 7 Solutions to Make Overwhelming Housework Manageable
► “No one helps me clean the house!” — 12 Sanity-Saving Solutions
► How to Stick to A Cleaning Schedule: Solutions to 3 Major Obstacles
PS – don’t miss my free, full “resource directory” here. Some resources are my own, and some are from other creators. ALL of them will help you overcome what is holding you back from enjoying peace of mind and a home you love. |
