One Simple Thing You Can Do: DIY Cleaning Products

You might be surprised to find that there is one thing we can do in our households to accomplish several goals.  It greatly reduces the amount of packaging we purchase and use, which is always Earth-friendly.  It eliminates the possibility of supporting any unnecessary animal testing.  It ensures that we're only using non-toxic, biodegradable ingredients, and protects you from exposure to unhealthy chemical fumes.  It saves space in the cupboard.  And to top it all off, it can save you a bunch of money!
  
That one thing is making your own DIY household cleaning products and/or personal care products.  This might sound daunting, but actually once you start doing it you realize it's very easy, and it's extremely fun.  You can find recipes so easily online.  Just Google homemade cleaning products, or DIY cleaning products. Tons of DIY sites, frugal living sites, and green websites will come up with recipes. You can make your own floor cleaner, bathroom cleaner, toothpaste, perfume, moisturizer, room spray, insect repellant, detergent, furniture polish, almost anything you can imagine, just with a few ingredients, most of which you probably already have around the house.  

Optional but fabulous:  You can even infuse your favorite scents into these products with essential oils.  Imagine, this week I want my house to smell like cinnamon and orange.  Next week I'm in the mood for lavender and rosewood.  All it takes is the small investment of a few bottles of essential oil, and they will last you quite some time.  Not to mention you will be receiving a good dose of aromatherapy.  It's so fun to mix scents and to be surrounded by them, you will actually enjoy cleaning, I guarantee it!  Be sure to get good quality, authentic essential oils though, not synthetic scents.  

You certainly don't have to throw out all your current products.  But perhaps the next time you clean the bathroom or the floor, or you run out of something like toothpaste or laundry detergent, consider trying a homemade concoction to fill that need.  Eventually you might find yourself with very few store bought products, and a little extra cash in your pocket. 

You will notice that you need a spray bottle for that shower spray, or a jar for that bathroom cleaner.  But you don't have to run out and buy containers.  Just clean out that spray bottle you've already got in the cabinet when you're done with it, and repurpose it.  Or clean out that spice jar, and you can sprinkle bathroom cleaner out of it instead.  Just keep in mind that if you're going to make a personal care product, you don't want any residue of your old toxic household cleaner in there.  So you might want to use jars that previously contained food, or that held face creams and such, for personal care. 

Here are a couple of my favorite recipes to get you started.  

Floor Cleaner  
Works spectacularly well on tile or hardwood floors. In a bucket, mix the following. 

1 cup of vinegar
1 gallon of hot water
a little squirt, maybe a teaspoon, of environmentally friendly liquid soap, could be dish soap or castille.
5-10 drops of essential oil to make it smell heavenly.

Insect Repellent (OR Room Spray, OR Disinfecting Spray, OR Glass Cleaner)

I'm not kidding.  The next recipe is for those who want to try using some essential oils.  This simple recipe works wonders for keeping my dog tick free when we go for walks out in the local brush.  It also makes a great room spray because it smells pretty great.  You can use it as a disinfecting spray, as all the essential oils in it, as well as the alcohol, are anti-bacterial/anti-fungal.  Spray, then let it sit on your surface for a minute before wiping clean.  Also you can use it on your mirrors, because of the high alcohol content.  Multi purpose goodness!  

Now as far as tick repellent goes, we do still occasionally find a tick on the dog, but it's usually wandering around wishing it could find a yummy place to land, instead of already being fixed on a spot.  Just spray your dog's coat and rub it in before you head out the door. (But of course be polite and avoid spraying it in the dog's face.  I usually spray my hand and then rub it on her ears and temples.)  

In a clean spray bottle:
Pour 4 oz. rubbing alcohol
Add 20 drops each of grapefruit, geranium and peppermint essential oils
Shake well to mix, then add 4 oz. of water.  
Shake before use.  

If you have had some success making your own homemade products, feel free to share your recipes in the comments below.  Happy cleaning!