Save Money with Homemade Cleaning Products

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Hi Friends! I know it’s been a long winter in some parts of the country, but the weather in AZ has been very warm for this time of year. We even turned the air conditioning on the other afternoon — yikes! since it feels like spring, I’ve been getting a head start on my spring cleaning. And since I’ve been in a cleaning and purging mode lately, I thought I would share some of the homemade cleaning products I use, which not only do a great job of cleaning your home but can also help you save money on cleaning supplies.

clean with vinegar lemon baking soda salt hydrogen peroxide and dawn

When I was growing up, my mom was a total clean freak, and I mean that in a good way! But, she used brand name cleaning products that did the job but made the house smell horrible. I tend to be sensitive to strong scents anyway, and I think this is why I used to hate cleaning my own home.

So a few years ago, I switched to making my own cleaning products, using things that we already had at home. My husband was so skeptical at first — with five kids, we used Lysol wipes like crazy! But after seeing the great results and the money we were saving, he was totally on board with my little experiment. And yes, he does help clean!

A lot of people make their own household cleaners, and you may already know this, but I thought I would share the tips anyway. We use mainly vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, Dawn dish soap, salt, baking soda and lemon — love lemon!

diy cleaning products used to clean house

Vinegar

I use vinegar to clean out the icky tracks on windows and our sliding glass door. I just put some on cotton swab and dug in. You won’t believe the grime that comes off –yuck! I also use it to clean, windows, faucets and the inside of coffee and tea cups. I use it for the coffee maker too, but you should follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your own coffee maker.

Baking Soda and Lemon

I use a paste of baking soda and lemon juice to gently scrub the sinks, showers and bath tubs. You can even add some vinegar to clean out your drains. I like to drink lemon water during the day, and I just throw the used lemon slice into the kitchen sink and turn on the the garbage disposal. It makes the area smell fresh and gets rid of those stale odors!

Salt

I don’t use salt a lot, but it’s great for getting out baked-on stains from glass baking pans. Just sprinkle some salt in the pan, and it should help clean the pan without a lot of scrubbing. Sometimes, I even let the salt sit in the pan for a little bit before I wipe it off. You can also use it on cast iron pans.

clean with hydrogen peroxide and dawn dish soap

Hydrogen Peroxide

I use hydrogen peroxide to clean and disinfect just about everything. In fact, this is what made us toss the Lysol wipes! I just spray some on the surface, like counter tops, and wipe it off with a damp paper towel. It also works to clean the toilets, faucets and sinks. Plus, it also removes laundry stains. And a 32-ounce bottle costs less than a dollar — can’t beat that!

You do have to make sure it isn’t exposed to light for long periods of time, or it may not be as effective. That’s why I usually leave it in the original container, which is dark.

Dawn

I use the regular Dawn dish soap for washing dishes and for wiping off kitchen surfaces. But, it works great on removing stains on clothes. Since I began using Dawn to pretreat the clothes, I haven’t used commercial laundry stain remover for a long time. Like I mentioned earlier, hydrogen peroxide works too.

Wow — that was a long list! Anyway, this is what works for me. Not only is this a great way to save money on household cleaning products, but I feel good about using these things to clean my home. You should still use caution with any type of cleaners, and you may want to research these products on your own to understand how they work.

Do you have any cleaning tips to share? What products do you use to clean your home?

Thanks a bunch for visiting me — Enjoy your day!