Homemade cleaners swap out those harsh cleaning products for safe cleaning alternatives with options you may already have on hand at home. Skip those heavily scented and chemical-laden cleaning products and give these more natural options a whirl instead.

Cleaner Ingredients

White Distilled Vinegar

You’ll be surprised at all the ways that plain ole vinegar can be used. Because of the acidic nature of vinegar, it is a safe choice for killing all sorts of germs and mold.

Vinegar can be used on non-porous countertops and other surfaces that need disinfecting. Add a splash to your washing machine to rid odors from your clothing and to remove built up soap residue from fabric as well.

A dish of vinegar in a smelly room will reduce the odor. A dish of vinegar is also a great trap for fruit flies during harvest season.

For those food preservationists that can, adding a splash of vinegar to your water bath will keep the jars and canning pot from building up the white powder from hard water deposits.

Lemon and Baking Soda

Lemons not only smell fresh, but they also help clean well because, like vinegar, they are very acidic. Lemon juice cuts through soap scum on bathroom tile, shower doors and hardware as well as any commercial product does. Combine lemon and baking soda and you’ll have a cleaning powerhouse. Cut a lemon in half, dip it in baking soda and scrub away. Wash the surface off with warm water and you’ll be amazed at how powerful this simple duo is.

Baking Soda

I used to use a commercial bleach powder to clean my tub, sink and stains from the kitchen counter, but my mother introduced me to the magic of baking soda once I bought my own home. Wipe down the area with water, scrub with baking soda and you’ll be amazed at what this one ingredient can do – it even removes red wine stains from the counter.

Baking soda is also great at eating odors. We keep a small dish of baking soda in the back of our refrigerator and also sprinkle some in the bottom of our trash cans.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is my go-to for stains in fabric, especially blood. Peroxide is great because it not only breaks down stains, but it also kills bacteria. To clean blood or other stains from fabric, pour hydrogen peroxide directly onto the stain – the sooner the better. Rinse the stain with cold water and apply more peroxide as needed until the stain is clean.

To use hydrogen peroxide as a cleaner, mix equal parts peroxide and water in a spray bottle to clean surfaces of germs and bacteria.

Hydrogen peroxide can even clean mildew. To treat, pour or sponge peroxide directly onto the mildew and allow it to penetrate for ten minutes before wiping away.

Citrus Peel & Herb Surface Cleaner

One of my favorite homemade cleaners to have on hand is citrus peel surface cleaner. All it requires is some of your favorite citrus peels – this could be oranges, limes, lemons, grapefruit or a mixture of all. Consider adding some fresh herbs to tailor the scent to your liking, rosemary is my preferred herb to add.

Fill a quart-sized mason jar with the citrus peels (and herbs, if you desire) and pour distilled white vinegar over the peels until they are completely submerged and the jar is filled. Add the canning jar lid and tightly fasten on the ring. Keep this mixture out of direct sunlight and allow the oils in the citrus peels and vinegar to infuse for a couple of weeks.

Once infused, strain out the solids and pour the infused vinegar into a clean spray bottle or smaller jar. Use as you would to disinfect with plain white vinegar – this infusion just makes it smell a lot more pleasant.

Note: It is not recommended to use vinegar products on marble or granite surfaces.

This article about homemade cleaners was written for Hobby Farms magazine. Click here to subscribe.