This whole global health pandemic has increased my desire to become more self-sufficient and chemical-free. There’s such huge emphasis at the moment on hygiene and cleanliness, it’s really made me think about how to remain committed to caring for the planet as well as my own health and act responsibly in the face of the pandemic.

I’ve been experimenting lately with making my own household cleaning products. It’s easy to become dissuaded with that at first as it seems like a ton of effort and extra ingredients that you maybe don’t have lying around, but actually it couldn’t be more simple!

Natural household cleaning products are just as effective as harsh chemicals and cost less, plus they improve indoor air quality and if you have kids you can rest assured, these are so much safer and kinder to use.

I used to buy green cleaning products as the harsh chemical toxic gave me a headache, but some green products are quite expensive. I found that making my own is not only kinder to my health and my house but also my wallet.

I’ve experimented with different recipes and have been through quite a bit of trial and error, but now I have some excellent natural cleaning concoctions that I want to share with you!

Here’s a list of key ingredients. Some of these you probably have already stocked in your pantry…

• White vinegar
• Lemons
• Baking soda
• Table salt
• Rubbing alcohol
• Liquid castile soap
• Corn starch
• Borax
• Essential Oils
• Microfibre cloths
• Glass spray bottles (you can make your own with an old glass vinegar bottle and a spray top)

1. All-Purpose Cleaner:

• ¼ cup of white vinegar
• 1 tbsp baking soda
• 1 litre of hot water
• ½ a lemon or lemon rind
• Rosemary sprigs or a few drops of your favorite essential oil

Place all the ingredients in a spray (glass if possible) bottle and shake.

This is an incredible cleaner for freshening, naturally disinfecting and scrubbing surfaces in the kitchen, bathroom, hard-water stains, trash cans, and wall smudges.

2. Tile Grout Cleaner

• ½ cup of baking soda
• 2 tbsp washing soda
• 2 tbsp Borax
• 3 tbsp liquid castile soap (or dish soap)
• White vinegar

The trick with this is to wipe down your tiles with the vinegar and a sponge first, then get to work with this deep scrub. You can let this mixture sit for 10 minutes first and then scour with a brush and rinse with cool water.

For lighter cleaning of tiles that don’t have too much grout, just use vinegar, lemon and baking soda in a scrub.

3. Glass Cleaner

• 2 cups of water
• 2 tablespoons of white vinegar
• 1tbsp cornstarch
• Essential oil of choice (lemon or tea tree are nice)

Mix the ingredients in a glass spray bottle and with a microfibre cloth wipe the windows clean.
You can also use old pillowcases, t-shirts or newspapers to wipe the glass clean.

4. Toilet Cleaner

• 1 cup of white vinegar
• ¾ cup baking soda
• Drops of essential oils (tea tree, lemon and lavender are nice scents)

You can mix these in a bowl and just pour into the toilet bowl when you’re ready to clean. This method cannot really be stored due to the fizzing action. It’s more of a make-it-when-you need-it recipe!

5. Washing Up Liquid/Dish Soap

• 3 tbsp liquid Castile soap
• 2 cups warm water
• 2 tsp glycerine
• 2 tbsp. white vinegar
• 10 drops lavender essential oil (or scent of your choice)

Mix all the ingredients together and give it a good shake to blend. You’ll find that this liquid is thinner than your regular dish liquid but it does an outstanding cleaning job on grease and difficult stains. The lavender smells lovely and has antibacterial qualities yet will not leave your plates or dinnerware with an overwhelming scent.

6. Brass Cleaner

• White vinegar or lemon juice and salt

All you have to do is moisten a sponge with the vinegar or lemon and sprinkle some salt over the sponge. Lightly clean the brass surface and then rinse and dry. This works wonder on cabinet pulls and bedroom or bathroom appointments.

7. Natural Air Freshener

This is one of my favorite things to do and it keeps my place smelling amazing. Anyone who comes into my home always comments on how good it smells!

• 1 sliced lemon, some sprigs of fresh rosemary (has to be fresh) and a drop of vanilla essence.
• 1 sliced orange, a sprinkle of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves
• 1 piece of chopped fresh ginger and some orange slices
• Fresh thyme, rosemary sprigs and 1 slice of lemon

In a medium saucepan, simmer a quart of water with any of the following natural ingredient combos. Keep the water simmering, not evaporating, and you will soon have your space smelling divine!

So there are my top natural cleaning recipes, try them out and let me know how it goes in the comments! If you can get hold of some pretty glass bottles, these also make a thoughtful, homemade gift for environmentally conscious friends and family.