Making Do-It-Yourself home cleaning products are a fun and easy way to reduce waste, cost, and lessen your exposure to harsh chemicals. The following DIY recipes have been made and used by Sierra Club volunteers and staff, we want to share a few of our favorites for those wanting to give DIY a try!
DIY laundry soap by Lee Gregg
Ingredients:
- 1 cup baking soda
- 1 cup washing soda
- 1 grated bar castile soap (Kirk's is easy to find)
Instructions:
- Grate the bar into flakes with a box grater. Hand grating the bar of castile soap will take the most time, do not put the soap in a food processor or blender.
- Mix all three ingredients thoroughly
- Store the Laundry Soap in an airtight container out of the reach of children and pets.
Tips: Use up to three level tablespoons of this homemade laundry detergent per wash load. Use one tablespoon if you have a high-efficiency washing machine.
If you are using pure bar soap, grate the bar into flakes with a box grater. You might need more than one bar, depending on how much detergent you wish to make.
If your detergent turns hard or cakes up, it's best to discard it. The hard pieces likely won't dissolve well in the wash, and they could potentially leave soap residue on your clothes. This sometimes happens with DIY laundry detergents, because they don't contain the anti-caking agents that the store brands have. A container with an airtight seal can help to prevent caking. But it is also ideal to experiment with making only the amount you'll use before the detergent starts to harden.
**A huge thank you to Lee Gregg for perfecting this recipe and letting us share this!
All-Purpose Housecleaning Spray 
Use this spray to clean nearly everything. To specify, this means kitchen counters (quartzite and granite), bathroom counters & shower surround (tile), all manner of stone, toilets, painted surfaces, wood tables and cabinets, stainless steel appliances & sink, nickel door knobs & faucets, ceramic sinks & tubs, carpet (spot cleaning), glass on the microwave & oven doors, leather (not suede) furniture, microsuede, fiberglass, plastic acrylic, outdoor furniture, upholstery, car interiors, pet bowls, baby gear. Source: Going Green with Lisa Bronner
Ingredients:
1 qt. (1 L) water*
¼ c. (60 mL) Castile Soap (any brand, any scent)
20 drops tea tree essential oil (optional)**
Instructions:
Fill the spray bottle with the water. Add the Castile Soap and the tea tree essential oil, if desired. Swirl gently to mix. Spray surfaces and wipe with a damp cloth. Alternately, spray a damp cloth and wipe surfaces.
*What Kind of Water: Tap water works fine. However, if your tap water is hard – which means it has a high mineral content, usually calcium and magnesium – the Castile Soap will cause a cloudy precipitate to settle on the bottom of the spray bottle. This is perfectly fine and does not mean the solution is contaminated or won’t work. But if this bothers you, use distilled or Reverse Osmosis purified water. Sal Suds, as detergent, rather than a true soap, does not react with hard water.
**Why Tea Tree Essential Oil: Tea tree essential oil has antimicrobial properties and gives this solution an extra antimicrobial punch. Most times, I don’t add it because I am confident in the cleaning power of soap and detergent. However, especially if you are having trouble letting go of a conventional cleaner, go ahead and add it for reassurance.
Need a Scouring Cleaning Product? Here is a simple addition! Spray a surface and then sprinkle on some baking soda and you have an excellent scouring combination. This makes a stainless steel sink shine and cuts through soap scum.
Customization: If you are drawn to scents, and often the biggest hurdle to adopting green cleaning methods is the change in scents. It just doesn’t smell the same. This is true, and often it is in these very smells that we find the most widespread health hazards. But all is not lost. Add your favorite essential oils to this spray to make it fit your preference, whether it’s your mood, the season, or your dinner. Start with 10 drops and increase as desired.
Vinegar Cleaner & Baking Soda
When baking soda is mixed with vinegar, the acid breaks down baking soda, releasing carbon dioxide gas that can help lift dirt from the surfaces being cleaned. Tea tree oil is a great addition to your multi-purpose cleaner. A few drops in a spray bottle filled with equal parts vinegar and water will become a potent cleaner. While the vinegar and water dissolve dirt and muck, the tea tree oil will kill bacteria, viruses and fungi.
Ingredients:
Equal parts vinegar and water
A few drops of tea tree essential oil
Optional: for added fragrance add a few drops of your favorite essential oil
Customization Instructions to Try
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Freshen your sink by mixing one part of baking soda with two parts of vinegar. This mixture unlocks an effervescent fizz of carbon dioxide that cleans and freshen drains.
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Remove hard water stains by placing a vinegar-soaked towel over the affected area. After a few hours, remove the cloth and scrub the affected area with a paste made of baking soda and water.
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Kill mildew in laundry using baking soda and vinegar. Add a half a cup of baking soda with the laundry detergent to supercharge the cleaning process. Follow this with one cup of vinegar during the rinse cycle to kill bacteria and soften fabric.
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Clean grout by applying a baking soda paste made of baking soda and water. Spray the paste with vinegar before scrubbing the grime away.
Source: LiveScience.com
DIY Fabric Refresher
Commercial fabric refreshers can help to revive musty fabrics. If you like the convenience but not the price, chemicals, and plastic waste of these sprays, you can make them at home!
Ingredients:
0.5 cup baking soda
Hot water
3- 6 drops of tea tree oil*
Optional: for added fragrance add 10- 12 drops of your favorite essential oil
24-ounce plastic spray bottle
*Tea tree oil tea tree oil will kill bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
Instructions:
- Combine the Ingredients
- Pour the baking soda into a spray bottle, and add hot water to fill the bottle. Then, add drops of essential oil—as much or as little as you'd like.
- Shake Well
- Shake the bottle well to dissolve the baking soda.
Tips
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Shake the bottle before each use. If the spray nozzle is clogged, simply rinse it under hot water. Hold the spray bottle at least 8 to 12 inches away from the fabric. Spray lightly in sweeping motions. Do not saturate the fabric or spray too closely, as this can leave residue on the fabric.
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Allow the fabric to dry thoroughly before using or storing. It should hang in a spot with good air flow away from direct sunlight. Putting on a damp garment can result in wrinkling, and storing damp fabric can lead to mold or mildew.
Source: The Spruce