Free Printable Homemade Cleaning Recipes Cheat Sheet to jump start your natural cleaning routine!
One way a lot of people learn how to live simply is by cutting back on the chemicals they use to clean their homes. I started doing this a long time ago, but have slowly moved away from it overtime. I began to see which homemade cleaners actually work for me, and instances where I have to use something a little stronger (i.e. mold). I decided to pull together some of my favorite homemade cleaning recipes and offer a printable cheat sheet you can keep in your homemaking binder!
Why Use Natural Cleaning Recipes?
There are several reasons you may want to use natural cleaners. You may have someone in your family who is allergic to traditional cleaning supplies. Maybe you’re just trying to reduce your exposure to harsh chemicals. Maybe you’re environmentally conscious and want to cut down on the amount of plastic you purchase.
One reason we started using homemade cleaners was to save money. Cleaning supplies can cost big bucks if you aren’t careful! I also just think it’s plain fun to mix up these cleaners and see how well they actually work. That’s probably the “sciency” homeschool mom in me!
My Favorite Homemade Cleaners
Which homemade cleaner recipes do I use? Here’s what you will find on my homemade cleaning recipes cheat sheet:
- All Purpose Cleaner – Great for cleaning countertops, toilet seats, and other hard surfaces.
- Soft Scrub – You can also use Dawn dish detergent instead of Castile soap. I love using this to scrub the tub.
- Glass Cleaner – Make your mirrors shine! This is a glass cleaner I’m fine with letting my kids use.
- Laundry Detergent – The version on the sheet is for a smell-good detergent. You can use an essential oil instead of the Purex crystals. I think lavender would be an excellent choice. I get away with using just the super washing soda, borax, and Fels Naptha. I add Oxygen bleach as needed to individual loads.
- Dishwasher Detergent – Yay for chemical-free, clean dishes!
- Bleach Alternative – This is a great way to whiten your clothes without bleach!
- Air Freshener – I would spray my curtains and upholstered furniture with this rather than spray in the air.
- Grout Cleaner- I will be whipping up a batch of this pretty soon to clean my grout!
- Toilet Bowl Cleaner – I use orange essential oil in my cleaning products. The orange is so energizing and uplifting when you’re scrubbing a toilet!
- Dusting Spray – Another one you can use orange essential oil instead of lemon.
I just love this list of free homemaking printables. Check it out!
I’ve also made a homemade soft scrub with Dawn dish soap and baking soda. It works like a charm if you don’t have Castile soap!
My Favorite Natural Cleaning Recipes Supplies
Here you will find my favorite supplies that I use to make my homemade cleaners. These are the supplies you want to keep stocked up in your cleaning cabinet so you can whip up any homemade cleaners on the spot!
Using Essential Oils in Homemade Cleaning Recipes
Let’s be honest, the smell of vinegar while cleaning isn’t all that appealing. My husband actually loathes it! One of the easiest ways to add natural scents to your homemade cleaning supplies is with essential oils. I’m a huge fan of Rocky Mountain Oils. I use all different types of oils in a variety of ways.
When I’m steam mopping, I’ll sprinkle some orange or lemon essential oil onto the microfiber cloth of my mop. It makes the room smell nice without any added chemicals.
Other favorite essential oils for cleaning include:
Another great way to use essential oils in cleaning is to mix with baking soda to create an incredible deodorizer. You can even add Borax if you have a flea problem in your house to kill those pests and their eggs! My favorite essential oil for deodorizing is lavender because it has such a nice, calming scent.
Other Places To Shop for Natural Cleaning Supplies
My most favorite place of all to shop for natural cleaning supplies is Grove Collaborative. I get a lot of my favorite natural cleaners like Mrs. Meyer’s and Method from here. I also love their glass bottles, cleaning caddies, and wool dryer balls.
As a VIP member of Grove Collaborative, I often get free supplies and save money on my cleaning supplies! It’s definitely a win-win!
You can get your copy of our homemade cleaning recipes cheat sheet by subscribing to our weekly newsletter. You will receive a recap of all of the weeks posts, plus homemaking/homeschool related freebies and deals I have found throughout the week.
No more scouring the Internet for a recipe. You will have all of my favorites right in your homemaking binder!
This cheat sheet is available in our Homemaker’s Resource Library.
Now let’s put those cleaning supplies into action! Learn how zone cleaning can help you keep your house cleaner than it’s ever been! I break my house into zones and only focus on deep cleaning one specific zone per week to keep my deep cleaning workload to a minimum!
More Cleaning Resources:
Favorite Dollar Store Cleaning Supplies
Free Monthly Cleaning Calendars
Save this free printable homemade cleaner cheat sheet for later!
Kristy @Runaway Bridal Planner says
February 26, 2014 at 4:54 amLove this, thanks for sharing! I own a wedding company and we have lots and lots of linens and I have made my own detergent before because it works so well, I pretty much do the same thing as you!
Love the others, I am going to have to try them!
A fun one to add to your list, you can actually use Gatorade to clean toilets, and it does a great job:)
Leah says
August 30, 2014 at 4:31 pmIs your laundry soap recipe safe for HE washers?
Ana says
November 20, 2014 at 2:42 pmwe use the same recipe for our HE washer only we use 1 table spoon per load. It works great for us.
Kym says
January 18, 2015 at 11:47 amHave you replaced all of your cleaning products with the above recipes? Or do you find you still need to use commercial products for something? I’m new to this and trying to ensure I don’t overlook something — I don’t want to clean too little and leave my family at risk ;). Thanks!!
Joanie says
January 18, 2015 at 8:46 pmHi Kym,
I have not replaced all of my cleaning products. My husband personally hates when I use vinegar, so I no longer use anything with vinegar for major cleaning. One exception is vinegar to clean my microwave. I just microwave a bit of vinegar in a bowl and it loosens all the junk up in the microwave so I can just wipe it out. If we are getting over a sickness (like we are now), I have no problem using things that are a little more harsh to make sure I kill those germs. I still make homemade laundry detergent, soft scrub, grout cleaner, and air freshener.
MM says
January 22, 2015 at 11:28 amThanks for providing the free printable sheet for all these recipes! Very handy to have! I have made some of my own cleaning products and intend to do more. 🙂
Sandra says
November 14, 2016 at 8:42 amThank you so much for these cheap cheat hacks!! Keep it up!!! Very useful!!
Joanie says
November 15, 2016 at 1:04 pmI’m glad you find them useful!
Paula says
June 9, 2017 at 3:20 pmI have signed up for the newsletter, but I do not see how to download and print the free homemade celaning recipes. I have clicked links from the welcome email etc and then found the recipes again, but see nowhere to download?
Joanie says
June 12, 2017 at 7:59 amHi Paula,
When you confirm your email address, it should automatically download. You can email me if you still haven’t gotten it.