This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a small commission when you make a purchase at NO additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our site in this way!
Now more than ever, people are turning to DIY natural cleaning. Whether it’s because you are having trouble finding traditional cleaners in stores or simply want to take a more natural approach in your home, keep these homemade cleaner recipes on-hand.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and this does not subsitute for advice from your personal heathcare provider. Please refer to the CDC guidelines for disinfection and sterilization as a reference.
Homemade Cleaner Recipes
The following homemade cleaner recipes are specifically designed to help with disinfecting surfaces:
DIY Hand Sanitizer
- Mix 2/3 aloe vera gel with 1/3 cup alcohol.
- Add distilled water to reach desired consistency
- Optional: Add a few drops of essential oil (think cinnamon, tea tree, lavender or lemon, but remember that this will not add to the disinfecting nature, just enhance smell)
- Place in small squeezable bottle or in a spray bottle
(You can also take a bottle of colloidal silver gel and add some alcohol to it. )
DIY Cleaning Wipes
- Cut a roll of paper towel in half
- Put in an empty wipes container or a glass container that seals
- Pour 1 cup of multi-purpose cleaner to saturate (see below for recipe)
(I also added some homemade lemon vinegar to help with cleaning and aroma) - Pull roll out of center of paper towel once saturated
You can watch me making these live on TV in the video at the bottom of this post, but this fun TikTok shows you how I made homemade cleaning wipes in about 13 seconds:
DIY Disinfecting spray
This one is simple: get a spray bottle (easily found at the dollar store or get a glass spray bottle from Amazon) and fill with alcohol (65% or higher) or hydrogen peroxide. Keep on hand to spray on surfaces like doorknobs, light switches, remote controls and handrails.
More Natural Cleaning Recipes
The recipes below will cover cleaning most of the surfaces in your home, but not all have a disinfecting property to them.
Multi-Purpose Cleaner
- 1/2 cup distilled water
- 1/2 cup rubbing alcohol
- 5-10 drops essential oil (such as lemon, peppermint or other citrus)
- A squirt of natural dish soap, like Dr. Bronner’s
- Pour all into a 16 oz spray bottle and shake well. Spray and wipe with microfiber cloth
Keep in mind, if you get a good microfiber cloth, you should be able to clean with only water. However, water alone will not disinfect surfaces.
Homemade Glass Cleaner
- 2 cups water
- 2 T white vinegar
- 2 T rubbing alcohol
- 5 drops peppermint essential oil
- Pour all ingredients into a spray bottle and shake to combine.
Tile & Grout Cleaner
- 1 cup baking soda
- 1/3 cup water
- Mix in bowl into a paste, apply to grout and allow to sit. Scrub with a toothbrush and remove with a sponge.
Some natural cleaners will not have the same shelf life as a traditional, store-bought cleaner. Therefore, I recommend making them in small batches. It may be advisable only to mix the exact amount you need for that cleaning job to keep its potency.
DIY Cleaning Ingredient List
While not comprehensive, these ingredients will help you make just about every cleaner listed above:
- Distilled Water
- Essential oils (lavender, peppermint, lemon, tea tree)
- Castille Soap
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Rubbing alcohol (at least 65% to disinfect)
- Baking Soda
- Natural salt
- White Vinegar
- Lemons
- Limes
- Oranges
I’d also advise purchasing some microfiber cloths, glass spray bottles, double-sided sponges and even investing in dryer balls.
Natural Cleaner Home Delivery Boxes
If you prefer to have natural cleaning products delivered right to your door, check out the following subscription services:
- Grove collaborative provides environmentally friendly household and personal care products. Right now you can get 1 of 4 Home Kits for FREE with your $20 purchase.
- Truly Free Aloe Hand Soap contains no harsh chemicals but is guaranteed to get your hands CLEAN and SUPER SOFT. Stock up today get up to 4 FREE REFILLS + FREE BOTTLES + FREE SHIPPING.
- MyGreenFills laundry soap is offering 50 Loads of Refillable, Non-Toxic Soap FREE today, plus get FREE Shipping and 15% off!
Watch my Talk of the Town segment demonstrating some of the homemade cleaner recipes above:
And watch my “Sami’s Savings Tip” from the March 2020 episode of The Sami Cone Show to learn my favorite DIY multi-purpose cleaner recipe:
Below you’ll find my March 2021 DIY cleaner segment from The Sami Cone Show:
2 comments
I will guess you already know this one but I am sending this hint to you anyway. Besides getting gum unstuck in hair, peanut butter is great to get the sticky labels off of jars. There may be an easier procedure but this is how I do it. After soak the jar in HOT water, peel off as much as yu can. The sticky (glue-y) part that remains…..Slather a good amount of peanut butter on that and let it set for a while. I usually do it one night and then clean it off the next morning. It probably will do it in less than an hour but I just want to make certain. I do not use high-price peanut butter either. I have used go-gone and alcohol, but I like this way much better. Oh yes, after getting the peanut butter off, just wash the jar. I do not get to see your show on TV very often, but i think it is pretty informative. I grew up with “frugal” women and some of the ideas you show, I knew from them. AS you may have said at one time or another—–If you have bleach, vinegar-both kinds, baking soda, peroxide, alcohol, salt, borax, funnel or two, a fruit jar, scissors, and Duct tape, you are set for anything. AND of course, you own personal tool kit ( a pair of slip joint pliers is a MUST).
Thank you for taking the time to share! Everyone can learn something from these tips 🙂