Life Hack: How to make your own cleaning products for windows, toilets and more

Natural alternatives to shop-bought chemicals

Step away from the bleach and try making some DIY natural cleaning products to use around your home instead.

Window cleaner 

If you’re looking for an alternative product to get glistening windows, it’s easy to make something from common household products. You may notice shop-bought window cleaners boast the presence of vinegar as a powerful cleaning tool. Unsurprisingly, our natural cleaner contains white vinegar to cut through dirt and grease. Mix one-quarter of a cup of white vinegar with a half teaspoon of washing-up liquid and dilute it with two cups of water. Add the mixture to a spray bottle. Shake the bottle to ensure the solution mixes thoroughly. If you don’t like the smell of vinegar, add a few drops of essential oil to mask the scent. Spray on your windows and glass surfaces and clean as usual.

General surface cleaner 

To keep surfaces clean around your home, you only need a few household products. Add half a cup of vinegar and one-quarter of a cup of baking soda/sodium bicarbonate to four cups of hot water. Mix the ingredients together and add the mixture to a spray bottle. To add a scent, add a few drops of your preferred essential oil to the bottle.

Floor cleaner 

Looking for a natural way to get your wooden floors shiny and clean? Add a quarter of a cup of white vinegar to four litres of warm water. Again, you can add your preferred essential oil to add a scent to your floors. The vinegar will cut through dirt effectively but make sure you don’t add too high a concentration of vinegar as the acid it contains can damage some floor finishes, so less is more.

Toilet cleaner 

A toilet bowl is one area you may be tempted to treat with harsh chemical products like bleach. However, you can easily clean it with a few products. Using a wooden spoon, mix two cups of baking soda/sodium bicarbonate and one teaspoon of essential oil, ideally one with disinfecting properties like tea tree oil or lavender. Essential oils can react with metal and can also deteriorate plastic so it is best to avoid using a mixing bowl made of either material. This maxes enough powder for up to 30 uses and can be kept fresh in an airtight glass jar.

To use it in your toilet, add a tablespoon of the mixture to the bottom of the toilet bowl. You can also sprinkle some on the edges of the bowl, using a toilet brush to spread the powder around. Next, add two cups of distilled vinegar to the toilet bowl. The vinegar should cause the powder mixture to fizz and foam upon contact. Use a toilet brush to scrub while the mixture reacts. Allow it to sit on the surface of the toilet for 15 minutes before flushing.

Note: If you are experimenting with your own DIY cleaning products, never mix vinegar and bleach as this creates a toxic gas that can burn skin, cause shortness of breath, and be fatal with long-term exposure.