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The Beginner’s Guide to Making Non-Toxic Household Cleaners

The beginner’s guide to making your own homemade non-toxic household cleaners. Rid your home of harmful chemicals, one cleaning product at a time.

The beginner's guide to making your own homemade non-toxic household cleaners. Rid your home of harmful chemicals, one cleaning product at a time.

So you want to make your own non-toxic household cleaners?

Ready to protect your family from harmful chemicals?

Wondering if homemade cleaning products will work just as well as their store-bought (and mostly unsafe) counterparts?

Great! Read on, because this guide is jam-packed with everything you need to get started.

Now just imagine…

the confidence and peace of mind you’ll have, knowing that you’re only using safe, non-toxic products to clean your home.

the money you’ll save by making your own cleaning products, using simple ingredients that you can actually pronounce.

being able to clean your entire home without feeling like you need to slip into a hazmat suit to protect yourself from the overwhelming scents and fumes.

That’s right. Making your own non-toxic household cleaners is much easier (and cheaper) than you think!

Ditch the Harmful Chemicals Once & For All!

Your Non-Toxic Home - The Room-by-Room Guide to a Natural, Healthy HomeGet the new Your Non-Toxic Home eBook today and get the confidence you need to finally take charge of your family’s health!

Order today, and get access to some amazing bonuses!

  • FREE Cleaning Product Labels: Beautifully designed labels to print and label your homemade products.
  • FREE Recipe Cheat Sheets:  1-page cheat sheets with recipes for each room in your home.

What’s the catch?

You’ve got to take it one step at a time, if you want to be successful and avoid becoming overwhelmed, or worse – giving up altogether.

So let’s do this!

How to Make Non-Toxic Household Cleaners

Before you get started, you’ll want to download this free toolkit with the 9 essential ingredients and supplies you’ll need to create your non-toxic cleaning kit – plus why they work, and where you can purchase them.

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And now for the cleaning recipes! Remember my secret to creating a non-toxic home – start with that first product. Which one will you choose to tackle first?

I’ve included a little table of contents below to help you click around and navigate this page a little better.

» All-Purpose Cleaner

The beginner's guide to making your own homemade non-toxic household cleaners. Rid your home of harmful chemicals, one cleaning product at a time.

Simple version: A spray bottle with 50/50 solution of water and vinegar + a few drops of essential oil (tea tree or lavender are great).

Better version: The Ultimate All-Purpose Cleaner is the only cleaner I use for nearly every surface in the home. It started as a floor cleaner, but it works so well everywhere!

Use it on: counter-tops, stove-tops, floors, sinks, toilets, tubs, stainless steel… anywhere that could use a good wipe-down.

Pro-tip: Boost the cleaning power of this spray by sprinkling some baking soda after you’ve sprayed your surface for more scrubbing action.

NOTE: Do NOT use on marble/granite as the vinegar will eat away at it and may permanently etch the surface. See granite countertop cleaner below!

» Granite & Stone Cleaner

Natural Homemade Granite Cleaner

Though it’s tempting to use the all-purpose cleaner on your granite countertops, it should NOT be used since it contains vinegar, which is acidic and can cause etching on the surface over time.

Instead, use this Homemade Granite Cleaner to clean granite, marble, and other stone surfaces.

» Disinfecting Spray

Ditch the bleach and toxic fumes, and learn how to make this natural disinfectant with a simple ingredient you probably already have in your kitchen!

I just spray this on surfaces after I’ve cleaned them for extra disinfecting action. Mostly on bathroom surfaces – just spray and let air-dry.

Check out this ONE ingredient disinfectant that can replace your household bleach!

Use it on: kitchen and bathroom surfaces in need of extra disinfecting action

» Scouring Scrub

The beginner's guide to making your own homemade non-toxic household cleaners. Rid your home of harmful chemicals, one cleaning product at a time.

Mix together:

Stir to make a creamy paste, then apply with scrub brush, and rinse clean.

Use it on: bathtubs, sinks, or any surface that you would normally use something like Soft Scrub®.

» Scouring Powder

The beginner's guide to making your own homemade non-toxic household cleaners. Rid your home of harmful chemicals, one cleaning product at a time.

Just mix baking soda and salt, and store in an old cheese shaker. Check the full tutorial here to see what else you can add to boost the cleaning power of this simple powder.

Use it on: Any surface that you would normally use Comet® or Ajax®. I use this when scrubbing down my stainless steel sink (plus a squirt of dish soap), and it works like magic!

» Toilet Bowl Cleaner

The beginner's guide to making your own homemade non-toxic household cleaners. Rid your home of harmful chemicals, one cleaning product at a time.
Image: Flickr
  1. Just spray the All-Purpose Cleaner inside the toilet bowl, and on the toilet seat and lid, and let it sit for a few minutes.
  2. Then sprinkle some baking soda in the bowl, scrub with a toilet brush, then flush.
  3. Wipe down the toilet seat and lid with a rag.
  4. Then give everything a good spray of peroxide to disinfect. Done!

» Glass Cleaner

The beginner's guide to making your own homemade non-toxic household cleaners. Rid your home of harmful chemicals, one cleaning product at a time.

Simple version: A spray bottle filled with 50/50 solution of water and vinegar

Better version: A spray bottle filled with 3 parts water and 1 part rubbing/isopropyl alcohol

Best version: Use the All-Purpose Cleaner for the best results and a streak-free shine! *Just make sure to wipe with a microfiber cloth.

» Cleaning Wipes

Homemade Cleaning Wipes - Make your own DIY reusable cleaning wipes. All natural and non-toxic.

One of the greatest cleaning inventions is those disposable cleaning wipes because they’re already saturated with cleaning solution, ready to grab, wipe, and finish the job. Make your own reusable cleaning wipes with this super easy DIY tutorial.

» Drain Cleaner

The beginner's guide to making your own homemade non-toxic household cleaners. Rid your home of harmful chemicals, one cleaning product at a time.

Pour 1/2 cup baking soda, followed by 1 cup vinegar down the drain. Plug the drain to keep the bubbles inside. When the bubbling stops, flush it with very hot water. After about 5 minutes, flush again with cold water.

» Carpet Cleaner

The beginner's guide to making your own homemade non-toxic household cleaners. Rid your home of harmful chemicals, one cleaning product at a time.

I’ve got a couple posts for you on cleaning your carpets naturally:

  1. Homemade Carpet Cleaner Solution (for machines) and a Spot Cleaning Spray
  2. How to Make Carpet Stain Removers for (Almost) Any Stain

» Dishwasher Detergent & Rinse Aid

The beginner's guide to making your own homemade non-toxic household cleaners. Rid your home of harmful chemicals, one cleaning product at a time.

Personally, I use a non-toxic dishwasher detergent from Nature Clean (a Canadian company), but I always keep a batch of the recipe below on hand to use in a pinch when I’ve run out and haven’t had a chance to buy more.

Mix together:

Use 1-2 tablespoons in the detergent compartment.

To give your dishes a spotless shine, add some vinegar to the rinse aid compartment.

The beginner's guide to making your own homemade non-toxic household cleaners. Rid your home of harmful chemicals, one cleaning product at a time.

Which non-toxic household cleaner will you make today?

The Beginner\'s Guide to Making Non-Toxic Household Cleaners
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79 Comments

  1. Hi Sarah, thanks for writing this! Very helpful 🙂 One question: “To give your dishes a spotless shine, add some vinegar to the rinse aid compartment.” What kind of vinegar would do? Is malt vinegar alright? Thanks in advance for your help.

  2. I jus sent you a question, but forgot to add, I want a granite cleaner without rubbing alcohol and vinegar, but will still disinfect.

  3. There are several cleaning products manufacturers in India that claim to have products that are nontoxic, having natural ingredients or claim to be environment friendly. However, there is no standard definition for these. Such products could still be toxic and cause irritation to the skin, mouth and eyes if not used properly.

  4. I am so thankful I found your site!!! My 15 year old son and I can use commercial cleaners without issue. My husband and my 12 year old daughters migraines seem to be triggered by the scents and chemicals and lately my 3 year old daughter was having reactions as well (coughing, itchy eyes and eczema patches right after I cleaned the house). I started using diy cleaners in place of my store bought and my family has not had as many reactions! Your site has helped me so much in making my family healthier and happier (sort of, my husband loathes the smell of vinegar and complains about it lol)

    Do you have any recommendations for HE laundry detergent? I’ve been using tide but would like to break away from the dye and fragrances and chemicals there too.

    • Mary, that’s amazing! What a testament to the benefits of your non-toxic journey. Great work, mama! My husband wasn’t keen on the vinegar either, which actually lead me to figure out a (vinegar-free) all purpose cleaner – here’s that recipe if you’d like to give it a try.

      As for laundry detergent, you could either try making your own or go with a non-toxic detergent. Have a look at this post first, and at the end of the article you can download my free guide to non-toxic detergents.

  8. Thank you, Sarah, for being so attentive to your website and replying. Excellent info and I really like Mountain Rose products as well.

  9. Sarah,
    thank you for sharing these recipes! i am excited to try them!
    not only they are safe, non-toxic but also way cheaper than “natural” non-toxic product commercially available.
    i will definitely try these recipes and if i like the results- I am getting rid of my other cleaners!

  12. I used the vinegar, alcohol, and dish detergent to clean my hardwood floors. What a difference! My floors are so clean and shiny. Thanks Sarah for the tip!

  13. Can I use Hydrogen Peroxide as an alternative for isopropyl alcohol? I’d really appreciate your response
    thanks

  14. I’ve read a few good stuff here. Certainly worth bookmarking for revisiting.
    I surprise how a lot effort you place to create this type
    of fantastic informative website.

  15. I noticed you didn’t have any cleaners for greasy carpet or clothing stains. I use cornstarch. Just sprinkle it on the spot, rub it in & let it sit for a while. I usually leave it on clothing for 10-15 minutes & carpet 1-2 hours or overnight. Then brush it off or vacuum it up. The amount needed depends on how much grease you need to soak up. I’ve used this for years & it really works. The cornstarch absorbs the oil. If you have carpets that have other dirt as well as greasy spots, mixing baking soda & cornstarch in equal parts, sprinkle all over the carpet with a little extra on stains, use a stiff brush to brush it into the carpet, let sit for 30 minutes to an hour. Takes out dirt & grease as well as odors.

    • That was so helpful, Pattie! Thank you so much, I will definitely keep this in mind for the next inevitable grease stain, and will add this to the list. 🙂

    • I also use cornstarch as a dry shampoo in between washes-works perfect!!! Just use a big makeup brush to brush it through your roots. Works especially well for blondes, needs more working in when hair is darker…

  16. Thanks for posting! Where do you get the Citric Acid, online at Amazon for a 5lb its expensive. What and Where to look for??

  17. Hi! Interested in making the cleaner for the granite counter tops. I’ve been using vinegar/water for awhile now, not even realizing it will be harmful 🙁 so thanks for pointing that out!
    You mention alcohol… and also mention it in your picture of your 9 common ingredients but it is not shown. Just wanting to clarify is this rubbing alcohol?
    Just bought a big pack of Finish that’s going to last well over a year. Bookmarking this for when it’s all done!

  18. Regarding the dishwasher detergent. Why citric acid? Can I leave it out. I’m not all that comfortable with it . Lots of controversy…GMO, etc.
    Thanks.

    • The citric acid is added to help cut grease and reduce clouding on dishes. You can certainly leave it out and see how it goes – depending on your water type, you may not even need it!

  19. Great post! Thank you! I was wondering what water hardness you have in your area for the dishwashing powder, as we have very hard water here (100) so I don’t know if this will alter the effectiveness/ratio for salt & citric acid?

    • Ooh, I really don’t know. I never really had it tested. I would just start with the base recipe and kind of adjust from there – that’s kind of what we have to do for a lot of homemade products. 🙂 Good luck!

  20. Hello,

    i have a laminate parquet floor and my cleaner used washing powder with water to mop it. The floor now looks very dirty. we have tried mopping the floor with water several times but in vain. can you please suggest a solution.

    Thanks,

    • Have you tried the homemade floor cleaner recipe that’s linked in the list above? I’d start with that first.

  21. re: Dishwasher detergent

    I tried this recipe; however it seems to clump terribly. any ideas what I’m doing wrong? I do store it under the sink if the moisture there is causing it.

    Thanks,

    • You may need to add one of those silica packets to your container to absorb the moisture, You know those little white packets with round beads that come with a new pair of shoes or a new purse? Another option is to just keep out the citric acid from the original recipe, then add it in (1 tsp.) with each load. Otherwise, you can try add some rice wrapped in a cheesecloth, but I’ve found that doesn’t work as well. You also want to store it in the driest possible place.

  22. Thank you for sharing your vegetable/fruit cleaner! I am wondering what to do when there are lots of apples to wash, but they keep floating in the sink/bowl/whatever. I tried turning them over, but it seemed they all preferred that same side to be facing up. Also they seemed to still be waxy all over after I pulled them from their “bath”. (I used a sink of water with I think a cup of vinegar…this was before I found this blog.) I would love to be able to have a bowl of apples on the table for the kids to get into whenever they wanted without freaking out about what might be on them. Please help! Thank you!

    • Hmm, good question…I never wash that many apples at one time, but the few that I do wash, I take a potato scrubber to them because they’re so darn waxy! I also swish them around in the soaking water a few times as well.

  23. This is a great post! Thanks so much for your time and effort.
    Here’s one I use when cleaning the outside of my windows.
    It is safe for plants and they can even benefit b/c some ingredients add minerals back; the plants also benefit because it is a mild pesticide. It is safe because it is diluted in water & diluted again when you rinse with a hose.
    Dissolve 1/4 C Epsom salts and 1/3 C borax in 2 gal warm water. Stir in 1 tsp Dawn dish detergent, 3/4 C rubbing alcohol and 1/4 C ammonia (ammonia can be replaced with vinegar–but vinegar is a known to kill all vegetation it comes in contact with).
    I use a fluffy telescoping car washing brush dunk in the bucket, wash 1 window and rinse immediately.

    I especially like ingredients that have lots of applications for different cleaners/detergents & many times health needs. All these ingredients do that.

  25. I use your dishwasher detergent. And it does not work, it leaves a film over all my dishes. Am I doing something wrong?

  27. Fabulous! I have extreme sensitivity to chemicals, and most commercial cleaners will put me into a severe asthma attack. I can’t wait to try these recipes.

  28. I made dishwasher soap. Unfortunately, it didn’t clean as good as my old Cascade. Well, back to Cascade. As soon I will finish my Jet dry in dishwasher I will try to use vinegar instead.
    All purpose cleaner and dry laundry soap are working perfect. Thank you.

  29. Is there anything I should not use this all purpose cleaner on? I read it wouldn’t be good for granite and marble counters. Is this true?

    • Hey Ashley, I thought I included this on the post but guess not. Yes, you can’t use anything acidic (like vinegar or lemon juice) on granite because it will eat away at the finish and cause etching overtime.

      I made a granite cleaner for my mom a couple weeks back and will post it soon, but it’s basically 1 cup water + 1/4 cup alcohol + few drops dish soap + few drops essential oil.

      Hope that helps!

  30. Do you know what I can use to clean an acrylic tub? I have to be careful of what I use because it scratches easy. Thanks for the great tips!

    • Hi Sheri! I believe borax (or plain old baking sofa) would be a safe scouring agent that won’t scratch the surface. Maybe adding a little to some warm water and scrubbing with a soft sponge. You could even add some vinegar to the mix for extra mold/mildew removal power. If using borax, I would advise wearing gloves to protect your hands. Also, I would test out a small spot just to be sure before doing the rest of the tub. Hope that helps and let us know how it worked out!

    • Thanks for sharing your link, Kendra! I do love castile soap and all it’s versatile uses. Some folks have mentioned making a citrus enzyme mix by steeping orange peels in vinegar for a couple weeks and shaking the jar every once in a while – it’s supposed to help with the vinegar smell. I’m going to try it and test it out some time.

  32. I tried the vinegar/salt mixture to clean pet urine stains from the carpet. It did not work and my room smelled worse than ever. Stains actually looked darker too. I did not try the borax in the mixture yet. Where do get Borax from? Also, if anyone has suggestions on how to remove pet urine stains from carpets I would be EXTREMELY GRATEFUL!!!

      • Hello Farrah, my mother had great success with a product called “FOLEX Instant Carpet Spot Remover”. She tried it on a cream colored area rug with an old cat urine stain. The smell and color are completely gone and there was no damage to the rug! The spray is safe enough for you to use your finger to rub in! My mom found it at a local Food Lion grocery store and here is the website: http://www.folex.net. Hope this helps.

    • mix 1 bottle peroxide with 1 cup of baking soda and 1 tbsp of dish soap….. thoroughly saturate the stain, scrub it in and wait till it dried and vacuum up the soda….. OR if the accident is fresh (ie still wet) sprinkle baking soda, and spray with vinegar, cover the area with an old plate or something similar (to protect it) and let it sit over night, vacuum up yellowed soda in the morning

  33. Where can you find lavendar oil? I’m with you that I can’t handle too much vinegar smell, but I don’t know where to look for the oils you meniton.

    • I’ve just added this to the end of the post, but you can find essential oils at any health food store that sells organic or natural products. If you can’t find a store near you, you can always purchase them online. Mountain Rose Herbs has really good quality oils. Hope that helps!

      • Please be careful with essential oils. I’ve studied them intensely and still am studying them. By law (U.S. law) essential oils are labeled as if they are perfumes so the manufacturer can say they’re 100% pure when actually only 20% is pure … so weird. Anyway, don’t use it if you can’t ingest it or use it on your skin READ THE LABELS and fine print. Young Living is the only brand I trust for the full line of oils they carry. Other brands are good as well but some of their oils in the line they carry might be adulterated.
        Thanks Sarah for this wonderful work you’re doing!

        • You have to, need to study and learn as you do with any of this stuff. I use essential oils everyday of my life. 2 years ago I had 19 prescriptions that was filled every month and some others that was every other month or 2 for my kidneys that was on 3 months, off 2, repeat. Thanks to someone taking the time to sit with me and tell me about the oils, me taking my time to research the o,c1 at a time, and i am still working on getting to know my oile and herbs. Thanks to oils today i am 110 lbs down from 18 months ago. And those 19 plus presentations a month is now today 4, with 1 other that I am on 3 months, out 2. I will go as for to say that oils saved my life. Know who you are buying from and know the things a oil is good for and please know the side effects. People can have allergic reactions to the oils and the herbs, so please know those. If you are not sure, the first time that you use one, try a very small amount on the inside if your arm. Better safe than sorry. And remember that strong oils, like peppermint can burn your skin, you need to cut it with a carrier oil, something like coconut, greed seed, almond, there are some wonderful carrier oils out there.i do agree with you that oils need to be regulated and should be made to list if it is cut and how much it is cut and with what. If an oil has a cheap price, that alone is the reason that I will not buy. Study, study, study, and learn all you can. This is the only way we know any of these things are safe. Take care and God bless.

  34. For those who can’t find the washing soda in your area, google how to make washing soda from baking soda. I came across the info several months ago. It actually works, my only suggestion is make sure you have your oven vent fan on when you do it and to do it in small batches 🙂

    • Hi Jamie, no washing soda is not the same as baking soda, and they cannot be interchanged. Washing soda is sodium carbonate (whereas baking soda is sodium bicarbonate). You can usually find washing soda in the laundry aisle of your grocery store, and more likely than not, it will be from Arm-n-Hammer. If you can’t find it in a store near you, you can call the company and they’ll tell you the nearest place to your location. Call this phone number 1-800-524-1328 and have the UPC code 33200-03020. The service will ask for your zip code and then tell you places in your area that sell the item.

      Hope that helps!

      • Also, sodium carbonate can be found in the pool cleaner aisle at Walmart. The brand I used is AquaChem. Just make sure the only ingredient listed is sodium carbonate. Great tips! Thanks!

      • I got my washing soda from Amazon.com. Free shipping, arrived in 2 days. Could not find it in my area.

  36. What can I clean my granite countertops with? I am glad you told me about the vinegar. That is what I was using!

    • Hi Michelle, I just did a quick search for you, and it looks like alcohol works well. Just fill a quart-size spray bottle with 1/4 cup alcohol and a few drops of dish soap, swirl to combine, then top off with water. You may want to add some essential oils to help mask the alcohol smell.

      Hope that helps! Let me know if it works (since I don’t have granite to test it on), and I’ll add this new info to the post! 🙂

      • Works like a charm!! Thanks soooooo much! I really don’t mind the smell as the alcohol evaporates really fast and doesn’t last long.

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Hi, I’m Sarah!

I believe protecting your family from harmful chemicals doesn't have to be overwhelming. Anyone can do it, one small step at a time. Are you ready to take charge of your family's health?

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