Guest Contributed Article by Kayla

7 DIY Cleaners for Household Cleaning

We all have to clean our houses, but many people don't like the commercially available cleaning products that are available at most grocery stores.  Sometimes, they don't like having those types of toxic chemicals in their homes while others see mainstream cleaners as too expensive. Fortunately, there are plenty of effective DIY Cleaners for Household Cleaning, aka cleaning agents that you can make using common and affordable products.

1. DIY All-purpose Cleaner

All you need for this is four tablespoons of baking soda added to a quart of warm water. This can clean your kitchen appliances such as your oven, your refrigerator and your dishwasher. Just pour the solution onto a sponge and wipe it onto the surface.  Similarly, diluted vinegar works great as an all-purpose spray cleaner for counter tops, ovens, floors, bathtubs and more.

2. DIY Furniture Polish

First, get an empty spray bottle. Next, make a solution consisting of two parts olive oil and one part lemon juice. It's a good idea to strain the juice first in order to avoid clogs unless you've purchased pure lemon juice from the store. Once they're in the bottle, shake the solution well, and your polish is ready. When you need to make your furniture shine, just spray a small amount onto the wood and buff it in with a soft cloth.

3. DIY Heavy-duty Rust Cleaner

All you'll need for this is half a lemon and 1/2 cup of borax. Just dip the lemon into the borax and scrub it onto a porcelain or enamel sink or bathtub. This will get those unsightly rust stains off in no time. Don't use it on marble or granite sinks since the acid will eat away at the stone.

4. DIY Garbage Disposal Disinfectant

This one is the most fun to make and easiest!  Make sure your garbage disposal is damp and free of debris.  Pour or sprinkle 1/2 cup baking soda into the disposal making sure you've covered most surfaces inside of it.  Then pour in vinegar and watch it go to work!  Follow up with a pot of boiling water to rinse and repeat as needed.

5. DIY Glass Cleaner

For this, you'll need two cups of water, 1/2 cup of vinegar and 1/4 cup of rubbing alcohol. Just mix them together and put them in a spray bottle for use on your glass surfaces. If you want a fresh scent like commercial cleaners, then just add some peppermint or orange oil to the mixture.

6. DIY Carpet Stain Remover

This is one of the simplest cleaners to make. It's just hydrogen peroxide, diluted.* Check out the video below for more details but please note that *peroxide does have the potential to lighten aka “bleach” your carpet so beware and make sure you do your own research first.

7. DIY Fabric Softener/Dryer Sheets Alternative

This solution is 100% DIY if you know how to make your own wool dryer balls and own essential oils.  However, in the event that you don't and you'd like to purchase some, you can purchase them here.  Dryer balls combined with your favorite essential oil are a great non-toxic alternative to chemical laden dryer sheets and commercial fabric softeners.  Dryer Balls work by tumbling around in your dryer, with your laundry, helping agitate the laundry, soften it and can even help speed up drying times and save you money.  To learn more about Wool Dryer Balls there's a great post here on the Root + Revel blog.

Guest Contribution by Kayla.  Kayla Clough is the email specialist at OurStart. Kayla is a recent graduate of Eastern University in PA where she majored in Marketing and Human Resources. Kayla loves all things fashion, her golden retriever Max, and coffee. When she is not working, you can find her binge watching Sex in the City and baking her latest find on Pinterest.

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