How To Make Your Own Natural Bathroom Cleaners

There are tons of “green” bathroom cleaners on the market, but most of the time it’s cheaper and just as effective to make your own.Armed with a few simple non-toxic and biodegradable ingredients, you can keep your bathroom fresh and sparkling．If you’ve got a little extra time today, grab this shopping list, head to the store and make a few batches of healthy cleaners to keep your bathroom (or any room) healthy!

Ingredients

• Baking soda– cleans, deodorizes, scours
• Borax– cleans, deodorizes, disinfects
• 卡斯提尔年代oapor vegetable oil-based liquid soap – cleans
• Distilled white vinegar– cuts grease and soap scum, dissolves mineral deposits, inhibits mold, freshens; reportedly kills 99% of bacteria, 82% of mold, and 80% of viruses
• Essential oils – freshen, disinfect
• Kosher salt – scours, disinfects
• 水

Equipment or Tools

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Jars
• Spray bottles

•TUB AND TILE CLEANER
In a jar or spray bottle, combine1 2/3 cup baking sodawith1/2 cup vegetable oil-based liquid soap．Add1/2 cup waterand2 tablespoons vinegar．Shake before using. Apply with a cloth or sponge and rinse well.

•SCOURING POWDER:
Combine1 cup baking soda,1 cup borax, and1 cup kosher saltin a jar. Sprinkle on area to be cleaned, wipe with a sponge, and rinse.

•TOILET BOWL CLEANER:
Mix1/4 cup borax or baking sodaand1 cup vinegarin the toilet. Let it sit for 15 minutes (or longer, if necessary), scrub, and flush.

•GLASS CLEANER:
Combine1/4 cup vinegarand4 cups warm waterin a spray bottle. Use to clean glass or mirrors with a dry cloth or piece of newspaper.

•DRAIN CLEANER:
Pour1/2 cup baking sodainto drain followed by1 cup vinegar．Let it sit and fizz for 15 minutes, then rinse with hot or boiling water. May need to repeat or leave baking soda and vinegar in overnight.

•FLOOR SANITIZER:
In a bucket, mix1/2 cup boraxwith2 gallons hot water．Apply with a mop or sponge. Rinsing is not necessary.

•SOAP SCUM REMOVER:
Sprinkle onbaking soda, scrub with a cloth or sponge, and rinse.Vinegarorkosher saltalso work.

•CALCIUM OR LIME REMOVER:
For calcium or lime deposits on a chrome faucet, soak a towel invinegarand wrap it around the faucet. Let it sit for a couple of hours or overnight.

•MOLD OR MILDEW REMOVER:
Mix1/2 cup boraxand1/2 cup vinegarto make a paste. Scrub with a brush or sponge and rinse with water. For tough mold, let it sit for an hour before rinsing with water.

Where to find ingredients at the grocery store:

• Baking soda: baking section
• Borax: laundry section
• Vegetable oil-based soaps: cleaner section
• Vinegar: salad dressing section
• Essential oils: health food stores
• Kosher salt: spice section

• Add a few drops of essential oil for fragrance and/or cleaning power. Eucalyptus, lavender, lemon, tea tree, and thyme are among the essential oils considered to be antiseptic and antibacterial.

• Using a label or permanent marker, write recipes directly on jars and bottles for future reference.

Do you have any bathroom cleaner recipes or tips to share? Leave a comment!

Re-edited from a post originally published as aHome Hack2010-02-08 – AB