In the supermarket, we can find one aisle full with various types of cleaning products. I used to have also almost everything in the house, from toiler cleaners, kitchen cleaners, bathroom cleaners, etc. Turns out that these cleaners contain unreadable ingredients that are mostly toxic. If you look at the ingredients and google them, the contents can actually cause various health problems.
Ideally whatever we use around us is at least something that we are comfortable to eat. Let’s do our body and environment a favour.
This homemade cleaner is not 100% zerowaste because you still need a bottle of vinegar (and essential oil – optional). But the comparison is 4-5 big bottles containing toxic ingredients for different purposes and 1 bottle. All of the ingredients to make all purpose homemade cleaners can be found in your kitchen cupboard.
The key to this natural homemade cleaner is vinegar. That is the star. You must have heard it quite often as it appears in different lifehack videos in social media. This ingredient is magic! After using this, I no longer look for the different cleaners I used to have. Another good thing is, you do not have to be afraid that your hands will get rough or dry. The little downside is that it has a typical smell that not everybody likes. However, there is 2 ways to reduce the fragrant, adding essential oil or infused vinegar with residual orange/lemon peel. Yes, the leftover peel from the orange that we eat. It makes a fresh scent.
Be careful using it on marble and granite because the acidity of the vinegar eats away at the surface of it.
All purpose cleaner
- Water
- (Distilled) white vinegar (infuse with orange zest 1-2 weeks – optional)
- Scented essential oil (optional)
Window cleaner
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 60 ml (distilled) vinegar (infuse with orange zest 1-2 weeks – optional)
- 30 ml alcohol
- 250 ml of hot tap water or distilled water
Metal or rust cleaner
All purpose cleaner + baking soda
