Eight easy DIY cleaning products you can make at home

Good personal hygiene practices can be costly especially if you consider all the cleaning products you’d need to keep you space spick and span. However, with just a few ingredients and you can make your own cleaning products at home and still get the desired results.

Try the tips below for some affordable but surprisingly effective cleaning hacks.

1. Lemon oil degreases the oven

Lemon essential oil is a great degreaser and can be an excellent tool to remove stubborn grease stains naturally. Spray a mixture of one cup water, one cup vinegar and lemon essential oil onto your cooker and wipe clean. Sprinkling baking soda before you spray this mixture can help get rid of stubborn stains. You can use the same technique to clean your oven — which will help prevent kitchen fires often caused by grease.

2. Removing carpet stains with vodka

Rubbing alcohol, clear vodka and even white wine can be used to keep your carpet stain-proof. First, blot the stain as much as possible then pour any type of clear alcohol (rubbing alcohol, vodka, white wine) onto the stain. Leave it for an hour and wipe clean.

3. Baking soda and vinegar cleans the tub

Tired of your white tub looking discoloured? Mix one cup vinegar, half a cup of baking soda with hot water and pour into an empty tub and allow to sit for six minutes. Begin filling the tub with hot water until it is approximately one-quarter filled, and let it sit for an additional five minutes. Then drain the tub and rinse thoroughly. You can now soak in it to your heart’s content.

4. Use essential oils for a sparkling toilet

There are so many toilet cleaners in the market that you might be left wondering which ones to use and which to ignore. For a DIY toilet cleaner, mix one cup of baking soda with 15 drops of tea tree essential oil and 15 drops of lemon or orange essential oil. Let the mixture sit in the bowl for 40 minutes and scrub with a bowl brush before flushing. Your toilet will be white once again and have a good fragrance.

5. A damp sponge for microwave cleaning

A classic way to clean your microwave is by putting a clean, dampened sponge or cloth on the tray and setting it on high for two minutes.

6. Steam the microwave with lemon oil

For this hack, add 15 drops of lemon essential oil into one and a half cups water to a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on high for five to 10 minutes, allowing the steam to condense inside walls/ceilings of your machine. Once complete, simply wipe away the softened food with a sponge. Your microwave will smell great and have no odour or food stains. Other essential oils will do the trick too.

7. Simple aromatherapy cleaning solution for shining sinks and tubs

Get your sink or tub to shine by mixing baking soda, drops of lemon and basil essential oils and dish soap. Sponge the mixture on the surface of your bathtub and bathroom sink for 10 minutes. After rising off with water, the tubs and sinks will be sparkling.

8. Glass cleaner

To make your own glass cleaner, mix white vinegar, distilled water, a few drops of an essential oil and shake. This is an affordable and easy way to clean your windows, mirrors or even shower door.