How to Make Homemade Cleaning Solutions

So, I know there are plenty of resources available online for DIY cleaning solutions, but I wanted to share my 3 favorites with you!  The best part about the cleaning solutions I make is that you generally only need 4 ingredients:  alcohol, liquid dish soap, vinegar, and water.  

Mopping Solution:

1 gallon of hot water

1/2 cup of vinegar

1 tsp of dish soap

I usually pour all the ingredients into my mopping bucket and use my mop to "mix" the ingredients. Tip:  The hotter the water, the more quickly the solution will dry off your floors after mopping.  

Sanitizer/All-Purpose Spray:

1:1 alcohol to water

The alcohol helps this solution dry quickly if you plan on wiping down counter tops or desk tops.  Also, the alcohol helps to sanitize surfaces and is great to use on multiple surfaces (i.e. plastic, glass, metal).  Just be sure to spot test on a small area if you are unsure how the surface you're cleaning reacts to alcohol.  

Tip:  Using this solution with a microfiber cloth really helps break up tough messes!

Shower Cleaner/Sink Cleaner:

1:3  dish soap to vinegar

I use this to clean my sink after doing the dishes or to clean my shower.  The soap is a great degreaser and this solution helps me prevent any type of gunk build-up that happens in the sink or shower..yuk!

Tip:  Using this solution with a non-scratching scrubbing pad will help you cut through grease and oils.

Of course, you may be thinking "why go through all this trouble?  Why not just buy your cleaning solutions?".  Well, you see....I still have quite a few store-bought cleaning solutions sitting around the house, but a lot of them have obnoxious smells that make me nauseous and give me migraines.  Also, I feel a lot better about a solution I've made with simple ingredients that I know won't harm me or my dogs.  I have used these solutions for the last few months and they are effective and are all very affordable to make!  The next time you run out of the cleaning solutions you currently use, you should try making one of these and see how you like it!

Side note:  I know there are plenty of people who hate the smell of vinegar, but one thing I've found is that as soon as the solutions that contain vinegar dry or are washed down the drain, the smell dissipates!  So, don't worry about the smell.  Just try it!