Over 25 Natural Cleaning Products to DIY That Really Work

To support the running costs of Moral Fibres, this post contains affiliate links. This means Moral Fibres may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to readers, on items purchased through these links.

Over the years I’ve shared a number of natural cleaning products to DIY.

There seems to be more and more interest in natural cleaning products lately, which is pretty amazing. Who needs those cocktails of harsh chemicals in our homes anyway? Not me. According to scientists, conventional cleaning products can be as bad for your lungs as smoking 20 cigarettes a day.

To make life easy for you I thought it would be handy to have all of my DIY natural cleaning products posts in one place for your easy reference. This includes all of the recipes I have shared on the blog, as well as guides on where to source ingredients and the knowledge and rationale behind each ingredient.

I’ll also update this post whenever I add any more green cleaning posts, so make sure you check back here! Don’t say I’m not good to you!

My Guide To Natural Cleaning Products To DIY

A stylish bathroom with a blue text box that says the ultimate guide to making your own natural cleaning products

First off, I’d recommend reading my guide to green cleaning tips and tricks for beginners. It’s essentially the guide I wish I had read before I started making my own cleaning products nearly 15 years ago.

Once you’ve read pop back here, and have a go at making some of my favourite natural cleaning products that I make at home. Each recipe is simple and effective, and tried and tested in my own home:

Homemade Cleaning Wipes

homemade cleaning wipes solution

These homemade and reusable cleaning wipes solution is such an easy make and one of my natural cleaning favourites. The solution takes seconds to make, using super simple ingredients. Then simply store a jar in your kitchen or bathroom to mop up any little spills. 

Homemade Oven Cleaner

homemade oven cleaner uk

I really like my homemade oven cleaner recipe because no noxious fumes come off it. My clean green oven cleaning gel has none of the nastiness, but all of the effectiveness. The best part? You can pick up all of the ingredients (mostly from the baking aisle!) next time you’re at the supermarket!

DIY Natural Cleaning Spray

natural cleaning products to diy

Make this vinegar-free winter-scented DIY cleaning spray, suitable for all surfaces. It makes your home smell like a walk through a forest in winter and cleans like a pro.

How to Make Citric Acid Cleaning Spray

citric acid cleaner

Don’t like the smell of vinegar but love its cleaning properties? Try this natural cleaning spray made with citric acid. It’s a good all-round cleaner, but where it comes into its own is that it’s really effective at removing soap scum, hard water stains, calcium deposits, lime, and rust. Try it on your shower screen. I promise you’ll love it. 

DIY Stainless Steel Cleaner

natural cleaning products for stainless steel

Make your own natural stainless steel cleaner with this easy guide, that gives you sparkling results every time.

Homemade Natural Cleaning Products Guide

homemade natural cleaning products to DIY

I started out with this guide to homemade cleaning products. Here you can learn how to make your own dishwasher rinse aid, kitchen cleaner, and bathroom cleaner with the simplest of ingredients.

Homemade Scouring Powder Recipe

Learn how to make this fantastically smelling and effective grapefruit-scented homemade scouring scrub. This cleans like a dream on ceramic sinks.

Homemade Fabric Conditioner to DIY

how to make your own natural fabric conditioner

Conventional fabric conditioner is my least favourite item. It’s awful for your clothes, for your washing machine, and for your pipework. I banished it from my home over 10 years ago and haven’t looked back. Here’s how to make your own natural fabric conditioner that is cheap as chips and much more effective than its chemical-laden counterpart.

Soda Crystals Uses Around The Home

Soda crystals are an excellent all-rounder when it comes to green cleaning. I always try to have a box or two under my sink. I’ve got 15 uses for soda crystals right this way.

Homemade Reed Diffuser DIY

reed diffuser DIY

Want to ditch the harsh chemical-filled synthetic shop-bought air fresheners? Try this really simple reed diffuser DIY. It’s made with only a few ingredients and can be whipped up in seconds.

Natural Stain Remover Tips

natural cleaning products to diy

In this post on natural stain removal, I’ve got heaps of advice on dealing with almost every conceivable type of stain the natural way. From using lemon juice to vinegar to milk, you too can ditch the synthetic stain removers.

Natural Cleaning with eCloths

I’ve recently become an e-cloth convert, and have a small stash of them – here’s my guide to cleaning with eCloths. I’ve found them invaluable for cleaning stainless steel and glass in particular, and they last an absolute age. Mine are still going strong from over 8 years ago.

Uses For Borax

Like soda crystals, Borax is an excellent and inexpensive green cleaning stalwart. Here are 21 uses for Borax. It’s definitely one for your under-the-sink arsenal.

Homemade Hand Sanitiser

homemade hand santitiser

For hand sanitising on the go, I’ve shared my homemade hand sanitiser recipe that’s World Health Organisation compliant. 

How to Naturally Descale A Kettle

Don’t let limescale ruin a perfectly good cup of tea. Here’s how to quickly, easily, and naturally descale a kettle two ways – with vinegar or with citric acid – whatever you have to hand.

How To Clean A Dishwasher With Vinegar

Want to know how to clean a dishwasher the environmentally friendly way? Here are my tried and tested eco-tips with you, for a clean and green machine using natural products, such as vinegar.

How to Clean Your Washing Machine

Got a smelly washing machine? Here is my tried and tested technique on how to clean a washing machine effectively and environmentally friendly, without the use of harsh chemicals. Using vinegar and soda crystals, not only will banish bad smells, but it will reduce limescale and mould too.

How To Naturally Unblock Your Drain

Put down the vinegar and bicarbonate of soda right now. Despite what you might have read elsewhere, this combination is not great at unblocking drains. Instead, read my guide on how to naturally unblock a drain quickly and effectively and I swear you won’t look back!

The DIY Natural Cleaning Products Basics

While I want to share my favourite natural cleaning products that I always reach for, I also want to empower you by sharing with you the knowledge behind each product. As such, I’ve started writing guides for each individual ingredient. As I write more for the site, I’ll add them here.

Everything You Need to Know About White Vinegar For Natural Cleaning

guide to using vinegar as a natural cleaning product diy

From the emails and messages I receive, I can tell that people wonder just how eco-friendly vinegar is compared to other natural cleaning solutions, such as shop-bought products. There also seems to be confusion around how to use vinegar effectively in the home, resulting in some of you being disappointed with the results of your homemade cleaning products.

In my guide to everything you need to know about cleaning with white vinegar, I cover all these points and more.

Why You Shouldn’t Mix Baking Soda and Vinegar When Making DIY Natural Cleaning Products

I see countless posts on cleaning with bicarbonate of soda (also known as baking soda) and vinegar. It’s a really bad idea to mix the two. Here’s exactly why you shouldn’t mix baking soda and vinegar, and what to use instead when considering DIY natural cleaning products.

Everything You Need to Know About Bicarbonate of Soda For Cleaning

Here’s everything you need to know about cleaning with bicarbonate of soda – one of the most common natural cleaning product ingredients. From what you can clean with it, how to use it, how to store it, and much more.

Everything You Need to Know About Citric Acid For Cleaning

using citric acid as a natural cleaning product ingredient in DIYs

Confused by citric acid? Here is everything you need to know about using citric acid for natural cleaning. From what you can clean to what not to clean, where to buy citric acid, the safety concerns you need to consider, and more, it’s all here,

Is Borax Safe For Making DIY Natural Cleaning Products With?

what is borax substitute

There is some controversy over Borax, and its use as a natural cleaning product. I’ve done some research on if borax is safe and found that if you are in the UK or EU then it’s safe, as only Borax Substitute is available to buy here. However, if you’re in the USA or any other part of the world you will have to use your own discretion. Have a read and make your own mind up.

Everything You Need To Know About Castile Soap For Cleaning

Castile soap is an incredibly versatile ingredient when it comes to natural cleaning. If you are new to using this type of soap then here’s everything you need to know about castile soap for cleaning. From what it is exactly, how to use it, where to buy it, and more, this is a handy introduction to this green cleaning hero.

Everything You Need to Know About Cleaning With Sodium Percarbonate

Sodium percarbonate, also known as oxygen bleach, is rising in popularity as a natural cleaning product. But if you are confused as to what it is exactly, how to clean with it, and what not to clean then try my guide to cleaning with sodium percarbonate for all the details.

Can You Naturally Clean With Baking Powder?

After reading through this list of ingredients you can naturally clean with, you might be wondering if you can clean with baking powder. I would not recommend this. Here are the full details on why you shouldn’t use baking powder to clean.

Where To Buy Ingredients to Make Natural Cleaning Products

To make life easy for you, I want to share where you can buy all the ingredients you need to make your own natural and eco-friendly cleaning products:

My Eco-Friendly Cleaning Supplies

eco friendly cleaning supplies

In need of a brief overview? In my guide to eco-friendly cleaning supplies, I’ve listed all the products I buy to help me make my homemade cleaning products. You can use it as a checklist to help you buy the products you need.

Where to Source Glass Spray Bottles For Natural Cleaning Products

Wondering where to source glass spray bottles for cleaning products? I’ve got you covered with this handy guide, which also features my best sources for recycled bottles.

Where to Buy Specific Green Cleaning Ingredients

If you’re looking for advice on where to buy specific cleaning ingredients then I’ve written separate guides on each product:

If you’ve enjoyed these then in February 2018, I published a book packed full of green cleaning recipes for every corner of your home. It’s called Fresh Clean Home. Do check it out – there are lots more exclusive book-only recipes for you to make.

Happy spring cleaning!

Found this post useful? Please consider buying me a virtual coffee to help support the site’s running costs.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Join The Mailing List

Be part of the community and get all the latest articles, news and tips on green living from Moral Fibres straight to your inbox, once a month, free of charge.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

6 Comments

  1. I just bought a new apartment for my family & it looks very unclean. Since my childhood, I love to explore & experiment with new things. And this is the right time to clean my house with natural cleaning products. Thank you so much. You helped me a lot to learn something new. Keep writing.

  2. Hi I bought your book, and I am hoping to start making the products soon, I am struggling to find white vinegar that is not in a plastic bottle and feel buying ingredients that come in plastic packaging defeats the point altogether, could you share some information on where you buy your products from? Thanks, Lisa

  3. I love this home made diffuser! Since having kids I haven’t used air freshener because I can’t bear the thought of them breathing it in. Thanks!
    Sarah

  4. Unfortunately, we can’t get borax in our country – it’s a restricted item ( I have no idea why!) Are there any alternatives?

    1. We can’t get borax here either, but you can get Borax substitute here in the UK. Have you tried looking for that? Alternatively soda crystals are probably the most similar alternative, although soda crystals don’t have the whitening effect on laundry that borax does.