DIY Home Cleaning Products: Kitchen Edition

In the market for effective home cleaning products? Look no further than your cupboards and pantry. Increasingly, households are turning to natural and homemade cleaning solutions to avoid toxic chemicals, cut costs, and reduce plastic waste. Household supplies already stocked in your pantry like white distilled vinegar and baking soda are excellent all-purpose cleaners. And, not to mention, both cost next to nothing. Vinegar is a natural acid with anti-fungal properties, making it a great non-toxic cleaner and sanitiser. It’s a powerful tool for breaking down limescale, dirt, grease and grime. Baking soda is a super-effective ml neutralizer, deodorizer, and natural scour.  

Today I’m hooking you up with some lsimple DIY recipes for homemade kitchen cleaners. All the recipes today use either or both vinegar and baking soda as the base. There isn’t much to it, so let’s dive into it.

Floor

To clean the kitchen floors, use a solution of 1-part hot water to 1-part vinegar. Then, add several drops of your favourite essential oils – this step is optional but highly recommended as essential oils provide fragrance and give the floors a nice sheen. (I recommend lemon or orange oil to give that fresh citrus scent in the kitchen, but tea tree oil has antibacterial properties that can be very beneficial for cleaning.) Mix and start mopping!

Countertops

For your countertops, you may want to get a 16-ounce spray bottle. Use ½ cup of vinegar and add one teaspoon of dishwashing liquid. Gently shake the container to combine the ingredients. Slowly fill the rest of the bottle with tap water. It’s IMPORTANT to note that your stone countertops, like granite and marble, can be easily damaged by any kitchen counter cleaner that is acid-based as it may eat away at the stone. So this vinegar-based solution may not be right for you. But don’t worry, I’ve got you. Simply swap out the vinegar for ¼ cup rubbing alcohol (70%). 

Sink

To get your sink looking all shiny and brand new, first wet the surface. Then, apply baking soda onto a sponge and start scrubbing. After you’ve scrubbed the entire surface, pour some hydrogen peroxide (3%) over the surface and allow it to sit for 5 minutes before rinsing it clean with water.

If your drain is clogged, combine a mixture of 1 part table salt to 1 part baking soda (1/2 cup each). Pour this mixture down the sink. Follow with 1 cup of warm vinegar down the sink. Then pour 1 cup of boiling hot water (be careful). And just like that, you’re back in business!

Oven

To clean off all that grime in (and on) your oven, use 1 cup of baking soda and add just enough water to make a paste. Apply the paste onto the surface. You can let this paste sit for a few minutes or overnight (depends on how grimy your oven is). Then spray vinegar onto the surface and clean with a sponge. You can use this to clean your stovetop as well. The result from this DIY cleaner is AMAZING! Makes my oven look (and smell) brand new every time.

Refrigerator

When cleaning your refrigerator, you want to keep things as simple and as natural as possible. This is where all the food lives so you don’t want harmful chemicals lurking. A basic solution of 2/3 cup water to 1/3 cup vinegar will do. Apply using a spray bottle and wipe with a cleaning cloth. For tough grease or other stubborn debris, sprinkle on some baking soda and scrub lightly with a sponge. 

Bonus tip: Keep an opened package of baking soda in the back of the fridge to get rid of odours.

Window/Glass

Ever wondered why they use the term “squeaky clean”? Try this homemade cleaning solution for your kitchen windows, glass shelves and cupboard doors, and you’ll see (and hear) why! Combine 2 cups water, ½ cup vinegar, ¼ cup rubbing alcohol, and 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid in a spray bottle. Add about 6-8 drops of essential oils. Then shake to combine.

Don’t wait too long to get your kitchen all sparkling and clean. Try some of these simple homemade recipes today! 

Share these DIY kitchen cleaners with your family and friends and let me know in the comments below if you want more at-home DIY tips.