It’s easy to make window cleaner, all-purpose cleaner, scouring paste and dishwashing liquid from ingredients found in your kitchen. You need soap, baking soda, salt, vinegar, citric acid and water. The recipes come from my mother. The ingredients have all been tried in our kitchen, so I dare to recommend them. Why buy cleaning products from the shop when you can make them yourself and, most importantly, they won’t harm your family’s health or the environment.
I’ve always bought dishwasher detergent (tablets) from organic shops. Now I decided to make them myself, as the ingredients are already in my kitchen. Using the homemade detergent, I’ve noticed that there shouldn’t be any dried-on food on the dishes. You won’t get dirty dishes that have been sitting in the dishwasher for several days sparkling clean with the homemade stuff. And the detergent won’t clean burnt pots and pans. For those, use the scouring paste first and then you can put them in the machine too.
30 g baking soda
15 g citric acid
15 g salt
5 – 10 g vinegar (10%) (1-2 tbsp)
Mix the dry ingredients well so there are no lumps. Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar and mix everything together quickly. Now the dry ingredients will start to fizz and turn into something like wet sand. If the dry ingredients stick together, there is enough liquid. Spoon the mixture into small silicone molds and let it sit for a few hours. Depending on the size of the mold, I’ve used 1-2 tablets per load and placed them where a regular dishwasher tablet usually goes.
If your mixture gets too wet and starts to “rise” in the mold, it means there was too much liquid. But don’t worry, let the “flower rise” as much as it wants, it will eventually harden anyway. If it breaks when dry and turns into powder, you can use that powder in the dishwasher too.
1 part vinegar (10%)
4 parts water
If you use stronger vinegar, add more water. The window cleaner should be slightly acidic, meaning you should still be able to touch it with your tongue. If the glass is very dirty, the solution can be a bit more vinegary.
Suitable for cleaning sinks and countertops in the bathroom and kitchen. Also for cleaning the toilet bowl.
1 part vinegar
1 part water
a few drops of lemongrass essential oil
Mix the vinegar and water in a spray bottle and add a suitable essential oil if desired.
A piece of soap, about 10 g
1.5 cups of water
1 tbsp baking soda
1 tbsp 10% vinegar
Let the soap melt in warm water for a couple of hours or overnight. Once the soap has melted, add the baking soda and vinegar to the same water. Your dishwashing liquid for hand washing is ready.
1 part homemade dishwashing liquid
1 part baking soda
Mix the ingredients into a paste. Use it to scrub particularly dirty surfaces, pots, pans, and the oven. If the surfaces are very dirty, leave the paste on for a while.
