A HOUSE IN THE HILLS HOME EC. /1
Thursday 03.20.14 
I've been meaning to tackle this for the longest time and I'm actually giddy to be sitting down to write this post! Is that a weird thing to be giddy about?! Probably. But I don't care because today I'm sharing recipes for 6 household cleaning products that are made from the simplest ingredients, most of which are so common there's a good chance they're already living in your cupboards. Rad, right?! AND, those cute labels, they were designed by the incredibly talented designer Judy Hsu and are available for you to download and print out for yourself! Because cleaning isn't fun, at least not for this girl! So at least it can involve cute, inexpensive, GREEN products. Triple Yes! And I've made it as simple as possible for you below with a complete list of everything you'll need to make your own personal cleaning arsenal, including those adorable bottles!
I know this post is a deviation from the norm around here and I hope you love it! I'm trying to mix things up a little, devoting more time to some fun posts like this that I've been wanting to do for SO long! I'm also taking on a few more sponsored posts, which means that companies pay me to share their products with you, or tell you about what they're up to. I will always note these posts are sponsored so there's no shady shaderson going on over here. And I'll also remain committed to sharing brands with you that are a good fit for me + you. Ultimately I hope they're posts that you love as much as the others Most importantly they'll give me the freedom to spend more time on things like this post, which is MAJOR EXCITING! At least for me, and I truly hope for you too! Thank you so much for reading, for being such a great part of my days, for all your kindness. So, SO MUCH MORE after the jump! xx- Sarah
Sparkle & Shine All Purpose Cleaner is the go to for things that need a little bit of elbow grease- *ahem* stove top, I'm looking at you! The vinegar and castile soap clean and disinfect, the grit from the baking soda helps remove grime. And the sage is just there to smell sweet. If lemon scent is more your jam, no problemo just swap it out!
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups distilled white vinegar
4.5 tablespoons baking soda
3.5 teaspoons castile soap
5-10 drops clary sage essential oil
Method:
- Mix vinegar, baking soda, castile soap and sage essential oil directly in bottle and shake.
- Mixture should appear cloudy at first, and clear once baking soda settles.
- Give it a good shakety shake before each use, it will separate a little when it sits.
Mop To It Floor Cleaner- This makes a small batch for spot cleaning, but you can make larger batches for big time mopping jobs! Disinfecting and cleansing- this floor cleaner does it all!
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons castile soap
1 cup warm water
1 cup distilled white vinegar
10 drops peppermint essential oil
Method:
- Mix castile soap, warm water, vinegar and peppermint oil in bottle.
- Shake until combined.
- Castile soap make look clumpy at first but will thin out once shaken thoroughly.
Dazzling Reflection Mirror Cleaner- For shining up your reflection without the famous blue bottle! Streak free goodness, this one!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1.5 cups water
5-10 drops tea tree essential oil
Method:
- Combine vinegar, water, and tea tree oil in bottle and shake.
- Mixture should be clear.
Spots Be Gone Carpet Cleaner- With two {messy} dogs a good carpet cleaner is more than essential, it's something I've prayed to the cleaning gods many times to provide. And TA-DA! This one damn near removed ink! The hydrogen peroxide binds and lifts the stain, the baking soda helps remove dirt and grime. WINNER!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide
1 cup warm water
Method:
- Combine baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and warm water in spray bottle and shake thoroughly!
- Mixture should appear clear.
- Baking soda may settle over time so make sure to shake before application.
- Apply stain remover to carpet and let sit for 20-30 minutes depending on stain.
- Scrub/blot clean with moisture absorbing towel.
Polish That Hide Leather Cleaner is as fun as it sounds! The vinegar acts as a disinfectant, the olive oil is restorative for the leather. Absolutely test this on an inconspicuous spot on your leather to make sure the leather hasn't been treated in a way that will react with the cleaner. It worked great on our brown leather sectional but I might have discoloration concerns with a lighter color leather and in these cases it's always so much better safe than sorry!
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups distilled white vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
Method:
- Combine vinegar and olive oil directly in bottle.
- Continuously shake while using to ensure that olive oil and vinegar is combined during application.
Counter on Me Kitchen Cleaner- Keep those counters clean and disinfected with this pretty smelling mixture! (This can also be used in the bathroom!) The castile soap and white wine vinegar disinfect, the essential oils make it smell as clean as it looks!
Ingredients:
1/8 cup distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons castile soap
5 drops lavender essential oil
5 drops peppermint essential oil
Fill with warm water
Method:
-Combine vinegar, castile soap, lavender, and peppermint oil in bottle.
- Fill remainder of bottle with warm water and shake thoroughly.
- Mixture should appear cloudy.
A FEW NOTES:
- These products have all been tested and loved in my home, but it's best to check test them on an inconspicuous spot on whatever surface you're trying to clean in your own home to make sure they're the right fit!
- These are mild smelling cleaners, if you prefer a stronger scent double the amount of essential oils in each recipe. Feel free to swap out, mix 'em up and play around! This lemon oil is perfect for that fresh and clean smell!
- If you have a small funnel handy it will be helpful (but not necessary)!
- If you would like to purchase enough supplies to make the entire collection, here is a complete list of ingredients needed:
Download label designs to print here (to be printed on these labels)
2 (32oz) bottles distilled white vinegar
1 small bottle of olive oil
1 small bottle of hydrogen peroxide
3 oz of castile soap
1 box of baking soda
1 small bottle clary sage essential oil
1 small bottle peppermint essential oil
1 small bottle tea tree essential oil
1 small bottle lavender essential oil
Reader Comments (23)
I love this!!!!! I've been meaning to look more into chemical free cleaners....and voila!
I am so happy you did a post on this! These look totally doable! Thank you for sharing!
xx
Laura
www.sequinsatbreakfast.com
This is AWESOME!! I am in the process of eliminating all of my chemical based products and this will make that process go by so much faster! I tackled soap this week (Dr. Bronners castile soap is amazing) and I will use this to tackle my cleaning products. I use the cute labels, too! Thank you!
long time reader, first time commentor- I'm very impressed with the way you handle the sometimes tricky situations that impact better known blogs. I found your breezy, honest comments about adding a few sponsored posts and mixing up content to be perfect.
incidentally, I should make these over the weekend...the labels and names are adorable.
Thansk Sarah!
I use the baking soda + hydrogen peroxide mix (with a little vinegar added) to get all sorts of stains out of white clothing (especially those of the sweat nature). Seriously a winning combination, that one.
I'm so happy you are all as excited about this as I am! And Jensen that sounds like a perfect use, will have to try! I sure spill enough to have plenty of opportunities! HAHA!
@Meaghan, thank you so much, it's a delicate subject I think for a lot of bloggers but I just want to be as transparent about it as possible and hope that everyone is as understanding as you! :)
I am so excited about this post! You just made my day! I love cleaning with all natural products especially because I have four small children and I don't want them to be exposed to any harsh chemicals! I love the labels and spray bottles....so charming! Thank you!!
www.taffetaandtulips.com
I LOVE this idea! Somehow I had never thought to make my own cleaning solutions, but it makes so much sense!