Homemade Cleaning Supplies - Ingredients And Equipment Needed

Below is a comprehensive list of homemade cleaning supplies, including the ingredients and equipment needed to create your own homemade cleaners and homemade cleaning products.

There are lots of reasons why you might wish to make your own cleaning products.

These include saving money, and reducing the number of chemicals in your home, or using more natural ingredients for your family's health and that of the environment.

No matter what the reason when you make homemade cleaners you need to make an initial investment in some supplies.

Fortunately the investment does not have to be too significant since many of the items listed below should already be in your home, and for those that aren't most are not very expensive.

Remember too that you do not need to purchase all these homemade cleaning supplies listed below that you don't have all at once, but instead can gather and acquire more from this list slowly, over time, as you make more and more of your own cleaning solutions.

Here is my list of essential homemade cleaning supplies, broken down into ingredients and equipment.

Homemade Cleaning Supplies - Ingredients:

There is an almost endless array of ingredients that can be part of your homemade cleaning supplies, but here are some of the most popular.

You can make homemade cleaners to clean each and every area of your home, inside and out, with the following ingredients.

1. Alcohol - there are several types of alcohol, including rubbing alcohol (also known as isopropyl alcohol), which comes in two strengths, 70% and 91%, and also denatured alcohol. Typically the most commonly used type of alcohol for homemade cleaners is the 70% rubbing alcohol, which is also the one typically used for first aid.

2. Ammonia - You can purchase ammonia which contains a lemon scent, or contains soap to make it sudsy, but I would recommend just plain household ammonia so you can use it in all homemade cleaning recipes, and then add your own scents or soap when needed. You can share your own ammonia uses here.

3. Baking soda - Baking soda is such a common ingredient in homemade cleaners (and also has many uses for stain removal and laundry) that I suggest finding a source to buy it in bulk, and not in the tiny little boxes you can put in your fridge.

Generic baking soda works just as well as a name brand as part of your homemade cleaning supplies.

You can generally find big pouches of baking soda in a 12 pound bag, for example, in the pool section at big box stores like Walmart or at warehouse club stores.

I generally would not buy baking soda online, even in bulk, because I cannot find a comparable low price like the stores, especially with also having to pay shipping charges.

You can share your baking soda uses here.

4. Borax - Borax is a naturally occuring mineral that has uses for cleaning, stain removal and for laundry. It is becoming one of the most popular homemade cleaning supplies as more people rediscover this older product.

You can purchase borax in some, but not all grocery stores, generally in the laundry aisle, or you can purchase it online below (although it is much cheaper in stores, so buy it there if you can!).

Buy 20 Mule Team Borax

Here is more information I've compiled about borax powder uses for cleaning, laundry and stain removal. You can also share your borax uses here.

5. Chlorine bleach - This is a very powerful disinfectant, and also bleaching agent that is used in small doses in your home. Again, generic brands of chlorine bleach are just as effective, and more cost effective, than name brands for part of your homemade cleaning supplies.

If you want to buy generic, however, you generally have to buy it in stores, since only name brand (such as Clorox) is typically available online.

6. Citric acid - This acid is naturally occurring in many citrus fruits, and often gives them the sour taste you can detect when eating them. It is generally found in powdered form, and can be used in many different types of recipes. Because it is powdered it can be made into a greater concentration than a similar weak acid, vinegar, which can make it helpful.

You can find out more citric acid uses here, or share your own too!

7. Cornstarch - Cornstarch is one of the homemade cleaning supplies used for soaking up grease and oil spills, and also in laundry starch.

8. Cream of tartar - Cream of tartar is a natural by-product of wine production and has been used for centuries in cleaning.

You can purchase cream of tartar in most grocery stores, in the spice aisle, but it will come in very small containers which are not cost effective for use for cleaning.

Therefore, I recommend you purchase cream of tartar in bulk, such as through the links below, if you choose to use it a lot for making your own cleaning products.

Here is more information I've compiled about cream of tartar uses for around your home.

9. Powdered automatic dishwashing detergent - This is a very strong alkaline, and therefore can be a powerful cleaning agent within your homemade cleaning products, when needed.

I've collected tips for dishwashing detergent uses for cleaning and stain removal you can check out, if you're interested in using this as one of your homemade cleaning supplies.

10. Hand dishwashing liquid A mild one is best, which does not contain bleach or lotions. It can be used by itself, or in combination with other ingredients, as a simple but effective cleaner and is one of the most basic homemade cleaning supplies.

If you are looking for something that is also the most ecologically friendly, you will want a vegetable based soap, such as castille soap. My favorite is Dr. Bronner's, which comes in both a scent free variety and several scented with essential oils.

11. Essential oils - In general these ingredients are not necessary homemade cleaning supplies, but instead are used for fragrance and are therefore generally optional.

However, if a certain essential oil is needed for its cleaning properties not related to a good smell I attempt to make this clear throughout the recipes on this site.

There is a lot to learn about how to use essential oils for cleaning your home. To learn more about it you can consult my essential oil use chart for cleaning. In addition, you can see suggested essential oil recipes for homemade cleaning products, and essential oils recipes for homemade laundry supplies. Finally, you can share your essential oil uses here.

12. Glycerin - Glycerin is a naturally occuring product that comes from vegetable oil and fat, and is often used in making soaps.

Check out this article to find out what glycerin is used for, for cleaning and stain removal. In addition, you can share your uses of glycerin here.

You can sometimes find glycerin in stores, generally in the pharmacy aisle, or in craft and health food stores. However, you can also purchase vegetable glycerin through the links below.

13. Hydrogen peroxide - All of the recipes on this site call for 3% hydrogen peroxide, the kind you buy in the brown bottle for first aid, not a stronger version used for bleaching hair, for example. The stronger version is really just too strong for most home cleaning needs. You can share your uses for hydrogen peroxide here.

14. Laundry detergent (both liquid and powder) - Laundry detergent is a bit stronger soap than dishwashing liquid, and therefore is useful in some cleaning recipes.

15. Lemon juice (or fresh lemons) - Lemon juice can be used for its acidity and for its pleasant smell.

Here is more information about uses of lemon juice for cleaning and stain removal. In addition, you can share your tips for cleaning with lemon juice here.

If you plan to use fresh lemons, I would suggest investing in a lemon squeezer because you will be juicing several lemons at a time. See my recommendation below for a lemon squeezer below in the equipment section.

16. Olive oil - Olive oil, and other naturally occuring oils, such as walnut and sunflower oil can be used for homemade furniture polish, among other things.

I've collected even more uses for olive oil, and you can also share your own too, for things other than cooking!

17. Oxygen bleach - Not only can oxygen bleach, such as Oxiclean, be used for laundry, but also for many cleaning purpose in and around your home. It can be made into both a cleaning solution, when dissolved in water, or a paste for scrubbing.

18. Salt - There are several types of salt you can use for cleaning, including both table salt and also some courser salts, such as Kosher or sea salt. Here is more information about uses for salt for cleaning and stain removal. In addition, you can share your uses of salt here.

19. Vinegar - For homemade cleaning products you want to use distilled white vinegar, not any other type such as apple cider or red wine vinegar, generally, because these other vinegars can cause stains of their own. You can share your uses for vinegar here. Vinegar is one of the most essential homemade cleaning supplies.

19. Washing soda - Washing soda is a close cousin of baking soda, and is often found naturally in the same locations, but is more alkaline.

This is a staple of homemade cleaning supplies, and is used for general cleaning and laundry uses. You can find out many of these uses of washing soda here.

You can find washing soda in some stores, generally in the laundry aisle, but at least in my area it can be difficult to find.

If you can't find it in a store you can purchase washing soda online, from the manufacturer, through the link below.

20. Water - Water is such an obvious ingredient of any cleaning products, both homemade and commercial, it is sometimes overlooked. However, generally warm or hot water can be one of the best solvents out there to help clean up things around your home.

If you make a lot of your own homemade cleaners you may have noticed that I did not add an ingredient to the list above that you typically see, club soda.

Find out why club soda doesn't help with cleaning more than plain water here.

Homemade Cleaning Equipment:

The equipment listed below is what is necessary to make and store your homemade cleaners.

You will need additional cleaning equipment and supplies to actually use your homemade cleaners, and to otherwise clean your home, but that is not the focus of this list.

Most of the items listed below as necessary homemade cleaning supplies are self explanatory, but if they are not I have added some information to let you know why you may need these items.

1. Bowls

2. Bucket

3. Funnel

4. Grater - this is used for grating bars of laundry soap or other soap to make into various homemade cleaning products, most notably homemade laundry detergent.

It is best to have a grater devoted to grating soaps instead of trying to use the one you also use for cooking, because you don't want to risk having your food taste soapy.

Because soap can be pretty hard I recommend a steel grater that can be used and abused, such as the one pictured at right.

5. Labels - for labeling your homemade cleaning products.

6. Lemon squeezer - If you plan to squeeze your own lemons for lemon juice you may come to appreciate a quality lemon squeezer which can save your hands from getting too tired, and also extract more lemon juice from each lemon to save you money.

To the right is my recommendation for a quality lemon squeezer, that has gotten a lot of rave reviews on Cooking.com.

7. Measuring spoons - You need a dedicated set of spoons just for making cleaning supplies and measuring additives for the laundry.

You definitely don't want to use the ones you also use for your food, since you don't want any cleaning residue in your cooking.

8. Measuring cups

9. Mixer (either hand mixer or electric mixer) - this is used mainly in making upholstery and carpet shampoos that need to be whipped into a foamy lather.

10. Mixing spoons

11. Permanent marker - for labeling the homemade cleaning product with its ingredient and the date made.

12. Plastic containers with tight fitting lids

13. Pot - for heating or boiling ingredients

14. Rubber gloves

15. Spray bottles - it is best to get spray bottles which have markings on the side for measuring, so you can mix right into the bottle instead of first having to measure with a measuring cup.

In addition, if you plan to make all of your own cleaning products you will need quite a number of spray bottles to hold the various cleaning products you make.

I recommend the spray bottles shown to the right because you can buy these in bulk, they are professional grade so they spray well, and they have markings for measuring out ingredients.

16. Squirt bottles

So What Are Your Must Have Homemade Cleaning Supplies And Ingredients?

Above I listed what I believe are the essential homemade cleaning supplies, ingredients and equipment to have to make your own cleaning products.

However, if I missed something you use all the time I would love to hear about it, whether it is an ingredient or a particular type of equipment.

You can share your favorite home made cleaning supplies here.

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