Top 8 Homemade Cleaners That Actually Work!

Tired of spending too much money on store-bought cleaners? Thankfully, there are a lot of ways you can create your own homemade cleaners, so you don’t have to spend insane amounts of money on all those house cleaning products. Additionally, it can be difficult to know which house cleaning product to use on which kind of stain! The next time you have a stain (whether it’s in your carpet, on your window, on glass, on upholstery or on jewelry), keep in mind that you probably have all the ingredients you need already at home to create the perfect homemade cleaner.

#1 DIY All Purpose Cleaner

Having a DIY all-purpose cleaner is super important. While the rest of the homemade cleaners in this guide focus on specific locations (e.g. DIY carpet cleaner, DIY oven cleaner or DIY glass cleaner), you can feel pretty darn confident that your DIY all-purpose cleaner will get out just about any stain, anywhere. So if you’re not quite sure what material the stain is in, go for your DIY all-purpose cleaner!

Instructions:

1. Add 1 cup of water to your spray bottle
2. Next, add 1 cup of distilled white vinegar
3. Add 20 drops of lemon essential oil
4. Place the top on your spray bottle and shake well
5. Get to cleaning!

#2 Homemade Carpet Cleaner

Getting stains in the carpet is super frustrating — you spent all this money on new carpets and now you have dirt from the backyard, footprints from your kids’ dirty shoes or (God forbid) dog pee! There’s a lot of stains you can accumulate in your carpet, but thankfully, we’ve got a DIY floor cleaner that actually works! This homemade floor cleaner works wonders! If you’re looking for homemade cleaners (or, more specifically, homemade carpet cleaner) that actually works, you’re in the right place.

Instructions:

1. Cover carpet stain with a thorough coating of baking soda
2. Combine half-and-half blend of white vinegar and water in a spray bottle
3. With baking soda still on the stain, spray stain with vinegar and water mixture
4. Let the mixture sit on the stain for 3 hours
5. Work solution into stain with a nylon brush
6. Let carpet dry overnight
7. By the next day, there should be a chalky baking soda residue — clean this with a vacuum cleaner

#3 DIY Window Cleaner

Need homemade cleaners for your windows? Cleaning your windows can be a pain, and expensive! However, if you do it yourself with this DIY window cleaner, you’ll have your windows looking brand new in no time.

Instructions:

1. Combine first rubbing alcohol, white vinegar, and dishwashing liquid in a spray bottle and shake to mix
2. Spray glass
3. Wipe with a microfiber cloth
4. (When cleaning framed pictures, spray the cloth rather than the glass)

#4 Homemade Bathroom Cleaner

Bathrooms are one of the dirtiest places in our homes and can accumulate a lot of unwanted stains if not properly, thoroughly and frequently cleaned. That’s why knowing the proper homemade bathroom cleaner can really be a lifesaver. If you’re looking for a DIY bathroom cleaner or a DIY shower cleaner, this homemade bathroom cleaner is sure to do the trick.

Instructions:

1. Combine vinegar and tea tree oil in a spray bottle. Mix well. Spray it over dirty areas.
2. Sprinkle baking soda around the toilet bowl and scrub with a toilet brush.
3. For stubborn stains, scrub with a pumice stone.
4. Using paper towels or cloth, wipe all areas that you sprayed with vinegar solution and baking soda.

#5 Homemade Glass Cleaner

This homemade glass cleaner works on windows, mirrors or any other shiny surface you have in your home. Whether you’re looking for a homemade glass cleaner or a DIY window cleaner, you can be sure this is one of the best homemade cleaners for glass surfaces. Additionally, you might be surprised to know that crumpled newspaper works as a great replacement for a microfiber cloth — newspaper tends to work well on windows and mirrors to wipe away any dirt or debris.

1. Combine vinegar, rubbing alcohol, warm water and cornstarch in a spray bottle. Shake thoroughly.
2. Spray mixture on glass surface you want to clean (e.g. glass, mirror or any shiny surface).
3. With microfiber cloth or newspaper, wipe away the mixture.

#6 Homemade Jewelry Cleaner

There are many methods for how to clean jewelry, but this homemade jewelry cleaner is one of the most common and effective for all kinds of jewelry. Each different kind of metal for jewelry has its own unique DIY jewelry cleaner tricks, but this homemade jewelry cleaner formula is by far one of the best homemade cleaners for jewelry!

Instructions:

1. Combine baking soda and water in a bowl (the 2-to-1 ratio will maintain the toothpaste-like consistency you need)
2. Dip toothbrush into the mixture
3. Scrub jewelry with toothbrush & mixture
4. Rinse the jewelry with warm water
5. Use a soft towel to remove excess water
6. Let the jewelry sit for a few minutes to completely dry before putting it away

#7 Homemade Oven Cleaner

Your oven is a tough spot to clean. Not only can this location accumulate a lot of unpleasant food stains, but it is also a difficult area to get in there and clean. That is why it is important for you to have a homemade oven cleaner that really does its job. This homemade oven cleaner is one of the all-time best homemade cleaners you will come across to tackle those tough stains in your kitchen oven.

Instructions:

1. Pour a little bit of baking soda into a bowl and add water until it forms a paste. Depending on the size of the area you need to clean will determine the amount of baking soda/water you need.
2. Rub the baking soda paste onto dirty areas.
3. Wait overnight & allow the solution to set.
4. In the morning, use a non-scratching sponge (for inside & outside of stove/oven) to loosen & remove the dirt/debris.

#8 Homemade Upholstery Cleaner

Getting stains on your upholstery can be a real pain. Not only are there multiple kinds of upholstery, but there are multiple kinds of stains you can get on your furniture. You spend a lot of time on your leather couch, fabric chair or synthetic chaise lounge and so you’re bound to pour cereal, sauce or spaghetti while you’re relaxing after work. The formulas below for a homemade upholstery cleaner are some of the absolute best homemade cleaners there are!

Instructions:

1. Combine appropriate ingredients in a spray bottle
2. Mist the soiled area
3. Scrub with a soft cloth until the stain is gone
4. Use a 2nd cloth moistened with water to remove soap
5. Dry completely with a 3rd towel

And there you have it!

The top 8 homemade cleaners that actually work! Whether you’re looking for a DIY all-purpose cleaner, homemade carpet cleaner, DIY window cleaner, homemade bathroom cleaner, homemade glass cleaner, homemade jewelry cleaner, homemade oven cleaner or homemade upholstery cleaner, you can be sure that these homemade cleaners will do the trick. Now, you will be prepared for any mess that comes your way, no matter what.