The most used cleaning products containtoxic chemical ingredients: phthalates, perchloroethylene, 2-butoxyethanol… Contact with these synthetic ingredients poses serious health risks. For example, phthalates are endocrine disruptors, they alter hormonal balance.

These toxic ingredients are present in all those products with «fragrances» and «perfumes», from all-purpose cleaners to dishwashers. And also in many personal hygiene items. Opting for natural cleaning products is the way to avoid them, and the good news is that we can even make them ourselves with simple ingredients and easy to find. You probably already have some of those ingredients at home.

13 homemade detergents to clean the whole house

It is very easy to prepare homemade cleaners based on natural products. Some of the ingredients that are most used for this are as common as these:

• He baking sodawhich serves to clean, deodorize, soften water, dissolve dirt and grease, eliminate odors… and does not scratch surfaces.
• He lemon juice, With which you not only get rid of fungus and mold, but also helps you whiten clothes and aromatize them naturally. A very ecological and effective natural cleaning product such as citric acid is precisely extracted from lemon, with multiple uses in the home.
• Always have on hand a natural vegetable-based soap. It can be glycerin, coconut, Marseille, in pills, liquid, flakes… It is biodegradable and can be used for everything.
• He white vinegar or cleaning vinegar It is very versatile. Kills bacteria and grease. Eliminates mold, bad odors and stains.

1. All-purpose cleaner

Mix white vinegar and water equal parts in a spray bottle and add a few drops of tea tree essential oil.

With vinegar you can clean many types of surfaces. You can use it, for example, on metals, tiles, polished surfaces… but you should be careful when cleaning plastic or natural stone surfaces, among others.

2. Shiny floors

To clean terrazzo or ceramic floorsadd 1 cup of white vinegar to 4 liters of water.

If you have parquetyour great ally is potassium soap, which in addition to being an effective natural cleaning product, you can also use to combat pests in the garden. Dilute 1 tablespoon of potassium soap in 5 liters of water and then wipe with a dry mop. Make sure to wipe your floors with a well-wrung mop and then reduce the humidity with a dry mop to avoid water stains on the parquet.

3. Glass cleaner

Mix vinegar and water in equal parts, add salt. After dry with newspaper.

Vinegar is very good for avoiding scratches when cleaning glass.

4. Very natural air freshener

Making your own natural air fresheners is very simple. Here we propose one with ingredients that you won’t even have to go looking for, because you will already have them at home:

1. Boil in 1 liter of water 1 lemon slicedvanilla and 1 branch of rosemary.
2. Once cool, strain and fill the sprayer.

You will enjoy a scent refreshing and natural.

5. For countertops and appliance surfaces

You can clean all these surfaces directly with hydrogen peroxide.

Spray and then wipe with a cloth.

6. Cutting boards and sinks

In this case we are going to use also vinegar. Spray first with hydrogen peroxide and then with vinegar.

If you use a wooden cutting board, don’t forget to oil it from time to time so that it lasts longer.

7. Oven grease remover

The grease that adheres to the walls of the oven is really difficult to remove. Baking soda is one of the great alternatives to conventional grease removers, which are very toxic and aggressive.

Use 200 grams of baking soda and mix with water until you obtain a thick paste. Spread it over the walls of the oven, especially the lower one. Leave it on all night.

8. Wood polish

Prepare a polish for your furniture with 15 milliliters of olive oil, the juice of one lemon and 15 milliliters of water.

Shake the mixture and spray.

For dustuse microfiber or damp cotton.

9. Carpet stain remover

The ingredients for this stain remover are: 15 milliliters of white vinegar, 30 milliliters of hot water and baking soda or cornstarch.

Mix the vinegar with the water and spray on stains.

Spread then a little baking soda or cornstarch to finish cleaning the carpet and vacuum.

10. Toilet cleaner and descaler

There are many stains that can appear in the toilet for different reasons and the optimal solution will not always be the same, but in general you can prepare a simple homemade cleaning product for the toilet with only baking soda and vinegar:

1. Use 1 cup of baking soda and 1 cup of white vinegar.
2. spread baking soda and let it act for an hour. Then pour vinegar and leave for 5 minutes. Rub well with the brush.

11. Anti-limescale and cleaner for taps and tiles

Screw half lemon in the mouth of the tap and let it act against the lime.

Put a few drops of lemon on a cotton ball and clean the chrome. Wait 1 hour before rinsing.

For the tiles, Mix vinegar and water in equal parts.

12. Laundry detergent

The detergent ingredients What we propose are: 2 bars of natural soap, 2 cups of borax, 2 cups of baking soda, 9 liters of water and 15 ml of essential oil to taste.

1. Grate the soap and boil it in a liter of water.
2. Mix the borax and baking soda.
3. Add everything to 8 liters of water and flavor with the essential oil.

You can also prepare your own washing machine detergent without complication using soap, water, baking soda, citric acid and an essential oil of your choice.

13. Fabric softener

Fabric softeners usually have very penetrating aromas that should be avoided, but there are many natural alternatives so that clothes do not end up rough. A very simple solution is to use vinegar and essential oil:

1. Use 5 liters of white vinegar and 30-40 drops of essential oil lavender or rosemary.
2. Mix it and use half a cup per pour.

Certified organic detergents

In addition to the formulas that you can create yourself with harmless products, there is currently a wide range of ecological brands that offer guarantees. Many are certified by the european eco labelalthough this does not set limits on the origin of the raw materials and manufacturers may include some petroleum derivative.

The most demanding seal is the Ecocertsince it requires raw materials to be renewable.

The first Spanish company with Ecocert certification for its multiple cleaning products is the ecological brand Biobel, from Jabones Beltrán, which uses surfactants obtained from vegetable fats instead of linear alkyl sulfonates taken from petroleum. They are products that are more respectful of nature and our health.

«They must avoid petroleum ingredientssince they present greater incompatibility with the environment: they degrade very slowly, cause allergies and irritation, and even compete with living organisms for oxygen consumption,» explains Jaime Nácher, from the technical department of Jabones Beltrán.

«We have one hundred percent alternatives based on plant resources that are as effective or more effective than conventional market products. Our alternatives are based on the use of soap with coconut oil and other 100% vegetable oils.»

The brand that paved the way in Europe It was Ecover. Although not all of their products have the Ecocert seal, they ensure that none of them produce a known persistent effect on the environment or human health, and that the water mixed with their laundry soap, if left to sit, can even be used for watering.

Other brands with different types of ecological certification are: Almacabio, Equo, Sodasan, Prodefut (from Granada and serve at an industrial level) and Biocop.

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