How to make your own cleaning supplies

By Las Vegas Sun Staff (contact)

Sunday, May 7, 2017 | 2 a.m.

Spills, dust and sticky stuff are inevitable in a home (or car or office). Store shelves are lined with dozens of products to clean every type of mess imaginable, but most mass-produced bottles and sprays are filled with harsh chemicals.

Why not turn to your pantry instead? A handful of natural, easy-to-find items, used alone or in combination, can make cleaning a snap. Plus, these ingredients are nontoxic, environmentally friendly and cheap!

For the house

All-purpose cleaner

• You'll need: 1/2 cup white vinegar, 10 drops choice essential oil, clear dishwashing liquid, 2 tablespoons baking soda, water

• Directions: In a clean spray bottle, mix white vinegar with tea tree, lavender or lemon essential oil and a squirt of clear dishwashing liquid. Add baking soda, then fill to the top with water. Gently shake to mix, then spray and wipe clean with a cloth.

Disinfectant

• You'll need: 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1/2 cup vodka, 1 1/2 cups water, 10 drops lemon essential oil, 10 drops lavender essential oil

• Directions: Combine all ingredients. Shake well. Let the solution sit on the surface to be disinfected for 10 minutes before wiping up.

Upholstery cleaner

• You'll need: 1 cup dish soap, 1 cup water, 1 cup club soda

• Directions: Combine ingredients in a spray bottle, and shake gently to mix. Spray on stains, let sit for 5-10 minutes, then scrub with a brush. If watermarks remain, go over with a vacuum steamer filled with warm water.

Glass cleaner

• You'll need: 2 cups water, 2 tbsp white vinegar, 2 tbsp rubbing alcohol, 5 drops peppermint essential oil

• Directions: Combine in a spray bottle and wipe glass.

Hardwood floor cleaner

• You'll need: 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1 gallon warm water

• Directions: In a 2-gallon bucket, pour white vinegar into 1 gallon warm water. Dip the mop head and wring it out well so it is barely damp. Mop and repeat.

For the kitchen

Stainless steel shiner

• You'll need: olive oil or club soda

• Directions: Pour olive oil onto a cloth and buff. Or spray club soda and wipe in the direction of the grain.

Drain declogger

• You'll need: 1/2 cup baking soda, 1/4 cup white vinegar

• Directions: Sprinkle baking soda in smelly or clogged drain, then pour in white vinegar. Let the bubbling mixture sit for an hour, then flush with hot water. Stubborn clogs may take a few tries.

Dishwasher stain remover

• You'll need: 1/4 cup powdered lemon or orange drink mix

• Directions: Pour into detergent cup, then run a regular cycle. Citric acid in powdered drinks removes rust.

Oven cleaner

• You'll need: 1 tsp borax, 1 tbsp dish soap, 2 cups hot water

• Directions: Mix borax (a sodium-based mineral compound) and dish soap in hot water. Spray, let sit for 20 minutes, then wipe clean.

For inside and out

Natural stone cleaner

• You'll need: mild dishwashing liquid (not citrus-scented), warm water

• Directions: Mix 1-2 drops of mild dishwashing liquid in 2 cups of warm water. Sponge the solution over the marble or granite and rinse completely. Buff with a soft cloth. Do not let the stone air dry.

Grout cleaner

• You'll need: water, baking soda

• Directions: Mix one part water and three parts baking soda into a paste. Spread onto the grout and let sit for 15 minutes. Scrub with a toothbrush, then remove excess paste with a sponge.

Multipurpose ingredients

Club soda

• Mix club soda with salt to clean the insides of refrigerators and freezers.

• To remove carpet stains, spray with club soda then blot.

• Use club soda to clean porcelain fixtures or dishes.

Lemons

• Rub a cut lemon on your hands to remove pungent smells, such as garlic or fish, when cooking.

• Clean lime scale from faucets and taps by rubbing them with lemon juice and letting sit overnight.

• Run a cut lemon through the garbage disposal to eliminate odors.

• Rub lemon juice on plastic food storage containers and cutting boards to bleach stains caused by tomato products or other acidic foods.

Vinegar

• Pour in toilet bowls, then scrub to clean.

• To clean a coffeemaker, pour equal parts vinegar and water into the water chamber, then switch on the brew cycle. Halfway through, turn off the coffeemaker and let the solution sit for about an hour. Turn it on to complete the cycle, then run several cycles with clean water.

• To remove mineral deposits from a steam iron, fill the iron with equal parts vinegar and water. Press the steam button several times. Turn off, let cool, empty and rinse.

• To dislodge mineral deposits from a showerhead, pour vinegar into a plastic grocery bag, knot the handles over the neck of the showerhead, secure with rubber bands and let soak overnight. Rinse with water in the morning.