August 26, 2025, 11:02 am | Read time: 3 minutes
Less is more—this is especially true for the chemicals often found in household cleaning products. That’s why more people are turning to homemade cleaning solutions. Cleaning products can be easily made at home. myHOMEBOOK offers three recipes.
All-purpose cleaner, glass cleaner, scouring cream–the range of different cleaning products is vast, with seemingly the right option for every area of the home. However, conventional cleaners aren’t always the best choice. A look at the list of ingredients quickly reveals that most products contain harsh chemicals, alcohols, plasticizers, artificial fragrances, or even microplastics. This mixture is not only harmful to your health and skin. It also has a significant negative impact on the environment. The trend is increasingly moving toward do-it-yourself products.
These Ingredients Can Be Used to Make Your Own Cleaners
If you want to make your own cleaning products, you can use natural ingredients like vinegar essence or citric acid as a base. Both have strong antibacterial properties and reliably remove stubborn water deposits. Due to their strong effect against lime, they are especially effective in the bathroom or kitchen. However, caution is advised here. Dr. Bernd Glassl from the German Cosmetic, Toiletry, Perfumery and Detergent Association explains: “Vinegar essence can damage fixtures in the bathroom and kitchen because it causes stress cracks in the plastics often used for them.” Despite their metallic appearance, many fixtures are made from various plastics and only superficially chrome-plated. You need to carefully check how unproblematic the vinegar essence is and, alternatively, use citric acid.
Castile soap has proven effective as a first aid against deeply embedded dirt or grease. Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, is also grease-dissolving. It is often used around the stove and oven and is also recommended by Dr. Glassl. The white powder can also be used as a scouring agent when diluted.
Since all the above-mentioned ingredients, except vinegar, are relatively odorless, essential oils are often used to give homemade cleaning products a fresh scent. Popular choices include tea tree oil, citrus oils, or lavender oil. However, safety instructions must be observed, as Dr. Glassl recommends: “Many essential oils are labeled as aspiration toxic, meaning they can cause severe chemical pneumonia if they enter the lungs as a liquid.” Special caution is advised when handling them. Containers should be tightly closed after use and kept out of reach of children, according to the expert.
To dilute the substances, it is recommended to use distilled water to avoid further lime deposits. “If the water supplier provides soft water, tap water can also be used. The water hardness or degree of water hardness can be found online,” Dr. Glassl adds.
How Eco-Friendly Are DIY Cleaning Products?
DIY is all the rage—even with cleaning products. This is mainly because you have more control over what substances are in the cleaner. However, according to the German Environment Agency, while vinegar, citric acid, and baking soda are considered natural cleaning wonders, their environmental impact largely depends on how much is used and how they affect wastewater. A report from the German Environment Agency states: “The environmental impact of wastewater is determined by a combination of environmental impact, biodegradability, and the lack of clear dosing guidelines, making it difficult to determine the wastewater impact of DIY cleaners.”
Even homemade cleaning products require careful consideration, and a weaker dosage or alternative is often advisable. This is because DIY products avoid the use of plasticizers, artificial fragrances, and other additives.