8 Green Cleaners Made with Vinegar

It’s pretty scary how many harmful chemicals are in conventional cleaning products. Even if a cleaner doesn’t create fumes, the chemicals in them can still be harming you, your family, and even your pets! To clean your home without risking your health, you should make your own cleaners. Not only are they safe, but they’re also really easy and inexpensive to make, especially if you use white cleaning vinegar! Here are 8 Green Cleaners Made with Vinegar!

8 Green Cleaners Made with Vinegar

1. Floor Cleaner

It’s easy to make your own chemical-free floor cleaner! Technically, all you need is 1/2 cup of white vinegar and 1/2 gallon of water. But it doesn’t hurt to add a couple drops of an essential oil of your choice to reduce the vinegar smell while you mop. You may not want to use this cleaner on hardwood floors, as over time the vinegar can break down the finish on the floor, making it look duller.

2. Mirror/Glass Cleaner

Of all these green cleaners made with vinegar, this one has one of the simplest recipes! To make a homemade glass cleaner, all you have to do is mix 1 cup of white vinegar with 1 cup of water. Pour that into a spray bottle and spray it on any mirrors or glass in your home. Then wipe the surfaces clean with a soft cloth or paper towel.

3. Stainless Steel Cleaner

Tired of the fingerprint smudges on all your stainless steel things? Easily wipe them off with just two ingredients! You can either measure these out into two small bowls, or just guesstimate. But all you need is around 1-2 tablespoons of oil (olive oil, canola oil, mineral oil, etc.) and 1-2 tablespoons of white vinegar. Put the oil on a soft cloth, and rub it into the smudges on your stainless steel. Then flip the cloth around, put the vinegar on it, and rub that over the area you just cleaned. When it dries, your stainless steel should be shining!

4. Dusting Spray

Why use chemical-based cleaners when green cleaners made with vinegar like these exist? To make a non-toxic dusting spray just combine 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup oil of your choice, and 1 cup water. Put that in a spray bottle, then take it and a dusting rag around your house, dusting away! To make your home smell fresh and clean afterwards, consider adding 10 drops of a bright smelling essential oil like lemon or tangerine.

5. Mold Remover

You don’t have to deal with the fumes from a chemical cleaner or a bleach solution to kill and clean mold in your home! All you need is 1/4 cup of white vinegar and 1/4 cup of borax. Mix the two together until you get a paste, then use a scrub brush to scrub it over the moldy area. Rinse the area clean with water, and wipe dry. If the mold is really bad, it’s okay to let the paste sit on the area for an hour before scrubbing. This DIY cleaner also works on mildew!

6. All-Purpose Cleaner

If you make any of these green cleaners made with vinegar, you have to make this all-purpose cleaner! Rather than spraying down your home with chemicals, just mix together 1 cup of vinegar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice (fresh, not bottled from concentrate), and 1 cup of water. Put this mixture in a spray bottle, then spray it around your home! Just don’t use it on porous stone (like marble, limestone, etc.) as the acidic vinegar and lemon juice can damage those surfaces.

7. Furniture Polish

Quickly make a DIY furniture polish by combining 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup white vinegar, and either 10 drops of lemon essential oil or 1/4 teaspoon of lemon juice (again- fresh, not bottled). Put that in a spray bottle, spray it on your wood furniture, then polish it with a soft cloth. You may want to test this in an inconspicuous location on the furniture first, just in case. And if the wood has a special finish, be aware that like with hardwood floors, the vinegar may possibly dull the finish over many uses.

8. Toilet Bowl Cleaner

If you ran out of toilet bowl cleaner in the middle of a cleaning session, don’t panic! You can easily make your own! Combine 1 cup vinegar with 1/3 cup borax and pour it into your toilet bowl. Leave it alone for 15 minutes or more (for bad staining, leave it for a while), then scrub the bowl, and flush it clean!

Do you often use vinegar to clean your home?