How To Make DIY Bathroom Cleaner
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Bathrooms are notoriously difficult to keep clean. Scum, bacteria, germs, and beauty products can collect on surfaces, and homeowners typically resort to chemical bathroom cleaners to scrub them away. Do-it-yourself (DIY) bathroom cleaners are frequently safer, less expensive, and just as powerful, though.
In this guide, we’ll explain how to make DIY bathroom cleaners that are safe and effective. We’ll also include tips on which pantry staples make for the best cleaning recipes and how to mix these ingredients to make the perfect bathroom cleaning product.
DIY Bathroom Cleaner Ingredients
You can create an effective bathroom cleaner by mixing vinegar with baking soda and then combining it with natural soaps and essential oils. Start by gathering the equipment below.
- Funnel: Use to pour liquids into sprayers without spillage
- Jars: Use to hold dry cleaners
- Labels: Use to clearly identify any cleaners
- Measuring cups and spoons: Use to measure the proper amounts of each ingredient
- Spray bottles: Use to mix and use spray cleaners
Next, gather the ingredients below to create a baking soda-based, all-purpose bathroom cleaner:
- 1 tablespoon baking soda: This cleans, deodorizes, brightens, removes stains and soap scum, and freshens.
- 2 cups distilled water: Tap water can contain pathogens or minerals which could leave a residue. Distilled water will help you avoid potential mineral deposits.
- 2 tablespoons liquid castile soap: This plant-based soap picks up dirt, grime, and bacteria. You can use dish soap as an alternative.
- Up to 20 drops of essential oil (optional): This adds extra cleaning power and leaves a pleasant scent. You can add your favorite essential oils, such as orange, lavender, peppermint, or eucalyptus.
*Recipe from Live Simply
Gather the ingredients below to make a vinegar-based, all-purpose bathroom cleaner:
- A few drops of lemon essential oil: Citrus oils have useful cleaning properties and leave a fresh scent.
- 1/2 cup dish soap or liquid castile soap: This picks up grime, dust, and bacteria.
- 1/3 cup distilled water: This eliminates the risks associated with hard water and tap water contaminants.
- 1/3 cup isopropyl alcohol: This kills germs and bacteria.
- 1/3 cup white vinegar: This breaks down dirt, oils, and bacteria.
*Recipe from The Pioneer Woman
Mix these ingredients to create scouring powder:
- 1 cup baking soda: This scours, lifts stains, deodorizes, and brightens.
- 1 cup borax: This cleans, deodorizes, and disinfects.
- 1 cup kosher salt: This scours and disinfects.
*Recipe from Apartment Therapy
Mix these ingredients to make mold or mildew remover:
- 1/2 cup borax: This cleans, deodorizes, and disinfects.
- 1/2 cup white vinegar: Its acidic properties break down dirt, oils, films, stains, and bacteria.
*Recipe from Apartment Therapy
How To Make DIY Bathroom Cleaner
You must measure precisely and research how different ingredients blend to create an effective cleaner. Consider warming your ingredients to make mixing easier.
Funnel your homemade cleaners into recycled plastic bottles or glass spray bottles. Consider the following variables when deciding which is best for your mixture:
- Colored bottles limit deterioration from ultraviolet (UV) rays.
- Glass containers work best with products that contain essential oils.
- Mason jars are the best choice for storing dry cleaners, such as scouring powder.
- Spray mechanisms can clog easily. Read reviews to learn which bottles work best when using clumping ingredients such as baking soda.
- Use plastic spray bottles for unscented cleaners that don’t contain essential oils or cleaners.
- Used spray bottles are helpful for storing cleaning solutions. Rinse them thoroughly to avoid accidentally mixing existing chemicals with your product.
Baking soda and vinegar are both effective cleaning agents, but using them together can weaken them. Combining an acid and a base results in a chemical reaction that creates fizz, and you’ll be left with a product that’s no stronger than salty water. The chemical reaction between baking soda and vinegar effectively cleans drains, though.
- When combining water and baking soda: Use a measuring cup to pour water into a heat-safe bowl or pan. Heat up warm water in the microwave or on the stovetop. Mix in baking soda while you’ve got hot water, and let the baking soda dissolve completely. Pour the mixture into your bottle before adding other ingredients.
- When combining water and vinegar: Use a measuring cup to pour water and vinegar into a heat-safe bowl. Heat the mixture in a microwave until it’s warm, and then pour it into your bottle before adding other ingredients.
To add castile soap to your mixture, measure the amount that your bathroom cleaner recipe recommends and use a funnel to pour it into the bottle. Gently shake the bottle to combine the ingredients.
Add a few drops of essential oils at a time to your homemade shower cleaner based on your desired fragrance strength. Consider these essential oils for their cleaning properties and appealing scents:
- Eucalyptus oil: Contains odor-eliminating, antifungal, and antimicrobial properties along with a cool, minty scent
- Grapefruit oil: Has antimicrobial properties and an uplifting citrus smell
- Lavender oil: Features antioxidants, antimicrobial effects, and delicate floral and herbal scents
- Lemon oil: Offers antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties, and a fresh lemony scent
- Orange oil: Includes antibacterial and deodorizing properties plus a fresh citrus scent
- Peppermint oil: Offers antimicrobial and antifungal properties, includes a minty smell, and repels spiders
- Tea tree oil: Offers antimicrobial and antiseptic effects in addition to an herbal smell that’s reminiscent of pine, eucalyptus, and peppermint
Pour dry ingredients, such as scouring powder, directly into a large jar using a measuring cup. Mix them by covering the jar tightly and shaking it or stirring it with a plastic spoon.
Use pastes such as mold or mildew remover immediately after blending them. Measure the dry ingredients first and pour precise amounts into a container. Measure and add liquids, then stir up the mixture to make a paste.
DIY Bathroom Cleaner Uses and Benefits
You can use DIY all-purpose bathroom cleaners on almost any surface in your bathroom. Shake the bottle gently when you’re ready to clean, and apply the mixture to the following surfaces:
- Add cleaner to the bathroom sink and faucet to remove dirt, grease, and grime.
- Saturate grout with cleaner, let it set and then use a scrub brush to wipe away grime and mildew buildup.
- Spray cleaner inside the tub and shower stall, let it sit for a few minutes, and then scrub away dirt, grime, and soap scum.
- Spray cleaner on floors and mop away dirt and grime.
- Spray cleaner on tile and then wipe away dirt and grime with a microfiber cloth.
- Use it as a toilet cleaner to get rid of bacteria or odors and as a stain remover.
- Use cleaner on bathroom fixtures to remove soap scum and brighten them.
Benefits of Using DIY Cleaners
Homemade cleaners are highly effective solutions that don’t contain harsh chemicals. Read about their various benefits below.
- Acid-based cleaners break down rust, mineral deposits, and hard water stains, while base or alkali cleaners are good for removing dirt, fat, and grease.
- Cleaners made from common household cleaners are typically less expensive than those purchased from the store.
- DIY cleaners can be as effective or more so than many store cleaners.
- DIY cleaners don’t have the harsh scent that’s common among chemical cleaners.
- Solutions that use natural ingredients are environmentally friendly.
- The absence of chemicals means you’re less likely to experience chemical burns or harmful effects from fumes.
Safety Precautions With DIY Cleaners
Natural cleaners are typically chemical-free, but some ingredients may still lead to chemical reactions upon mixing. Researching the ingredients you use and learning how they react to each other is a critical part of safely mixing your own cleaning solutions. Follow the safety precautions below to avoid potential damage to surfaces or risks to your health.
- Always store cleaners out of children’s reach, as environmentally safe cleaners are still not safe for digestion.
- Always use distilled water to avoid the growth of pathogens in your cleaners.
- Don’t use vinegar on natural stone, waxed wood, cast iron, or aluminum, as it could harm some surfaces.
- If your homemade cleaner ever changes smell or consistency, discard it and make a new batch.
- Label your cleaners with a permanent marker or a label.
- Never mix bleach with anything other than water, as mixing bleach with other chemicals can cause toxic fumes.
- The abrasiveness that makes baking soda great for scouring your tub makes it harmful to surfaces such as glass shower doors, wood, natural stone countertops, aluminum, fiberglass, and painted areas.
Our Conclusion
DIY shower cleaners and toilet bowl cleaners work as safe, effective, and inexpensive hacks to keep your bathroom clean. Common household items such as baking soda and vinegar leave every bathroom surface fresh and clean without noxious fumes or other safety concerns. Be sure to research which ingredients mix safely before you start cleaning and your bathroom will be sparkling in no time.
FAQ About DIY Bathroom Cleaners
How do I make my own bathroom cleaner?
You can make an all-purpose bathroom cleaner by mixing distilled water, baking soda, liquid soap, and essential oils in a spray bottle.
What is the best natural bathroom cleaner?
The best natural cleaner for your bathroom depends on the substances you’re trying to scrub away. Acid-based cleaners break down rust mineral deposits and hard water stains, while base and alkali cleaners are good for removing dirt, fat, and grease with a scrubber.
What is the best homemade cleaner for showers and tubs?
The best homemade cleaner for showers and tubs is a vinegar-based or baking soda-based all-purpose cleaner. You can also mix your own DIY scouring cleaner.
How do you make homemade bathroom cleaner with vinegar?
You can make a homemade bathroom cleaner with vinegar by mixing equal parts of vinegar, rubbing alcohol, and distilled water, plus adding liquid soap and essential oils. Follow a recipe for precise amounts.
Are DIY cleaners as effective as store-bought ones?
DIY cleaners are frequently as effective as store-bought cleaning products and may sometimes be even more so.
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