Do Homemade Cleaning Products Really Work?

I’ve been riffing about eco-friendly homemade cleaning products for a while now. If you have a look at other articles I’ve written on our blog, you’ll notice I recommend them at every opportunity. So much so, that some of our readers have reached out to me and asked if they really work.

At first, I was mind-boggled at the question. I mean, the easiest way to find out whether homemade cleaning products work or not is to try them out. But then it hit me – many people don’t like trying new things. Heck, I don’t like trying new things and it’s actually a part of my job.

So instead of answering every email individually, I’ve decided to address this question in an article I can easily refer people to in the future.

In this article:

• What are homemade cleaning products?
• Are homemade cleaning supplies effective?
• When should you use homemade cleaning products?
• When should you use commercial cleaning products? 
• Conclusion

What are homemade cleaning products?

Before we answer the question of whether homemade cleaning products work, we need to specify what they are. Mixing a storebought concentrate with water at home hardly makes it “homemade”.

When I talk about homemade products, what I mean is making eco-friendly cleaning supplies at home from things you don’t normally use for cleaning, such as white vinegar and baking soda.

Are homemade cleaning supplies effective?

Yes, homemade cleaning products are effective. I wouldn’t vehemently recommend them if they weren’t. However, there are a few caveats.

First off, you need to know what you’re doing. Many people try using vinegar or lemon juice on the wrong stains and then complain about the results.

Vinegar is acidic so it’s perfect for things like mineral deposits and hard water stains. Combined with lemon juice, it’s also a natural disinfectant.

Baking soda, on the other hand, is a base. This means it’s effective against organic stains, such as grease splatter. Trying to use baking soda on hard water stains or white vinegar on grime will result in a disaster.

Another caveat is you need to hit the proper proportions. Baking soda is usually combined with water and made into a paste. Vinegar has strong acidic properties, so it too should be diluted. Too diluted, however, and it won’t be effective.

Finally, eco-friendly cleaning products require a bit more elbow grease. You’ll have to scrub a little harder to get the same result since you’re not treating the surface you want to clean with harsh chemicals. However, that’s a small price to pay in order to stay eco-friendly.

When should you use homemade cleaning products?

You can hardly go more eco-friendly than homemade cleaning products. People use them for many different reasons. There are actually plenty of benefits and very few downsides:

• Saving money – making your own cleaning products is a lot cheaper than buying them from the shop.
• Having small children – many parents don’t like keeping harsh chemicals in a house with small children.
• Avoiding health hazards – mixing certain cleaning products can create a serious health hazard. These hazards can be easily avoided by using eco-friendly products.
• Having health problems – cleaning with asthma can be a serious challenge. Switching to homemade cleaning products makes cleaning-related asthma symptoms less severe.

Sadly, there’s a limit to what you can clean using natural products.

When should you use commercial cleaning products? 

Sometimes, you need that extra bit of cleaning power you simply cannot get from homemade cleaners. Should the occasion arise, you’d have to use commercial cleaning products. But before you do:

• Make sure you read the label – it’s important to get the dosages and application methods right.
• Don’t mix them with other cleaning products – unless you’re absolutely positive you know what you’re doing, don’t mix cleaning products. Some chemical reactions are violent and can cause serious harm.
• Use protection – use gloves, mask, glasses, any kind of protection you can.

Other than heavy-duty cleaning, natural products should be fine for your everyday needs.

Conclusion

Natural homemade cleaning products are very effective but you have to use them right. They offer you plenty of benefits at a price point that cannot be beaten.

Even if you use commercial cleaners for heavy-duty cases, cleaning with natural products during your day-to-day still goes a long way toward improving your health and protecting the environment.

Author: Atanas Dzhingarov

Hi, I’m Atanas - brand consultant and writer. I’m helping Samyx Cleaning create the best cleaning company blog on the Internet. Join us on our journey and learn how to live a cleaner, healthier, happier life in the process.