Sustainable Cleaning at Home: DIY Recipes for a Greener Home

A clean home should feel comfortable to live and breath in. Here, we explore a few simple recipes for a greener, more natural clean.
a bottle of DIY cleaning solution for the home, it is being sprayed from a trigger spray. the background is black

Keeping your home clean doesn’t need to come at the cost of the planet.  With just a few simple ingredients—bicarbonate of soda, white vinegar, lemon, and a gentle, eco-friendly washing-up liquid or an organic Castile Soap—you can make effective, sustainable cleaners that are safe, long-lasting, and kind to your home.  These small, considered swaps reduce plastic, cut down on chemicals, and let you care for your home in a thoughtful, mindful way.

All-Purpose household spray in a glass amber bottle with a trigger spray . a basket of dishcloths is offset in the image and two more amber glass bottles are also in the image, a hand crocheted dishcloth is at the front of the image.
a slice of lemon and some bicarbonate of soda ingredients for making a citrus shine cleaner for sinks and chopping boards.
a bottel of white vinegar and a tub of bicarbonate of soda ready to make a fizz cleaner for sinks and drains, limescale and grease
a glass jar of DIY eco cleaning paste sat on a bathtop with travertine tiles behind
a basket of laundry in the corner of a room

Clever DIY Recipes

1. Multi-Purpose Surface Spray

A gentle spray for worktops, tables, and everyday surfaces.

Ingredients:

  • 250ml distilled water
  • 1-2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1tsp of Castile soap (or eco washing up liquid)
  • Optional: 3-5 drops of essential oil

Instructions:

Wearing gloves, mix all ingredients in a jug, stir gently to avoid creating bubbles, and transfer to a reusable spray bottle. Label & date.  Shake gently before each use.

2. Citrus Shine

A stronger cleaner that cuts through grease and adds shine, to sinks, cutting boards, and stovetops.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Instructions:

Wearing gloves, sprinkle bicarbonate of soda over the area, pour on a little lemon juice, scrub and rinse.

Alternatively, sprinkle the soda onto the cut lemon and use the lemon as a scrubber.

3. White Vinegar & Bicarb Fizz

For stubborn spots, limescale, drains or stained stainless steel sinks.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp of bicarbonate of soda
  • 50ml of white vinegar

Instructions:

Wearing gloves, sprinkle bicarbonate of soda over the area, pour the vinegar on top, let it fizz, scrub gently, then rinse well.

4. Gentle Eco Cleaning Paste

A thicker paste, for sinks, tiles, baths or stubborn grime.

Ingredients:

  • 3 tbsp of bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 tsp of Castile soap, or eco washing-up liquid
  • A little water to form a paste.
  • Optional: 2-3 drops of an essential oil

Instructions:

Wearing gloves, mix all the ingredients in a small bowl.  When you have a suitable paste mixture, transfer to a clean small glass jar. Label and date.

Apply with a cloth or a sponge, scrub, then rinse well.  Store in a small glass jar.

5. Sustainable Laundry Detergent

A gentle, eco-friendly solution for delicate clothing.

Ingredients:

  • 80ml of Castile soap
  • Optional: 2-3 drops of an essential oil
  • Optional: to boost cleaning, add 60g of bicarb directly to the drum
  • Optional: to prevent soap build-up, add 100ml of white vinegar to the rinse cycle 

Instructions:

Add directly to the soap dispenser/powder drawer.  Or dilute in a small bowl for hand-washing delicates and wool. 

When making your own cleaning solutions, its worth keeping things simple and fresh.  Because these recipes contain water and natural ingredients, they’re best made in small batches and stored in clean jars or bottles.  Used regularly and replaced often, they remain effective, hygienic, and safe to use around the home.

Our Tips for Sustainable Cleaning

  • Use clean jars and bottles every time
  • Make small batches and use them quickly
  • Rinse cloths well and allow them to dry fully

A More Considered Way to Clean

Choosing to make your own cleaning solutions is a small but meaningful shift.  it reduces waste, simplifies what we bring into our homes, and reconnects us with everyday routines we often rush through.  With a handful of familiar ingredients and a little care, cleaning becomes less about consumption and more about intention.  A quieter, more thoughtful way of looking after the spaces we live in.

More Articles on Sustainable Living

This blog was written by Christine McKay

For Further reading on the uses of Castile Soap, visit Naissance.

For an inexpensive Bicarbonate of Soda, try here.

For an inexpensive 5L bottle of White Vinegar, try here.

Safety note: Always wear gloves when handling cleaning solutions and chemicals, even natural ones.  Never put essential oils on your skin as sensitivities can occur.