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Ditch the harsh chemicals! The 7 best ingredients to make your own cleaners: Video

Joe Difazio ,  Cody Godwin   Paste BN
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There are many ways to clean your home without having to turn to conventional cleaning products that are often full of harsh chemicals, like bleach. Using readily available alternatives is better for your health and the environment. Inhaling many common cleaners can be bad for your respiratory system and your skin.

So, ditch the harsher items and consider making your own. Plus, you may already have some of these items and can use them instead of running to the store for a bottle of disinfecting spray or cleaning solution. 

Watch this video to see how easy it is to make your own cleaning solutions.

Alternative home cleaners 

  • Distilled white vinegar: This will help kill bacteria around your house in addition to tackling hard water spots. Plus, it's non-toxic.
  • Hydrogen peroxide: This can be used as a disinfectant, and it also has mild bleaching properties. The hardest thing is deciding if you're going to store it in your medicine cabinet or with your cleaning supplies. It is sensitive to light, so make sure it's stored in a dark area.
  • Isopropyl or rubbing alcohol: This can be used to kill germs on almost any surface. It evaporates quickly, which makes it especially good to use on glass surfaces. Just be cautious, as it is flammable and can dry out some materials.
  • Baking soda: This can be used to deodorize, remove stains, and clean surfaces. It's mildly abrasive but won't leave scratches, so it's great to use when cleaning surfaces like glass cooktops.
  • Castile soap: Castile soap is so versatile, it can be used to clean everything from dishes to laundry and even your body. It should be diluted with distilled water.
  • Distilled water: This is best when cleaning because it doesn't leave a residue. You'll use this to mix most of your household cleaners.
  • Essential oils: These can help your home and car smell good and mask odors. 

Bonus cleaning hacks

There are a lot of items around our houses that we don’t think about cleaning, or items we don’t think to use as cleaning tools. 

So when the cleaning bug bites you, don't forget to add these things to your ‘To Clean’ or ‘To Use’ list: 

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