I am always amazed at how many cleaning products are available in American stores. I get dizzy looking at bright and colorful bottles which feature “super”, “magical” and “extra strong” cleaning solutions. I always wonder how people in third-world countries or countries where marketing is not so advanced, survive without all these wonderful products…

When I was growing up we didn’t have any “magical” cleaning solutions and mysteriously our house was always clean. Most of our cleaning products were homemade. They were just as effective, and very easy to make. Of course, they were cheap and, most importantly, safe.

Here is what you need to make your own cleaning products:

For kitchen and bathroom floors you need a mixture of 1 gallon of hot water with ½ cup of white vinegar. The mixture is safe for hardwood, linoleum, tile, and pretty much every washable surface. You can also use this to clean your entire bathroom, not only floors.

To make your own dishwasher liquid use water with lemon juice. All you need is ¼ cup of lemon juice and ¾ cup of warm water.

To make a disinfectant spray mix a ½ cup of borax with 1 gallon of hot water.

To clean your windows use a mixture of 1 cup of water, 1 cup of rubbing alcohol, and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar.

For cleaning kitchen cabinets use a mixture of ¼ cup lemon juice dissolved in 1 gallon of hot water.

Toilet bowl cleaner can be made by mixing ¼ cup of baking soda with 1 cup of vinegar. Let it sit for 10 minutes or so, and scrub it with brush.

Making these products doesn’t require a degree in Chemistry. You will not only get the unnecessary chemicals and toxins out of your house, but save quite a bit of money.