Maintaining a clean bathroom is a significant step towards better hygiene and more comfort. However, maintaining bathroom cleanliness is not always an easy DIY task. Although you can consider getting help from professional cleaners, making a homemade cleaner for the bathroom is a more affordable option.
There are many recipes for DIY Homemade Bathroom Cleaners, but many of them are less effective than they claim to be. Whether they leave a film on the surfaces or do not effectively clean stains, each solution has its own downsides. However, today, you can learn how to make two cleaning solutions that are ultimately effective and deliver shiny results! This article will guide you through making two affordable, eco-friendly, and effective cleaning solutions and fully inform you about the best practices for using them.
Benefits of Homemade Cleaners
DIY homemade bathroom cleaners can protect your health by reducing exposure to harsh chemicals. If you have children at home, their exposure to cleaning products, the leftovers of cleaning products on surfaces, or even the vapor that chemical cleaners produce can pose health risks to them. Although the same goes for adults, children are more vulnerable to these toxic chemicals. Moreover, homemade cleaners are more affordable and more eco-friendly than store-bought cleaners. Since there are no toxic chemicals in them and they are made using over-the-counter ingredients, they will not harm the environment later, and making them is much easier and less expensive than buying chemical cleaning products.
The Myth of Baking Soda and Vinegar
First, let’s talk about a common misconception about homemade cleaners. Mixing baking soda and vinegar doesn’t make a good cleaning solution. Baking soda is a base and a mild abrasive that is helpful with scrubbing and deodorizing. On the other hand, vinegar is an acidic liquid that effectively cuts through grease and mineral deposits. Mixing the two will only cause the acidic vinegar and alkaline baking soda to “cancel each other out” since they will chemically react to each other and produce water and carbon dioxide. This reaction will result in both ingredients losing their effectiveness in cleaning.
Vinegar and baking soda are mild in acidity and alkalinity, so they are great options for separate bathroom cleaning solutions and will not damage the surfaces if used correctly. Thus, this article will teach you to make two different DIY bathroom cleaners: one using baking soda and one using vinegar. This is a common recipe for homemade cleaners. However, the devil is in the details of how to use each and what surfaces each cleans best.
Baking Soda-Based Solutions
Baking soda-based solutions are easy to make and very effective when you want to scrub a surface to get rid of stains. Since baking soda has bleaching properties, it’s ideal for scrubbing surfaces and making them shine. Moreover, baking soda is an excellent deodorizer and can effectively deodorize toilets and bathrooms. While vinegar-based solutions can help with dirty surfaces and mineral deposits, they can still leave behind smells. This is where baking soda comes into play, effectively eliminating any odor. Here’s how you can use baking soda:
Recipes
Here are some baking soda-based recipes for homemade bathroom cleaners:
- Baking Soda Scrub:
- Ingredients: 1 cup baking soda, enough water to make a paste
- Surfaces: Sinks, tubs, and tiles (for scratch-free scrubbing).
- Baking Soda and Vinegar Drain Cleaner:
- Ingredients: 1/2 cup baking soda, 1/2 cup vinegar
- Surfaces: Clogged drains. Pour the baking soda down the drain, followed by vinegar. Let it sit for 15-30 minutes then flush with hot water.
- Baking Soda and Essential Oil Freshener:
- Ingredients: 1 cup baking soda, 10-15 drops of your favorite essential oil (like tea tree or lavender)
- Surfaces: Use in bathrooms as a deodorizer. Place it in an open container or sprinkle it on carpets or rugs, then vacuum after a few hours.
How to Use Baking Soda for Scrubbing
As mentioned above, you can take baking soda, and add enough water to form a thick paste. Alternatively, you can sprinkle some baking soda on a surface, let it sit for some time, and then scrub until it’s clean. The latter method is explained often in the following use cases. However, you can use the former method for stubborn stains.
Baking Soda Use Cases
- Sinks and Bathtubs: Sprinkle some baking soda in the sink or bathtub, let it sit for 15-30 minutes, and then scrub to remove soap scum. Finally, rinse the sink or bathtub.
- Toilets: You can deodorize toilets and remove their stains by sprinkling a generous amount of baking soda in the toilet, letting it sit for 15-30 minutes, and then scrubbing.
- Grout: It’s best to use a baking soda paste for grout. After you make the paste, let it sit on the grout for a few minutes, then remove it by rinsing or a wet cloth.
- Deodorizing: By putting a bowl of baking soda in cabinets or under the sink, you can deodorize these spaces since baking soda is the perfect ingredient to absorb odors.
Vinegar-Based Solutions
Due to their acidic nature, vinegar and vinegar-based solutions are very helpful when you want to clean soap scum, mineral deposits, and grime. Mix equal parts of water and vinegar in a spray bottle to make the all-purpose cleaner. Alternatively, some surfaces will require the use of vinegar itself. To know the details for each use case, read along!
Recipes
Here are some vinegar-based recipes to make effective DIY cleaning solutions:
- All-Purpose Vinegar Cleaner:
- Ingredients: 1 part white vinegar, 1 part water
- Surfaces: Countertops, sinks, and bathroom tiles. Avoid using this solution on natural stone surfaces like granite or marble.
- Vinegar and Dish Soap Scrub:
- Ingredients: 1 cup white vinegar, 1 tablespoon dish soap
- Surfaces: Shower doors, tubs, and sinks (for cleaning soap scum and grime).
Use Cases for Vinegar
- Showerheads and Faucets: The mineral deposits of hard water usually accumulate on showerheads and faucets with the passage of time. Soak a cloth in vinegar and wrap it around the showerhead or faucet to dissolve these deposits. Leave the cloth wrapped around the fixture for a few hours or overnight. Then, the deposits will be loosened enough to wipe away.
- Mirrors: Spray the vinegar solution onto the mirror and wipe it clean with a dry microfiber cloth.
- Tiles: Soap scum and hard water stains on bathroom tiles are a piece of cake for vinegar. Spray the vinegar solution on the tile surface, let it sit for 10-15 minutes, and then scrub. Beware of the damage this solution can cause to natural stone tiles.
- Toilets: Pour vinegar directly into the toilet bowl, let it sit for 15-30 minutes, and then scrub with a toilet brush. This will remove stains, disinfect, and freshen the bowl.
General Instructions for Use
Here are some general instructions for using baking soda and vinegar in separate solutions to clean different furniture, appliances, carpets, and more!
Baking Soda
Typically, baking soda is used for its bleaching properties or its deodorizing effect. Either way, sprinkling some baking soda on a surface, letting it sit for some time, and then vacuuming, scrubbing, or rinsing works well. This method works well for carpets and upholstery. However, before you use it, ensure that baking soda’s alkaline nature will not damage your belongings.
Vinegar
Vinegar or vinegar-based solutions are very effective for greasy surfaces, mineral deposits, and other types of stains. Typically, you must spray the vinegar solution onto the surface, let it sit for a few minutes, and then wipe the surface dry and clean with a microfiber cloth.
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FAQs – Homemade Bathroom Cleaners
While it’s a popular myth, mixing baking soda and vinegar isn’t effective because they cancel each other out. It’s better to use them separately for different tasks.
These solutions can be used as part of your regular cleaning routine. For deep cleaning tasks like scrubbing grout or dissolving mineral deposits, use them every few weeks or as needed.
Vinegar is safe for most bathroom surfaces, but avoid using it on natural stone surfaces like marble or granite, as its acidity can cause damage.
The vinegar smell dissipates quickly, but if you prefer, add a few drops of essential oil (like lavender or lemon) to the vinegar solution to mask the scent.
You can store your vinegar solution in a spray bottle for future use. However, for the best results, make the baking soda paste fresh each time.
Avoid using baking soda on delicate surfaces that scratch easily, like polished metal or certain types of glass, as its abrasive properties could cause damage.
