When springtime hits, I always get inspired to do a top-to-bottom house cleaning. Somehow when those winter blues finally fade away as the days get longer and warmer, it energizes me and inspires me to clean away the grime that has built up over the winter months.

I’ve tried several DIY home cleaners over the years, and I am excited to share my favorite recipes for home cleaning so that you can try them too. It is so easy to make these, and I have found homemade cleaners to be much cheaper than conventional cleaning supplies. As an added benefit, when I’m done cleaning, the house smells so much fresher because there isn’t any lingering chemical smell.

So, who is ready for a complete makeover for your cleaning supplies (and your house!)? Here is my must-have cleaners list for a whole-house cleaning.

• “Soft Scrub” Replacement
• Glass Cleaner
• Toilet Bowl Cleaner
• Tile Floor Cleaner
• All-Purpose Cleaning Spray
• Wood Floor Cleaner
• Wood Polish
• Granite Cleaner

Before we get started, I’m going to cover what ingredients you need to have on hand to make these cleaners. Most of these are easy to find and can be purchased at a local grocery store, but a couple of them will need to be purchased at a health foods store or online.

Supply List:

Vinegar & Baking Soda: Can be purchased at Sam’s in bulk to save money, or at Walmart.

Essential Oils: Some of these can be bought at your local grocery store if they have a natural health section. Otherwise, you can get them at a natural foods store or online – I love Mountain Rose Herbs.

Vegetable Glycerin: This can be found at Walmart in the pharmacy area. Glycerin is usually with first aid items and mineral oil is next to the (uh…) laxatives.

Liquid Castile Soap: Some grocery stores carry Dr. Bronner’s castile soap, which is what I use – look in the natural foods section, if they have one – and I have noticed it at Target recently as well. You can also buy it online, and Mountain Rose Herbs carries one that is really nice.

Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE): This one you will have to get at a natural foods store, or you can order it online. I always buy the Nutribiotic brand, but I know other brands will work just as well. This is a wonderful anti-microbial element, added to the All Purpose Spray to help keep germs at bay in the kitchen and bathroom.

Spray Bottles: To make all of these, you will need 5 spray bottles in total, and you can buy these with the cleaning supplies at Walmart.

Microfiber Cleaning Cloths: I have some Black Diamond glass cleaning cloths, but I know there are several other brands out there. I found mine with the cleaning supplies at Walmart.

Tips:

– Feel free to use other essential oils depending on what fragrance you like, or to leave them out altogether if you prefer fragrance-free cleaning.

– You can let your kiddos help out with the soft scrub and glass cleaning. My 3-year-old loves helping me out and even though he doesn’t do a perfect job, for me as a mom, help is help, am I right?

– Keep in mind that cleaners with vinegar will have an initial vinegary smell, but this dissipates quickly, leaving the room smelling clean and fresh.

Soft Scrub Replacement:

– Baking soda
– Castile soap

Get the surface you want to clean wet (sink, bathtub, and other areas with soap scum or stains). Then squirt a little bit of liquid castile soap on the surface, followed by a sprinkle of baking soda. Don’t fret too much about measuring this out – just keep it simple and add a little more soap or water if it is too thick or add more baking soda to thicken it up a bit. You are looking for a paste-like consistency. Then, use a sponge to scrub and wipe away dirt and grime.

Simple Glass Cleaning:

– Water
– Microfiber Cleaning Cloth

It doesn’t get any simpler than this – fill a spray bottle with water, spray it on your mirror or windows, and effortlessly wipe away everything from toothpaste to fingerprints.

** We also keep one of these cloths in the glove box of each of our cars to remove that filmy residue that builds up on the inside of the windshield. This little wonder cloth works almost as well dry as it does wet, so it can come in handy for those moments (you know what I’m talking about) when that filmy residue seems to suddenly appear and obscure your vision as a driver.

Toilet Bowl Cleaning:

– Vinegar
– Baking Soda

Spray or pour white vinegar into the toilet and let it sit for 30 minutes. Then sprinkle baking soda on a toilet-bowl brush and scour any remaining stained areas. Flush.

Tile Floor Cleaner:

– 2-4 Tbsp. liquid castile soap
– 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
– 20 drops of tea tree essential oil
– 20 drops of sweet orange essential oil

This is a great cleaner for tile floors, vinyl, or linoleum. Mix the solution in a sink or bucket and add 2 gallons of hot water.

Get the rest of the recipes from this free printable – these recipe cards are perfect to cut out and tape to your spray bottles with some clear packing tape to make it sufficiently waterproof. That way, when you need to mix up a second round of cleaners, you have the recipe right at your fingertips – happy cleaning!