You don't need everything at once

You’ll save quite a bit with DIY cleaning supplies, but there is an initial cost to get started. I’ve broken the list into 5 categories to help you prioritize more easily...

1. The Essentials

These are your cleaning besties! If you’re going to buy anything, make it these... in bulk sizes, because you’ll use them A LOT.

• Baking soda: Bulk size is $25.99 on Amazon.
• Distilled white vinegar: Buy at the supermarket or it's $5.49 on Amazon.
• Liquid Castile Soap**: Hard to find at the supermarket. The bulk size is $49.95 on Amazon.

** Harvesting of palm oil often leads to the devastation of rainforests and slaughtering of the orangutan who live there. Please aim for a Castile soap that is free from palm oil or uses palm oil that’s been ethically harvested.

2. Optional Ingredients

These are good to have, but not everyone will want or need them. If your home is full of wood, you may want the olive oil. Or if you constantly battle mold, you may want a much larger bottle of hydrogen peroxide (easy to find on Amazon). Otherwise, if you're on a tight budget, you can hold off.

• Hydrogen peroxide: Buy this natural mold killer at the supermarket or drugstore. Or this spray bottle is $5.98 on Amazon.
• Corn starch: Makes glass cleaner streak-free. Buy at the supermarket or (if you'll also use it for organic baking) this one is $10 on Amazon.
• Olive oil: Buy this natural wood conditioner for less at the supermarket. Or this 50-ounce (1.5 quart) bottle is $16.87 on Amazon.
• Witch hazel: Used with essential oils to make deodorizing sprays. Buy for less at the supermarket or drugstore. This one is $11.95 on Amazon.

3. Laundry

You'll love washing your laundry with soapnuts and softening with wool dryer balls... but we’ll also do both using the ‘essentials’ (above). So if you're on a tight budget you might hold off on these for now.

• Soapnuts: Replaces several bottles of laundry detergent. This one is $16.95 on Amazon.
• Wool dryer balls: Replaces roughly 2,000 dryer sheets. This 6pk is $23.95 on Amazon.
• Oxygen bleach: Buy at the supermarket or this 2-pack is $16.91 on Amazon.

4. Cleaning Supplies

You can probably get away with not buying anything on this list, except maybe the spray bottles.

• Spray bottles: Find plastic bottles** at the dollar store. Or this 8-pack of glass comes in 4 sizes for $18.99 on Amazon.
• Glass jars: Empty tomato sauce or olive jars are great for this purpose. This 6-pack of mason jars is $16.99 on Amazon.
• Funnels: Go funnel-free, if you don’t mind a small mess - just pour your ingredients over the sink. Or these are $8.99 on Amazon.
• Cleaning rags: Cut up an old towel or some old t-shirts. Or these are $19.95 on Amazon.
• Scrub pads: Use whatever you’ve already got at home. Or these are $6.87 on Amazon.
• Bucket: Honestly, I usually just use the kitchen sink. Or this is $10.43 on Amazon.

** Please do NOT reuse spray bottles from your old commercial cleaners, as this can be dangerous.

5. Essential Oils (optional)

If you choose to use EOs in your cleaning & laundry products, maybe start with just one or two of your favorites. If it helps to choose, I love clove or peppermint to freshen the air in my home and I tend to use lavender the most in my DIY products. (I probably use tea tree or rosemary the second-most.)

EOs are not appropriate for those who have become sensitive to them. (We’ll talk about why that happens, as well as how to buy and use EOs safely.)

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