Isn't it great to be able to mix your own scrub cleaner or your own multi-purpose cleaner and then tackle all the dirty surfaces in your home knowing you made the cleaner yourself with just a few simple ingredients?
Here we offer 19 eco-friendly DIY cleaning recipes with natural ingredients from the French brand La Droguerie Écologique.
La Droguerie Écologique – Soda Crystals / Sodium Carbonate
Soda Crystals / Sodium Carbonate
Sodium Carbonate is a water-soluble, crystalline powder (soda in concentrated crystal form) that has long been used as a multifunctional cleaning agent in the home.
It cleans, descales, removes unwanted odors, dissolves grease in laundry, and neutralizes acids.
1. Cleaning glass and stained porcelain.
For cleaning glass, carafes, bottles, and porcelain stained by tea, coffee, and similar.
Instructions:
- Mix 20-40 grams of Soda Crystals / Sodium Carbonate per liter of hot water.
- Fill the container/porcelain with the solution. Shake and let stand for a few hours.
- Rinse with clean water/wash and let dry upside down.
2. Cleaning burnt pots and pans made of stainless steel.
Easily clean your burnt pots with this simple method.
Note! Suitable only for stainless steel and not for cast iron, aluminum, or Teflon (Teflon should be phased out of your kitchen anyway).
Instructions:
- Sprinkle a layer of Soda Crystals / Sodium Carbonate at the bottom of the frying pan/pot and pour boiling water over it.
- Cover with a lid and let stand for about half a day.
- Then rinse and wash as usual.
3. Multi-purpose cleaner
Is there anything better than a cleaning agent that suits many different purposes?
With this cleaning agent, you can achieve a spotless result when cleaning your kitchen furniture, bathroom fixtures, and sink.
Note! Soda solutions can darken wood types like oak or chestnut (with high tannin content). Test on a hidden area first.
Instructions:
- Mix 10 grams of Soda Crystals / Sodium Carbonate per liter of warm water.
- Use a sponge and wipe the surface you want to clean.
- Wipe dry with a slightly damp cloth.
4. Toilet cleaning
Get a sparkling result when you clean your toilet with this simple recipe. The recipe can preferably be used every two weeks.
Instructions:
- Mix about 65 ml Soda Crystals or Sodium Carbonate in a bucket with about 5 liters of warm water.
- Pour the mixture into the toilet and let it work for 15 minutes.
- Scrub the inside of the toilet bowl with a toilet brush and then flush.
La Droguerie Écologique – Citric acid for cleaning
Citric acid
Citric acid has a very wide range of uses such as an additive in food, as an additive in cosmetics, and as a pH regulator. It descales, cleans, and dissolves limescale and is an excellent antioxidant.
Citric acid is completely biodegradable and is an effective household product that should be in every home.
1. Descaling
Lime often forms in coffee makers, kettles, and washing machines. Here are some recipes to help you get rid of the lime.
Descaling coffee machine:
- Dissolve 1-2 tablespoons of citric acid in 1 liter of cold water.
- Fill the machine with the solution and let it work for about 15-30 minutes.
- Then pour out the mixture and rinse twice with clean, cold water.
Descaling kettle:
- Dissolve 1-2 tablespoons of citric acid in 1 liter of water.
- Fill the kettle with the mixture and let it boil and boil for a short while.
- Let the mixture stand for 30 minutes and then pour out.
- Then rinse thoroughly with water.
Descaling washing machine:
- Pour 6-8 tablespoons of citric acid into the drum and run an empty machine at 90 degrees.
Descaling taps, pressure reducing valves, shower heads:
- Dissolve 2-5 tablespoons of citric acid in 1 liter of water.
- Scrub the areas to be descaled or let soak for about 12 hours.
- Then rinse with water.
Descaling septic tank of stainless steel:
- Dissolve about 3-5 soup spoons of citric acid (depending on the level of descaling) in 1 liter of warm water.
- A soup spoon is 15 ml (3-5 x 15 ml).
- Let the mixture stand in the tank for about 12 hours and then rinse thoroughly with clean water.
2. Cleaning recipes
Citric acid has many uses and can be used for both pots and rust removal. Here are some practical recipes for cleaning at home.
Remove stains from tea or coffee cups and vases:
- Pour 1-2 tablespoons of citric acid into the cup/vase and pour boiling water over it.
- Keep in mind that the cup/vase should withstand boiling liquids.
- Let stand for about 30 minutes. Then rinse thoroughly with water.
Remove fine films of lime, cement, or plaster:
- Dilute 3-6 tablespoons of citric acid in 1 liter of water.
- Rub the solution on the surface to be cleaned and then rinse with clean water.
Cleaning burnt bottoms of stainless steel pots:
- Dissolve 12 tablespoons of citric acid in about 2.36 dl (1 cup) of water.
- Heat the solution for a few minutes in the burnt pan and then rinse well.
Cleaning chrome, stainless steel, ceramic, and plastic surfaces:
- Dissolve 2-5 tablespoons of citric acid in 1 liter of warm water.
- Wipe the surfaces with the solution, rubbing if necessary.
- Then rinse thoroughly with water.
Rust removal:
- Prepare a 10% citric acid solution in a bowl by mixing citric acid and water.
- Place the item to be cleaned (e.g., a key) in the solution overnight. A chemical reaction occurs between the citric acid and the rust. The iron oxide (rust) is then converted into a colorless substance.
- Then rinse the item with water.
La Droguerie Écologique – Sodium Percarbonate
Sodium Percarbonate
Sodium Percarbonate is a water-soluble, crystalline powder (soda in concentrated crystal form) made by adding hydrogen peroxide to Soda Crystals / Sodium Carbonate.
Sodium Percarbonate does not contain chlorides or phosphates that can cause major damage to our waterways. It does not bioaccumulate and has low environmental impact.
Instead, it is an excellent bleach used in many commercial detergents and liquids.
Sodium Percarbonate releases oxygen and works as a stain remover by quickly and completely dissolving a wide range of stubborn stains.
Sodium Percarbonate is effective on all organic stains, including tea, coffee, red wine, chocolate, fruit juice, fruit stains, carrot, mayonnaise, butter, tomato sauce, olive oil, beetroot, makeup, lipstick, sweat, ink, mud, soot, grass, and urine.
Can be used on various types of textiles such as whites, colored laundry, bibs, handkerchiefs, rugs, bed linens, cloth diapers, and all other textiles that can be washed in water.
1. Stain removal on white textiles
White fabrics tend to yellow with age, which is not very pleasant. Sodium Percarbonate is most effective at 60 degrees but can also be used at lower temperatures like 40 degrees.
Here we offer you some smart tricks so you can get your white clothes white again.
For whites:
- 1 tablespoon Sodium Percarbonate for a full washing machine load (4-5 kg).
Removal of colored stains:
- 2 tablespoons Sodium Percarbonate for a full washing machine load (4-5 kg).
Hand washing or soaking:
- 1 tablespoon Sodium Percarbonate per 4-5 kg of laundry.
Blood stains:
- Soak the garment in cold water and apply Sodium Percarbonate directly to the stain.
2. Cleaning and grease removal from exterior wood
Sodium Percarbonate helps remove grease, moss, lichen, and fungus from wood. It can also be used to revive wood such as decks, piers, picnic tables, and garden furniture that have turned gray over time due to weather exposure.
Cleaning wood outdoors:
- Mix 1-2 parts Sodium Percarbonate with 10 parts hot water (about 40°C) in a bowl until dissolved.
- Carefully apply the solution with a brush to the wood to be cleaned.
- Let sit for 15-20 minutes.
- Brush with a stiff scrubbing brush (e.g., coconut fiber). Rinse the brush thoroughly afterward.
- Rinse the wood thoroughly with water.
- Neutralize your wood with a solution of vinegar diluted in water.
- Let dry.
- Feel free to apply a layer of linseed oil (containing a siccative).
We hope you find all these fantastic cleaning recipes useful in your home.
Please feel free to leave a comment and tell us about your best DIY cleaning recipe or ask a question and we will answer!
