Cleaning expert shares affordable dupes for pricy 'organic' cleaners: 'Such a good tip'

Using more natural products when cleaning your home can protect your family, but sometimes brands charge an arm and a leg for the "organic" label. One cleaning expert explained how you can make DIY dupes for many natural products. 

The scoop

McKenzie (@simple_clean_home) is an Instagram creator showing followers how to work toward a less-toxic home. One video shows a recipe for how to do so while getting the most bang for your buck — creating a dupe for an expensive natural cleaner. "Non-toxic cleaning doesn't have to be expensive," McKenzie said. 

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A post shared by McKenzie | Non-Toxic | Natural Home | DIY Cleaning (@simple_clean_home)

Many non-toxic cleaners charge for the natural, organic label at an extreme markup. McKenzie explains, "One of the biggest mistakes I made when switching to non-toxic cleaning products was not starting out with DIY."

McKenzie goes on to show that many store-bought cleaners are made from very simple ingredients. A $12 sink cleaner is just baking soda and fragrance. You can purchase a large bag of baking soda from big box stores for under $5, and it can be used all over your home and kitchen. 

This creator also gives a favorite cleaning recipe in the caption, "Sprinkle baking soda, drizzle dish soap (or Castile soap) all over, and scrub away!"

How it's helping

Utilizing simple (and cheap) ingredients in your cleaning can save you money, keep your home clean, and protect your family from toxins. Products like baking soda, rubbing alcohol, and dish soap can be combined in different ways all over your house to keep everything spick and span.

You can use rubbing alcohol on its own to clean and disinfect surfaces like faucets. Dish soap can help keep your stainless steel shining bright and can help remove labels so you can reuse glass jars. Baking soda, on the other hand, can be used for a fruit rinse or a pan scrub. 

One of the biggest benefits of making the swap to natural cleaners is avoiding volatile organic compounds. VOCs are gases that are put out into the air by everyday items, including cleaning products. The American Lung Association writes, "Breathing VOCs can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat, can cause difficulty breathing and nausea, and can damage the central nervous system and other organs. Some VOCs can cause cancer." 

What everyone's saying

This post didn't solicit many comments, but folks were excited to give these tips a try. 

Do you worry about using cleaning products with harsh chemicals in them? All the time 💯 Sometimes 🤨 Not really 🤷 No — never 🙅 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

One person wrote, "Such a good tip!!"

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