3 All-Natural Cleaning Products to Make at Home

No nasty chemicals here.

When toddlers and pets alike try to eat everything in sight, you may want to think twice about their safety. What's in that countertop cleaner, anyway?

To keep the chemicals away from your loved ones and make the environment happier at the same time, consider creating your own cleaning products at home. Many natural ingredients are surprisingly effective when mixed together to produce a cleaning concoction. Plus, once you know what you're doing, you're bound to big bucks by opting for simple homemade cleaners instead of complicated brand-name products.

1. White Vinegar (and Maybe Some Water)

Yep, plain 'ole white vinegar. You can choose to dilute it with water—one cup vinegar, one cup water—to make a multi-use mixture for cleaning countertops, stoves, backsplashes, bathroom floors, and the exteriors of toilets. And if you want to go with an undiluted white vinegar solution (see: straight-up white vinegar), you can use it to dissolve hard water stains and soap scum in the shower. Don't worry—the vinegar scent only lasts until it dries. It's actually a natural deodorizer.

2. Ammonia, Dishwasher Detergent, and Water

Mix together this combination for a green all-purpose cleaner. You'll want one tablespoon of clear, non-sudsing ammonia, another tablespoon of clear dishwashing liquid, and two cups of water. Combine them all in a spray bottle, and you've got yourself a tough grease-fighting recipe that cuts costs and eliminates exposure to toxins.

3. Rubbing Alcohol, Water, and White Vinegar

Rubbing alcohol might be known for its wince-inducing sterile stench, but you'll soon come to appreciate the liquid when you see how shiny it makes your glass surfaces and ceramic tiles. In a spray bottle, mix one cup of rubbing alcohol (isopropyl), one cup of water, and one tablespoon of white vinegar. This mixture will yield an everyday glass cleaner to help your chrome and mirrors look their best.