In our home, the kitchen is grand central station. It’s a place that can go from clean to covered in food crumbs, coffee spills, grease splatters, and dirt in just minutes. Today, we’re going to focus on 8 homemade cleaners to make and use in the kitchen. (PS: I share everything to get you started with natural cleaning in the Natural Cleaning Challenge. I’d love for you to join us for free!)

8 Homemade Cleaners for the Kitchen

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Live Simply is all about keeping things simple, so I don’t want to give you the wrong idea. You don’t need to make and use 8 different cleaners in your kitchen. I use an all-purpose spray to clean most of the surfaces in my home, from my kitchen counters to dusty shelves and bathrooms.

We all have different preferences and cleaning needs, so an all-purpose spray may not work for your every cleaning need, particularly when it comes to tricky areas of the kitchen like the oven or a greasy sink. There are also other areas of kitchen cleaning to think about, like dishes and the floor. Today’s list is intended to cover every surface and cleaning need in the kitchen. Customize this list based on your own needs.

8 Homemade Cleaners For The Kitchen

Below, you’ll find what I consider to be the best of the best homemade kitchen cleaning products. Here are the cleaners we’re going to talk about and how to use them…

  1. All Purpose Vinegar Cleaner: All surfaces (except marble, granite, and stone surfaces).
  2. Stainless Steel and and Glass Cleaner: All stainless and glass surfaces in the kitchen and throughout the home.
  3. Kitchen Sink Scrub Paste: Dirty, greasy sinks. May also be used in the bathroom on tile, tubs, and sinks.
  4. Kitchen Sink Scouring Powder: An easy sprinkle-on powder for dirty, greasy sinks. This is great for a quick-fix clean that can also be used on bathroom tubs and sinks and in the toilet.
  5. Dirty Oven Scrub: For all my overachiever friends who love to clean their oven. I see you and have mad respect for you.
  6. DIY Dish Soap: When you need to hand wash dishes, plus suggestions for store-bought dishwasher options.
  7. Granite Cleaner: For granite countertops.
  8. Mop Solution for Kitchen Floors: Clean hard kitchen floors and all hard floors in the home with 2 homemade floor cleaner options.

Okay, so there’s the rundown of products. Now let’s talk about how to make each of these homemade kitchen cleaners…

all purpose cleaner kitchen

1. All Purpose Cleaner 

This is the one product that literally does it all: counters, appliances, inside the fridge, the oven and stove-top, cabinets, and open shelving. If you don’t have a stone countertop (such as marble or granite), vinegar is my preference. If you have a speciality countertop, castile soap may be a better option.

stainless steel cleaner kitchen

2. Stainless Steel and Glass Cleaner

If you make vinegar all purpose cleaner, use it to clean and polish glass surfaces (such as kitchen windows) and most stainless steel surfaces. If you’re using an all purpose cleaner made with castile soap or Sal Suds, you’ll need to use something else as the soap can leave behind a cloudy film on glass and stainless.

  • Make a glass and stainless steel cleaner by combining 1/2 cup rubbing alcohol and 1/3 cup white vinegar in a 16-ounce spray bottle, then top off the bottle with distilled water. If you’d prefer to not use rubbing alcohol, skip it and use 1/2 cup of vinegar instead. Spray on a glass surface and wipe with a microfiber cloth.

homemade sink scrub cleaner

3. Kitchen Sink Scrub Paste

My kitchen sink is constantly in use between dishes and dirty hands. A homemade scrub not only strips away build up from dirt and grease, but also shines, deodorizes, and freshens the surface. This scrub also works wonderfully in tubs and bathroom sinks.

  • Make a sink scrub cleaner by combining 1 cup baking soda, 1/4 cup liquid castile soap or Sal Suds, and 1 tablespoon hydrogen peroxide. Stir until the ingredients resemble a thick paste. If you want a thinner paste, add more soap or water (distilled water if storing the cleaner, tap water is fine if this is a one-time, immediate use product). Use the paste immeadiately after combining or store for later. If storing the cleaner for future cleaning needs, spoon the paste into a jar (such as a wide-mouth mason jar or Weck jar) and seal the jar. This cleaner will harden when exposed to air for a prolonged period of time. Use an amber jar or something that won’t allow light to seep through if using hydrogen peroxide in the paste and storing for later use. It’s also important to leave room at the top of the jar for expansion. The cleaner will expand within the first 24 hours. Store for up to 1 month.

homemade sink scrub

4. Kitchen Sink Scouring Powder

If you don’t want to make a scrub (above), but need something to clean a greasy or dirty sink, this powder is the easiest solution. Simply sprinkle baking soda over the kitchen sink surface, then use a wet cloth or scrub brush to scrub away the dirt and grease. So easy! Check out this Instagram video to see this trick in action.

homemade oven cleaner

5. Dirty Oven Scrub 

Confession: I can’t remember the last time I cleaned my oven. If you want to clean your oven, you can either use the sink scrub recipe or make an oven cleaner.

  • Make an oven cleaner by combining 1/2 cup baking soda, 1/3 cup water, and 1 tablespoon liquid castile soap or Sal Suds in a bowl. Use a sponge to apply the scrub to the interior of the oven. Let the scrub rest for at least 30 minutes, longer for a dirty oven. Dip a sponge in a bowl of warm water, wipe the oven, then repeat. Change the water frequently. A scrub brush may be needed for tough grease stains. Once the scrub is completely rinsed from the oven, spray vinegar (or an all-purpose vinegar cleaner) in the oven. Wipe the oven with a damp cloth. Without the vinegar spray the baking soda may leave behind a chalk-like powder (safe, but annoying).

homemade dish soap

6. DIY Dish Soap 

I’ve made both dish soap and dishwasher soap, but I’ve found that I much prefer to go the store-bought route with my dishwasher soap and just stick to homemade dish soap. I’m not sure I’d actually call this dish soap “homemade” since there’s no soap-making involved. Instead, I use Sal Suds (which is super tough on dirt and grease, castile soap’s big brother) in its diluted form with a bit of vinegar to make dishes sparkle and shine. If you prefer to go store-bought with dish soap and dishwasher soap, here are my favorite brands.

  • Make a DIY dish soap by combining 1/2 cup distilled water, 1/2 cup Sal Suds, and 1 tablespoon white vinegar in a soap dispenser. Shake the bottle to combine the ingredients and use on a dish cloth, sponge, or directly in water.

homemade granite cleaner

7. Granite Cleaner 

If you prefer to make a cleaner just for granite countertops (since vinegar is a no-no on stone surfaces), you can make your own with just a few ingredients.

  • Make granite cleaner by combining 1/3 cup rubbing alcohol and 5 drops tea tree essential oil (optional) in a 16-ounce spray bottle. Then top off with distilled water and 1/2 teaspoon liquid castile soap. Shake the bottle before each use.

homemade kitchen floor cleaner

8. Mop Solution for Kitchen Floors

Finally, the kitchen floor…the place where all the dirt and crumbs end up. There are two ways to make a mop solution for hard floors in the kitchen (and both solutions can be used throughout the home), either with vinegar or with castile soap. I’ll share both recipes below…

  • Make a vinegar floor cleanercombine 2 gallons hot water, 1/2 cup white vinegar, 5 drops essential oil (optional) in a bucket. Use a mop or cloth to clean kitchen floors. 
  • Make a castile soap floor cleaner, combine 2 gallons hot water, 2 tablespoons liquid castile soap, 5 drops essential oil (optional) in a bucket. Use a mop or cloth to clean kitchen floors.

Natural Cleaning Kitchen Tips

Here are 3 other areas to clean in your kitchen and natural solutions for these areas.

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How to Naturally Clean Cutting Boards 

Skip the bleach and use this natural method instead. Learn how to naturally clean cutting boards…

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How to Naturally Clean the Dishwasher

If you’re like me, you probably don’t think about cleaning your dishwasher often. But it’s important to give this area a clean every so often. Learn how to naturally clean the dishwasher…

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How to Naturally Clean Your Fridge & Keep Odors Away

The fridge can harbor all sorts of bacterial growth and odors. Here’s how to clean your fridge and keep odors away.

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