Why bother mixing your own?

There is something quietly satisfying about a cupboard under the sink that holds three simple ingredients rather than a small chemical factory. Shop-bought cleaners are mostly water, a little surfactant and a synthetic fragrance, wrapped in plastic that will outlive the grime it was sold to remove. Mixing your own takes about two minutes, costs pennies a bottle and means you know exactly what is landing on your worktops, your bathroom tiles and your kitchen table.

It is not about scrubbing harder or giving up on a truly clean home. White vinegar, bicarbonate of soda and lemon oil between them cover the vast majority of everyday jobs, from greasy hobs to limescale-crusted taps. You will still need a decent washing-up liquid and a bleach-based product now and then for specific jobs, but the daily spray-and-wipe can be homemade, refillable and genuinely pleasant to use.

The three ingredients that do the heavy lifting

Get to know what each one is good at and you will stop reaching for the wrong bottle.

• White vinegar (also sold as distilled or spirit vinegar) is acetic acid, and it cuts through grease, dissolves limescale and discourages mould and many bacteria. Use the clear, cheap stuff, not malt vinegar, which leaves a lingering chip-shop aroma. It is not suitable for natural stone, and it should never meet bleach.
• Bicarbonate of soda is a gentle abrasive, a deodoriser and a mild alkali. It lifts baked-on food, freshens drains and softens the smell of vinegar. Buy it in a large paper bag or box rather than a tiny pot.
• Lemon oil (or lemon essential oil) cuts grease, lifts sticky residues and leaves a clean, bright scent. Ten drops go a long way. If you dislike fragrance, leave it out; if you want something more antiseptic, a few drops of tea tree work well in the bathroom.

You will also want two or three glass spray bottles with trigger tops, a lidded jar for scrubs, and a couple of microfibre cloths.

Everyday sprays you can mix in two minutes

All-purpose spray: pour 250ml white vinegar and 250ml water into a 500ml glass bottle, add 10 to 12 drops of lemon oil, and shake. Spray, leave for a minute on greasy surfaces such as a hob or splashback, then wipe with a damp cloth. Rinse surfaces that come into direct contact with food.

Glass and mirrors: use one part white vinegar to three parts water. Skip the lemon oil here, as it can streak. Buff with a dry cloth or a sheet of scrunched newspaper for a smear-free finish.

Bathroom spray: the all-purpose mix works beautifully on tiles, taps and shower screens. For limescale, spray generously, leave for ten minutes so the acid can do its work, then rinse and buff. Add a few drops of tea tree oil if you want a little extra freshness around the loo and basin.

Scrubs, pastes and the stubborn jobs

Bicarbonate paste: mix three parts bicarbonate of soda with one part water, or add a drop of washing-up liquid for extra grip on grease. Use it on the sink, the hob, stained mugs and baked-on roasting trays. Leave it for ten minutes, then scrub with a cloth rather than a scouring pad, which can scratch enamel and acrylic.

Drains and plugholes: tip half a mug of bicarbonate of soda down the drain, follow with a mug of hot white vinegar, and let it fizz for fifteen minutes. Flush through with a kettle of hot water. Doing this weekly keeps kitchen drains sweet.

Toilet bowls: sprinkle bicarbonate around the rim, spray with white vinegar, leave for twenty minutes, then scrub and flush. It tackles staining without a harsh bleach smell.

Kettles and showerheads: soak in equal parts white vinegar and water until the limescale softens, then rinse thoroughly and boil fresh water twice before using the kettle again.

Make it safely and store it sensibly

• Never mix vinegar with bleach or bleach-based products. The resulting fumes are genuinely dangerous.
• Keep vinegar off natural stone such as marble, limestone and travertine, and off aluminium, as the acid can pit or dull the surface.
• Test on a hidden patch of wood, stone or sealed grout before committing to a whole worktop.
• Store essential oils out of reach of children and pets, and be especially careful around cats, who are sensitive to many oils.
• Label every bottle with what is in it and the date you mixed it. Vinegar sprays are best used within a few weeks.

Building it into your weekly rhythm

Start with one recipe, not five. An all-purpose spray in the kitchen and one in the bathroom will replace most of what you currently buy, and a jar of bicarbonate under the sink handles the rest. Refill the same glass bottles for years, buy vinegar and bicarbonate in bulk, and keep a small bottle of lemon oil in the cupboard for scent.

A ten-minute reset once a week, with a cloth in one hand and your spray in the other, keeps a home feeling cared for without any harshness. The plastic you do not buy is the easiest waste to avoid, and the cleaner you mixed yourself is often the one that works best.