Most of us have probably seen the pins or the TikToks of folks that are committed to making their own cleaning products for one reason or another, but is it really worth it? Isn’t it just so much easier to grab them at the store? At least those were the questions we had. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of making versus buying your own cleaning products.
Pro: You control the ingredients. This is a huge one and often the number one reason people even started making their own cleaning products. You have full control over what goes into cleaning products making this ideal for people who suffer or have a family member that suffers from allergies or health concerns. Most of the cleaning products we get from the store contain volatile organic compounds, which is just a fancy name for gases that are released into the air when using these products. These VOC’s, as they’re known, evaporate at room temperature meaning we breathe them in. Symptoms of VOC exposure include eye and skin irritation, allergic reactions, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and more.
Con: Sometimes natural cleaners simply aren’t as effective as what you can buy in the store, this has a lot to do with the added cleaning agents storebought cleaners have in them.
Pro: Homemade cleaners are safer. If you’re a human and/or dog parent then you know there is nothing more terrifying than thinking that your kiddo or doggo would even, or could even get ahold of a harmful chemical and ingest it. By making your products, you have total control of what goes into them.
Con: Sometimes homemade cleaners don’t smell the freshest. Because vinegar is so often used in natural cleaning, the smell can be a little much. You can somewhat battle this by adding natural essential oils to certain concoctions, but even these won’t mask the smell entirely.
Pro: If you’re trying to save some money, homemade cleaners are more cost-effective than store-bought ones, thanks to a little thing we known as ‘supply and demand’. When you make your own cleaners, you typically only need a few inexpensive products to do so, you also have the freedom to make cleaners that can be used on more than one surface.
Pro: If you’re trying to reduce your carbon footprint, making your own household cleaners is a great way to do this. All natural cleaning supplies not only disinfect your house but don’t need any harsh chemicals to do it, they improve the air quality, and decrease pollution.