Why Make Your Own?

There's a particular satisfaction in pulling a cloth across a gleaming worktop knowing the stuff in your hand cost pennies and did the job beautifully. Most of us have three or four ingredients already sitting in the kitchen cupboard that, combined in the right proportions, will clean almost anything in the house. White vinegar, bicarbonate of soda and lemons have been doing the heavy lifting in British homes for generations — long before anyone thought to put a picture of a lemon grove on a bottle and charge four pounds for it.

The appeal goes beyond thrift. Shop-bought cleaners arrive in plastic bottles, carry strong fumes and contain a cocktail of ingredients you wouldn't otherwise choose to breathe in. Mixing your own means you know exactly what's in the bottle, you refill the same container again and again, and you can scent things to your own taste. It's gentler on your lungs, on the environment and, frankly, on your hands after a long afternoon's cleaning.

The Ingredients Worth Keeping In Stock

You don't need a laboratory. A small, well-chosen kit will see you through most of the house:

• White vinegar (also sold as distilled malt vinegar) — the workhorse. It cuts grease, dissolves limescale and deodorises. Buy it in bulk; it's cheap.
• Bicarbonate of soda — a gentle abrasive that lifts burnt-on food and neutralises smells. Keep a large tub.
• Lemons or bottled lemon juice — a natural bleach for stains and a lovely fresh scent.
• Washing-up liquid — a few drops turn vinegar into a proper degreaser.
• Essential oils — optional but pleasant. Tea tree, lavender or eucalyptus add scent and mild antibacterial properties.
• Spray bottles, cloths and a good scrubbing brush — the tools matter as much as the mixtures.

An All-Purpose Spray You'll Reach For Daily

This is the one to make first, because you'll use it on worktops, tiles, splashbacks, sinks and the outside of appliances every single day.

Mix one part white vinegar to three parts water in a clean 500ml spray bottle, then add a teaspoon of washing-up liquid and a few drops of essential oil if you like. Shake gently before each use. The vinegar does the cleaning, the soap helps it cling to grease, and the oil takes the edge off the smell — though the vinegary tang fades within a few minutes of drying.

A word of caution: don't use this on natural stone. Marble, limestone and granite are acid-sensitive and vinegar will dull them over time. Stick to warm soapy water there, and save the spray for tiles, sealed surfaces and stainless steel.

Kitchens, Ovens and Stubborn Grease

For the hob, extractor hood and splashbacks, a paste of bicarbonate of soda and a little water is hard to beat. Spread it on, leave it for ten minutes, then wipe away with a damp cloth. For really baked-on grime, add a drop of washing-up liquid and use a non-scratch scourer.

Oven shelves and grill pans respond well to a soak in hot water with a generous scoop of bicarb and a squeeze of lemon. Leave overnight if you can; the residue will lift with far less scrubbing in the morning.

Drains and bins benefit from the same pairing. Pour half a mug of bicarb down a drain, follow it with a mug of white vinegar, let it fizz for fifteen minutes, then flush with hot water. A sprinkle of bicarb in the bottom of the bin kills odours before they start.

Bathrooms, Limescale and Glass

Hard water is the great enemy of British bathrooms, and vinegar is its match. For taps and showerheads, fill a sandwich bag with white vinegar, secure it over the fitting with an elastic band and leave it for an hour. Limescale wipes away and the chrome comes up bright. Showerheads can be unscrewed and left to soak in a bowl of vinegar overnight.

For the loo, tip a mug of white vinegar down the bowl, leave for twenty minutes, then scrub and flush. A bicarb-and-lemon paste works well on the porcelain around the base.

Glass and mirrors need very little. Mix one part white vinegar to four parts water, spray lightly and buff with a dry, lint-free cloth or a crumpled sheet of newspaper. Skip the vinegar altogether on windows with tinted film.

Safety, Storage and Making It a Habit

• Never mix vinegar with bleach. The combination releases chlorine gas. Keep them well apart.
• Don't use vinegar on natural stone, aluminium or delicate finishes. Test on a hidden patch first.
• Label every bottle with its contents and the date you made it. A plain bottle of clear liquid is a hazard waiting to happen.
• Keep homemade sprays out of reach of children and pets, and store them away from direct sunlight.
• Essential oils are potent — a few drops is plenty, and avoid citrus oils on wooden surfaces.

Start with one bottle of all-purpose spray and one tub of bicarb paste. Within a fortnight you'll have your own rhythm, a cupboard full of refillable bottles, and a few more pounds left in your pocket at the end of the month.