Makeup brushes can become bacteria hotbeds if you don’t care for the tools properly. The American Academy of Dermatology Association recommends cleaning makeup brushes every seven to 10 days to avoid nasty skin infections. Thankfully, you can sanitize your grubby brushes with simple ingredients from your kitchen, including vinegar, olive oil, baking soda, and lemon.

Making a DIY makeup brush cleaner is easier, cheaper, and more eco-friendly than buying cosmetic cleaning agents. Conventional cleaners often contain soaps and chemicals that disrupt ecosystems and wreak havoc on sensitive skin types. Plus, there’s no plastic packaging involved when you whip up a fresh vinegar cleaner at home.

Below are five recipes for DIY makeup brush cleaners. These homemade cleaners contain only common, healthy, and mostly food-grade ingredients.

How to Properly Clean a Makeup Brush

Contrary to instinct, never use hot water to clean your makeup brushes. The heat can weaken the glue that connects the bristles to the handle, ultimately shortening your brush’s lifespan.

When cleaning your makeup brush, agitate the bristles to loosen up gunk. But don’t pull at them. Instead, dab the brush in your cleaning solution and swirl it gently against your palm or a clean textured surface. Try not to get the cleaning solution on wooden handles.

Reshape your brush while it’s wet and lay it flat on a clean towel. Or, better yet, prop it up in a cup to dry overnight.

Don’t you just love to clean your bathroom? No? It’s not my favorite space to clean either. Thinking about what we put this room through every day, it’s no surprise that it’s by far the dirtiest and messiest area in the house.

We all know the importance of keeping the bathroom clean for keeping you and your family away from germs and viruses that may cause sickness. Still, many of us put it off until the last minute because it can be such a pain to clean. And don’t even get me started on the odors, the mildew, and the surfaces that are so difficult to get sparkling clean.

But making the bathroom sparkle and shine (and sanitized) doesn’t have to be the hard work we make it out to be. These 7 tips for when you want to green clean your bathroom can help you get your bathroom perfectly clean without having to spend a lot of time and elbow grease on it.

Bring the sparkle back to your bathroom by following these seven tips which help you clean your bathroom without using toxins!

 

Use Vinegar To Clean Your Shower Head

Have you noticed the hard water stains on your shower head? It looks pretty gross and it’s not really something you want to see on the item that’s supposed to make you clean.If you want to get rid of the stains as quickly as possible, all you need is a plastic bag and some vinegar.

Fill the plastic bag with 1 cup water and 1 cup vinegar, and secure the plastic bag over your shower head with a rubber band or twist-tie so that the shower head is submerged in the mixture inside the bag. Leave it overnight and let the mixture do its magic. In the morning, take the bag off and rinse by running a hot water shower and enjoy a nice shower with your spotless shower head!

Polish Your Faucet 

After a while, your faucet will get spots and stains that you can’t get rid of by just scrubbing with soap and water. This is not how you want your faucet to look, and each time you’re washing your hands or brushing your teeth, that piece of spotted steel almost seems to be laughing at you.

Make your chrome or stainless steel faucet look brand new again and remove the spots and stains with baby oil. Pour a few drops of oil on a cloth and rub onto your faucet. This will help prevent water spots in the future and you can finally get peace and think of something else every time you need to wash your hands!

You could also use a lemon. Just cut one in half, then gently open the centre of the cut half up. Press the lemon onto the end of the faucet, then secure a small plastic bag around the faucet. Leave for a few hours and then remove and wash clean.

Get Rid of Grout & Dirt With Baking Soda

You can sweep and mop your bathroom floors on a daily basis, but you’re still going to get grout and dirt on them. But there’s actually a surprisingly easy way to clean your mouldy shower tiles and grout without using any harsh chemical cleaners.

Just mix equal parts bleach or vinegar and water in a spray bottle to make a cleaning solution. Spray your tiles and grout, allow it to dry completely, then rinse. For tough black spots, make a paste of 1/4 cup of bleach and 3/4 cup of baking soda, then attack the mould between your tiles with an old toothbrush. Wipe the tiles clean and you’ll have a beautiful dirt-free floor!

Use Dryer Sheet to Clean Your Glass Shower Doors

If you have a glass door in your shower room, then you probably know the pain of removing soap scum from it. You can get rid of the soap scum on your shower doors, eventually, if you use a natural, all-purpose bathroom cleaner and a lot of elbow grease. But this simple and easy hack will make it so much easier for you to clean your glass doors.

Take a dryer sheet and rub it over all the soap scum on your dry glass shower doors. The tricky spots should begin to slough off. Dryer sheets, unlike traditional cleaners, contain ingredients that are known to help absorb things like static, hair and scum!

Another easy method is to put a cup of white vinegar in a microwaveable jug. Heat for about 30 seconds and then pour into a spray bottle. Add a squirt of dishwashing detergent and seal the lid. Give it a little shake before spray your glass shower screens. Leave for about 5 minutes, then spray off. For heavy soap scum, you may need to repeat.

Get a Streak-Free Mirror

Mirrors become completely useless when you can’t see yourself clearly and since mirrors reflect dirt and stains, it becomes very obvious when the mirror is dirty. Bathroom mirrors have a way of getting messy quickly with the water stains, fingerprints, toothpaste splatter, and whatnot!

Black tea isn’t only good for drinking, it can be used to keep your mirrors clean and streak-free as well. The tannic acid in black tea acts as a cleaning agent to dissolve dirt, grease, and grime.  Brew a cup of tea and let half of it cool down. Dip a cloth into the brewed tea and use it to buff the mirror and you should finally be able to see yourself clearly!

If you use essential oils, this Glass and Mirror Cleaner does a great job as well. Just spray and wipe off with newspaper for the best results.

Clean Bath Toys With Vinegar

Bath toys become really filthy after spending time in soapy bath water. We assume that the water will wash away any grime and mold, but just like your shower and bathtub need to be cleaned regularly, so does your children’s bath toys.

Spread the bath toys out in the bathtub and spray them down with a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water. Let them sit for 15 minutes before wiping them down with a damp cloth or microfibre cloth. You don’t need to use bleach to get rid of mould in your children’s bath toys. Vinegar is great for killing mould and germs and is a much safer and effective alternative to bleach!

Make Your Toilet Clean

I think we can all agree that a toilet should be clean because no one likes to sit down on a dirty toilet.But cleaning the toilet until it’s spotless takes so much time and after scrubbing the life out of you with unhealthy chemicals, all you’re left with is a feeling of intoxication.

A simpler and effective alternative to cleaning your toilet without harsh chemicals is to take a grapefruit and sprinkle the top of it with salt. Scrub the grapefruit/salt combo around the toilet bowl and let sit for 10 minutes. Repeat the procedure if the toilet is still dirty. Finish by rinsing the bowl and enjoy the smell of fresh citrus in your bathroom!

This toilet bowl cleaner is another quick and easy way to clean your toilet. For a quick freshen up mid-cleans, these toilet cleaning bombs keep your toilet sparkling and smelly lovely. Just pop one in the toilet bowl, leave for a few minutes until it stops bubbling, then give the toilet a quick scrub and flush.

More Cleaning Resources

Even though your bathroom often is the smallest room in your home, it still easily gets quite dirty and filthy fast! Implement these 7 tips the next time it’s time to green clean your bathroom without toxins. There’s no need to spend a whole lot of time and effort cleaning your bathroom, so give these tips a try to keep your bathroom sparkling. After it’s clean, you could relax with these calming lavender bath bombs or this easy peppermint foot soak.

Dryer sheets are a commonly used laundry solution, but they aren’t the most environmentally friendly. For those who are looking for an option that’s sustainable and zero waste, there are alternatives you could find right in your home.

These dryer sheet alternatives are affordable, get the job done, and help reduce your carbon footprint.

We’ve rounded up a few options that will keep your clothes feeling fresh while also honoring the environment.

From essential oils to aluminum foil, you’d be surprised what you can do to spruce up your loads of laundry.

Why Use Dryer Sheets?

Dryer sheets are used for a variety of reasons. Some of the most common uses include reducing static in clothing, releasing wrinkles, softening fabric, and adding a clean, fresh scent.

They’re quick and convenient, offering noticeable results with little effort. They work by transferring a solution (fabric softening agents, for instance) found on the sheets to clothing as they heat in the dryer, and voila, fluffy clothes that smell great!

Are Alternatives Better?

Many of us want are clothes to feel and smell fresh after washing, but at what cost?

Traditional dryer sheets are often filled with toxic chemicals and synthetic fragrances.

Sure, these chemicals quickly make your clothes feel soft and smell like roses, but they also transfer those same chemicals onto your skin.

If you have sensitive skin, allergies, sensitivities to harsh chemicals, or simply prefer to be more environmentally conscious, traditional dryer sheets may not be the best option for you.

Beyond personal health, single-use dryer sheets aren’t biodegradable, meaning once they’re used they go straight to a landfill.

Switching to dryer sheet alternatives allows you to cut back on chemical exposure and environmental impact. Many of the available options are cost-effective (or free) and already availabe in your home.

So, how what dryer sheet alternatives will help you toss the chemicals and embrace the natural? Keep reading!

Vinegar

Whenever we think of natural all-purpose cleaning solutions, vinegar is usually at the top of the list. Plus, it’s something you can easily find right in your kitchen.

To make this dryer sheet alternative, apply a mix of 1/2 cup white vinegar or apple cider vinegar with 1/2 cup water to a rag or cloth, then add it to clothes during the drying cycle.

Using vinegar will help your clothes feel clean and soft and minimize static.

And if you are worried about a strong vinegar smell, there’s nothing to fear – there’s no lingering scent, but a little essential oil can naturally offer a nice scent boost.

Note: Be sure to avoid using vinegar if you’ve used bleach in your clothes due to any potential chemical reactions.

Baking soda

Baking soda isn’t just for neutralizing smells in your refrigerator; it also works on clothes!

It naturally adjusts to your water’s pH levels, working to eliminate odor, bacteria, and helping clothes feel softer. We recommend adding 1/2 or 1/4 cup (depending on load size) to the laundry before adding detergent, then proceeding with your usual wash settings.

This alternative is a great option for those extra smelly laundry loads, especially thanks to its bacteria-busting power. Just make sure not to mix with vinegar, or else your laundry will turn into a science project!

Ice cubes

This is probably one of the easiest dryer sheet alternatives on the list since it’s using the most readily available item in your home: water.

Just freeze up some ice cubes to get this idea going and add them during the last 15-20 minutes of your dryer cycle.

It probably seems counterintuitive to use ice cubes for all the reasons you could think, but it works. The steam from the ice cubes works to reduce wrinkles and static.

Just a couple of ice cubes will do for a small to medium-sized load.

Aluminum foil balls

Foil as a zero waste dryer sheet option may be the most surprising on the list. But before you skip ahead, here’s why it works.

The negative ions from the aluminum foil discharge static electricity which releases which works to make your clothes static-free.

You’ll want to add two or three small balls of foil to your dryer with your wet clothing. Remember foil won’t soften your clothes or boost scents – but other options on the list will do the trick.

Wool dryer balls

Dryer balls made from wool are a great, eco-friendly option because they reduce static and soften clothes.

This natural fabric softener is loved for being so sustainable because they made with natural fibers and is designed to be reusable with multiple loads. Adding them to your dryer can also reduce drying time and increase airflow as the balls work to soak up extra moisture in fabrics.

Wool balls are also great for sensitive skin because they are free from synthetic fabrics and dyes.

Give them an extra boost by adding your favorite drops of essential oil (like lavender or citrus) to help naturally improve the scent of your clothes without harmful chemicals.

Soap nuts

Soap nuts, or dried berries, are made from saponin-containing trees. They serve multiple purposes: you can use them by adding them to the washer, dryer, or on their own.

Saponin contained in soap nuts helps remove dirt from clothing during the washing process and releases a fresh scent during drying.

Simply add a few soap nuts to a muslin or cotton drawstring bag to use for washing and transfer the same bag to the dryer.

After use, remove the bag and let it completely dry – soap nuts can be reused for several more wash cycles.

Special note: Soap nuts are also compostable and can be added to your garden after you’re done using them.

DIY Dryer Sheets

Feeling ambitious? Try making your dryer sheets.

This is an especially useful option if you’d prefer an alternative that closely matches traditional dryer sheets. All you need is an old cloth – think a worn-out t-shirt or some old hand towels – and cut a few squares to size.

Place them in an airtight container, adding a little vinegar (until damp) and essential oils. Next time you have a load of laundry to dry, you can toss one of these in without any extra prep.

One of the simplest DIY options is just hanging your sheets out to dry. Yes, it’s very traditional, but the sun naturally sanitizes. Make sure to shake your clothes before hanging, and if you have allergies, consider hanging to dry indoors.

Dryer sheets are a commonly used to keep laundry fresh and fluffy post-dryer, but the harmful ingredients may give you pause. If you have sensitive skin or just prefer a more sustainable zero waste option, there are plenty to choose from vinegar to aluminum foil. Here’s to happy washing (with less worry).

Other household tips & tricks you’ll love:

These eco-friendly homemade dish soap bars are a simple and natural way to wash your dishes. They last a long time and when you make them yourself, you know the ingredients that go into them – no more chemicals!

Homemade Dish Soap Bars

While it is easy to run to the store and grab some dish soap when you run out, once you start making your own natural products, you will find there are many benefits to add this to your list.

And just so you know, this isn’t like the liquid dish soap that you have probably been using. It is a bar that creates a bubbly lather that works wonders on the dishes. It also comes with no packaging, can be made in bulk, saving money and trips to the store.

Goat’s Milk Soap Base

Having a child that is allergic to certain ingredients found in many commercial soaps, I like to make my own soaps. Using a melt and pour soap is easy, especially when I don’t have a lot of time. Though there are many different types of melt and pour bases, the one I use the most is goat’s milk soap.

Some benefits of using goat’s milk soap base include:

• Has less allergenic than commercial soaps and detergents and has the closest PH level to our skin
• It is known to reduce skin inflammation and soothe dry and damaged skin
• Can help slow down the effects of aging, reducing wrinkles while moisturising the skin
• Is loaded with essential nutrients and vitamins including A, B6, C, B12, D and E
• Is easily absorbed into the skin
• Acts as a gentle exfoliator
• Soothes the skin helping with skin inflammation such including eczema and psoriasis

Essential Oils

Essential oils are potent, and need to be diluted. Make sure to do your research first and use with extreme care. As this soap is being used on your body, you will need to use essential oils that are gentle enough to be applied to your skin – and use in the correct quantities. Be careful to avoid sensitive areas like your eyes. Also, make sure to use oils that are safe for kids if using this soap on your kids.

Be careful when using some essential oils such as lemon. This is a photosensitive oil, which means that you can have a reaction if you go out in the sun within a few hours of using it. For this reason, when using Lemon essential oil in body care products, I use this Steam-Distilled Lemon Essential Oil as it is not phototoxic, which means you don’t have to worry about phototoxicity.

More Soap Bar Recipes

Storing Soap Bars

The best way to store soap bars is to wrap the tightly and store in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight.

Variations

• For these bars, I used Goat’s Milk Soap Base, though you can use any soap base that you want.
• I used lime peel powder for these bars, though you can also try using lemon, grapefruit or orange or a mix.

Ingredients for Dish Soap Bars

To make 2 bars, when using the same mould, you will need:

• 5 Ounces Goat’s Milk Melt and Pour Soap Base
• 2 TBSP Lime Peel Powder
• 20 Drops Essential Oils (Optional)
• Dish Soap Bar Mould

Making Dish Soap Bars

Cut up the melt and pour soap base into small, equal-sized pieces.

Place the squares in a large microwavable mason jar or glass jug.

Heat on high in the microwave for 30 seconds. When done, remove and stir.

Continue heating for 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval, until the soap base is melted. This process can also be done in a double boiler.

Let the soap base cool a little before adding in the lime peel powder and mixing through.

Then add the essential oils, if using and stir through.

Gently pour into the mould. 

Let sit for a few hours or overnight the bars are set hard.

Remove from mould and store.

Using Dish Soap Bars

Place the soap bar in a small container on your sink.

Wet the soap bar and then rub the dish scrub on it until you see bubbles.

Scrub dishes clean.

Repeat as needed.

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnose or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment because of something you have read on this website. This is for informational purposes only, you should always check with your medical provider before using anything medicinally.