6 natural bathroom cleaners you can make yourself

You spend some of your most sacred moments in the bathroom — why not make it a safe haven with these six all-natural cleaning products that you can make yourself at a fraction of the price.

This is a terrific deep-cleaning cleanser for any bathroom surface. It cuts through soap scum and mildew as well as any commercial bathroom product and costs just pennies.

• 375 g (1 2/3 c.) baking soda
• 125 ml (1/2 c.) liquid soap
• 125 ml (1/2 c.) water
• 30 ml (2 tbsp.) white vinegar
• 1 clean 500 ml (16 oz.) squirt bottle with closing cap

1. Mix baking soda and liquid soap in a bowl. Dilute with water and add the vinegar. Stir the mixture with a fork until any lumps have been dissolved. Pour the liquid into the bottle. Shake well before using.
2. Squirt on area to be cleaned. Scrub with a nylon-backed sponge. Rinse off with water. Keep cap on between uses.

Use this "explosive" mix to blast away mineral deposits blocking up your showerhead. You don't need the plumber at $75 an hour to clean out your showerhead. Use this recipe to do it yourself.

• 50 g (1/4 c.) baking soda
• 250 ml (1 c.) vinegar
• 1 plastic sandwich bag
• Adhesive tape or a large bag tie

1. Pour the baking soda and vinegar into the bag over a sink. Wait a minute or two for the foaming to stop and then place the opened end of the bag over the showerhead, which should be submerged in the solution.
2. Secure the bag to the showerhead stem with the tape or bag tie. Let the showerhead soak in the solution for one to two hours. Wipe off showerhead with a soft cloth.

Commercial rust removers are among the most toxic compounds found around the home. But here's a completely safe and surprisingly effective way to give rust stains on bathtubs and sinks the brush-off.

• 1 lime (a second one may be needed for some jobs)
• 50 g (1/4 c.) salt

1. Squeeze the lime over the rust spots, then cover the moistened area with salt.
2. Let the mixture set three to four hours.
3. Use a nylon scrubber to scrub the mixture off. The rust will be gone.

Clean and sanitize your toilet bowl without harmful chlorine! For no-scrub convenience, simply pour in this mixture and leave overnight. No commercial product at any price matches that.

• 250 g (1 c.) Borax
• 125 ml (1/2 c.) white vinegar

1. Flush the toilet to wet the sides of the bowl.
2. Sprinkle the borax around the toilet bowl; then liberally drizzle some vinegar on top. Let the toilet sit undisturbed for three to four hours before scrubbing with a toilet brush.

For tougher jobs, try this potent paste that still has no chlorine and costs much less than commercial toilet bowl cleaners.

• 150 g (2/3 c.) borax
• 75 ml (1/3 c.) lemon juice

1. In a small bowl, combine the ingredients to form a paste.
2. Apply the paste to the toilet bowl using a sponge or rag. Let the paste set for two hours, then scrub off. Flush the toilet.

Commercial drain cleaners are not only extremely toxic, they can actually harm the pipes in your home with repeated use. Don't bother with those caustic cleaners; use this simple, inexpensive, and safe way to unclog drains instead.

• 125 g (1/2 c.) baking soda
• 250 ml (1 c.) vinegar
• 1 kettle-full of boiling water

1. Pack the drain with the baking soda, then pour in the vinegar.
2. Keep the drain covered for ten minutes, then flush it out with boiling water.