Science, Tech, Math › Science Make Your Own Household Products Print tdub303/Getty Images Science Chemistry Chemistry In Everyday Life Basics Chemical Laws Molecules Periodic Table Projects & Experiments Scientific Method Biochemistry Physical Chemistry Medical Chemistry Famous Chemists Activities for Kids Abbreviations & Acronyms Biology Physics Geology Astronomy Weather & Climate By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. Chemistry Expert Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on February 13, 2019 You can use home chemistry to make many of the everyday household products that you use. Making these products yourself can save you money and allow you to customize formulations to avoid toxic or irritating chemicals. Hand Sanitizer Janine Lamontagne/Getty Images Hand sanitizers protect you against germs, but some of the commercial hand sanitizers contain toxic chemicals that you may wish to avoid. It's extremely easy to make an effective and safe hand sanitizer yourself. Natural Mosquito Repellent Daniel Grill/Tetra Images/Getty Images DEET is a highly effective mosquito repellent, but it's also toxic. If you'd like to avoid DEET-containing mosquito repellents, try making your own repellent using natural home chemicals. Bubble Solution Jim Corwin/Getty Images Why spend the money on bubble solution when it's one of the simplest things to make yourself? You can involve kids in the project and explain how bubbles work. Perfume Peter Dazeley/Getty Images You can create a signature scent to give to someone special or to keep for yourself. Making your own perfume is another way to save cash since you can approximate some name-brand scents at fraction of the price. Homemade Drain Cleaner Jeffrey Coolidge/Getty Images Save money by making your own drain cleaner to unclog stubborn drains. Read More Easy Chemistry Experiments to Do at Home By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. Natural Toothpaste Mike Kemp/Getty Images There may be situations in which you may wish to avoid fluoride in your toothpaste. You can make a natural toothpaste easily and inexpensively. Bath Salts Pascal Broze/Getty Images Make bath salts any color and fragrance you choose to give as a gift or to use for a relaxing soak in the tub. Soap chizu/Getty Images It's probably cheaper and definitely easier to buy soap than to make it yourself, but if you're interested in chemistry this is a good way to get acquainted with the saponification reaction. Natural Insect Repellent Imgorthand/Getty Images Unfortunately, mosquitoes aren't the only insect pests out there so you may need to broaden your defenses a bit. Learn about the effectiveness of different natural chemicals against a variety of insects. Cut Flower Preservative Melissa Ross/Getty Images Keep your cut flowers fresh and beautiful. There are multiple recipes for flower food, but they are all effective and much less expensive than buying the product at the store or from a florist. Silver Polishing Dip s-cphoto/Getty Images The best part about this silver polish is that it removes tarnish from your silver without any scrubbing or rubbing. Simply mix together common household ingredients and let an electrochemical reaction remove the nasty discoloration from your valuables. Shampoo Jennifer Boggs/Amy Paliwoda/Getty Images The advantage of making shampoo yourself is that you can avoid undesirable chemicals. Make the shampoo without any dyes or fragrances or customize them to create a signature product. Baking Powder skhoward/E+/Getty Images Baking powder is one of those cooking chemicals that you can make yourself. Once you understand the chemistry, it's also possible to substitute between baking powder and baking soda. Biodiesel Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images Got cooking oil? If so, you can make a clean-burning fuel for your vehicle. It's not complicated and it doesn't take long, so give it a try! Recycled Paper Katsumi Murouchi/Getty Images This isn't something you're print your resume on (unless you are an artist), but recycled paper is fun to make and absolutely wonderful for homemade cards and other crafts. Each piece of paper you make will be unique. Christmas Tree Food Village Production/Getty Images Christmas tree food will help keep the needles on the tree and will keep it hydrated so that it's not a fire hazard. It costs so much to buy Christmas tree food that you'll likely be surprised it only takes pennies to make it yourself. Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Make Your Own Household Products." ThoughtCo, Sep. 7, 2021, thoughtco.com/household-product-recipes-606821. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2021, September 7). Make Your Own Household Products. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/household-product-recipes-606821 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Make Your Own Household Products." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/household-product-recipes-606821 (accessed April 20, 2024). copy citation