DIY Scouring Powder Recipe

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… I like to clean. Not other people’s messes. I mean, I wouldn’t want to join in on an episode of Hoarders, or anything. But I find it incredibly satisfying really getting my own home as clean as I possibly can.

In my cleaning arsenal I have the usual suspects as for as store bought cleaners go… a jug of enzyme cleaner for pet messes, my favorite glass cleaner, and stainless steel cleaner. I buy stainless cleaner because I’ve seen the recipes and I’m not super cool with the idea of rubbing olive oil into my stove. Just isn’t going to happen :) Oh, and Fabuloso. Because I lived in South Texas just long enough that a house doesn’t smell clean unless it smells like Purple Fabuloso :)

Over the years I’ve started to gravitate toward DIY cleaners.

I make a mean Citrus Vinegar cleaner that cuts grease like nothing you’ve ever seen before. And I much prefer using homemade carpet deodorizer to anything store bought and chock full of chemicals. And now I make my own DIY scouring powder. Because after getting store bought scouring powder in a nasty cut that hurt like the literal dickens I was over that nonsense.

For my needs, a gentle scouring powder is the best thing.

And so this is a nice and gentle cleanser. It works on both my solid surface bathroom sinks and my stainless steel kitchen sink without any damage. Using baking soda as a base is great because is does provide a gentle scrub. I also is inexpensive and a great natural cleaner and deodorizer that’s safe around your pets and kids.

However, I haven’t tried it on my glass cooktop, yet. For any kind of appliance (or anything expensive) be sure to check the owner’s manual and see if this kind of DIY scouring powder is safe to use.

To make your own homemade Scouring Powder you will need:

• 1 1/2 cup Baking Soda
• 1/2 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Powder (Sodium Carbonate/Soda Ash)
• 2 tablespoons Liquid Castile Soap
• Rosemary Fragrance Oil 
• 3 tablespoons Crushed Rosemary

When I went to make my most recent batch of homemade scouring powder I realized that I was out of liquid castile soap and so I substituted dishwashing liquid. In fact, I absolutely love this Rosemary Scented Dish Soap from HEB. I’ll have to be sure not to use my DIY powder with any bleach cleaners to avoid possible fumes. This isn’t the most ideal situation but it will work for this batch.

If you want a much more natural DIY scouring cleanser I’d strongly suggest using Castile soap. It’s totally plant based and it produces a nice lather which is always very satisfying when cleaning :) If using a scented dish soap rather than Castile soap, omit the rosemary fragrance oil from your batch.

What is Washing Soda?

Washing powder/soda ash gives your cleanser a little extra oomph. It is generally considered safe and the Environmental Working Group gives it an A rating (Few/no known or suspected hazards to health or the environment. Good ingredient disclosure.) Be sure to read the packaging to decide if you feel washing soda is a good addition to your DIY scouring powder.

FYI – I use Arm & Hammer Washing Soda regularly in my washing machine because I have really hard water. A cup in a full load of bath towels helps to keep them soft and fluffy.

Rosemary Fragrance Oil vs. Rosemary Essential Oil

Rosemary fragrance oil is lovely, smelling similar to the scent you get from running your hand along a fresh rosemary plant. Essential oil smells completely different more like eucalyptus. It has something to do with the camphor in them both. Rosemary oil has great properties for cleaning but I’m much more interested in producing a pleasant aroma with this cleanser. Go either route you choose, just know that rosemary essential oil smells nothing like fresh rosemary the herb.

How to Make DIY Scouring Powder at Home

Place roughly half a cup of baking soda into a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of liquid soap (plus 15-25 drops of rosemary fragrance oil, if using) and mix until well combined. At this point the texture will be like toothpaste. Add the remaining 1 cup of baking soda to the bowl and cut in using a fork just like you would when making a pie crust or biscuits.

Add 1/2 a cup of washing powder and and 3 tablespoons of crushed rosemary. Fluff and stir with a fork until well combined. Transfer to an air tight container.

Storing Your DIY Scouring Powder

On a recent trip to the store I found a cute glass canister with a wood lid and leather handle. In the past I’ve always kept my powder in a Rubbermaid food container under the sink. After a few months it can sort turn into one big clump if it’s humid, which it is under a sink. I stick to making smaller batches (the same size as the recipe here) even if you have a gigantic container. I can use this much cleaner in about 6-8 weeks.

No Liquid Soap? No Problem.

Another great option to get a scouring cleanser with some lather is to finely grate a bar of castile soap. I’ve used Dr. Bronner’s Unscented Baby Bars and Peppermint bars and they work really well. Note that you have to use a little more elbow grease when using scouring powder with grated bar soap in order to fully dissolve the little pieces.

The last option, if you aren’t obsessed with lather, you can omit soap entirely and just produce a 100% dry scoring powder. In my head if it doesn’t lather it doesn’t clean so this doesn’t sit right with me, but honestly it’s fine :)

Cleaning with DIY Scouring Powder

Sprinkle a generous amount onto a damp surface and scrub using a brush or sponge. Rinse away and dry with a microfiber cloth. Note * If your surface dries with a white film you’ll need to rinse a bit more thoroughly.