Description
smarticular is a German website and publisher with free recipes for making cleaning and laundry products from a few basic ingredients, such as baking soda, washing soda, vinegar, citric acid and curd soap, instead of buying a product for every job.
It has published articles since 2014 and is run by Happy Minimalist GmbH in Grafing near Munich, under the name smarticular Verlag. The household section links basic ingredients to their uses, with guides such as “5 liquid washing and cleaning products from 3 ingredients” and an A + B = C overview of home-made cleaning recipes. Besides cleaning, the site covers cooking, natural cosmetics, garden and reducing waste, and publishes books sold in bookshops and through wholesalers. Readers’ comments under each article add their own variations and experiences.
The articles are free to read. According to its own notice of May 2024, the site is financed by ads served automatically by an ad network, by affiliate commissions on Amazon links and by its books; a paid Contentpass subscription removes the banners for a small monthly fee. The site is active, with new articles in November 2026.
Strengths
- A handful of cheap basic ingredients replaces many single-purpose products and their plastic bottles.
- The recipes are free, explained step by step, and readers report in the comments what worked for them.
- It is a small independent publisher, active since 2014, with books for those who prefer paper.
Weaknesses
- The free site shows ads from an ad network and uses Amazon affiliate links; going ad-free costs a monthly subscription.
- Home-made cleaners aren’t tested like commercial products, so how well they work depends on the recipe and on the person mixing it.
- It is only in German, and the pages read give no article or reader numbers.
Who it is for
Households in Germany who want to clean with fewer products and less plastic, and like trying out recipes with baking soda, vinegar and citric acid.
Sources
- smarticular: home, why we do it, household, ads and product links, publisher, legal notice (checked November 2026)