You’ll Want to Make a Batch of This DIY Upholstery Cleaner While we have lots of DIY cleaner recipes in our “Everyday Cheapskate” arsenal, a reliable upholstery cleaner was missing. Now, we can check it off the list with this new handy, effective DIY recipe for homemade upholstery cleaner. You’ll need: Fels-Naptha laundry bar soap, borax, and boiling water (the former two are available in most supermarkets in the laundry aisle). Using a cheese grater, grate about 1/3 of the Fels-Naptha bar. Place 6 tablespoons of grated soap, 1 tablespoon borax, and 2 cups of boiling water in the mixing bowl. Using an egg beater or whisk, carefully mix until all ingredients are dissolved and well incorporated.