Are you looking to cut down on chemicals used in your household? Are looking to try your hand at making your own cleaning products as a way to save money or find alternatives to commercial cleaning products should we ever run in the situation where they once again scarce? Well, I’ve found a great article with some really awesome homemade cleaning solution recipes to try. Let us know what you think!
“All-Purpose Cleaner
Everyone needs an all-purpose cleaner for quick jobs. This one is very easy to make and works like a charm. You will use a great deal of baking soda when making homemade cleaning solutions. Don’t bother with those tiny boxes; go for large ones. You will be surprised how fast you use it up. Even a big box is relatively inexpensive.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup vinegar
- ¼ cup baking soda
- ½ gallon water
Directions:
Pour the vinegar in a large bowl. Add the baking soda and stir. Watch out because this combination will foam. If your bowl is big enough, add the water. If not, pour the water into a pail and scrape the foamy concoction into it, stirring well until everything dissolves. Pour this mixture into a spray bottle and if any is left over, store in a covered, labeled glass jar. Shake the spray bottle prior to each use. You can use this solution on counter tops, stoves, faucets, tables, chairs, and anything else you would spray with a general all-purpose cleaner.
Disinfectant Spray
Disinfectant spray is very important to have when you have someone in the house with a cold or the flu. This spray is simple to make but highly effective at killing germs, thanks to the active ingredients in vodka. The alcohol is what makes it work, so don’t waste money on expensive vodka; find the cheapest bottle out there and use it just for your household cleaners.
Essential oils are an important part of keeping your home clean and smelling fresh. I have 5 or 10 bottles of different essential oils and keep them in a dark cupboard. They last a long time that way. Rosemary is antibacterial while eucalyptus is a germicide. Tea tree oil stops bacteria from forming.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup vodka
- ½ cup distilled water
Choose one of the essential oils below: 15 drops rosemary oil 15 drops tea tree oil 10 drops eucalyptus oil
Directions:
Pour the vodka and water in a spray bottle. Add one of the essential oils. Shake and use in the kitchen, bathroom, or anywhere germs congregate.
Antibacterial Cleaner
This is a little stronger than the disinfectant spray; it’ll destroy germs on countertops, toilets, and sinks and is indispensable for wiping germs off doorknobs to stop the spread of the disease when someone is sick in the house.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups hot water
- 4 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons borax 3 to 4 drops tea tree oil
Directions:
Measure the water in a glass measuring cup and add the white vinegar and borax. Add the tea tree oil and stir until everything has dissolved. Pour into a spray bottle and store any extra in a glass jar. Shake before each use.
Wall and Baseboard Cleaner
This cleaner works on either wallpaper or paint and it makes your baseboards glisten, even if they were grimy when you first start cleaning. I like to use this when it’s warm, because it seems to work better on baseboards. Use it cold on walls though. I also use this before painting because it leaves no residue. I use an empty gallon milk jug to mix this up and keep extra in there for storage. I also like to use old cotton diapers or old white T-shirts cut in rectangles to wash everything down. If you use paper towels, the paper will crumble and residue will remain on the walls, making them gritty.
Ingredients:
- 1 gallon hot tap water
- ½ cup borax
Directions:
Use a funnel to add the borax to the hot tap water in the jug; then put the cap on and shake it until the borax is completely dissolved. Pour into a spray bottle and shake before using. Spray on the wall or baseboard and wipe down with a white cloth. It is best to start at the top of a wall, near the ceiling, and work your way down. This will prevent streaking and will also knock down any cobwebs without ruining what you have already cleaned. Clean the baseboards last. Floor
Wash Warning: Do not use this on wood or marble flooring. It will strip the finish off wood floors and can make marble look dull. You will use a bucket to measure the water in this recipe and then just use a mop to apply the solution to the floor. I use this on my kitchen floor for simple cleaning after I bake to pick up spills from the linoleum.
Ingredients:
- A bucket of warm water
- ¼ cup white vinegar
Directions:
Fill a bucket three quarters full with warm water. Add the white vinegar and mix with the mop. Mop the floor.
Vinyl and Linoleum Cleaner
I use this solution on my kitchen floor when it is dirty or sticky. It takes everything off, but be careful. The baby oil can make the floor slippery. Don’t use this solution with a mop; instead use a spray bottle to spritz it on and wipe it clean with a sponge mop, working in small sections. You won’t end up sliding across the floor that way. If the floor is too slippery after it dries, just mop with a little warm water on a barely wet mop.
Ingredients:
- 1 gallon warm water
- A one-gallon plastic jug
- ¼ cup borax
- 1 cup vinegar
- 2 drops baby oil
Directions:
Put the warm water into the gallon jug about ¾ of the way full. Add the borax, put the lid on, and shake until it dissolves. Add the vinegar and baby oil and shake again to combine. Put into a spray bottle and spray the floor in sections, wiping immediately after each spray.
Wood Floor Cleaner
Wood floors need special care because they can warp with too much water. Always wipe up any spills immediately. It is not proper to clean a floor with a bucket and mop because it creates too much moisture for the wood. Instead, make this solution, put it in a spray bottle, and spray small sections at a time, wiping up with a clean mop or paper towels as you go. Use your mop to lightly rinse the floor off. I use a string mop and get it as dry as possible before applying water to the floor. The vegetable oil makes the floorboards shiny. Don’t try to use olive oil though, because it makes for very slippery floors. Add a few drops of citrus essential oil for a nice clean scent.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- ½ cup white vinegar
Directions:
Place the water in a bowl. Add the vegetable oil and vinegar (along with the essential oil, if desired) and stir. Pour into a spray bottle.
Glass Cleaner
This glass cleaner is streak-free and it doesn’t just clean windows. Try it in the microwave and on the stove. Glass tables will even benefit.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups tap water
- ¼ cup 70% isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol
- ½ cup white vinegar
Directions:
Pour the water into a spray bottle. Add the alcohol and white vinegar, shaking well to mix. Spray on windows and mirrors and wipe with black and white newspaper or coffee filters to prevent linty deposits.
Soft Scouring Paste
Sometimes you need a scouring paste that is not too abrasive. Certain porcelains and steel sinks cannot be scrubbed with an abrasive powder; this mixture works exceptionally well in these cases. The only problem I have found with this paste is that if you don’t use it quickly enough, it tends to mold. I use it on my fiberglass shower surround and my metal sink; in my house it never stands around long enough to mold. Store any leftovers in a jar with an airtight lid. I use shallow canning jars with a seal and a ring lid.
Ingredients:
¼ cup castile soap, grated
1 tablespoon water
¾ cup baking soda
1 tablespoon white vinegar
5 drops essential oil
Directions:
Grate the soap into a medium bowl. Add the water and baking soda and stir to combine into a paste. Mix in the vinegar. It will foam, just keep stirring until the foaming stops. Add the essential oil and mix well. You should have a paste-like consistency. Put in a jar. To use, scoop out a little onto a damp sponge and scrub away.
Abrasive Scouring Powder
I have an old crockery cheese grater that I store this heavy duty scouring powder in. I use it on my bathroom sink and it works like a charm to get toothpaste and other gunk out of the sink bowl and make it shine. The cheese grater does not have to be hidden away either. If you can’t find a cheap jar, use a canning jar and poke holes in the seal so you can shake the powder out when you need it. I use this in my toilet too, because it gets the toilet bowl gleaming. You do not want to use regular table salt in this recipe, because it is not abrasive enough. I use kosher salt or sea salt because it has larger, coarser granules.
NOTE: The white vinegar does not go into the powder. See the instructions below. Ingredients:
- ½ cup non-iodized salt
- 1 cup baking soda
- ½ cup washing soda
- White vinegar
Directions:
In a bowl, mix the salt, baking soda, and washing soda. Pour it into the cheese grater or a jar. To use, wipe the area being cleaned with a little white vinegar. While still wet, sprinkle on some of the scouring powder. Wait for three minutes and then clean with a scrub brush and rinse (Hollister Home organizing: simple solutions for cleaning, decluttering, and organizing your home 16-24).”
