It seems everyone is trying to save a buck and use less chemicals around the house these days, and making your own household cleaners will not only help with both, but can be a lot of fun too! Some people even give them in gifts in fancy containers:
Fabreeze
1/8 Cup of Your Favorite Fabric Softener
2 Tablespoons Baking Soda
Hot Tap Water - To Fill the Bottle to the Top 32oz bottle
Shake it up in your Spray Bottle and you're ready to go and fight those Stinky Dog smells.
Windex
1/8 Cup (1 oz) white Ammonia
¼ Cup (4 oz) Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol
Clorox Cleanup
1 Empty and Rinsed-Out Bottle of Clorox Cleanup/Empty Plastic Spray Bottle
1/4 Cup Bleach
1 Teaspoon Laundry Detergent
Fill the rest of the bottle with Water and Shake
Carpet Fresh
I have compiled a list from around the web and from some of the super talented ladies at church on how to make your own household cleaners. I have tried a lot of these (but not all) and would love to hear how they worked for you, or if you have your own twist on the recipe to try, so comments are welcome!
Ingredients you will need to make these:
Borax Washing Soap
White Vinegar
Oranges
Lemons
Dawn Dish Soap
Fabric Softener
Baking Soda
White Ammonia
Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol
Bleach
Ivory bar soap
Salt
Water
Containers/jars/spray bottles
Scrapbook paper & ribbons to make labels
Dish Washer Soap
1 cup of Borax
1 cup of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
2 packets of no sugar added Koolaid Lemon Aide
Mix together well and add 1 tablespoon to each load!
Cost to make this is $0.78 a batch and does 32 loads of dishes!
Rinse Aid
White Vinegar (Works perfectly with no smell!)
Rinse aid runs $3.99; about $.04 of Vinegar
1 cup of White Vinegar
2 cups of Water
2 teaspoons of Dawn dish soap
Mix together and spray down shower (Watch how clean it stays it is AMAZING)
Estimated cost $.11
2 Tablespoons Baking Soda
Hot Tap Water - To Fill the Bottle to the Top 32oz bottle
Shake it up in your Spray Bottle and you're ready to go and fight those Stinky Dog smells.
Fabreeze is anywhere from $5.69 - this costs $.15 cents for 32 oz.
1 empty Windex Spray Bottle
1/8 Cup (1 oz) white Ammonia
¼ Cup (4 oz) Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol
1 Drop of Laundry Detergent
Water- to fill the bottle
Shake it up in your Spray Bottle and you are ready to go.
(64 oz bottle of Ammonia and a 16 oz bottle of Rubbing Alcohol from Dollar Tree = $2.00).
Windex is $3.69. This costs $.027 (Ammonia $.02 & Alcohol $.25)
1/4 Cup Bleach
1 Teaspoon Laundry Detergent
Fill the rest of the bottle with Water and Shake
Clorox Cleanup $4.99. This costs $0.02 (The little bit of bleach you use from the gallon that cost 1.00)
Instead of buying carpet fresh, use baking soda; you use less and save over half the cost!
(above recipes courtesy of buildingitonpennies.com - definitely check out this website for more cool money saving tips!)
Garbage Disposal Cleaner
1 Lemon
Vinegar
Ice Cube Tray
Slice lemons and put a couple slices into each ice cube tray compartment. Cover with vinegar, freeze. Store in a plastic container in the freezer - just drop one in the disposal each day to keep it clean and smelling fresh!
(turnstylevogue.com - a great place to get lost in!)
Microwave Cleaner
2 cups water
2 tablespoons white vinegar
Fill a microwaveable bowl with water and add a vinegar. Put the bowl in the microwave, shut the door, and turn it on for 5 minutes. The steam from the bowl will help loosen up caked on bits of food, and the vinegar will help eliminate any odors. Once the 5 minutes are up you can start cleaning right away, or if you have stubborn dirt leave the door shut for a few more minutes so the steam can continue working.
Grout Cleaner
3/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup bleach
Mix together in a bowl, scrub on to tiles with small brush (an old toothbrush works well too!) and let sit for 5 - 10 minutes. Rinse off.
(courtesy /practicallyfunctional.net)
Draino/Liquid Plummer
3/4 - 1 cup baking soda
1/2 cup vinegar
Pour 3/4-1 cup of baking soda in the drain. Pour 1/2 cup vinegar in the drain and immediately cover the drain (I use a plug or set a plate over it – you want to keep everything inside the drain) Leave everything to sit and work for about 30 mins (don’t use the sink during this time) After 30 mins, remove the cover and let hot water run through the pipes for about 2-3 mins. For really tough clogs you may need to repeat – do this on a regular basis (about once a month) to keep drains clear and fresh with out any problems.
(From tidymom.net)
- Jewelry Cleaner
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon dish detergent
- 1 cup water
- 1 piece aluminum foil
- Heat water in microwave for 1 -2 minutes. Cut a piece of aluminum foil that roughly covers the bottom of a small bowl (like a cereal bowl). Pour hot water into bowl. Place salt, soda, and dishwashing liquid into bowl. Place jewelry on top of foil and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Rinse jewelry in cool water and dry jewelry completely with soft cloth. Discard solution after use and make a new batch next time.
- Note: This solution is approved for German silver, sterling silver, gold, brass, pearls, shell cameo and mother of pearl. Not recommended for color treated stones like mystic fire topaz, or soft stones like opals!
(Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/jewelry-cleaner-180133#ixzz1z6tMfNLR) - All Purpose Cleaner
- 1/2 cup Warm Water
1/2 cup Vinegar
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
15 drops Tea Tree Oil - Tea Tree oil makes this cleaner a germicide, fungicide and anti bacterial. It's great for wiping down counters, and is especially useful during the cold and flu season for wiping down door knobs and light switches.
- High Power All Purpose Cleaner
- 1 tsp Borax
2 Tbsp Vinegar
1/2 tsp Washing Soda
1/2 tsp Castile Soap
20 drops Tea Tree Oil
2 Cups Hot Water - For cleaning shelves in the fridge or dirty sinks, combine in spray bottle and shake well before using.
- Laundry Soap (Dry)
- 2 cups grated bar soap (Ivory, Zote, Fels Naptha, or Sunlight)
1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda
Grate your soap using a cheap cheese grater on the small side of the grater. Combine with borax and washing soda. Use two tablespoons per medium sized load. - (from maillardvillemanor.com - Martha Stewart style for less!)
- Floor Cleaner (Laminate/Vinyl)
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup vinegar
- 3/4 cup alcohol
- 2-3 drops dish soap
- 10 - 15 drops lavender essential oil (optional for smell, but does have antibacterial properties)
- Mix in a bottle and spray onto floors then wipe, or add to Swiffer and use with a micro fiber cleaning cloth instead of wasting money on refills and pads!
- Ideas for containers:
- Ball jars, spray bottles (reuse empties, or purchase from dollar store), oil/vinegar bottles for liquids. For dry mixes, try using empty plastic ice cream buckets, 5 gallon buckets, or those plastic buckets cat litter comes in.
- Make tags and labels from cute scraps from your scrapbook paper collection, print with graphics from *The Graphics Fairy.
- Enjoy your clean and great smelling house!
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