People looking for new ideas to stretch the home budget, consider making home cleaning products. Homemade cleaning products that are non toxic, cost less than purchased products and are safe and effective.

Proof? It takes only 6 ingredients, 1 non-scratch scrubbing pad and about $35 for starter ingredients to equal one sparkling house!

Stock:

• Baking Soda ($3.79)
• Borax ($5.90)
• White Vinegar ($8.69)
• Lemon juice (backyard) 🙂
• Liquid Soap – like Dr. Bronner’s($9.50)
• Vegetable or Olive oil ($5.69)
• Non-scratch scrubber pads ($3.09)

 

The following provides some useful recipes to replace common household cleaners with non-toxic alternatives.

 

All Purpose Cleaners

Mix any of the recipes below and dispense from spray bottle:

All Purpose Cleaner: 1 tsp. borax, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 2 Tbls. vinegar or lemon juice, 1/4 to 1/2 tsp liquid soap, 2 cups very hot tap water.

Baking Soda: Dissolve 4 Tbls. baking soda in 1 qt. warm water.*works great for getting stains out of the coffee pot

 

Scouring Cleansers
for sinks, counters, and surfaces

Baking soda or Borax: on their own can be stored in a jar with holes punched in the lid. Sprinkle on countertops or in sinks and use as you would with a regular cleanser.

Salt: is an abrasive that can be used to clean countertops or sinks. *add bit of lemon as a discinfectant

 

Bacteria, Mold, and Germs:

Vinegar: To disinfect and clean your wood cutting boards or butcher block countertop, wipe them with full-strength white vinegar after each use.

Borax and Vinegar: Mix equal amounts of white vinegar and borax will banish mold and mildew from hard surfaces.

Borax Toilet Bowl Cleaner: Pour 1 cup of borax into the toilet bowl and let it sit for a few hours before scrubbing to eliminate stains and odor.

 

Window Cleaner

White vinegar: Wash windows with a mixture of equal parts of white vinegar and warm water. Dry with a soft cloth.

 

Appliances:

Oven Cleaner: Sprinkle water generously over bottom of oven. Cover grime with baking soda. Let sit overnight. Wipe up grease next morning with scouring pad. Rinse well.

Salt: Pour on fresh grease spills. Scrub off after a few hours.

 

Furniture Polish:

Wood Polish: 1/2 teaspoon olive oil, 1/4 cup white vinegar or lemon juice. Mix the ingredients in a glass jar. Dab a soft rag into the solution and wipe onto wood surfaces.

 

Floor Cleaners:

Vinegar and Water: Add 1/2 cup of white vinegar to 1/2 gallon of water and mop. No need to rinse. Wipe dry.

Wood Floor Soap: 1/8 cup vegetable oil based soap (like Dr. Bonner’s), 1/4 to 1/2 cup vinegar or lemon juice, 1/2 cup fragrant herb tea (peppermint is good for its antibacterial qualities), 2 gallons warm water. Combine ingredients in a pail and mix until sudsy. Wash floors as usual.

 

Remove Carpet Odors

Baking Soda: Liberally sprinkle baking soda on the carpet. Let set overnight, or as long as possible (the longer it sets the better it works). Sweep up the larger amounts of baking soda, and vacuum up the rest.

 

Drain Cleaner:

Baking Soda and Vinegar: Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda in and around the drain opening. Follow with a cup of white vinegar. Repeat if needed, and finally flush with very hot water.

 

Laundry Products:

Baking soda: 1/4 to 1/2 cup baking soda to wash load boosts the cleaning power, makes clothes feel soft and smell fresh. *Works great for towels!

 

I know there are so many other fabulous homemade cleaning recipes to compliment this list. What is your favorite homemade cleaning product recipe? And if you don’t use them now, what keeps you from using homemade cleaning products that can save you oodles of money?

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