DH and I are slowly replacing all our cleaning solutions with homemade natural versions. As they run out, we replace them with a homemade version. Has anyone else done this? Any favorite recipes?
-
I've only made one, a floor cleaner for laminate and tile. I really like it though! It's vinegar, rubbing alcohol (so that it dries quickly), a tiny bit of dish soap, and water. I also added the peels of oranges and let it soak for 2 days when I first mixed it up, to give it a bit of citrus scent.
-
I am a big fan of vinegar for cleaning. I am sensitive to odors, so I like vinegar because it evaporates quickly without a lingering smell.
I use a vinegar-water solution for counters/sinks; a vinegar-water-dishsoap solution for bathtubs and tougher messes; and straight vinegar for windows and mirrors.
@IRunForFun: I have done the orange vinegar before, too... love it!
-
Yep, I use cornstarch in window/mirror cleaner - I got the recipe from Crunchy Betty:
1/4 c. rubbing alcohol
1/4 c. white vinegar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 c. warm waterI use baking soda a lot when cleaning dishes. I use vinegar, water, dish soap, and essential oils in different combinations for most of my cleaning.
-
@TemperanceBrennan: A lot of ours are from Crunchy Betty too!
-
@IRunForFun: How much does the citrus scent come through? I currently am using a vinegar cleaner with lavender, and the lavender doesn't have much staying power. I will have to try the citrus!
-
Vinegar and water solution is our go to! I do 1:1 ratio and use it for everything - bathroom floors, toilets, sinks, kitchen floors, kitchen counters, stove top, etc. Vinegar is awesome at cutting grease on the stove tops and if it's too tough for that, a little baking soda sprinkled on does the trick! I threw away all my cleaners when we moved into the new place last fall and haven't missed anything yet.
-
For those of you who use vinegar or other natural cleaners on the toilets, sinks, etc. do you ever use anything else to clean them in order to kill germs? I read last week on some blog about natural cleaners that while they look clean, the germs are still there because natural cleaners don't actually kill germs.
I made a vinegar/water/dish soap natural cleaner last week in a spray bottle to use in the tub that my DS uses for his bath. I will use it on windows, too, but still use the strong cleaners for sinks and toilets.
-
@grizz: The staying power is so-so. What I will do is add new orange peels every 2 weeks or so. Whenever we eat oranges I take the peels and put them in.
@Jenn23: Vinegar does have anti-bacterial properties!
-
I use vinegar and water on our floors (hardwood and tile). We have dogs who frequently eat crumbs off the floor so it's super important to me that we use natural cleaners on the floors.
-
@IRunForFun: Thanks. I just googled it out of curiosity and found this interesting article. So it is fairly good, but didn't work against some salmonella according to the article. But I think I'll start using it more and more in place of my harsh cleaners in the bathroom!
http://www.abc.net.au/health/talkinghealth/factbuster/stories/2012/02/02/3407024.htm -
I'd like to make more of my own cleaners, but I'm about self-sufficient-ed out at the moment. The one we use consistently is vinegar + water. We use that for our hardwood floors and for washing walls.
-
My SIL swears by vinegar + dish soap for cleaning glass shower walls. I have yet to try it though.
Reply
Subscribe to our newsletter
- Google Plus
- Stumbleupon
- Twitter
- Facebook
- Pinterest
- Favorite0
12 comments