homemade cleaners - your recipes

[leaves]

what are some recipes you use for laundry soap, dishwashing soap, and a disinfectant for bathrooms? i have the book greenup your cleanup, but i was hoping to find some more recipes, so i can pick and choose.

and as far as ingredients, does anyone know where to buy citric acid and baking soda in bulk? and should a health food store (like wholefoods) sell washing soda and oxygen bleach? i can't seem to find either in our regular grocery store.

[leaves]

oh! and does anyone use just straight vinegar to clean bathrooms?

[tightwaderin]

Originally Posted by leaves

oh! and does anyone use just straight vinegar to clean bathrooms?

I do along with baking soda for a little more scrubbing power. For the toilet bowl I also add tea tree oil. My sons hate it that I won't buy Scrubbing Bubbles for them to use anymore. I get plenty of bubbling action with the vinegar and baking soda.

[lil_miss_understood]

Originally Posted by leaves

what are some recipes you use for laundry soap, dishwashing soap, and a disinfectant for bathrooms? i have the book greenup your cleanup, but i was hoping to find some more recipes, so i can pick and choose.

and as far as ingredients, does anyone know where to buy citric acid and baking soda in bulk? and should a health food store (like wholefoods) sell washing soda and oxygen bleach? i can't seem to find either in our regular grocery store.

Oxygen bleach is sold under the brand name of Oxi-clean. I find it at Fred Meyers and Safeway...
I get baking soda in bulk from Costco.

[Naturalyst]

Borax is great for cleaning the toilet bowl - get stains too. After scrubbing, I let it sit overnight and flush in the morning.

My all-purpose cleaner is a 50/50 vinegar-water solution in a quart bottle with a teaspoon of cleaner (BioKleen or Mrs. Meyers) or Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap. Works on anything and everything.

If you've got a Costco near you, know that they sell a 10 lb (or, is it 12 lbs?) bag of Arm & Hammer baking soda.

Citric acid is known by another name too (sour salt) and used by people who pickle. I'm not sure how much you're looking for - but, know that Coastal Scents sells a $55 lb bag (http://www.coastalscents.com/cfwebst...e-shipping.cfm). Citric acid is great at removing hard water stains and at clearing shower heads.

[mmmomx2]

I also use a vinegar, Castille soap and water mix, with essential oils added (they make it smell nice and many are anti-bacterial). There's a great (cheap!) zine called Make Your Place that has lots of great recipes, and covers green gardening and health and first aid as well. You can find it here