Home-made cleaners

[nmb]

I'm curious about this - would like to make some household cleaning supplies, inexpensive but still want something anti-bacterial - and that won't leave me scrubbing the bathroom for 6 hours!! Any good recipes here?

[bronwenclaire]

hmm
i use vinegar for wood floors and windows...
lemon juice and some olive oil with a very soft cloth for wood that needs polish...
perxiode disinfects cutting boards and such...
baking soda is laundry and to polish and scrub sinks..pots...
teatree with some water in a spray bottle for bathrooms..
hope that helps!

[*Lindsey*]

I have 2 spray bottles (one in the bathroom, one in the kitchen) with 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 water. I use this to clean everything!

To make the bathroom really sparkle, I spray the tub, toilet, and sinks with the vinegar and then sprinkle a little baking soda on it. Works like a charm!

I'm also going to try making my own homemade laundry detergent, but I'm not sure which bar of soap I'm going to use since DS has eczema and scents tend to aggravate it.

[sarasprings]

Clean House, Clean Planet is a great resource.

[libbylu]

Yes on the vinegar water in spray bottles! I use it to clean everything! Glass, wood floors, the car, potty accidents, even good for ant problems! It smells sour going on, but the smell dissipates much quicker than commercial cleaners, and cleans up other odors!

Making your own cleaning stuff isn't hard at all--so much easier than I thought it would be.

I used a recipe I found in Mother Earth news for a bathroom cleaner. it had borax, detergent and something. This is my strongest cleaner--for the bathtub and every once in a while for other things that get gross, but mostly I use vinegar and baking soda, or baking soda and soap (or unwanted shampoos or shower gels; I don't even know where they come from!) on everything.

After switching, it's hard to even imagine spending money on something nasty and chemically and expensive, when the natural stuff is so simple and cheap, and works great. (Although I still have years-old cleaners sitting in the cupboards waiting for me to get my act together and give them away)