Making Your Own Cleaning Products

Looks like I’ll be inside for part of this coming week. Rain and storms are forecast. Which is just as well since I’ve been neglecting  my house for my garden! I’m going to take advantage of the weather and deep clean my kitchen.

I thought I'd re-post something I wrote last year about saving money by making your own cleaners. I've had a few people email me asking me to get back to including my money saving tips! I guess I haven't felt particularly frugal lately except in the decorating department so I really wasn't in a mindset to write any posts on this subject. Plus they take longer to write and I've been so busy. So for the time being I'll probably re-post a few that I've posted before until the muse strikes me!
 
(photo source: Allposters.com)
Don't you feel like you're always cleaning your kitchen? I do! Clean up after the dog who likes to take a few kernels of food out of his bowl and put them on the floor (he saves them for later!), cleaning up after cooking, after kids, after "people" who spill stuff on the floor/counter/fridge and don't clean it up right away....the list goes on.

Then there's just the daily maintenance cleaning of dishes, wiping down the countertops, handles etc. Just think about how much money you spend on cleaning supplies in a year for your whole house! Often this is a great area to cut expenses when you've already cut everywhere else.

I spend very little on cleaning supplies. You really don't need to buy window cleaner, floor cleaner, all purpose cleaner or room deodorizers. Just having the following simple ingredients on hand will help you squeeze a few more pennies out of the budget. Really! Price a big jug of vinegar or plain ammonia against any commercial cleaner!

1. White vinegar (apple cider vinegar can stain)-kills germs, mold & bacteria
2. Dishwashing liquid
3. Baking Soda
4. Lemon Juice (a mild acid that has mild bleaching properties)
5. Ammonia (I don't use bleach but I'm sure you all know not to mix these two)
6. Essential oils (just a few drops)- Optional if you want a bit of fragrance. Although, Lavender and Tea Tree oil have been shown to have antifungal and antibacterial properties - plus the nice smell makes cleaning just teensy bit more enjoyable.

First, I'd like to recommend that you stop using sponges! Clean rags are much more economical because you can reuse old worn out items you already have. I have two sets of rags. Ones that are in good condition and that I can wash again and again; the other is the kind you use for really messy jobs and then throw away (holey underwear for instance). I also love micro fiber cloths!

Also, be sure you label your spray bottles when you make these!

Some Recipes
Greasy Cabinets - 1 tablespoon dishwashing liquid to 1 gallon of HOT water. Especially good if you have painted cabinets like me and need a gentle cleaner.

Fridge Cleaner - 1 qt. warm water & 1 dash of liquid soap or 2 tablespoons of baking soda & 1 qt. of warm water

Microwave Cleaner - a drop of lemon juice or white vinegar in a cup of water - boil in the micro and the let it sit for a while. The steam will softened any spills. Wipe the inside with a rag, rinse with a clean rag.

Floor Cleaner - 50/50 solution of vinegar and water for vinyl and laminate floors. I have Pergo floors - just be sure you don't get laminate flooring sopping wet. I also dry my Pergo floors with old towels because I find that if I don't they will look streaky.

Glass Cleaner - plain vinegar works great on mirrors. Try putting a little dishwashing soap in the vinegar spray first to get the chemicals and wax from your old cleaner off the glass otherwise you might have streaks the first time.

All Purpose Cleaner - Ammonia diluted according to directions on the bottle or mix one part vinegar to one part water (do not use on marble)


Toilet Cleaner - Flush the toilet, sprinkle sides with baking soda, add 1/2 cup white vinegar, let it sit for a while (it'll foam a bit) and then scrub

Sinks & Tubs - Some dishwashing liquid mixed with a bit of vinegar (this is what I used to clean my tiled shower today and it works great) or sprinkle with baking soda and then spray with vinegar and scrub

Homemade Soft Scrub - mix a small amount of baking soda with a liquid detergent until you have a smooth paste. For stains that need a bit of bleaching, I put some baking soda on a half of lemon and rub that on the area

Carpet Cleaner/deodorizer - when we shampoo our carpets we just use vinegar mixed with hot water in our carpet cleaner. The vinegar smell dissipates. You can also sprinkle baking soda over the carpet and let it sit for about 20 minutes and then vacuum.

Room Freshener - open the windows and let the fresh air in if you can! A few drops of vanilla or some other scent you find pleasing on a cotton ball placed strategically in a room works also.

These are just a few recipes that I use to get you started. There are loads of books out now that have homemade cleaning recipes, mostly the "Green Living" kind. You can even make your own dishwasher detergent and laundry detergeant to take it a step further!

I've found that I sometimes need to let the cleaner sit for a bit or use a bit more elbow grease than I would with a commercial cleaner. But I think it's worth it!

Not only can you save money, but you can control the amount of chemicals that are used in your home! 

I'd love for you to share your own earth friendly/frugal cleaner if you have one! Feel free to link to your blog in the comments if you have a post that deals with this subject.