Homemade Cleaning Recipes

Homemade Cleaning Recipes

Have you ever tried making your own cleaning products? I've been getting into it for some time now and I really like it! It's a great way to save money, plus avoid some of those harsher chemicals. I've had these recipes for awhile now so I'm not sure where they
originated, but here's the recipes in my cleaning notebook:

First, you'll want to stock your cleaning closet with the most commonly used products for the recipes...

Ammonia: cuts grease and grime, disinfects

Bleach: disinfects

Baking soda: provides grit for scrubbing and speeds up cleaning.

Borax: disinfects, bleaches, and deodorizes.

Distilled white vinegar (not apple cider vinegar): disinfects and breaks up dirt.

Hydrogen Peroxide: disinfects and bleaches.

Lemon Juice: cuts grease.

Olive oil: picks up dirt and polishes wood.

Liquid Castile Soap (Vegetable based) non-petroleum all-purpose cleaners.

Washing soda: stain remover, general cleaner, should be handled with gloves due to its caustic nature. Washing soda is usually found in the laundry aisle of grocery and drug stores.

Rubbing Alcohol: cuts grease & dirt, disinfectant, shines chrome and glass.

Essential Oils: nice scent, but some oils have antibacterial properties.

Bottled Water: you can use tap water, but the gallon jugs don't have all the minerals from hard well-water like mine, so the mixed product lasts longer. These are less than a buck at Walmart for a gallon jug.

Fels Naptha or other bar soap: if you make your own laundry detergent.

Spray Bottles: you'll find these pretty cheap at Walmart. (less than a buck a piece)

Squeeze Bottle: recycle an old dish soap bottle when making your own dish soap

Once your closet is stocked, try mixing up some of these recipes and see how you like them! I haven't tried all of these recipes yet, but I've been really happy with the ones I've made so far. Let me know what you think!!


WINDSHEILD WIPER FROST FREE FLUID

Vinegar
Water

Mix 3 parts vinegar to 1 part water and coat the car windows with
this solution. This combination will keep windshields ice and frost-free.

CAR SOAP

1/4 cup vegetable oil based liquid soap and hot water.
Mix in pail and wash your car.

CAR WAX

1 cup linseed oil
4 tbsp. caranuba wax (available at automotive stores)
2 tbsp. beeswax
1/2 cup vinegar

Put ingredients in top half of a double boiler or saucepan. Heat slowly
until wax has melted. Stir and pour into a heat resistant container. After wax
has solidified, rub it on the car with a lint-free cloth. Saturate a corner of a
cotton rag with vinegar and polish the wax to a deep shine.

ANTIBACTERIAL BATHROOM CLEANER

1 cup baking soda
2 tablespoons (or more) liquid dish soap (Dawn or Castile soap works well)
2 teaspoons tea tree essential oil
1 teaspoon peppermint essential oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar (optional)

Mix together and put in a container with a tight fitting lid.
Add 2 tablespoons of liquid soap (I prefer Dawn dish soap). Mix well to create a paste-like consistency. If you need more liquid soap to do this, add it a little at a time until the mixture is like a paste -- pliable but not soggy. Once you have a consistency you feel like you can work with, add the essential oils and mix well again. The addition of vinegar last helps to boost the cleaning power.
To use, scoop out a little of the cleanser and use a sponge or other cleaning tool to gently scrub your tub, shower and sink surfaces.

DISINFECTANT THYME CLEANER

2 1/2 cups water
1 handful thyme (fresh or dried)
Vinegar
Liquid castille soap (squirt)

Boil water, add thyme. Simmer for several hours over medium-low heat,
covered. Cool, then strain. Pour the water into a spray bottle, top with white
vinegar and squirt of soap. Use as needed.


OVEN CLEANER

2 tablespoons dishwashing liquid
2 teaspoons borax
1/4 cup ammonia
1-1/2 cups warm water

Mix the ingredients together, apply to oven spills, and let sit for 20 to 30 minutes. Scrub with an abrasive nylon-backed sponge and rinse well.

ALL-PURPOSE CLEANER #1

1 teaspoon borax
1/2 teaspoon washing soda
2 teaspoons vinegar or lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dishwashing liquid
2 cups hot water

Combine all the ingredients in a spray bottle or othercontainer.

ALL-PURPOSE CLEANER #2

2 cups rubbing alcohol (70% isopropyl)
1 tablespoon dishwashing liquid
1 tablespoon ammonia
2 quarts water

Combine all the ingredients in a spray bottle or other container.

ALL-PURPOSE CLEANER #3

1/4 cup baking soda
1 tablespoon household ammonia (optional)
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 gallon warm water

Combine all the ingredients in a spray bottle or other container.

GREASE CUTTER

1/2 tsp. washing soda
2 tbsp. vinegar
1/4 tsp. liquid castile soap
2 cups hot tap water

Combine all ingredients in a spray bottle, adding the water last. Gently shake to dissolve the borax and washing soda until they have dissolved. Spray and clean with a rag or sponge.

HOMEMADE SOFT SCRUB

3/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup borax
dishwashing
liquid (I prefer Dawn dish soap)

Combine the baking soda and borax. Mix in enough
dishwashing liquid to make a smooth paste. If you prefer a pleasant smell, add
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice to the paste.

WOOD POLISH

1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil

OR...

1 cup vegetable oil (try other cooking oils as you prefer)
1/2 cup lemon juice

Mix the ingredients well, rub on the floor or other wood
surface, and buff with a clean, dry cloth.

WOOD CLEANER

1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 tsp liquid dish detergent
1/8 tsp olive oil
6 drops rosemary essential oil

Mix together and put in a spray bottle. Squirt some on your rag and wash the wood furniture.


METAL POLISH

1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon white vinegar

Combine salt and flour in small bowl (or just baking soda and water) and stir until blended. Add the vinegar and mix into a thick paste. Smear on the paste with a damp sponge or cloth and rub gently. Let the polish dry for about an hour. Rinse well with warm water and buff dry with a soft cloth.

LINOLEUM CLEANER

1 cup white vinegar
2 gallons warm water

Mix into your mop bucket.

TOILET CLEANER

1 cup borax
1/4 cup vinegar or lemon juice

Combine the ingredients to make a paste. Apply it to
the inside of the toilet bowl, let sit for 1 to 2 hours, and scrub.

OR...

Baking soda
White vinegar

To clean and deodorize, sprinkle toilet bowl with baking soda, add white vinegar and scrub with a toilet brush.

GLASS CLEANER

1/4 cup vinegar or 1 Tbsp lemon juice
2+ cups water

Fill a clean spray bottle with water and either white vinegar or lemon juice; wipe with a rag or old newspaper.

OVEN CLEANER

Baking soda
Water

Sprinkle baking soda on surfaces, spray water, then let soak several hours or overnight. Rinse with water.

STOVETOP AND OVEN GREASE REMOVER

1/2 tsp washing soda
1/4 tsp liquid soap
2 cups hot water

Add washing soda and soap to hot water in spray bottle. Since washing soda is
caustic, wear gloves.

MILDEW REMOVER

1 tablespoon powdered laundry detergent
1 quart
chlorine bleach
2 quarts water

Combine all the ingredients in a pail. Wearing rubber gloves, wash off the mildew.

GLASS CLEANER

2 tablespoons ammonia
1/2 cup alcohol
1/4 teaspoon dishwashing liquid
a few drops blue food coloring water

Combine the ammonia, alcohol, dishwashing liquid, and food coloring, then add enough water to make 1 quart. If you prefer a nonammoniated cleaner, substitute 3 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice for the
ammonia.

CARPET FRESHENER

1 cup crushed dried herbs (such as rosemary, southernwood, or lavender)
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda

Combine all the ingredients in a large jar or other container with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well to blend. Sprinkle some of the mixture on your carpet, let it sit for an hour or so, and then vacuum it up. It will give the room a pleasant smell and neutralize carpet odors.

CARPET CLEANER AND DEODORIZER

Sprinkle baking powder over the carpet (add borax if you desire and if you are not worried about pets or children getting into the powder while it is setting), let set, then vacuum. Use shaving cream as a foaming carpet cleaner to get out the spots.

DISH WASHING LIQUID

1/4 cup soap flakes
2 cups hot water
1/4 cup glycerin
1/2 teaspoon lemon essential oil

In bowl combine soap flakes and water and stir until the soap is dissolved. Cool to luke warm.
Stir in the glycerin and the essential oil, leave to cool. As it cools it will form a loose gel. Stir with a fork and break up the gel and then pour into a narrow-necked bottle. An old shampoo bottle makes an excellent container.
To use, squirt 3 teaspoonfuls into hot running water.

CASTILE DISHWASHING LIQUID

castile soap
10 drops lavender essential oil
8 drops rosemary essential oil
4 drops eucalyptus essential oil

Fill a clean 22-ounce plastic squirt bottle with castile soap (diluted according to directions if using concentrate) Add the essential oils.
To use, squirt 3 teaspoonfuls into hot running water.

OR...

1/2 cup liquid castile soap
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3 drops tea tree oil
1/2 cup white vinegar

Stir all ingredients together until blended and store in a squirt top bottle.
Use 2 tablespoons per load of dishes.

DISHWASHER DETERGENT

Borax
Washing Soda
Vinegar

Mix equal amounts of borax and washing soda and store in airtight container. Use this to fill your soap dispenser.
Put the vinegar in the anti-spotting compartment so it's used as a rinse aid.

OR...

3 tablespoons baking soda
1 tablespoon borax
2 drops of lemon essential oil

Mix and use in dishwasher.

LIQUID HAND SOAP

bar of soap
3 cups boiling water
essential oil (optional) (use whichever scent you prefer)

Shave or grate the bar of soap, then stir into the boiling water until dissolved. Add the essential oil if you're going to. When it's cool, just put it in your hand soap container.
If you prefer your hand soap a little thicker, just use less water or add more soap.

DRAIN CLEANER

Once a week, pour 1/4 cup baking soda, then 1/2 cup vinegar. This
will fizz, but the bubbling action will help lift and dissolve dirt. Wait
20 minutes; then pour 1 gallon boiling water.

LIQUID LAUNDRY DETERGENT #1

1 oz. liquid castile soap
1/2 cup washing soda
1/2 cup borax
1/4 cup baking soda or 1/4 cup white vinegar

Using the liquid castile soap as a base, combine with washing soda, borax (for stains and bleaching), and either baking soda (reduces static and softens fabrics) or white vinegar (softens fabrics, reduces static and bleaches clothes). If you feel like your clothes aren't clean enough, play around with the amount of liquid castile soap, using from 1 oz. to 1 cup.

LIQUID LAUNDRY DETERGENT #2

3 Pints Water
1/3 Bar Fels Naptha Soap, Grated
1/2 Cup Washing Soda
1/2 Cup Borax
2 Gallon Bucket
1 Quart Hot Water
Cold Water

Mix Fels Naptha soap in a saucepan with 3 pints of water, and heat on low until dissolved. Stir in Washing Soda and Borax. Stir until thickened, and remove from heat. Add 1 Quart Hot Water to 2 Gallon Bucket. Add soap mixture, and mix well. Fill bucket with cold water, and mix well. Set aside for 24 hours, or until mixture thickens. Use 1/2 cup of mixture per load.

LIQUID LAUNDRY DETERGENT #3

Water
1 Bar Fels Naptha Soap, Grated
5 Gallon Bucket
1 Cup Washing Soda
4 1/2 Gallons Water

Place grated soap in a small saucepan and cover with water.
Heat on low until dissolved. Fill bucket with hot water, and add soap. Stir to
combine. Add 1 cup washing soda and mix well. As it cools it will thicken. May
be used immediately. Use 1-2 cups per load.

POWDERED LAUNDRY DETERGENT

1 bar of soap (I use Fels Naptha, but others use Ivory, Dial, etc.)
1/2 cup of borax
1/2 cup of baking soda
Grater

Grate bar of soap into container. Pour in borax and baking soda. Mix well.
Use 1/2 cup of detergent per load.

LAUNDRY STAIN REMOVER

Dawn dish soap
Ammonia

Mix 1 teaspoon Dawn dish soap and 2 tablespoons ammonia with 1 pint of
water. Pour into a spray bottle, apply to stains and let stand for 15 minutes.
Wash as usual.

OR...

1/2 cup ammonia
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup baking soda
2 tbsp. liquid soap
2 quarts water
Spray bottle
Measuring cup

Mix all of the ingredients into a spray bottle and shake until all the ingredients have mixed together. Spray the liquid pre-treating stain remover onto the stain.
Allow the mixture to soak into the stain for a few minutes.
Launder as you would normally.

BLEACH ALTERNATIVE #1

Hydrogen peroxide
Water

Mix equal parts of water and hydrogen peroxide and put in a container. Use as
you would regular bleach.

BLEACH ALTERNATIVE #2

2 big boxes Cascade (or generic brand)
1 big box Baking Soda
1/2 box Borax
Mix together and store in airtight container. Use 1 cup for large load of whites.

FABRIC SOFTENER

Add 1/2 cup vinegar to rinse cycle.

HOMEMADE FEBREEZE


2 cups fabric softener (or vinegar)
1 cup baking soda
4 cups warm water

Dissolve baking soda in water, then add softener or vinegar. Pour into spray bottle and use as you would Febreeze.