Skip to main content

Monday Motivation: Homemade Cleaning Solutions



This past week I had a whole day to stay home and take care of household things.  Time to "putter" is a luxury these days and I enjoyed every minute of it. 

A good portion of my day was spent in the kitchen and laundry areas and I was able to make up several batches of homemade cleaning solutions.  Since November is the month I've chosen for laundry room organizing, I thought this might be the  perfect time to share my recipes with you.

If you want to try these recipes, please test them out on a small area first to make sure your home and the cleaning recipes will play nicely together. 

Laundry Detergent:

1 cup grated bar soap (I use Fels Naptha)
1/2 cup washing soda (not baking soda)
1/2 cup borax

I make a triple batch and store it in a canister in my cupboard.  I use 2 Tbl. per load.

Dishwasher Detergent:

1 cup baking soda (yup, the baking kind)
1 cup borax
1/3 cup Lemi shine crystals (I buy it at Walmart)

Mix together and store in an airtight canister.  I use 2 Tbl.  in my machine.
*I use straight vinegar in my rinse agent dispenser.

Tub and Shower Cleaner:

3 cups water
1/2 cup vinegar
1 Tbl. Dawn detergent
Mix in spray bottle.  Shake before using. 

I spray my sinks and shower and let them sit for 5-10 minutes.  Then, I scrub with a microfiber cloth and rinse well.

Wood Cleaner:

Equal parts olive oil and vinegar.  I store it in a glass jar and shake before using.  I dip a small cotton cloth in the cleaner, rub into the furniture, and then buff with a different cotton rag.  Hub's old undershirts make great polishing clothes.  The vinegar cleans the wood and the oil nourishes it.  Your house will smell like a salad for a little while, but it works great.

Window Cleaner:

1/2 cup vinegar
2 cups water
2 Tbl. rubbing alcohol

Mix together in a spray bottle.



Sparkle Cleaner:

I use a variation of the window cleaner to clean most other surfaces in my home (floors, walls, appliances, counter tops etc.) I call it sparkle cleaner because everything sparkles after I clean with this stuff. 

1/2 cup vinegar
2 cups water


Carpet Cleaner:

Mix 1 part ammonia and 1 part hot water.  Put into a spray bottle and use right away.  It looses strength as it sits.  I've used this on my upholstery too with good results.

If you click on the bold titles, it will take you to my original posts for each cleaner. 







Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

I'd love to know what you're thinking. Please feel free to leave ideas and comments.

Popular posts from this blog

How To Make Your Own Exercise Bike For Next To Nothing

Remember back in April when I had a kidney transplant?  Well, the kidney is doing great (thanks, Cathy , for taking such good care of it when you owned it).  There was one little glitch, however.  During surgery, the retractors they used caused some nerve damage in my right leg.  When I woke up from surgery, I couldn't move or feel my leg.  The docs felt like the feeling would come back but the paralysis had them stumped.  A visit to a neurologist ruled out a stroke and a CT scan showed some fluid which was pressing on L4 and L5 (medical talk which means I couldn't feel or move part of my leg).  The prognosis is good and I'm recovering pretty quickly.  In fact, I've left my cane behind and I'm walking freestyle without falling.  My next goal is to be able to drive. I've been itching to get back to exercising (physical therapy doesn't count) because my medication causes me to gain weight and I need to burn some calories.  Running? - n...
45 comments
Read more

Plans For A DIY Exercise Bike Stand

  Thank you to so many of you who emailed me about plans for the DIY Exercise Bike Stand .  I apologize that it has taken me so long to get the measurements to you, but they are finally here!   The wood was purchased at Home Depot and the bike pegs were purchased at Walmart in the bike section.    The bike we used for this project is a 24" 12 speed bike (I'm a shorty).  I used the hardest gear while riding, but this set-up does not allow you to really get much resistance (for building muscle).  It was great for getting my legs moving after some nerve damage.  I also wanted to burn calories and get my heart rate up and this did the trick.    If you have any questions, just shoot me an email.
40 comments
Read more

Rock-what-you-got Muffin Recipe

Back before Christmas I was given a huge amount of persimmons.  In the area I live in, Fuyu persimmon trees produce fruit in the Fall and a small tree can produce a lot of fruit.  The persimmon fruit looks like an orange tomato, but inside, it is firm like a plum.  It is rather sweet, having a honey like flavor. We like to eat them fresh, but after awhile, our huge supply was more than we could handle.  With what was left, I peeled them and pureed the flesh in the food processor.  I froze the puree in 2 cup batches in freezer bags. One of my favorite ways to use this persimmon puree is to make muffins.  I have a basic muffin recipe that I use and it is very adaptable, allowing for any kind of puree to be used. I've used all kinds of pureed fruits and veggies to make these muffins.  I've used sweet potatoes, pumpkin , apples, pears, bananas, zucchini,squash,blackberries,blueberries, and figs.  I've even used a combination of fruits and v...
7 comments
Read more