There has been much discussion about whether or not cleaning products are safe and healthy for homes. Most are filled with toxins and chemicals that could cause harm to your family and furry friends. For example, some products warn you to keep them away from animals, due to the odor and/or the ingredients. If the item has this type of warning, it may not be safe to use in your home. However, there are ways to make your own cleaning products with materials you probably already use, such as baking soda and vinegar. Creating your own allows you to feel safer and more in control of what your family and animals are breathing in, while you still have a sparkling clean house. Here are just a few of the recipes for homemade cleaning products. For these recipes, make sure you are stocked up on baking soda, vinegar, and spray bottles (available at Dollar Tree stores).
All-Purpose Cleaner
Ingredients:
4 Tbs. baking soda
1 quart warm water
½ cup white vinegar
Directions:
Mix all ingredients together. Pour into a spray bottle or dip a sponge into the mixture. This all-purpose cleaner is great for use on kitchen counters, appliances, and more. The baking soda acts as a deodorizer and takes away smells. In addition, you can add a lemon rind, rosemary sprigs, or drops of an essential oil to add a scented smell to the all-purpose cleaner.
Glass Cleaner
Ingredients:
2 cups water
½ cup white or cider vinegar
¼ cup rubbing alcohol (70% concentration works best)
1 to 2 drops of an essential oil of your choice for smell (optional)
Directions:
Combine all ingredients and add into a spray bottle. Don’t spray the cleaner directly onto the glass; spray onto a towel or cloth first. Let’s just say—move over, Windex! This natural glass cleaner is perfect to take away streaks and make your glass items look like new.
Heavy-duty Scrub
Ingredients:
Half a lemon
½ cup borax
Dip the lemon into the borax and put directly onto the surface. Then, rinse. It is never fun to keep scrubbing rust stains on porcelain and enamel areas when nothing happens. This heavy-duty scrub will take away those stains in no time at all.
Fabric Softener
Ingredients:
5½ cups water
15-oz. bottle of your favorite hair conditioner
2½ cups white vinegar
20 drops of your favorite essential oil (optional)
Directions:
Mix all ingredients together and store in an empty container. Whenever you are doing laundry, add in about ¼ cup to a normal-sized load right before the rinse cycle.
Disinfectant Wipes:
Ingredients:
1 cup water
¼ cup vinegar
8 drops tea tree oil
8 drops eucalyptus essential oil
8 drops lemon essential oil
15-20 squares of cloth
Empty container, such as an old baby wipe container
Directions:
Fold and place the cloths into the container and set aside. Combine all ingredients together in a mixing bowl, making sure to mix well. Pour mixture over the cloths and let soak. Whenever needed, the disinfectant wipes will be ready to use. Make sure to repeat as often as needed to keep the wipes moist.
One final tip to leave you with is to use lemonade Kool-Aid as a toilet bowl cleaner. Just flush, sprinkle in the Kool-Aid and scrub with a toilet bowl brush. Then, let sit overnight and flush in the morning.
These five recipes are just a handful of the multiple examples out there. A quick search on the Internet will reveal different homemade cleaners with different purposes.
