Homemade Cleansers

All-Purpose Cleaner (by KD75)

½ cup vinegar

1 cup clear ammonia

¼ cup baking soda

1 gallon hot water



Mix everything together in a large bucket, and use this solution to mop or wipe surfaces clean.

More from Ellie Funt

How To Make Your Own Cleaning Solutions
This article will show you how to make your own cleaning solutions, for cleaning everything in your house. With the below homemade cleaning products, you can disinfect, shine, and clean your home, while saving money.

What you'll need

* white vinegar
* water
* rubbing alcohol
* baking soda
* olive oil
* lemon juice
* liquid bleach
* three clean, empty, spray bottles
* a sealable container (this container only needs to be able to fit a couple of cups of liquid in it, hence, can be small.)

For cleaning surfaces and tiles (non-wood surfaces)

Mix 1 cup of white vinegar with 1 cup of water, and put into a spray bottle. Label that bottle "all purpose cleaner".

For polishing wood surfaces and furnature

Mix 1 cup of olive oil with 1/2 cup of lemon juice. Keep in a sealed container, labeled "furnature polish".

For cleaning the toilets

Fill a spray bottle with undiluted white vinegar, and label it "toilet bowl cleaner".

For cleaning sinks and tubs

Use baking soda as a scouring powder. For hard to clean sinks and tubs, add a little bit of water to some baking soda, to form a paste. Paint the paste onto the area you need to clean, and let sit for a half hour, then scrub it off, and re-scour with dry baking soda.

For cleaning mirrors, TV/computer screens, and glass

Mix together 1 cup of rubbing alcohol, 1 cup of water, and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. Pour into a spray bottle, and label it "glass cleaner".

For scrubbing hard floors

Fill mop bucket with steaming hot water, and add some liquid bleach. Read the dilution instructions on your bottle of bleach, to find out how much bleach to put into the bucket. (When you mop, open a few windows, to limit bleach fumes.)

For spot-cleaning carpets

Pour some undiluted rubbing alcohol on the spot, and rub with a wash cloth.

Using just the above, you now have all the cleaning solutions you need, to clean your whole house.

Helpful Hints From Ellie Funt

Some helpful hints:

1.Make your cleaners ahead of time.

2. Organize them according to location they are used in, keeping out of reach of children. I like to keep all kitchen items under the (baby-proofed) sink, in a caddy (recycle a detergent box or milk jug for this) so they are handy. I make extras of items for the upstairs and downstairs bathrooms.

3.Buy your ingredients in bulk. This way, you save money twice! You save by buying in bulk (on sale of course!) and you save because you have what you need on hand, avoiding a trip to the store!

4.Store your ingredients in reusable airtight containers. I like to purchase spray bottles in bulk for this purpose, since it is not safe to reuse bottles that had commercial cleaners or chemicals in them. Milk jugs are great to use too.

5.Make large batches of several cleaners and store them in recycled milk jugs.

6.Wear rubber gloves when you clean to avoid skin irritation


#8
05-23-2007, 02:15 PM

KD75
Guest Posts: n/a

Simple easy cleaner uppers (cleaning wipes) from Ellie Funt

Simple easy cleaner uppers (cleaning wipes)
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Contents:
Supplies needed
Making the product
Tips and suggestions
Warnings

For quick clean-ups I make these cleaner containers. They're fun, no mess, and OLDER kids (notice I stressed older because these cleaners are toxic if ingested) love to use them, too! They save money, time and waste.

NOTE: Buy Ziplock or Glad disposable and reusable containers and a roll of "Select-A-Size" paper towels for this project.

For window cleaners, all-purpose cleaners, bleaching, de-grease cleaners:

For all recipes:

Take about 30 paper towels and fold individually into squares. Place them into the container. Pour the bottle of cleaner using just enough to wet all the towels, but not saturating them. Seal the container.

When you're ready to clean, just remove a paper towel, wipe the area, then dispose of the towel.

For bleaching only:

Add one part bleach to 4 parts water.

For furniture polishing:

I pour Liquid Gold's furniture cleaner (the liquid soap kind) into the container with the paper towels.

For Just Soap:

Use 1 part soap and 4 parts water for washing items with just soap. follow the paper towel and container instructions above.

Cleaning Up Babies:

For cleaning up messy children or dirty bottoms on babies I use a mild baby shampoo like Johnson and Johnson Baby Shampoo. Use 1 part shampoo to 4 parts of water. For just cleaning bottoms I add a bit of baby oil to the solution to help prevent diaper rashes, but don't add the oil if you're going to use the same wipes for other messy children clean-ups!

TIP 1: If you would rather have a container that you can easily pull wipes out individually (like "Wet Ones") you can do this:

Take a roll of paper towels and cut the roll in half. Remove the inner cardboard core. Place one of the rolls in an empty cylinder-shaped baby wipe plastic container that has a "pull-out top". Pour in the cleaner. Then, pull out a towel from the center of the core and feed through the opening in the top of the container. This method will last you for a longer time and save you money in buying the plastic containers.

TIP 2: If you don't want to use toxic cleaners, there are cleaners out there that are non-toxic and safe for smaller children to use. Just be sure to read the label and directions carefully, because even though they may say "non toxic" they can still cause irritations.

FINAL WARNING: NEVER ALLOW ANY CHILD TO USE ANY CLEANER UNTIL YOU ARE SURE THEY HAVE NO ALLERGIES TO ANY OF THEIR INGREDIENTS! (or will put them in their mouths.) Before using wipes for messy children, test on a small area on their arm before using on any other part of their skin to make sure they aren't allergic to the ingredients in the solution.

Automatic dishwasher detergent From EllieFunt

Automatic dishwasher detergent
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1/2 cup liquid Castile soap
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3 drops tea tree extract (or oil)
1/4 cup white vinegar

Store in squeeze bottle. Use 2 tablespoons per wash in a standard size dishwasher.

Do not substitute conventional liquid soap for the Castile unless it is a 'low sudsing' soap. Regular soaps will produce too many suds and overflow the dishwasher.


#12
05-23-2007, 02:20 PM

KD75
Guest Posts: n/a

From old farmers almanac from EllieFunt

Old Farmers almanac

These may be repeats...

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.

Scrubbing hand GENERAL-PURPOSE CLEANER
1 teaspoon borax
1/2 teaspoon washing soda
2 teaspoons vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dishwashing liquid
2 cups hot water

Combine all the ingredients. If you don't have washing soda (generally found in the laundry section of supermarkets), use 1 teaspoon baking soda instead. For a more pleasant smell, use lemon juice instead of vinegar. Be sure to label the bottle accordingly.

Polishing Cloths

You can make your own polish-impregnated cloths to dust furniture. Pour some furniture polish into a large glass jar and shake it until the sides are coated. Pour the remainder of the polish back into the polish container. Place terry or other absorbent cloths in the jar and cover tightly. Leave overnight or until the cloths have absorbed all the polish. Store the cloths in the jar.

Here's another method for making polishing cloths. Add 1/4 cup polish (such as lemon oil) to 2 cups hot water. Mix well. Soak dust cloths in the mixture, then let them dry before using. Save the mixture in a glass jar. When the cloths become soiled, wash them, re-treat them, and use again.
EASY SCRUB
3/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup borax
dishwashing liquid

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.

JEWELRY CLEANER
1/4 cup ammonia
1/4 cup dishwashing liquid
3/4 cup water

Mix all the ingredients well, then soak your jewelry in the solution for a few minutes. Clean around the stones and designs with a soft-bristle toothbrush. Buff dry. (Caution: Don't use this with gold-plated jewelry; with soft stones such as pearls, opals, or jade; or with costume jewelry, because it could ruin the plastics or loosen the glue.)

HEAVY-DUTY DISINFECTANT CLEANER
1/4 cup powdered laundry detergent
1 tablespoon borax
3/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup pine oil, or pine-based cleaner

Slowly stir the detergent and borax into the water to dissolve. Add the pine oil (available at hardware stores and supermarkets) and mix well. For bathroom cleaning, use the mixture full strength. In the kitchen, dilute it with water.

WOOD FLOOR POLISH
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil Mix the ingredients well, rub on the floor, and buff with a clean, dry cloth.

RUG CLEANER
1/4 teaspoon dishwashing liquid
1 cup lukewarm water

Combine the ingredients. Use a spray bottle to apply the solution over a large area, or use the solution to spot-clean nongreasy stains. (Don't use laundry detergent or dishwasher detergent in place of dishwashing liquid, as they may contain additives that can affect the rug's color.)

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.

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.

FLOOR WAX REMOVER
1 cup laundry detergent
3/4 cup ammonia
1 gallon warm water

Mix all the ingredients together and apply to a small area of the floor. Let the solution sit long enough for it to loosen the old wax, at least 5 to 10 minutes. Mop up the old wax (or scrape it up, if there's a lot of it, using a squeegee and a dustpan). Rinse thoroughly with 1 cup vinegar in 1 gallon water and let dry before applying a new finish.

FURNITURE POLISH
1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice
1 tablespoon boiled linseed oil
1 tablespoon turpentine

Combine the ingredients in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake until blended. Dampen a cloth with cold water and wring it out until it's as dry as you can get it. Saturate the cloth with the mixture and apply sparingly to a small area at a time. Let dry for about 30 minutes, then polish with a soft cloth. Note that this mixture gets gummy as it sits, so make just enough for one day's work.

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.

Excerpted from Clean & Simple by Christine Halvorson and Kenneth M. Sheldon. Copyright 1999 by Yankee Publishing, Inc. From "The Old Farmer's Almanac Home Library" series published by Time-Life Books; call 800-277-8844, or check your local bookstore.

Homemade cleaning pads for clorox redi mop From Sleighty

I made my own pads for my Clorox redi mop. Traced the shape of one of the disposables onto plain white diaper flannel, put a doubled folded layer in the middle and sewed it all together. Not hard at all (I'm not an expert seamstress...by ANY means!). Took about $10 to make a dozen pads...been using them for a year now and they aren't even beginning to wear out Toss them into the wash with hot water and bleach and they're clean for the next use

Wrinkle Release Spray from Sara Laughs

spray bottle
distilled water
1 teaspoon liquid fabric softener

1. Fill the bottle with distilled water.
2. Add liquid fabric softener.
3. Lightly mist the wrinkles on the garment from about 8 inches away until slightly damp.
4. Smooth wrinkles and hang garment until it's dry.