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{This post is an oldie but goodie from last year…}
Guest Post by Jackie of Lilolu
It seems like everyone is trying to save a buck these days. We had to tighten our budget, so we no longer take family trips whenever we want. Going out to eat because we don’t feel like cooking came to an end and going to the market without a list and coupons just seems crazy.
At first I was not happy about the change. It just seemed too hard. After I got over myself, I started doing some research and realized it wasn’t difficult at all. It turns out saving and conserving became fun and fulfilling for me.
Making our own household cleaners just made more sense for us and my kids think it’s so cool. Who knew! Along the way, I found some favorite and very useful cleaning recipes.
Here are my top five homemade cleaners. Happy cleaning!
1. Daily Shower Spray
1 cup water
1/3 cup rubbing alcohol
:: Spray after each shower
2. All Purpose Cleaner
1 cup vinegar
3 drops of dish detergent
:: Fill the rest of the bottle with water.
(I use this for everything, countertops, appliances, glass etc. The vinegar smell will go away)
3. Homemade Febreze
4 tbsp fabric softener (any scent you like.)
:: Fill the rest of the spray bottle with water. Shake then spray.
4. Laundry Powder
1 bar Dr Bronner’s Peppermint Bar Soap
1/2 cup Borax
1/2 cup of Super Washing Soda (Arm & Hammer is most common)
Grate bar of soap (you can also use a food processor). Mix all ingredients.
Use 1 tbsp. per load and 2 tbsp. for heavily soiled loads. This mixture is best for top loaders.
If you have a front loader you may want to try Homemade Laundry Detergent.
5. Toilet Bowl Cleaner
1 cup borax
1/2 cup white vinegar
1) Flush the toilet to wet the sides. Sprinkle the borax all along the sides of the inside of the bowl. 2) Pour the vinegar over the borax and leave over night. 3) Next day, scrub with a toilet brush and flush.
What are some of your favorite homemade cleaners?
Jackie is a mother of 3 and a wife who loves quotes, poetry and learning something new every day. She has a passion for learning to live an organic life and documents this journey on her blog, Lilolu. She is also the creator of Mama’s Quotes.
Thanks for the homemade cleaning solutions. Where do you find reliable spray bottles? Mine seem to work only a short time.
I love my homemade stain remover:
1/3 cup Dawn dish detergent (original)
1/3 cup ammonia
3 Tbsp baking soda
1 cup water
Mix together and put in a spray bottle – it even gets out grass stains!
Angie, I’ve found reliable spray bottles in Target and restaurant supply stores. You can also find some Amazon.com. I hope that helps.
.-= Jackie@Lilolu´s last blog ..This Moment =-.
Two questions:
1. For the All Purpose Cleaner you say to fill the rest of the bottle with water. What size of bottle do you use (16 oz, 32 oz, ?)
1. On the Laundry Powder you state to use Super Washing Soda. I have not heard of that. Would it be found in with the other powder laundry detergents or is this an entirely different product.
I am excited to try these!
Carie, I use 32 oz bottles. Super Washing Soda can be found in the laundry isle near the Borax. I hope that helps.
.-= Jackie@Lilolu´s last blog ..Backpack Emergency Kit =-.
I make my own foaming liquid hand soap. I refill the empty dispensers with 1/8th amount of regular clear liquid soap I purchase in the large refill size then fill the rest with water. The refill size lasts for a very long time. Be sure to use clear/transparent soap only…NOT the opaque, lotion version or the dispenser will clog.
Renee, I love that tip. I will be trying that this week. Thanks!
.-= Jackie@Lilolu´s last blog ..Chore Chart & Allowance =-.
I’ve been wanting to start making my own laundry detergent, but I’ve read that borax is really quite toxic, even though people say it’s not, and should be avoided. Any suggestions for something else to use instead? Great post BTW!
Thanks for all these recipes.