DIY Tutorials Cleaning Products

Cleaning Products
Using natural cleaning products helps keep our water systems and our bodies free from toxins and harmful chemicals that in some cases can cause some serious health issues and environmental stress. Here are some health and penny saving ways to clean up without the toxic build up.

For your start up shopping list:

-Distilled White Vinegar-baking isle
-Borax, 20 mule team (that says it all)-you can find this in your laundry detergent isle.
-Washing Soda (NOT baking soda) arm and hammer makes one-also in laundry detergent isle.
-Baking Soda (the kind in the orange box, yeah the real stuff)-in the baking isle.
-Bronners Castile Liquid Soap-at health food stores and some natural sections in the grocery store.
-Dish Soap-this goes a long way get a good green brand I have one pictured on the right with 5 ingredients only. The Seventh Generation brands have way too many ingredients, I've found this true for all their products.

-Bar Of Handmade Soap or Fels-Napha-again less ingredients the better, soap should be made with a fat, a fragrance of oil, and maybe some healing herbs all the other stuff is CRAP. You can find homemade soap at any health food store and fels-napha in the laundry detergent isle. (Remember soap goes directly on you skin or in this case on your clothes that go on your skin)

-Hydrogen Peroxide-I use a food grade 35% with no preservatives or impurities and dilute it but a simple 3% over the counter grade in the grocer pharmacy will do fine.-Lemons-With the fruit, silly.-Essential oils- I choose peppermint, rosemary, tea tree, lemon, sweet orange, lemongrass, lavender. For reasons i'll discuss later.  Found at health food store. These cost the most but go very far!!-Funnel, recycled bottle, or any spray bottle and storage containers.

Disinfectant-Alternative to bleach. I use this on all my counters, door handles, to dust, inside of my car, or anywhere else where I need a nice fresh scent and to rid some germies that may be lingering.

Recipe-
2 cups of distilled water (use distilled to avoid chlorine and other hard minerals. The pureness of it helps it last longer)
3 Tbs of liquid soap (Bronner's works best)
25 drops of tea tree oil

Mix in a spray bottle

simple, easy, toxic free!

All-Purpose Cleaner- This is good for pet stains, spilled messes, walls, door smudges, dusting, etc.

Recipe-
1 quart of warm distilled water
1 tsp liquid soap (Bronner's works best)
2 tsp borax
1 tsp lemon juice or Vinegar to cut grease (I like lemon juice, smells nice)

Mix in a spray bottle and spray your little heart out

Carpet Spills- For a spill that needs some soaking up quick.

Method- Dump cornmeal on the mess, wait 10-15 min. then vacuum up. If a stain exists, use the remover recipe. Also, Vinegar and soapy water can sometimes remove any small carpet stain, using a blotting method.

Carpet Stain Remover- Those with pets and children could use this a lot. This is to get out stains that after cleaned still look dirty.  My dog loves to eat EVERYTHING so it is very handy for her messes she gets into and smears on our rugs. Naughty girl!

Recipe-
1 tsp of washing soda
2 tsp borax
1/2 tsp of liquid soap (Bronner's)
2 cups of hot water
10 drops of essential oil either 'sweet orange' or 'lemongrass'

Mix together first in bowl, then pour into spray bottle and go at it

Oven Cleaner- The most toxic of all products!!!! This one is much safer even children and pregnant women are free and clear here.

Recipe-
1 cup baking soda
Hot water
1/4 cup washing soda
1 Tbs liquid soap
4 drops white vinegar

Simply make a paste with the two sodas and the hot water, like toothpaste, add liquid soap, add the vinegar to the mixture and watch it fizz (mmm signs of clean to me), coat the inside of your oven, let it sit overnight. Wear gloves, to save your soft hands from getting roughed up, scour off that grime. Make spotless with a moist cloth and warm water.

Glass Cleaner- Use on glass inside/outside of house

Recipe-
1 Tbs lemon juice or 1/4 cup white vinegar
2 cups distilled water
3 drops liquid soap (the dish soap works best)

Mix in a spray bottle. For best results on streak-free use an old newspaper to wipe it clean instead of a paper towel. yeah, I know it sounds weird but I really dislike streaks.

Grout Cleaner- Mildewy tile, gross! No problem, no need for bleach or chlorine here.

Recipe-
Combine
Baking soda
Hydrogen Peroxide

Make a paste, like toothpaste, apply to the grout and let sit for 30 min. Then give it some elbow grease and call it your daily workout! Those arms will thank you.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner- Poo-Poo stains or hard water stains, get them out and make that porcelain shine.

Method-
Pour handful of baking soda into bowl, let sit for a while
Pour Vinegar over the soda, watch fizz (Oh La La)
Scrub her down!

If the stain is really bad (some poops just like to stick) Scrub with 1/2 cup of borax.

Laundry Detergent & Fabric Softener Coming Soon!!! Have some experimenting to do still before I share!


~t