Homemade Household Cleaners

A while back I had a friend who accidentally splashed some typical household cleaners in her eyes. Most cleaners are not environmentally friendly for the planet, or your body. The chemicals burned my friend's eyes to the point she had to see a specialist about repairing the damage. It been over a month and she just was able to get the bandages removed from her eyes and she will be using prescription drops for some time. It got me to thinking about ways to clean without exposing my loved ones (including the furry children) to potentially dangerous chemicals.  The answer when I was growing up was to put a "Mr. Yuck" sticker on everything to let us know that these products were dangerous & to stay away.

I don't think this is a good enough solution. I've been researching homemade cleaners  made from every day items & testing them out. Here are a few that work well and will save you some serious money too.

• Baking Soda- Baking soda's mild abrasive action and natural deodorizing properties make it a powerful replacement for harsh commercial scouring powders. Sprinkle baking soda onto a damp sponge to tackle grimy bathtub rings, scour vanities, or remove food deposits from the kitchen sink. For tougher grime, make a paste of baking soda and water, apply to the tub or sink, and allow to stand for 10 to 20 minutes. Dirt, soap scum and deposits soften and are easier to remove. Slow-running drains? Keep bathroom drains running freely by pouring 1/2 to 3/4 cup baking soda into the drain, and dribbling just enough hot water to wash the solution down. Let stand for 2 hours to overnight, then flush thoroughly with hot water. The deodorizing effect is an added bonus! [Do not use this method on blocked drains.]   Carpet deodorizer: Sprinkle baking soda around the room – my son thinks this is the most fun ever. Add some dried crushed lavender or basil. Wait about 1/2 hour. Vacuum
• Lemons- there is a reason why most commercial household cleaners smell like lemons, because they not only smell good, but they're great for cleaning! Have a stinky sink? Drop a couple of lemon wedges down the disposal & run it...tah dah instantly fresh.  Have a dirty microwave? Place a bowl with lemon wedges (oranges work too) & water in the microwave. Cook for 3 minutes. The microwave will smell wonderful & the caked on gunk wipes right off ! Metal rust: Mix 2 tablespoons salt with 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Apply and rub well.
• Table Salt- is amazing stuff. Got a red wine spill on the carpet? Do not blot at it! Immediately pour a heaping pile of salt over the spot. Cover it with a towel and leave it alone for 24 hours. The next day remove the towel and vacuum up the salt. The stain will be gone.  If you have a hot spill in the oven , sprinkle it with salt. Mix some baking soda – I just toss maybe two tablespoons with into a cup, with some water to make a thin paste. Use an old toothbrush or bristle brush to scrub it down.
• Vinegar- Mildly acidic white vinegar dissolves dirt, soap scum, and hard water deposits from smooth surfaces, yet is gentle enough to use in solution to clean hardwood flooring (and doesn't leave streaks on tile floors). White vinegar is a natural deodorizer, absorbing odors instead of covering them up. (And no, your bathroom won't smell like a salad! Any vinegar aroma disappears when dry.) With no coloring agents, white vinegar won't stain grout on tiled surfaces. Because it cuts detergent residue, white vinegar makes a great fabric softener substitute for families with sensitive skin.
• Rubbing Alcohol- Rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol provides the base for an evaporating cleaner to rival commercial window and glass cleaning solutions. Use this glass cleaning spray recipe for windows, mirrors, chrome fixtures and for a shiny finish on hard-surface ceramic tiles:
  
  
  Homemade Glass Cleaner Recipe
  
  Mix in a sprayer bottle:
  
  1 cup rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol
  
  1 cup water
  
  1 tablespoon white vinegar
  
  
  Here are a few more cleaning recipes & tips:
  
  
  
  1. Clogged sink and bathtub drains: prevent clogs altogether with the amazing drain trap. I’m shocked at how many people don’t use a drain trap. I got one at Home Depot for under two dollars – five years ago. If you have a sluggish drain, pour a cup of white vinegar plus one cup baking soda into the drain. Let that sit for a few minutes (it will bubble). Flush with a teapot full of boiling water. If you really have issues, use a snake or plunger. Drain cleaner is honestly something you should never have in your home
  2. Everyday toilet cleaning: Sprinkle some baking soda and lemon juice into your toilet and walk away. Eventually you’ll want to return and scrub it with a toilet brush. Bachelor pad toilet cleaning: No offense guys – I’ve seen my fair share of bachelor pads though. Spray vinegar around the bowl, sprinkle with baking soda, scrub.
  3.  Musty stuff: Say you have an old suitcase or truck that’s all musty, but you’d like to use it. Fill it with recycled crumpled newspaper let it sit for a week. The paper will absorb the smell (mostly) then, fill a mister bottle with water, add a few drops of tea tree oil, lightly spray the case and leave it open to dry.
  4.   Disinfectant all purpose cleaner: Mix a few drops of natural soap, 2 cups water, and 15 drops each of tea tree and lavender essential oil (you can use just the one oil- but 30 drops, I just like the mix). You can spray this on all surfaces, like cutting boards, counters, toilets, walls, (except it will streak glass). This stuff disinfects but is so safe you can actually spray it on your baby – you can’t say that about most commercial household cleaners.
  5. Silver polish: Rub silver with plain old toothpaste and rinse with water
  6.  Furniture Polish Most of us no longer use hard-to-apply furniture wax, but rely on oil-based polish to keep furniture protected and shiny.
     This "salad dressing" version avoids the danger of silicone oil, found in most commercial polishes and sprays. Silicone oil can penetrate tiny cracks in furniture finish and enter the wood, causing problems in the event refinishing is needed. Lemon juice dissolves dirt and smudges, while olive oil shines and protects the wood:
     Furniture Polish Recipe
     Mix in a sprayer bottle:
     1 cup olive oil
     1/2 cup lemon juice
     Shake well and apply a small amount to a flannel cleaning rag or cleaning cloth. Spread evenly over furniture surface. Turn cloth to a dry side and polish dry
     
     
  Benefits of homemade cleaners:
  
  
  
• Less packaging waste. You’re not buying new bottles over and over.
• Less expensive. I actually started making homemade products before I was really all the way green – why? To save money.
• Less harmful (often not harmful at all) to humans, animals, and the earth.
• Less noxious home smell. Homemade natural cleaners always smell better than store bought. Well, except vinegar – but I have major vinegar issues. There are ways to mask the smell of vinegar though – not completely, but somewhat. Lavender essential oil and lemon juice both work some to hide the icky vinegar smell. 

I hope these tips help you keep a cleaner & safer home for your family.