Homemade Cleaner Round Up

Cleaning supplies can be pricey and full of mystery ingredients/chemicals. I wanted to share some of the homemade cleaners that I use on a regular basis in my house.

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Dishwasher Detergent:

• 2 parts Borax and Washing Soda
• 1 part salt and citric acid (I buy mine here)

Use 2 tablespoons per load. I find that using vinegar in the rinse agent compartment helps prevent water spots or cloudiness.

Laundry Detergent:

(This usually lasts us about 4-5 months for our family of 6, plus we cloth diaper)

• 3 bars grated soap (I usually use Fels Naptha)
• 1 Box Borax
• 1 Box Washing Soda
• 2 containers of Dollar Tree OxyClean

Combine in a large plastic tub and use 2 tablespoons per load (we have a top loader, non-HE washer)

Multipurpose Cleaner (I also use this as glass cleaner):

• Equal parts vinegar and water. Sometimes I will add 20-30 drops of essential oils (lemon, eucalyptus, tea tree, lavender etc.), or infuse the vinegar with citrus peels for added scent and cleaning power.

Combine in a spray bottle.

Stain Spot Treatment: (Recipe from One Good Thing by Jillee)

• 2/3 cup dishwashing soap
• 2/3 cup ammonia
• 6 Tablespoons Baking Soda
• 2 Cups warm water

Mix all ingredients and combine in a spray bottle. Apply to stains the same way you would any other spot treatment. I have successfully removed these types of stains from our clothing so far:

• Melted crayon (dryer incident)
• chocolate
• tomato sauce
• a grease stain that had already been washed and dried
• Underarm sweat stains
• Dirt

Porcelain Sink Cleaner:

• Baking Soda
• 2 tablespoons of bleach diluted in 2 cups of water

I absolutely hate having a porcelain sink. Especially one that’s white! It constantly has scuff marks, coffee stains, tomato stains etc. I’ve tried lots of different ways to clean it, and this is what has worked best so far. Sprinkle the baking soda into the sink and use a scouring/sponge pad to buff out any black scuff marks and food stains. Then dip the sponge into your bleach water and go over it until the stains are worked out. Rinse with plain water.

Furniture Polish:

Equal parts olive oil and lemon juice. Combine in a spray bottle and use as needed with a rag to dust and polish your furniture. It needs to be refrigerated after use if there is any left in the bottle when you’re done cleaning.

Floor Cleaner (Safe for laminate flooring):

• Equal parts water, vinegar, rubbing alcohol and a squirt of dish soap.

I use this mop to spray and mop all of our hard floors. We’ve had our laminate flooring for almost 3 years and this cleaner is the only thing I’ve ever used to clean them. I also use it on our tile flooring. My husband doesn’t like the smell of the vinegar, but there is no more odor as soon as it dries. So I either do it on a day when he’s at work, or at least when it’s warm enough to open the windows.

What are some of your favorite homemade cleaning solutions?

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