Cleaning on a Dime!

We spent this past Friday night helping my mom fix a pipe under her bathroom sink, which prompted me to write this post on Homemade cleaning supplies.  First and foremost, making your own cleaning supplies isn't brain surgery.  It can be as easy or as complex as you like.  Secondly, you will know exactly what your spraying in your house.  And lastly, you'll have more money back in your pocket!

Turns out, she had a clog in the bathroom sink, so she did what many of us do.  She went out and bought a name brand drain cleaner, went home and poured it down the drain.  After several hours, she saw that the water had all gone down.  Though after looking under the sink, she realized that the drain cleaner had eaten right through the pipe!

Now do you really want to be using something so strong that it can eat right through metal?  I know I don't!

Main ingredients you'll need for most of your household cleaning:

White Vinegar - Cuts Grease. Removes Mildew, odors, works on some stains, and removes wax buildup.
Rubbing Alcohol - works well on windows, and morrors, also acts as an excellent disinfectant.
Table Salt - Scouring agent, and works well as absorbant to unset stains
Hydrogen Peroxide - Clean your cutting boards, wipe down your fridge shelves, clean your sponges, and removees baked on pieces from pots and pans.  Whitens bathtub grout.  Removes stains.
Borax - Deodorizes, disinfects, softens water, and cleans painted walls and floors
Baking Soda - Cleans Deodorizes and scours.
Lemon Juice - Works well against most household bacteria.  Freshens garbage disposals, disinfects.
     *You can buy lemons if you can find them 10 for $1.00 and squeeze the juice out of them and freeze into small packages.  Don't throw the rinds away if you have a garbage disposal either, freeze them, and I'll explain more in this post.*



Garbage Disposal Cleaner:

1/2 lemon chopped into quarter size pieces
2 cups ice cubes
3 tablespoons of Table Salt

Combine all three ingredients in mixing bowl, dump down into garbage disposal, turn on.  Run cold water through while it's running.  All you should smell is lemons.  The salt will act as a scouring agent.

Clogged Drains:

1/2 cup Baking Soda
1 Cup White Vinegar

Dump the dry Baking Soda down into the drain, add the White Vinegar, let stand for 1 hour.  Run boiling hot water into the drain.  You may still have to plunge the drain to release the clog.
However, don't wait for a clog, instead follow the above recipe and do this once a month to all your drains, to avoid a clog!

Streak-Free Mirrors and Windows:

Rubbing Alcohol

Simply pour a small amount of rubbing alcohol onto clean paper towels, and begin wiping down your mirror or window.  You will need to rub until dry, so make sure not to use too much.  You will see streaks if you don't wipe until dry.

Clean Your HE Washer:

1/2 Gallon Vinegar
2 cups Borax

Combine ingredients, and run through a Hot Wash.


Floor Cleaner:

1 teaspoon dish liquid

equal parts of:
   Vinegar
   Hot Water
   Rubbing Alcohol

Optional, add a few drops of Lavender Essential Oil, which also has anti-bacterial properties!

Combine the above ingredients, and start cleaning wood, laminate, or tile floors.  I use the Libman mop, which is similar to the Swiffer, but you can add your own cleaner to the mop.


Counter Cleaners:

Equal parts:
   Vinegar
   Water
   Rubbing Alcohol  or Hydrogen Peroxide

Several drops of Lavender Essential Oil

Combine all ingredients into a spray bottle, and use on all your counters!