Everyone has to clean their home. That is one chore that none of us can avoid! There is no need to buy expensive and toxic cleaners to accomplish this task though. With these inexpensive and easy to find products, you can clean anything in your house.
I have been making my own laundry soap for several years now, and it has saved me a bundle! I make up a 5 gallon bucket of detergent concentrate twice a year. That is for a family of seven, doing more tubs of laundry than I care to count a week, in my front-loading machine. I initially found this recipe in A Love That Multiplies: An Up-Close View of How They Make it Work
by Michelle & Jim Bob Duggar. That one recipe is what got me started. This year I made it my goal to make all my own cleaners and now I am happy to say that I no longer use any commercially prepared products! Yeah for me!My ingredients and cost:
Borax (76 oz) - $3.97
Washing Soda (55 oz) - $3.24
Baking Soda (4 lbs) - $2.24
White Vinegar (1 gal) - $2.38
Ammonia (64 oz) - $1.00
Isopropyl Alcohol (16 oz) - $1.00
Hydrogen Peroxide (32 oz) - $1.00
Laundry Bar (5.5 oz) - $0.97
Total Cost = $15.80
These ingredients last a long time! For example, I purchased my Borax and Washing Soda 3 yrs ago (for less than it costs now). I have made 7 batches of laundry soap and still have a lot left. I did have to buy a laundry bar each time so, I have spent $14.00 for 3 1/2 years worth of laundry soap. This is just one example of how great a savings you can see making it yourself!
So, with no further ado, here are the recipes that I use. There are lots of them out there on the net so if one of these doesn't appeal to you, you have many other options. Let's get started!
Homemade Laundry Soap Concentrate
For front-loading machines use 1/3c per load, for top-loading 1c per load
Ingredients:
1 Fels Naptha soap bar, grated
1 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
Directions:
Grate the soap bar in a small saucepan. Cover with hot tap water. Cook over Medium-Low, stirring continually, until soap is completely dissolved.
Put washing soda and borax in a 5 gallon bucket. Pour in the hot, melted soap mixture. Stir well until powder is dissolved.
Fill the bucket to the top with more hot tap water. Stir, cover securely, and let set overnight. (You can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil at this point if you want your soap scented.)
In the morning, stir the mixture. Mix equal amounts of soap concentrate and water in a smaller laundry detergent dispenser or container. Shake gently before each use.
{tips: 1- When melting soap do not let it get too hot or stir too vigorously or it will foam up, making it difficult to melt. 2- I just reach in and stir with my hand in the morning. I find it easier to break up the gel. 3- I use White Vinegar or Hydrogen Peroxide instead of Bleach. I no longer keep Bleach in my home.}
Dishwasher Detergent Powder
1 Tbsp per load
Ingredients:
2 cups Borax
2 cups Washing Soda
1/2 cup Kosher Salt
Directions:
Mix together all ingredients and store in an airtight container or jar.
*I also use White Vinegar in my rinse aid dispenser and my dishes come out beautiful every time! No spots, streaks or residue even though I have hard well water.
Floor Cleaner
For tile, laminate or vinyl floors.
Ingredients:
1 cup White Vinegar
Warm water
Directions:
Pour vinegar into a 1 gallon jug (I use a clean repurposed milk jug). Fill the remainder with warm water and shake to mix.
*This is what I use in my stick mops refillable dispenser. You can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil if desired.
All Purpose Cleaner
For general cleaning of Kitchen, Bathroom and other surfaces.
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp White Vinegar
1 tsp Borax
a few drops of liquid dish soap
hot water
Directions:
In a clean 16oz spray bottle, mix white vinegar, borax, and a some hot water until borax is dissolved. Add your liquid dish soap and fill the spray bottle up the rest of the way with hot water. Shake gently to mix. You may add your favorite essential oil if desired.
Window Cleaner
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp Ammonia
1 Tbsp White Vinegar
Water
Directions:
Combine ammonia & vinegar in a 16oz spray bottle. Fill the remainder of the bottle with water. Use on windows and mirrors with a microfiber cloth.
Scouring Powder
Baking Soda! Simple as that!
*** Never combine Bleach with Ammonia or Vinegar (or any other acid) as it will produce toxic fumes!!! ***
As you can see I have been busy! I love using these cleaning products that I make myself though. I just feel like my house is cleaner! No more toxic residues on everything. I absolutely love it!!! I know you will too. (The only recipe that I didn't include was liquid dish soap. I am still tweaking that one. I'll post it once I decide what works best for me.)
Now, just a few words on storage and containers. I use repurposed containers when I can (coffee cans, milk jugs, mason jars, old laundry detergent bottles, etc...). When I do purchase containers I visit my local Dollar Store. That way I pay $1.00 for a spray bottle instead of $3.00 at a big box store. (I can also get microfiber cloths there as well some of my ingredients.) Don't pay more than you have to!
As you can see, I like to label my cleaners as well as write the recipe on the bottle. That way I have it right there when I need to make it again. The skull and cross-bones should amuse my family (we are a little warped like that). I use these same 3Qt containers (from the $ store) in the kitchen to store bulk flour and sugar. Didn't want anyone to be confused. :)
About Essential oils. Several oils have anti-bacterial properties and are a good addition to your cleaners. Tea Tree Oil, Lavender and Lemon are just a couple of the more common ones. Not only will they add more germ killing power to your cleaners, your home will smell amazing! I get my essential oils at Mountain Rose Herbs .
What is your favorite homemade cleaning recipe?
What scents do you like best?
Where do you get your supplies?
I would love to hear from you so feel free to comment. Have a great day and I'll talk to you soon. God Bless!
Tina :)
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