Grandma's Homemade Cleaners

Most modern synthetic cleaning products are based on age-old formulas using natural ingredients.  They drew from these recipes because the chemistry was right! Of course, then they substituted the more expensive natural agents with cheaper sythesized chemicals and added LOTS of water and filler material.

Going back to the original naturally derived ingredients is a way to make cleaning products that work great, protect the environment and save you money. Most of what you need can be found in your kitchen cupboards. Fill in with some well-chosen and environmentally friendly green cleaning products found in health food stores and you can easily transform your home into a non-toxic and healthy haven.

Non-toxic cleaning can create real peace of mind in knowing that your family’s health is protected and that your home is a place for your bodies to recuperate rather than another source of stress and toxins for your system to manage.

Making your own nontoxic cleaning kit will take you no time at all with these simple, straightforward directions.  And with this kit, you'll find you have enough cleaning product for months of chores.

Here's a great bonus in tough economic times: Ounce for ounce, homemade cleaning formulas cost about one-tenth the price of their commercial counterpart — even when you include the costly but worthwhile essential oils and the concentrated, all-purpose detergents needed for these homemade helpers.

SUPPLIES

• Baking soda
• Washing soda, aka sodium carbonate (Arm & Hammer, look at Ace Hardware)
• White distilled vinegar
• A good liquid soap or detergent (try Method or GreenWorks for bonus points)
• Tea tree oil (Walgreens, GNC, Drugstore.com)
• 6 clean spray bottles
• 2 glass jars

CREAMY SOFT SCRUBBER
Simply pour about 1/2 cup of baking soda into a bowl, and add enough liquid detergent to make a texture like frosting. Scoop the mixture onto a sponge, and wash the surface. This is the perfect recipe for cleaning the bathtub because it rinses easily and doesn’t leave grit.

Note: Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable glycerin to the mixture and store in a sealed glass jar, to keep the product moist. Otherwise just make as much as you need at a time.
 

WINDOW CLEANER
1/4-1/2 teaspoon liquid detergent
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 cups water
Spray bottle

Put all the ingredients into a spray bottle, shake it up a bit, and use as you would a commercial brand. The soap in this recipe is important. It cuts the wax residue from the commercial brands you might have used in the past.  For a terrific, streak-free shine, use old newspapers or a fine microfiber cloth instead of paper towels or a rag.

OVEN CLEANER
1 cup or more baking soda
Water
A squirt or two of liquid detergent

Sprinkle water generously over the bottom of the oven, then cover the grime with enough baking soda that the surface is totally white. Sprinkle some more water over the top. Let the mixture set overnight. You can easily wipe up the grease the next morning because the grime will have loosened. When you have cleaned up the worst of the mess, dab a bit of liquid detergent or soap on a sponge, and wash the remaining residue from the oven. If this recipe doesn’t work for you it is probably because you didn’t use enough baking soda and/or water.

ALL-PURPOSE SPRAY CLEANER
1/2 teaspoon washing soda
A dab of liquid soap
2 cups hot tap water

Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake until the washing soda has dissolved. Apply and wipe off with a sponge or rag.

FURNITURE POLISH
1/2 teaspoon oil, such as olive (or jojoba, a liquid wax)
1/4 cup vinegar or fresh lemon juice
Mix the ingredients in a glass jar. Dab a soft rag into the solution and wipe onto wood surfaces. Cover the glass jar and store indefinitely.

VINEGAR DEODORIZER
Keep a clean spray bottle filled with straight 5 percent vinegar in your kitchen near your cutting board and in your bathroom and use them for cleaning. I often spray the vinegar on our cutting boards before going to bed and let it set overnight. The smell of vinegar dissipates within a few hours. Straight vinegar is also great for cleaning the toilet rim. Just spray it on and wipe off.

MOLD KILLERS
Tea Tree Treasure
Nothing natural works for mold and mildew as well as this spray. I’ve used it successfully on a moldy ceiling from a leaking roof, on a musty bureau, a musty rug and a moldy shower curtain. Tea tree oil is expensive, but a little goes a very long way. Note that the smell of tea tree oil is very strong, but it will dissipate in a few days.

2 teaspoons tea tree oil
2 cups water

Combine in a spray bottle, shake to blend, and spray on problem areas. Do not rinse. Makes two cups.

Vinegar Spray
Straight vinegar reportedly kills 82 percent of mold. Pour some white distilled vinegar straight into a spray bottle, spray on the moldy area, and let set without rinsing.  Yes, it will smell funky for a while, but it dissipates in a few hours.