DIY Cleaning Solutions

My Favorite All Purpose Cleaner

Great for counters, floors, windows and mirrors!

Mix 2 cups white distilled vinegar with 2 cups water. Add 20-30 drops essential oil if desired (lemon oil, rosemary oil, and lavender oil are all especially lovely). If you have a glass container, you can warm in the microwave until barely hot to boost cleaning power for tough jobs. Source: Women and Environment. Org

Furniture Polish Recipe

Ingredients:
1/2 teaspoon oil (like olive)
1/4 cup vinegar or fresh lemon juice

Directions:
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.

*Source: Annie B. Bond, Clean & Green (Ceres Press, 1990)

DIY Laundry Detergent Recipe

Ingredients:
-2 cups grated soap (Fels Naptha works great but you can use what you have on hand)
-1 cup washing soda
-1 cup borax

Directions:
Mix well and store in airtight container, use 2 tbs per load. For a natural fabric softener try 1/2 cup vinegar in the rinse cycle.

Washing soda is also called sodium carbonate (*this is different from baking soda/sodium bicarbonate). I found it in my laundry aisle labeled Oxy Clean.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner Recipe

Pour a solution of baking soda and water or vinegar into the bowl, and sprinkle extra baking soda around the rim. Scrub with a toilet brush as needed. This solution both cleans and deodorizes.

*Source: Annie B. Bond, Clean & Green (Ceres Press, 1990)

Window/All-purpose Cleaner Recipe

Ingredients:
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon liquid soap
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 cups water
spray bottle

Directions:
Put ingredients into the spray bottle and shake. Use as normal.

Source: Annie B. Bond, Clean & Green (Ceres Press, 1990)

Soft Scrub Type Cleaner Recipe

Pour about 1/2 cup 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 recipe works well on bathtubs.

Source: Annie B. Bond, Clean & Green (Ceres Press, 1990)

DIY Glass Cleaner

DIY Oven Cleaner

Sprinkle water over the bottom of the oven, then cover the grime with enough baking soda so that the surface is white. Sprinkle more water over the baking soda. Let the mixture sit overnight. Wipe up the grease the next morning. When most of the grease has been cleaned, dab a bit of liquid detergent (liquid castille soap is fine) or soap on a sponge, and wash the remaining residue from the oven.

Source: Annie B. Bond, Clean & Green (Ceres Press, 1990)

Mildew Removal Tips

To get rid of mildew, try spraying straight vinegar onto the mildew or mold and let dry. If that fails, you can add a few drops of tea tree oil to the vinegar.

If scrubbing is necessary, you can spray the area to be scrubbed with a solution of 3 tbs vinegar + 1 tsp borax in 2 cups hot water. Let sit for a few minutes before scrubbing and rinsing.

DIY Leather Cleaner

Source: Association of Vermont Recyclers

Mix 1/4 cup olive oil with 3 drops lemon oil, apply with clean cloth.

Save Money, Help The Environment--Make Your Own Rags!

Using your own homemade rags is a terrific way to recycle. Any soft fabric, including old t-shirts and towels, can be cut and torn into smaller sizes convenient for cleaning. A pile of fresh, clean rags can greatly reduce your dependence on paper towels (and save money in the process!) I like to keep used rags in a bucket in the laundry room or under the sink, separate from the rest of my laundry, to remember to give them extra treatment (and hot water) in the wash.