Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Make your own Home Cleaners


Some good cleaner Recipes for your home


GLASS/WINDOW CLEANER

Water
1 pint rubbing alcohol
1/2 cup sudsy ammonia
1 Tbsp. liquid hand-dishwashing detergent

In a one-gallon container, add water to about half-full. Mix in other ingredients. Slowly, pouring down the inside, add the additional water to fill container. Always add water first to keep mixture from foaming and sudsing.

Floor /all purpose Cleaner

For tile and no-wax floors/do not use on wood or laminated flooring.

3 quart water
1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp. ammonia
1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp. bleach-free liquid laundry detergent

In a one-gallon container, add water to about half-full. Mix in other ingredients. Slowly, pouring down the inside, add the additional water to fill container. Always add water first to keep mixture from foaming and sudsing.

For laminate floor-
Use one cup of white vinegar to 2 gallons of warm water.

To wash floors-
Sweep floors. Fill a spray bottle with "Floor Cleaner". Fill a large bucket with clean water. Spray the cleaner on a section of the floor, let it sit a minute or so. With a dampened clean mop, clean the area. Rinse mop in the bucket. Proceed until the whole floor is cleaned. Change rinse water in bucket when it gets dirty.

Tub scrub

Baking soda
Hand-dishwashing liquid

In a bowl, place baking soda and enough hand-dishwashing liquid to form a paste. Use to scrub things that need a little bit of gentle scouring action, like the bathtub. Rinse with clear water, polish with dry cloth if desired.

HOME-MADE CARPET DEODORIZER

1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup cornstarch
15 drops of your favorite essential oil fragrance, optional

Thoroughly mix together with fork. Use an old spice jar with holes in lid to distribute and sprinkle on carpet.

CARPET DEODORIZER

Mix one part baking soda to one part ground cloves. Let sit twenty minutes. Vacuum. This is my favorite.

POWDERED LAUNDRY DETERGENT

1 cup grated Fels Naptha bar soap
1/2 cup Borax
1/2 cup washing soda or PH Plus -- used for swimming pools

Mix and store in airtight container.

For light loads, use 1 tablespoon. For heavy loads, use 2 tablespoons.

Another alternative to the laundry detergent mixture is to mix one part Borax and one part washing soda. Add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup to the washer, then add half the amount or less of store bought detergent. Keep in mind that a large amount of suds/bubbles in a washer does not mean that it cleans the clothes any better. The Borax/washing soda will boost the detergent so there will not be a lot of suds/bubbles.

Use white vinegar instead of fabric softener. I add half water since I use a front load washer.

PH Plus is the same ingredient as washing soda but cheaper in price. The Wal-mart in our area stocks this during the warmer months.



Just about everyone knows about using vinegar and newspaper for cleaning windows. It works, and since we get the local paper here delivered for free, it's doubly cheap.

One of my favorite cleaners is dirt cheap, as well. I use it as an all-purpose cleaner, like "Fantastic" only it works better. Combine a quart of hot water, a teaspoon of dishwashing liquid and two teaspoons of borax in a spray bottle. Shake well to dissolve the borax. This mix costs about a quarter per bottle.

For washing floors: Mix a gallon of hot water, a tablespoon of dishwashing liquid and a half cup of vinegar.

Since I'm sensitive to a lot of things in fabric softeners, I only use vinegar in my rinse cycle. The clothes come out beautifully soft, and have no scent at all. If the load is especially grubby - think teenage boys - I add a cup of vinegar with the soap in the wash cycle. I then omit it from the rinse, and the clothes are still soft. If you can, dry your clothes on a line. Not only is it greener, but you save on your electricity bill, and get some exercise at the same time.