There are certain things you can’t argue. Homemade cleaning products are safer than most chemical-infused cleaners out there which means they are better in general in our households. The uncertain thing, however, is whether they are truly better at getting the job done. Can a homemade bathtub cleaner really clean better than my trusty brand that literally eats through the grime (and possibly my skin if I don’t wear gloves…heh.)
Vinegar cleans like a basic all-purpose cleaner so it can be used to clean everything from mirrors and windows to toilets and shower walls. A basic concoction for making a toilet bowl cleaner consists of ¼ cup baking soda and 1 cup vinegar – pretty basic ingredients and unless you have a really grimy toilet that should get the job done. I’ve also read tips on using Tang juice mix or soda to clean hard water stains from toilet bowls as well (sure makes you wonder when we drink Tang and soda, huh?)
Lemon juice is also commonly used for natural cleaning – if you slice up a lemon and get the juice on your hands, you’ll notice that the liquid has a smooth consistency on your hands. This makes lemon juice great for using as a gentle yet effective cleaner for cutting through soap scum and hard water deposits. Many people use lemons as a natural cleaner for their sinks or garbage disposals (I have read this many times and have yet to remember to do it when we have lemons in the fridge!)
Since I am a self-professed germo-phobe, I have an arsenal of chemical-filled cleaning products in my household but am open to checking out more natural cleaners or solutions if you have any to offer. What is your no-fail homemade or natural cleaning product?
I love All Purpose cleaners from Method, Seventh Generation and Tropical Traditions. Work wonders!
I have recently purchased an ecloth which states all you need is water. It works great. Another product I recently purchased is pink solution. It’s natural and multipurposed for laundry and general cleaning. Not bad at all.
Oh I love Pink Solution! I bought it at the local fair years ago and it was awesome for cleaning carpet stains. I forgot about that stuff!
I’ve heard people use vodka as a disinfectant since it’s odorless. There are a lot of store cleaners I can’t use because of my son’s lung issues, but so far I stick to 7Gen. I’m thinking cheap vodka might be better though.
You just can’t beat vinegar and baking soda, in my opinion! But for laundry and dish soap and stuff, I swear by Seventh Generation and EcoVer.
I love my homemade laundry detergent. You can’t use it with a septci system though.
Since I use cloth diapers I altered the recipe a little bit since Borax isn’t good for elastic. So I’ll give both.
Cloth Diaper (and homemade clothes with elastic) Friendly version
1 bar of soap (fels naptha, ivory, zote etc) ground up/shredded
1/2 cup borax
2 cups washing soda
1 cup oxiclean
some essential oil (optional)
Use 2tbsp per large load in a top loader. 1tbsp in a front loader or small load
Regular Clothes version
1 bar of soap (fels naptha, ivory, zote etc) ground up/shredded
1 cup borax
1.5 cup washing soda
1 cup oxiclean
some essential oil (optional)
Use 2tbsp per large load in top loader. 1tbsp in a front loader or small load.
I also use my own multi surface cleaner with 1 part vinegar to 4 parts water. You can add some lemon juice in as well.
I also use essential oils in cleaners. Lemon, Orange, Lavender, Tea Tree are all disinfectant and smell good.
I’ve started to use Whole Foods brand products and so far so good!
borax cleans many things from laundry to gen. household, if you really want sterile, get a steam cleaner. colloidal silver is a natural anti-bacterial and anti-viral, but unless you make it yourself (not that hard, really) would be $$$ but hot water alone is better than any of the horrid chemicals they’ve trained us to subject our families to. like paint, carpet,insulation and even plastic food storage containers/wraps aren’t enough toxins…