Favorite Frugal, Natural Cleaners

A few years ago, after the birth of our first son, I remember asking my mom questions about what my grandma (and my mom's grandma) used to clean with. What products did she use? Surely, back then, Lysol All-Purpose Cleaner, Pledge, Clorox wipes, and a host of other products did not exist. What the generations that preceded us used were arguably frugal and efficient. So what were they?

My mom said: vinegar and baking soda.

They worked great then; they still work great today.

I was interested in going back to basic cleaners not only because they save money, but also because with little boys who get into mischief, I didn't want anything around that could poison them. Vinegar and baking soda won't taste great, but they won't hurt my kids either.

Since then, I've continued to look into more natural cleaners. I found a great list online of formulas you can make on your own using common household items, like vinegar, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide.  Here's the list I found:
http://eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm

Here's some of my favorite formulas:

• I mop the floor with about 1 c. of white vinegar to about a gallon of hot water. Sometimes I add a few drops of an essential oil.
• Furniture polish=olive oil, some lemon juice
• Scour sinks and our porcelain tub with baking soda
• 1 c. of vinegar and 1/4 c. baking soda to clean the toilet
• Make your own magic eraser
• Clean the shower (and remove scale deposits) with a hydrogen peroxide/water solution (about 3:1) in an spray bottle
• Laundry detergent

Do you make your own cleaning formulas? What are some of your favorites?

Homemade Cleaners That Work

After reviewing Life's Too Short to Fold Fitted Sheets, I came across Organic Housekeeping by Ellen Sandbeck. I am extremely impressed with this book. It covers a wide range of topics, including clearing clutter, cleaning kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, laundry, lawns and more--all with natural products, which usually save you money and are safer for your home (and kids) than their chemical-laden counterparts. Regardless of where one falls on the "green" spectrum, this book is quite balanced. I appreciate all the ideas for how to use vinegar, baking soda, Borax, hydrogen peroxide, and more.

Here are a few of my favorite ideas for homemade cleaners:

Dishwasher Detergent: make your own using an equal amount of  Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda and 20 Mule Team Borax. (I used 1 c. of each and stored my mixture in an empty pickle jar). This works well, although my glass came out a little cloudy. Be sure to use vinegar or a rinse agent.

Showers: Remove soap scum with Borax (wet the surface, and scrub with a brush dipped in Borax), or use hot vinegar and scrub. Wiping the sides of a newly cleaned tub or shower with a cloth dampened with Murphy's Oil Soap will delay the recurrence of soap scum. Rinse well.

Remove mildew with full strength white vinegar. Wipe it on with a rag, or spray and let it sit for awhile. Another option is to apply hydrogen peroxide and allow it to dry. Repeat as needed.

Laundry detergent (not in the book): Grate one bar of Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar Soaplike a block of cheese. (You can put it in the blender once grated to break it up if desired). Add 1 c. 20 Mule Team Borax and 1c. Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda. Use 1 tablespoon for lightly soiled loads and up to 3 tablespoons for heavily soiled loads. My boys get their clothes really dirty, and this detergent mix works great. (I usually add a bit of OxiClean Versatile Stain Remover to each load).
(I buy my Fels-Naptha and washing soda at our local Ace Hardware and Borax is available just about anywhere--Target, Walmart, KMart, etc.)
This is much cheaper than commercial detergents, and I think it is better for my kids (one of my boys is eczema-prone).

Speaking of laundry, I better get to it!

Have a great Monday. Please feel free to share any homemade cleaners you use and what your experience with them has been.

Homemade Furniture Polish

When I couldn't find my furniture polish today, I googled how to make your own. This is probably not anything new to anyone but me:) but just in case (for finished wood)--

• 2 parts olive (or vegetable) oil
• 1 part lemon juice

I used 1/4 c. olive oil that I bought in a 3 L jug at Sam's Club for about $12. I used 1/8c. (or a half) of a large lemon.

Apply in the direction of the grain with a cloth and then buff with another cloth until it no longer looks oily.

Impressive results! My wood is shining!

(And I am saving lots of money! I estimate my 3L of olive oil will yield about 67 one-fourth cup servings. That is about .18 cents per use, plus the cost of the lemon...usually about .50 in our area. The lemon does make the homemade polish more expensive, but it is all natural and smells great. Plus, the kids can drink this stuff--probably wouldn't want to, but if they do, at least they're getting their omega-3's from the olive oil and vitamin C from the lemon!) :)

Do you use homemade natural cleaners? If so, what are some of your favorite "recipes"? Do you notice better results with natural as opposed to commercial? I'd love to hear from you!