All Purpose Cleaner
1 tsp washing soda
1 tsp borax
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 qt very warm water
Mix the ingredients in a resealable container until they are thoroughly dissolved.
Carefully pour into clean spray bottle. Use a funnel to ensure a clean pour with minimal spills.
Close the spray bottle and cap the resealable container. Clearly lable both bottle and container.
Spritz the mixture all over your bathroom fixtures until they are all wet. Once you have finished spraying them then grab a damp cleaning cloth and rub the fixtures until they are clean. If you wish, take- a clean dry cloth and dry the fixtures until they shine. You will be left with a gleaming odor free, germ free bathroom.
Be sure to spot test first to make sure you do not damage your things.
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Bathtub scrubber.
1/2 citrus - orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, etc.
2 tbsp- table salt
2 tbsp borax
Mix the table salt and borax in a shallow dish. Dip the cut part of the citrus half into the mixture. gently apply pressure on the fruit until there is a bit of juice and begin to slowly and thoroughly rub the mixture on the stained area of your bathtub. This works great if you have a tub ring. Once you have thoroughly scrubbed the area be sure to rinse it with clean water.
Make sure you test this in a small hidden area to ensure it does not damage your tub.
You will be left with a great smelling tub.
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Toilet cleaner
1 c Vinegar
Pour it in your toilet and swish with a toilet scrubber. How easy is that?
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Toilet Bomb
1 c Vinegar
1/4 c Baking Soda.
Pour the vinegar in your toilet then lightly sprinkle the baking soda in. Its gonna foam so be careful.
Using the toilet scrubber swish the mixture around. Let stand for about 10 minutes. Use the toilet scrubber and scrub your toilet bowl. Flush! Ta Da! Sparkling clean.
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Toilet Fizzer
2-4 Dental cleaning tablets
Drop them in the bowl before bed. Over night they will do their magical powers just like they would on dentures. Using the toilet scrubber swish and scrub the bowl for a gleaming bowl ready for use.
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Toilet Leak Test
10-20 drops of blue food coloring
Put the food coloring into your toilet tank. Use your finger and gently swirl the water to get it started mixing. DONT FLUSH OR USE YOUR TOILET for up to 3 hours. If your toilet water (in the bowl) turns blue, then you know you have a leak.
If you have a leak here are a couple of things you can do before calling the plumber.
- Shut off your water supply (usually behind your toilet at the base), flush your toilet, and remove the lid to the tank.
- Raise the plunger (flapper) and rub the area where it lays on the outlet ring of the toilet to feel if there are any imperfections. If you feel something just take a scrubbing pad and lightly rub the area. Its best to rub the whole underside of the plunger just to ensure.
- Using the scrubbing pad, rub the area that the plunger lays on when it seals the water out.
Once you have done these two steps...
- lay down the plunger
- turn the water back on
- flush the toilet to flush all of the food coloring out
- add more food coloring
- Don't flush!, Just wait for 3 more hours.
- Is your toilet water blue again in the bowl? If so then consider calling a plumber. If not, then you have fixed a leak in just a few easy steps.
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Toilet Tank Cleaner
Vinegar
Turn the toilet supply valve off, flush the toilet, and spray the area compleatly wth vinegar. Let it sit for 10 minutes or so. Using a scrub brush, scrub and swish the vinegar water all around as best as you can. Be sure to scrub the bottom of the tank also.
Turn the water back on. Flush a couple of times and keep scrubbin to loosen all of the debris. Flush until the water in the bowl of your toilet is clean looking.
Clean your toilet tank atleast twice a year. The vinegar will sanitize the tank and bowl.
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Trash Can
Lets face it!! The bathroom trash can sees alot of nasty stuff. We might empty it every so often, but do we clean it? NO!
Ingredients
All Purpose Cleaner (recipe above)
Tools
Scrub brush- Toilet scrubber will work just fine
Empty all of the trash out of the trash can. Sit the trash can in the bathtub upright. Spray a heavy coating of the All purpose cleaner all over the trash can (inside and out), and let it sit.
While the trash can is soaking- now is a good time to spray down your bath tub and other fixtures.
Using a scrub brush or scrubbing sponge- scrub the trash can all over, inside and out. Rinse the trash can and spray it with more All purpose cleaner.
Rub the trash can one more time if its soiled bad. Rinse well. Let dry.
Once the trash can is dry you can spinkle some fresh baking soda in the bottom of it to help with keeping down the odors.
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Please remember to not only clean the inside of the tub, toilet, and sink, but to also clean the outsides.
I struggle with keeping the the base of the toilet clean and free of dust, hair, and debris. Does anyone have a suggestion for that? I have used the vaccum before, but I tend to do the floors after all the other cleaning is done and usually by the time I get the vaccum out the splashed water around the base of the toilet is not dry.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Pure Vinegar for cleaning
Distilled White Vinegar straight from the bottle is great for the following:
-In a spray bottle- spritz around the home and in stinky areas for a cheap way to neutralize odors.
Spray in the shower/ tub area after shower to help keep wet soap scum from sticking, making your weekly cleaning a cinch.
-Pour vinegar in your rinse compartment for your dishwasher and your clothes washer. In the dishwasher it helps prevent water spots and aids in sanitizing your dishes while deodorizing the dishwasher. In the clothes washer, it helps remove body oil and soap build up while deodorizing your clothes and washer and softening your clothes without chemicals and perfumes.
Don't worry about the Vinegar smell. NO!! Your house will not smell like pickles for long. Once the vinegar dries its odor disappears along with other foul odors that it comes in contact with. The Vinegar neutralizes the bad odors leaving your home smelling fresh and crisp. I know because I have 3 cats who love to stink up the kitchen. This stuff works!
-In a spray bottle- spritz around the home and in stinky areas for a cheap way to neutralize odors.
Spray in the shower/ tub area after shower to help keep wet soap scum from sticking, making your weekly cleaning a cinch.
-Pour vinegar in your rinse compartment for your dishwasher and your clothes washer. In the dishwasher it helps prevent water spots and aids in sanitizing your dishes while deodorizing the dishwasher. In the clothes washer, it helps remove body oil and soap build up while deodorizing your clothes and washer and softening your clothes without chemicals and perfumes.
Don't worry about the Vinegar smell. NO!! Your house will not smell like pickles for long. Once the vinegar dries its odor disappears along with other foul odors that it comes in contact with. The Vinegar neutralizes the bad odors leaving your home smelling fresh and crisp. I know because I have 3 cats who love to stink up the kitchen. This stuff works!
Homemade Laundry Detergent
Homemade Laundry Detergent
This laundry detergent uses a handful of ingredients and is a huge money saver for my home.
Ingredients:
1 finely grated bar lotion free soap like Fels Naptha or Octagon or your favorite scented soap
1/2 c each Washing Soda and Borax
Warm or Hot tap water
If you want you can also add your favorite essential oil for added fragrance
Fill a 1 gallon stock pot with tap water and place on you stove and turn it medium heat. Add the grated soap and begin to stir occasionally until the soap water reaches a gentle simmer. Once a gentle simmer has been reached begin stirring the soap water to help the grated soap thoroughly dissolve into the water.
While dissolving the soap, gently pour the washing soda and borax into a clean 5 gallon bucket that has a lid (being careful to not inhale the powdery dust). At this point I use my hands and break up the dry powders if they have any clumps in them. Doing this now helps the powders dissolve and mix well later.
Once the powders are mixed and no longer clumpy and the soap has dissolved into the simmering water, Pour the soap water slowly and gently into the bucket while being sure to keep your face away from the steam and dust, (I hold my breath and turn my head away from the steam cloud). Gently and thoroughly mix this solution well with a long handled spoon. While mixing, slowly turn your hot water faucet on and begin to slowly fill the bucket. If you turn your faucet on too much it will splash when it hits the solution, potentially causing injury, and/or cause bubbles to form.
Fill the bucket until it is nearly full. Stir well one last time to ensure all is mixed. At this point you can add your chosen fragrance oil. Cover and let stand in a area away from children and pets for 24 hours.
After 24 hours you need to stir the mixture well. It will be slimy and gel like. Just stir it well and it will be ready to use.
For use I pour it into a reusable beverage container that I didn't use in the kitchen, you can use any plastic container that has a tight fitting lid like washing detergent, fabric softener bottles, or even milk jugs. What ever container you use, make sure it is clean before filling. (To make it easy for filling, I use a 1 cup measure and funnel.) Give the container a good shake before each use.
Use 1/2 c per large load of laundry. It will not suds in the washer, DON'T WORRY! I have done my research and have found that just because a soap does no suds does not mean it is not cleaning. The sudsing aspect is just a visual affect that we have came accustomed to seeing from commercial cleaners.
Congratulations you have made enough laundry detergent to last approximately 160 loads of laundry. If your laundry is not badly soiled you can even cut you detergent in half, only using 1/4 c per load, literally doubling the number of loads of laundry you can do per batch.
Cost break down. I have not measured, but others have and from what several other people have figured out, Your Home Made laundry detergent will cost approximately 1 cent per load. Going on this rate- 1- 160 load batch of laundry detergent will cost you about $1.60. That is less that $2 for laundry detergent!!!! WOW!
Feel free to play with the recipe- I have many times and it always cleans my clothes. Just remember: Don't worry if it does not suds and don't worry if it does not gel. Your soap has to do with the sudsing and gelling.
This laundry detergent uses a handful of ingredients and is a huge money saver for my home.
Ingredients:
1 finely grated bar lotion free soap like Fels Naptha or Octagon or your favorite scented soap
1/2 c each Washing Soda and Borax
Warm or Hot tap water
If you want you can also add your favorite essential oil for added fragrance
Fill a 1 gallon stock pot with tap water and place on you stove and turn it medium heat. Add the grated soap and begin to stir occasionally until the soap water reaches a gentle simmer. Once a gentle simmer has been reached begin stirring the soap water to help the grated soap thoroughly dissolve into the water.
While dissolving the soap, gently pour the washing soda and borax into a clean 5 gallon bucket that has a lid (being careful to not inhale the powdery dust). At this point I use my hands and break up the dry powders if they have any clumps in them. Doing this now helps the powders dissolve and mix well later.
Once the powders are mixed and no longer clumpy and the soap has dissolved into the simmering water, Pour the soap water slowly and gently into the bucket while being sure to keep your face away from the steam and dust, (I hold my breath and turn my head away from the steam cloud). Gently and thoroughly mix this solution well with a long handled spoon. While mixing, slowly turn your hot water faucet on and begin to slowly fill the bucket. If you turn your faucet on too much it will splash when it hits the solution, potentially causing injury, and/or cause bubbles to form.
Fill the bucket until it is nearly full. Stir well one last time to ensure all is mixed. At this point you can add your chosen fragrance oil. Cover and let stand in a area away from children and pets for 24 hours.
After 24 hours you need to stir the mixture well. It will be slimy and gel like. Just stir it well and it will be ready to use.
For use I pour it into a reusable beverage container that I didn't use in the kitchen, you can use any plastic container that has a tight fitting lid like washing detergent, fabric softener bottles, or even milk jugs. What ever container you use, make sure it is clean before filling. (To make it easy for filling, I use a 1 cup measure and funnel.) Give the container a good shake before each use.
Use 1/2 c per large load of laundry. It will not suds in the washer, DON'T WORRY! I have done my research and have found that just because a soap does no suds does not mean it is not cleaning. The sudsing aspect is just a visual affect that we have came accustomed to seeing from commercial cleaners.
Congratulations you have made enough laundry detergent to last approximately 160 loads of laundry. If your laundry is not badly soiled you can even cut you detergent in half, only using 1/4 c per load, literally doubling the number of loads of laundry you can do per batch.
Cost break down. I have not measured, but others have and from what several other people have figured out, Your Home Made laundry detergent will cost approximately 1 cent per load. Going on this rate- 1- 160 load batch of laundry detergent will cost you about $1.60. That is less that $2 for laundry detergent!!!! WOW!
Feel free to play with the recipe- I have many times and it always cleans my clothes. Just remember: Don't worry if it does not suds and don't worry if it does not gel. Your soap has to do with the sudsing and gelling.
Welcome
Hello and Welcome to my blog about recipes to use around the home. I hope to hit on all of the recipes available that will cover most or all household cleaners and such.
My Disclosure: I am not a chemist or anyone special. I am just a mother, wife, college student, frugal, God fearing woman who wants to spread what she has learned by putting it all in one spot. If you choose to try one of my recipes, then do so at your own risk. It will not be my fault at any point. With that said, use caution and common sense while making and using these recipes and tips.
Have fun saving lots of money!
My Disclosure: I am not a chemist or anyone special. I am just a mother, wife, college student, frugal, God fearing woman who wants to spread what she has learned by putting it all in one spot. If you choose to try one of my recipes, then do so at your own risk. It will not be my fault at any point. With that said, use caution and common sense while making and using these recipes and tips.
Have fun saving lots of money!
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