Friday, July 13, 2012

Clean and Green

Happy Friday night yall!!

We've had a whirlwind couple of weeks and couldn't be HAPPIER being back in our own home and routine. We had a great Fourth with family, then headed to the airport at 4am the next day on our way to JAMAICA! We celebrated an early anniversary with a great vacation, surviving a few major minor hiccups by each other's side. We arrived back home at 12:30am extremely jet-lagged after a 6-hour layover and THEN a weather delay. I had never anticipated climbing into my own bed more! 

I had the pleasure of donning rain boots the next two days to get straight back to work in our much-needed but very sloppy rainy weather. I don't think my body has ever melted into the mattress more than it had this morning when the sound of the rain was begging me to staaay riiiight heeeere.  

I'm still not caught up on rest but running strong on the high I feel from getting back to my next crop of projects after a week away! 

Projects: My Anti-Drug. 

The week in a foreign place made me look forward to getting back to cleaning, tidying, and nesting in our own home. First up on my list was to replace my mass of annoying and overpriced cleaning supplies with only 4 bottles made with simple ingredients.

Here's the mound of unnecessary supplies before...and the whole left side of the cabinet was full too.

  
  

What a waste of packaging, space, and MONEY!



I found homemade recipes for the cleaning products I use most on various blogs (Windex, Pledge, Febreeze, and Bathroom Cleaner) and made a trip to Dollar Tree to pick up:

White Vinegar
fabric softener
baking soda
Dawn 
Spray bottles
Lavender and Citrus Fragrance
Olive Oil
 
  

I paid $8 for everything and will have enough to make each bottle several more times as I need them. Ridiculous! 

 That crazy mess of chemicals was replaced with this:


They're gentle, but effective (I couldn't wait to use them all) environmentally friendly and cheap!
I labeled them with duct tape, including the recipe on the bottle for when I need to refill.

 

I used the following 4 remedies:

Windex
(recipe from an anonymous comment on a blog)

Half White Vinegar
Half Water
1 tsp Dawn

2 tsp Olive Oil (I used a bit more)
2 cups water
1/4 cup white vinegar
*Citrus fragrance

1/8 c fabric softener
2 tbs baking soda
Rest water
*Lavendar fragrance

1/2 c vinegar
1/4 c baking soda
2 liters water
*Citrus fragrance


*If you would like to make them yourself, follow the link for each recipe to the original source for specific directions. Each of the remedies were found on various websites and blogs and I have shared them here.*

They're hazardous-free to use, easy to make (took 15 minutes start to finish) and will save a ton over time.
And I'm much happier to clean now using my own supplies:)

Happy Healthy Cleaning!
~Katie

144 comments:

  1. Thank for sharing the recipes for homemade cleaners. I cannot wait to try to furniture polish. Does the olive oil clog the spray hose or nozzle?

    If I may, there is another Windex recipe that also works. I got it from a friend:
    1/4 cup rubbing alcohol
    1 drop Dawn dish soap
    fill the bottle with water (distilled works best)

    Cheers!
    Amanda M.

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    Replies
    1. thank you i plan on trying this today

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    2. thank you for this recipe.i'm anxious to try this today as a matter a fact :)

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    3. Windex is also your best bet for pesticide in a home, as well. The products on the shelves are made with chemicals that are so federally regulated, that the market is selling weak material. Windex, however, reigns supreme. Even has an EPA number.

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  2. Thanks for that recipe! So far, I've noticed that the olive oil is so minimal, that when you shake it, the mix is so thin it sprays out like anything else would.

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  3. Thanks for the recipes! Is the bathroom cleaner an all purpose cleaner for the whole bathroom? What specifically do you use it on in the bathroom?

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    Replies
    1. For the homemade bathroom cleaner, it says 2 liters of water. How many cups is that?

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  4. It's a mild cleaner that cleans anything in the bathroom! I use it in the tub, sinks and faucets, toilet, and especially the shower. I've even used it in the kitchen for counters and sink.

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  5. the bottle that you put the Febreeze in, what "size" is that bottle like how many oz? bc the recipe says "rest water" I don't want TOO much water in it lol.

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  6. It's the size of a typical febreeze bottle, about 800ml. :)

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  7. Tried to google, but gotta ask.... what is "rest water" ?? LOL Maybe it's a silly question, but I honestly can't figure that one out :) :) :) THANKS
    -Leah

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  8. Fill the rest with water :) Just a standard febreeze size bottle.

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  9. Great post!! I hate using all those different chemicals I can't even pronounce! I already use the "windex" and "bathroom cleaner" ones, now I will have to try the pledge and febreeze!

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  10. I love the Febreeze one... I just sprayed it all over my huse. Thanks for sharing. BTW I LOVE your Blog!!!!

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  11. May I inquire where you get your fragrance's from?

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  12. Be aware that the lavender and citrus fragrances you got are not natural plant oils. They are chemically made. I have chemical sensitivities and these oils make me really sick. Essential oils cost a bit more, but, are much healthier to inhale. Also, I don't know why everyone always specifies using Dawn. Is it better than than other brands? They changed their fragrance several years ago and it made me sick, so, I haven't used it since. I don't know if they make a fragrance-free formula. I use 7th Generation because it doesn't make me sick. I hope it will work for your recipes. I'll try it.

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    Replies
    1. Dawn seems to be the best at cutting grease, so that's why its used so often.

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    2. A good substitute for the Dawn is Dr. Broner's Liquid Castile Soap.

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    3. lemon juice and water works really well at cutting grease too

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    4. You can get store brand dawn....cheaper.

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    5. Some dish detergents in the blue color are the *only* washing liquids that have ammonia in them. These are detergents and not a true soap. Any other dish washing liquid (even other colors of Dawn) will have a toxic gas reaction with ammonia. It is the safest liquid detergent to use with alcohol and vinegar.

      Off brand blue detergents are okay to use, read the ingredients label, look for ammonia. If the label warns against mixing with ammonia, do not use it in your home made cleaners.

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    6. You can get the essential oil "fragrances" that are all-natural plant based oils at any health food store or natural homeopathic store. Mine cost about $4 a piece and they last FOREVER because you only use a couple of drops to give a really potent fragrance. Hope this is helpful to those who have been asking.

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    7. I gather that Dawn is a liquid soap? It's not a brand I recall seeing in Australia. Is there something special about it or can I select any liquid soap?

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    8. I gather that Dawn is a liquid soap? It's not a brand I recall seeing in Australia. Is there something special about it or can I select any liquid soap?

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  13. Thank you, but I have no chemical sensitivities or allergies, so no problems here :) And of course you can use any detergent you like. I like to use Dawn because it's blue and I like to keep the windex blue.

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    Replies
    1. They still make the old blue dawn I don't know if its chemicals were changed but maybe something you can chk out??!!

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  14. Do you put the whole bottleof fragrance in?

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    Replies
    1. No, just a small amount. If you follow the link on each recipe, it will take you to the source, which will give you directions. I was simply sharing ingredients for each cleaner.,

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  15. Would the vinegar In the "pledge" recipe damage antique wood furniture?

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    Replies
    1. I'm no expert, but this is what I found: http://www.ehow.com/how_7624772_safely-clean-old-wood-furniture.html
      All my furniture is antique and it's worked great so far. Vinegar is about as mild as it gets. Check the source (click on the title pledge) for full instructions. And maybe you can comment and ask the original poster.

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    2. I have laminate flooring which calls for cleaning with a vinegar/water solution instead of a commercial floor cleaner. Since manufacturers are usually very picky about what you use to clean in order to not void the warranty, I would guess it would be safe. We use it on our antiques and have never had a problem.

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    3. I have found a recipe on Pinterest for saving antique furniture, it called for 3/4 c white vinegar and 1/4 c olive oil . I mixed the two and restored the look of an old cedar heat that was all scratched up by years of neglect, it is beautiful once again, so now that is all I use to "clean" my wood tables etc. the vinegar did not dry out or ruin the wood! ;0)

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  16. instead of citrus fragrance, just put orange peels in a large bottle of white vinegar within a week or so it will smell like oranges and will cut through grease even better. then just keep adding vinegar to the peels as you use it.

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    Replies
    1. You can do the same thing with lemon peels depending on what "fragrance" you want. I can't STAND the smell of oranges but love the lemon scent... lol

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    2. I have lemon juice the kind in the bottle you keep in your fridge. Can you use a little bit of that for fragrance or will it change the effect of the cleaners? Thanks so much for sharing these recipes!

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  17. I make my own cleaners too and I find myself using them more as well :) my "windex" is just a bit different than yours. A few drops of blue Dawn, 1/2 cup vinegar, and a half cup of rubbing alcohol. Fill the rest of the bottle (same size as yours) with water. Leaves it streak free!

    Oh, and for other fragrances, you can soak lavender in alcohol for a few days just like oranges.

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    1. Thank you for the tip on soaking the lavender

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  18. I've been making my own laundry soap for over a year now, and I cannot wait to try these!! There is something very satisfying about making your own stuff.

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  19. Can the windex recipe be used for windshield washer fluid, too?

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    Replies
    1. Probably not. You need an antifreeze type ingredient to prevent damage to the sprayer and container in freezing weather. You might try one of the versions with alcohol , but I wouldn't know how much would be necessary to prevent freezing.

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  20. I think the alcohol in the homemade windex helps it be more streak free (and it smells more like windex, if that matters to anyone).

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    Replies
    1. I agree! I tried it after seeing it and it worked great.

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  21. Where can I buy rubbing alcohol?

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    Replies
    1. Drugstore, dollar store, or grocery store. Usually with the bandaids and medical supplies I think?

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  22. I just finished making these and have to admit Im very excited. I used the alchohol recipe for the windex and it works great, no streaks or strong odor. The "Pledge" i used on my wood wall (a small part to test it out) and so far im very pleased with it. the febreeze mix i used smells amazing. I havnt used the all purpose cleaner yet but im looking forward to cleaning up the bathroom now. Thank you so much for these recipes. I dont have to worry about my 6 year old helping me clean now because of strong fumes and chemicals (as well as her over use of expensive products). Im so happy to be able to clean with my cleaning buddy now. :D

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  23. Ok, so I do not see any comments from any guys here so let me be the first. As a stay at home dad, and one is trying to find ways to save our family money I decided to try your line of homemade cleaning poroducts. I must say, I am impressed! Not only did they clean as (or better) than big company store bought products, but they actually let our home smelling clean. I did have to do some adjustments to the Pledge (look a like) but overall, WOW! Thank you and I look forward to seeing more money saving products in the future.
    Matthew

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  24. I appreciate it! But I don't take credit for the remedies at all! I just found them on various sites and decided to share. Glad they worked for you:)

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  25. Cant wait to try the furniture cleaner and the alcohol windex. I already use the febreeze and the bathroom cleaner and lets just say my very ugly "OLD gold" bathtub looks fabulous. I couldnt believe it. Even the old spigot looks brand new.

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  26. What is so special about dawn soap? I live in New Zealand and we don't have Dawn soap here. Is it anti-Bacterial or does it have special stuff in it that cuts grease?
    Tip that I have found works real well.
    To clean a toilet flush the toilet and give a scrub with toilet brush then sprinkle 1 cup of baking soda into toilet and around the bowl and leave for 1 hour. Come back and spreay bowl with white vinegar then flush. Bowl comes up clean and the toilet smells clean.
    Used this method when we were on septic tank and couldn't use a large number of the commerical cleaners.

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    Replies
    1. Dawn cuts grease...antibacterial-not so good for septic systems, I hear, kills too much bacteria.

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    2. Dawn has been around for years and is great for getting rid of grease also it cam be used in many different ways like I've used it for laundry soap when I was out of tide it cleans oil off animals when oils spills happen in ocean and also can wash pets in it to get rid of fleas and more. It's the most common dish detergent at least for everyone I know. Have u tried maybe going online to p&g.com and you can maybe order online if u want to try it??? I don't know cus I don't know how it works in different countries but its a thought??!!!

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    3. I believe that the UK equivalent to Dawn is Fairy Liquid - green, not blue I'm afraid (but I LOVE the idea of using Dr Bronner's liquid castille soap instead!). Does that help for New Zealand? x

      P.S. UK equivalent to rubbing alcohol is surgical spirit.

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    4. I love dr. Bronner's castile soaps too, the only problem is you can not mix it with vinegar.
      http://lisa.drbronner.com/?p=292
      here is the explantion. I use dr bronner's all purpose cleaner everywhere. Kitchen and washrooms. I am very exited about the windex you posted.. will make it tomorrow.

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  27. Hi! I was wondering when you put (c) does it mean cup ? Like 1/2 c??

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  28. Hey, thanks for sharing those money saving tips. I just wanted to let you know about another money saving idea. Go to the dollar store and just buy some plain ole coffee filters to clean your windows. It want leave lint on your mirrors or windows!

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    1. I just found this and it is very interesting as I am old and my grandmother taught me many of these ideas.....old ideas are good! and we were really scrimping by..............so , instead of buying coffee filters,,,just recycle newspapers...color or black and white to wash windows with,,,,use it on mirrors too! u will be surprized...........please wear gloves ,,,,

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  29. Have you ever seen the commercials on TV where they are washing a baby duck with Dawn dish detergent? He was rescued from water that wascontaminated with oil dumped in it. Dawn is used in many home made cleaners because it has been proven to be a great degreaser. Use what you want in place of it but if you want a really great degreasing quality to your cleaner, Dawn is the best. Just saying!

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    1. Also, the manager at my pet store said to bathe your dogs in Dawn rather than pay $16.00 for flea shampoo because it is better than the flea shampoo.

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    2. I just heard the same thing about Dawn for fleas. That is how they bathe their dog now and it also makes the coat of the dog feel great. Gonna try that with our dog.

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    3. That commercial is adorable! Love that duck. I think there's a baby penguin too! :)

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    4. I make my own dog shampoo with Dawn. Equal parts of Dawn, water, white or apple cider vinegar and aloe vera gel. I add lavender and eucalyptus essential oils as fragrance. If your dog has dry skin add a little coconut, olive or avocado oil. Shake it up and put into an empty shampoo bottle.

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    5. I make my own dog shampoo. Equal parts Dawn, white or apple cider vinegar, water and aloe gel. I add lavender and eucalyptus essential oils for fragrance. If your dog has dry skin also add a little coconut, olive or avocado oil. Pour it into a empty shampoo bottle and shake. If you don't have aloe gel don't worry about it.

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  30. what do you use (I.e. Clorox wipes etc) to kill germs during the cold / flu season? any recommendations?

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    1. tea tree oil is an excellent antifungal, antibacterial and those other good anti's. I use white vinegar (but only Heinz, because it is the only white vinegar I know that is not petroleum based), with tea tree oil for wiping down door knobs, light switches, faucets, etc. Works well in the shower also to prevet mold and mildew

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  31. Just to add to the comment about coffee filters, here in the East End of London, we were always taught to clean our windows with a vinegar solution and newspaper, it has to be the cheaper tabloid stuff though where the ink comes off...it is that that help the magic happen apparently!

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  32. Does the bathroom cleaner sanitize?

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  33. Instead of using scented oils, can you just use the scent from lemon peels or orange peels in all of your recipes? Just wanted to be more naural...

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  34. Thanks for sharing! I was wondering, since I don't have any white vinegar on hand.. would I be able to use rice vinegar instead? It's distilled vinegar like you're looking for, right? Anyone have any opinions? Couldn't seem to find much about it on Google.

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  35. I have one other windex recipe you may like. IT WAS GIVEN TO ME BY A PROFESSIONAL WINDOW CLEANER.
    1/4 C. WHITE VINEGAR
    1/4 C. CLEAR AMMONIA
    1/4 C. CLEAR RUBBING ALCOHOL
    FILL REST OF WINDEX BOTTLE W/ WATER

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    Replies
    1. Just remember, do not use anything with ammonia on tinted windows, like on vehicles. This is what makes the tint turn purple and dry up.

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    2. Just remember, DO NOT use ammonia solutions on tinted car windows. This is what causes the tint to turn purple or dry out and peel.

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    3. I thought these ingredients were so they are chemical free and safe I know that's the part that caught my eye but that's also just my personal preference with kids...

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    4. This recipe would be great, but if you're looking for something that won't agitate lungs (asthma other respiratory illnesses), or be dangerous for children, I would avoid using ammonia...

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  36. I found a wonderful glass cleaner from a TV show called Extreme Cheapskates. Now I know some of the ideas on there are a BIT overboard for me, but this one actually worked and it didn't cost me one extra penny! My fiancee is the cleaner of the house and a skeptic at times was even impressed that it left no streaks, didn't smell bad, and that I didn't have to spend any money since we are a coffee household. We have used it on glass doors, windows, and mirrors and it works for us. Just another alternative to the vinegar smell :D.

    Ingredients:
    Old clean squirt bottle
    Old coffee or fresh if you prefer...day old works fine too. FYI Don't use grounds it will clog up the squirter
    Cold water

    Directions:
    Fill the bottle half way with the coffee and the rest with the cold water.

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  37. so then does the vinegar act as the disinfectant in the bathroom cleaner?

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    Replies
    1. Yes vinegar worlds as a disinfectant kills as much bacteria as bleach does!:)

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  38. I was wondering if there was a typo for the bathroom clean. Its says 2 liter of water but yet the bottle i. the picture does not.seem like it 2 liter..Help I def want to tey this...

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  39. labeling your bottles with recipes is geeeeeenius.

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  40. Forever HousekeepingDecember 12, 2012 at 7:38 AM

    I can't wait to try these. I am a Housekeeper and hate using so many chemicals everyday and the cost is outrageous! I can't wait to make these and try them out. Thanks!!!

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  41. Stumbled on your blog from Pinterest, and I'm so excited to try these. I'll be coming back for more good tips. Thanks!

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  42. You can also make an all purpose cleaner with half hydrogen peroxide and half water. Cuts through all sorts of crud in the kitchen and all natural!

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  43. another bathroom (shower) cleener. hot vinger 1/2 cup dawn1/2 cup in spray bottle. spray shower tub area wait 1/2 hour or so wipe cleen works well in soap scum

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  44. I've been using many of these recipes for over a year now and we also make our own laundry detergent/stain remover.
    I wanted to caution against using fabric softener as an air freshener though. It's toxic, especially when released into the air. I use a combination of water, vinegar and essential oils instead and it works just as well.
    Check out this link about fabric softeners: http://www.ehaontario.ca/help-with.htm (And it has great tips and recipes for homemade products at the bottom of the article!)

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    Replies
    1. Ps - I didn't mean to come off as critical, just wanted to share the dangers of using fabric softener. :) Love your blog!

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  45. You may also check out a way to make a disinfectant with pure lemon oil. From the research I've done, lemon oil is a great disinfectant. I use 3/8 tsp of cold pressed lemon oil, 24 oz water, and a couple drops of Dawn. It makes my kitchen smell great!

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  46. I know a great recipie for floor cleaner...
    1/4 c of vinegar
    1/4c of baking soda
    2tbsp of dawn(any scent)
    2 gallons of hot water

    I know the baking soda and vinegar react with eachother but something about the combo with dawn is fantastic. Hardly any scrubbing needed. Believe it or not the baking soda kills the vinegar smell so ur mop water smells fresh. I have also put in a few drops of orange essential oil to give it a nice smell. So happy cleaning!!

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  47. Another everyday wood floor/wood cabinet cleaner. Take and boil water in a 2qt Sauce pan. Add 2 tea bags(I used chamomile but i think any non fruit tea will work. I was afraid the fruit might leave a sticky residue) and boil or steep for 2 mins. Let cool a little. Put in spray bottle and use as needed. The tannins in the tea bring out the shine in the wood. It works awesome. Also use for my wood cabinets.

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  48. I have a couple of carpet cleaners I'd like to share. for spot cleaning carpets, use 1/2 gal. water, 1/2 C vinegar, 1/4 C baking soda. Dip scrub brush in solution and scrub carpet. let dry and vacuum. it's amazing the nasty old stains this will get out of your carpet.

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  49. If you'd like to use a commercial (steam) carpet cleaner without all the chemicals, this worked beautifully.
    1/4C ammonia
    1/4C vinegar
    3 tsp. Joy dish washing liquid
    add water to equal 1 gallon

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  50. toothpaste will clean alot of things in bathroom like bathtube toilet and sink also you know the old stains in your toliet that are caused by well water or just build up with those nasty brown spots well just put toothpaste and let it sit and go back in a little while then scrub you will be amazed

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  51. Do you know of a good recipe for cleaning granite counter tops?

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  52. Combining vinegar with baking soda reduces the cleaning power of both ingredients. Use baking soda if you need it to scrub, vinegar if you need disinfecting. The reaction of the two creates CO2 gas (which can be useful for some things, like cleaning drains) but if you're using it as a surface cleaner, using the two combined is counterproductive and you may as well just use water instead.

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    Replies
    1. I have to disagree- the effervescent effect of the two together is very handy at getting crud off. I use a cup of baking soda in sink of one part vinegar to one part hot water to clean the pieces of my stove top and it works every time!

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    2. I have to disagree- the effervescent effect of the two together is very handy at getting crud off. I use a cup of baking soda in sink of one part vinegar to one part hot water to clean the pieces of my stove top and it works every time!

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  53. I make a similar cleaner for my all of my home, even use it to spot clean the carpets, with 2tablespoons each of vinegar and dishwashing liquid. Top up the spray bottle with warm water. Actually I found it better to 3/4 fill the bottle with the warm water add the dish liquid and vinegar and then slightly top up the bottle with a little more water. By putting the water in first it doesnt froth.
    Ive also found that any dishwashing liquid works well.
    For the Windex substitute if you use other coloured dishwashing liquids but want it blue a few drops of blue food colouring works. I don't know why but blue works better at cleaning windows lol

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  54. I love the "Pledge" cleaner. I use it on my babies' cribs. It makes feel better when I see the rails being used as teethers that my babies aren't ingesting harmful chemicals!

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  55. Does the fabreeze smelle actually last a while or does it fade after a short amount of time?

    Also, anyone agree with the post about not using fabric softener and instead using essential oils? I have a 2 month old and I don't want to be spraying anything harmful into the air.

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  56. febreeze is a fabric freshener right? so technically the mix made with fabric softener isnt being sprayed into the air but onto fabric.

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  57. The bathroom cleaner recipe says 2 litres water. Your bottle looks much smaller. Is that a typo?

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  58. But is that "Citrus fragrance" all natural? I made a wood polish that is completely 100% natural that I used to polish my baby's crib and I KNOW she isn't getting into anything that will harm her. It's a mix of beeswax (obtained from a local beekeeper!), olive oil and lemon essential oil. It smells absolutely wonderful and works great too. Best of all - 100% NATURAL.

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    Replies
    1. Citrus "fragrance" is not natural, it's chemicals used/combined to smell like the real stuff. If you want real or natural use "essential oils" BUT even with those you need to be very careful because there are just five of them that can be used straight or without a carrier oil. Lavender and tea tree are safe to use. Remember they are "oils" so they will float on water unless mixed with other oils or glycerin. The citrus ones could irritate or burn your skin.

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  59. Anyone can answer this. I am making the bath cleaner in bulk as well as some of the others here for our church food pantry in the 5 gallon containers so people can refill their own bottles. Do you find any of these cleaners need shaking before use? Just want to know if these ingredients will "settle" in the containers. Will the workers need to pick up the 5 gal thing and give it a shake before dispensing? I prefer not! TY!!

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    Replies
    1. The oil rises to the top for the pledge so it needs to be shaken, but that is the only one.

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    2. Awesome! That is the one I won't be making. I did make a different Windex that is more true to the real stuff and it is not a vinegar mix....just made it and tried it and I do like it better.
      Windex Spray Bottle
      1/8 Cup (1oz) White Ammonia
      1/4 Cup (4oz) Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol
      1 Drop Laundry Detergent (I used Dawn Dish soap instead)
      Water - To Fill The Bottle

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    3. I just recently tried an alcohol base one and I like t better too:)

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    4. Thanks for all these great recipes. I can't wait to try them, and thank you all for your great hints too. I loved reading all the comments.

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  60. Ok I feel a little silly but am i the only one that had a problem when I mixed the ingredients for the bathroom cleaner. I didn't even think about the reaction possibilities until it was too late. It seemed like it was a waste if product because most of it foamed out of the bottle. Please help!!!

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  61. Could you share the alcohol based windex you are now using? Please

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    Replies
    1. 1 Empty Windex Spray Bottle
      1/8 Cup (1oz) White Ammonia
      1/4 Cup (4oz) Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol
      1 Drop Laundry Detergent
      Water - To Fill The Bottle

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    2. I use
      water
      dawn
      rubbing alcohol

      works amazing on windows or mirrors

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    3. I just made and used this alcohol based recipe and it works awesome! I used to clean my windows with warm ammonia water and this works just as well and it was quicker! We have gas heat, so in the winter time our windows get a hazy film on them that is hard to get clean. Also, I have a two year old and we just found out this week that I am pregnant again, so I like the fact that this isn't made of nasty smelling, toxic ingredients. A lot of store bought cleaners get in my throat and made me cough and this definitely does not. Thanks!

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  62. Great cleaner recipes. I can't wait to try them for my weekend cleaning!!! I will report how they work for me.

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  63. Hi Katie!
    Thank you for your great post on cleaner recipes. On Tuesdays, I share tutorials on my shop fanpage www.facebook.com/eljahb . I had to share this! I invite you to stop by my shop as well www.eljahb.etsy.com

    I can't wait to read more invaluable posts from AMazing Grays:)
    Thank you

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  64. I buy everything cruelty-free. Dawn is definitely not cruelty-free. Do you think it would work with any dish soap, or is there something in Dawn that makes it work better in these recipes?

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  65. Great post with nice ideas. Can these fragrance be used for carpet cleaning also?

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  66. Salman, you can use the febreeze to spray the carpets... I've never cleaned my carpets per se, but a great (amazing) way to get spots out of your carpet is to saturate the area with a mixture of half water, half ammonia, and place an old rag on the area to be cleaned... then simply go over the rag with a hot iron. You'll be amazed at how it pulls the stain out- I know I was when I first tried it. The smell of the ammonia is a bit irritating, but it's cheap, it works, and the smell goes away fairly quick, especially if you use the febreeze afterwards.

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  67. Another silly question, can I get Dawn in Australia? Is it some form of dish washing product or liquid soap. Would love to give these a go, thanks, Linda

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  68. Hi, can I get Dawn in Australia? If not, what exactly is it, dish washing liquid, soap, ??? Love to try these so any help would be appreciated, tks Linda

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    1. I think in Australia it is called Fairy and you can get it from Coles. I have not checked but read about it on the net.

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    2. I think it is called Fairy in Australia and is at Coles. I have not checked it out but read it on the net.

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  69. Hi!
    Where I used to work we would use 50/50 vinegar, or 50/50 rubbing alcohol - I found the alcohol worked best, but it's use was limited (because it cost a little more and we had a whole bunch of windows/mirrors). Ever since I have used the rubbing alcohol version at home - I find it way better at removing finger prints, and makeup/hairspray residue on mirrors.

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  70. Fabric Softeners have wax/tallow in them. I would not want to be spraying that on my furniture or carpets or drapes. For a "natural" Febreeze replacement, just mix essential oil of your choice (just a few drops) with distilled water.

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  71. Did no one do high school chemistry? vinegar and alcohol ate chemicals as is ammonia. The whole world is made of naturally occurring chemicals. Why is everyone so afraid of "chemicals"? Obviously we need to only use chemicals that are safe and be mindful of what chemicals you are mixing. Ammonia is not something I would use in my home. Home made cleaners are great, I use them myself. But only to avoid paying ridiculous prices for something so easy to make yourself and usually more effective.

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  72. I just finished making a tub scum remover that knocked my socks off! 1/2 cup of white vinegar warmed for 90 seconds in the micro with 1/2 cup of original dawm liquid dish soap and I didn't need to wear plastic gloves to clean either. It was the most amazing stuff I have ever used and the easiest clean. I have to give credit to Pinterest for this one.

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  73. I love this post. I was wanting to do a similar post for our blog (http://cleaningouttheclutter.com), but have to admit I have not started using the homemade solutions. I have a stockpile of stuff I've gotten from couponing, so I was waiting until I needed some more. Thanks for the information

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  74. I hope I'm not repeating this comment as I was not logged in before. I love this post. I was thinking of doing a similar post on our blog at http://cleaningouttheclutter.com. I must admit I have not yet began using homemade solutions, because I have a little stockpile from couponing. I plan to do this though. It is so much more healthy and saves a ton of money. Thanks for a great post.

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  75. I've been making a cleaner that is just half water and half vinegar and am having a huge problem with gnats (which are attracted to vinegar). Does anyone else have this problem or does the citrus and other smelly adds resolve that problem?

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  76. I love finding chemical free recipes that also save me money...thanks for sharing!
    #oils4everyone

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  77. Some great tips here! I'm definitely going to give them a go this weekend :) I really want to start getting the place beautiful in time for Christmas.. not long now! ;) I've been using carpet cleaner sutton coldfield for a while for my carpets - I'm looking forward to trying some of my own :)

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