3.21.2011

Part 1 - Homemade Cleaning Products

As I mentioned in my last post, Simple Start to Going Green, we started using homemade cleaning products.

The biggest change we made was by simply using a mixture of baking soda and vinegar for cleaning.  Baking soda and vinegar are both very gentle cleaners that do not harm most surfaces (I believe granite is the exception).  The one really great thing about baking soda and vinegar is that both are super cheap, especially compared to standard cleaning products!  We buy a 13.5 lb bag of baking soda at our local wholesale store, for around $5 and it lasts forever.  We buy whatever off-brand of vinegar is at the store we're shopping at.  It's all the same, and if it's just being used for cleaning, who cares what brand it is.  I know the kitchen sink doesn't care! 


There are many areas of your home that this combination can be used.  Just to name a few that we use:
  • Sprinkle baking soda in sink and spray with vinegar to react, then scrub sink
  • This can also be used for the shower as well, or a higher concentration of baking soda to make it more like a Soft Scrub
  • Baking soda can be sprinkled in toilet and then sprayed with vinegar to react/fizz then clean 
  • A tablespoon or two of vinegar added to a spray bottle of water is a great floor cleaner.
  • A cup of baking soda added to laundry will help get clothes cleaner, get smells and stains out, as well as fight static -- don't get me started on how bad dryer sheets are!!
  • Baking soda is also really good for deodorizing in general.  You can sprinkle your carpet and vaccuum it up.  Much safer than those fancy smelly ones that they sell these days.  
  • One of my other favs is using baking soda for cleaning my teeth.   I keep a small container in the bathroom from time to time and use it as a natural, gentle whitening for my teeth.  And I *hope* it is also a breath freshener, since it's a deodorizer! ha!


Also, any of these homemade cleaning combinations can have essential oils added to them for a better smell, if the vinegar smell bothers you.

There are many other types of household items that can be made, such as homemade hand soaps and laundry soaps, but I haven't ventured that direction yet.  When I do... you guys will be the first to know.

So have any of you tried using homemade cleaning products? 

3 comments:

  1. I made my own laundry detergent for about a year. I tried both liquid, and powder. Unfortunately, it just didn't clean as well as regular detergent :( I switched back to a store bought free-and-clear kind, and sure enough, my clothes stopped looking dingy.

    I love making other cleaning products, though! :) Good luck!

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  2. I'd love to know what "recipe" you used for the laundry soap, at least that will give me one that doesn't work. I totally use the Free and Clear soaps right now too, and so far I've really been liking 'em, too! I just know that homemade would be better overall... and probably cheaper!

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  3. A GREAT way to remove burnt on food from the bottom of a pan: Place water - just enough to cover bottom of pan- then sprinkle heavily with baking soda. Put on stove to boil. The burnt on food magically releases..works great! I learned this tip from my Mother!

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