Cleaning Product Recipes

Lara DeHaven — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 12:22:53 +0000

Kyla cleaning with disinfectant spray

As promised, today I am going to post some of my cleaning recipes. For the most part, they are very simple and involve basic ingredients. I’m sure you can find many variations on the internet, but these are what I use.

Dishwasher detergent:

Combine equal parts of Arm&Hammer Washing Soda and Borax. I keep them in a container already mixed. Fill the jet dry dispenser with white vinegar. When I am ready to run the dishwasher, I put 2 tbsp of the mixture. Since I have hard well water, I add an additional 1½ tsp of washing soda to the soap dispenser. To activate the mixture, I pour some vinegar onto the powder, and it sizzles as I close the door and start the wash cycle.

Liquid Laundry detergent:

Grate one bar of laundry soap. I use Zote because that is what my local grocery store carries. Add it to a saucepan with 4 cups of water. On medium heat, melt the soap. Stir it continuously. Fill a 5 gallon bucket half-way with warm water. Pour the soap mixture in and stir. Add ½ cup of Borax and 1 cup of Arm&Hammer Washing Soda. Mix well. My husband uses a paint mixer attachment on his drill to ensure everything is combined well. Then using a mixture of tea tree oil and lavender oil, I drop 50-60 drops in total to the soap and mix again. Let it sit for 24 hours.

I reuse an old laundry dispenser with a pour spout at the bottom. Rinse it out very well. Fill with your homemade laundry detergent. It is concentrated so a little goes a long way. Another option is to dilute it with water 50/50 in the container and use like regular detergent.

All-Purpose Cleaning Spray:

¼ cup Castile Soap (I use Dr. Bronner’s unscented soap.)
1 T apple cider
2 cups warm water
10 drops of peppermint oil
20 drops of tea tree oil

Add everything to a spray bottle and shake well to mix. The tea tree oil makes this mixture disinfectant as well. I use it on my kitchen countertops, dining room table, laminate and tile floors, and in the bathroom. It is very effective and smells great too. This recipe is from Beeyoutiful’s catalog. I really like it.

Air Freshener:

2 oz of vodka
60 drops of any essential oil or mixture

Put the vodka in first and then add the drops of oil. Shake well in a spray bottle. Spray in the air as needed. I use a mixture of peppermint and lavender oil.

Glass and Mirror Cleaner:

Soak a car shammy in water and wring it out well. Clean the glass surface with the damp shammy. It does not take long to shine and does not leave streaks. This is a little trick I learned from my husband, who used to be an automotive technician. Shammies are also great for soaking up messes and spills off of the floor.

These recipes use natural ingredients and are formaldehyde-free, which is great for our household. Using them is much more economical as the ingredients are very inexpensive and can be found on most laundry and detergent aisles. They are also much better for the environment.

I buy all of my essential oils from Beeyoutiful. They sell a great pack of 5 different kinds of essential oils as well as other natural products.

Texas Homesteader » air freshener

Cleaning Product Recipes