Recipes for Making your own Natural Cleaning Products

[susancollins]

I was wondering if any of you could please share some recipes for all natural cleaning products. I use 1/2 cup vinegar mixed with water for a natural cleaning product to wipe down my sinks, table, and more. Thanks in advance for any tips and ideas. Susan :001_smile:

Edited May 20, 2010 by susancollins

[tonersl]

:bigear::lurk5:

Shannon in NC

[Gooblink]

:lurk5: I'm particularly interested in dishwasher soap and something effective for removing organic stains from clothing.

 

 

I use the basic laundry detergent recipe: 1/2 cup Borax, 1/2 cup Washing Soda, 1 bar (Ivory, Fels Naptha or castille) soap (recently used lavendar scented castille - really nice). Edit: guess it would help to include the process! I grate the bar soap and blend everything in a food processor. There's a similar gel recipe, but I use the powder.

 

Rinse cycle with vinegar and a couple drops of eucalyptus oil.

[Purpledaizy]

http://www.amazon.com/Better-Basics-Home-Simple-Solutions/dp/0609803255

 

I love this book. I've had it for years and refer to it frequently. It does a great job of teaching the chemistry of natural ingredients so you can become creative with your own solutions.

[DaffodilDreams]

I use half vinegar and half water combination in an old plastic Method spray bottle (to give you an idea of size). Then I include two droppers full of grapeseed extract and about 20 drops of whatever essential oil (or two) that I feel like at the time. I use this spray for kitchen, bath vanities, regular dusting surfaces, and all mirrors.

 

For the shower, I use half borax, half baking soda and about 20 drops of orange essential oil in an old peanut butter jar. Leave room to shake it all up. Our entire shower is stone tile and grout, so I get out the old tooth brush and elbow grease. This recipe can also be used in toilets, but I have better success with non-green cleaners in that area.

 

Stainless kitchen sink - sprinkle baking soda all over sink and drains. Slowly pour white vinegar over baking soda. Call kids in to watch it bubble. Let sit a few minutes. Wet sponge just enough to work into paste and rub into all sufaces. Rinse thoroughly with warm water. Wipe down and rub sink with a bit of olive oil.

 

No Impact Man had some recipes on his blog awhile ago. You might be able to google that.

Edited May 20, 2010 by kimmie38017
Added another recipe

[justamouse]

dishwasher powder is

 

borax

 

baking powder

 

citric acid. THAT's the important one. You will get grossness all over if you don't have it. If you look in the cleaning aisle at Waluniverse there's a product called Lemon Shine (you can also use Sure Jell or Fruit Fresh but I like the lemon scent)

 

I get an old oatmeal container-the cardboard kind, and dump the whole thing of Lemon Shine in. Then I dump in:

 

3 cups of borax

3 cups of baking powder

and sometimes 3 cups of washing soda if I have it on hand.

 

Shake up the container and use ONE TABLESPOON per load. Obvioulsy it will last forever. :001_smile:

 

Also, I use plain white vinegar where the Jet Dry goes.

[susankenny]

I make our laundry detergent. Here are the instructions:

 

4 Cups - hot tap water

 

1 Fels - Naptha soap bar

 

1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda

 

½ Cup Borax

 

Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.

 

Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water.

 

Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

 

Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)

 

Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.

 

Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.

 

We've been using this for about 5 months now. My previous detergent was Gain & this works just as well. To give my clothes the smell of Gain though, I have another trick. I take Gain fabric softener and pour the whole bottle in a bucket. Then I add 2 equal parts of water. I put in 2 sponges. Each time I put clothes in the dryer, I ring out the sponges & toss them in the dryer (like dryer sheets). My clothes smell phenomenal.

 

These ideas are from the Duggar website. I found all of the ingredients at my local Harris Teeter (grocery store).

 

 

 

Susan

 

 

 

PS - I can't wait to try the dish detergent recipe! I currently use liquid cascade, and I've never found anything that works as well. Anxious to try this!

Edited May 20, 2010 by susankenny

[Pippen]

I really like this book called Clean & Green:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Clean-Green-Non-Toxic-Environmentally-Housekeeping/dp/1886101019/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274371085&sr=8-1

 

For general wiping down of appliances and counters, I use 1/4 tsp washing soda, 2 tsp borax, and 2 tsp Murphy's Oil Soap dissolved in 2 cups cold water. I usually double the batch. This doesn't work well on windows.

[m4given]

From 2008 - here is this post with different recipes.

 

I love threads like this!

[Gooblink]

dishwasher powder is

 

borax

 

baking powder

 

citric acid. THAT's the important one. You will get grossness all over if you don't have it. If you look in the cleaning aisle at Waluniverse there's a product called Lemon Shine (you can also use Sure Jell or Fruit Fresh but I like the lemon scent)

 

I get an old oatmeal container-the cardboard kind, and dump the whole thing of Lemon Shine in. Then I dump in:

 

3 cups of borax

3 cups of baking powder

and sometimes 3 cups of washing soda if I have it on hand.

 

Shake up the container and use ONE TABLESPOON per load. Obvioulsy it will last forever. :001_smile:

 

Also, I use plain white vinegar where the Jet Dry goes.

 

Citric acid is the piece I was missing! I happened to stumble upon and buy lemi-shine in our grocery store this weekend and used it to clean the mess I'd made with the borax/baking powder-only mix I'd tried. Grossness is right!

 

Cool, I'll try a new mix with the citric acid. Thank you!