mom2denj Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 (edited) Could you help me? I want to start using natural cleaning products, but I do not have any recipes for them. I am never sure how much vinegar or baking soda to use. Another question I have is, how long do these concoctions last? Is there a shelf life max for these? I would love to hear what you use for laundry, floors, etc..... Thanks so much!! Kristen:) Edited March 26, 2011 by mom2denj Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaMa2005 Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 Here is a link to laundry detergent: http://tipnut.com/10-homemade-laundry-soap-detergent-recipes/ I use recipe #3, but use 1 C Borax, 1 C Washing Soda and 1 bar Fels-Naptha. Keeps our clothes nice and clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 My general purpose cleaner is about half and half water and vinegar, maybe a wee bit lighter on the vinegar, with a few drops of tea tree oil. I use it for almost everything, including the floors. I keep baking soda in a shaker container and hydrogen peroxide in an opaque spray container. The hydrogen peroxide does degrade over time if exposed to light. I also keep a container of Lysol wipes for when someone is sick, or I'm making a whole turkey or something and the meat juices start to ick me out. One container lasts me about a year. I also keep a magic eraser for the occasional stubborn stain. That about covers my cleaning supplies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annlaura Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 :iagree: This is about exactly me. I don't use tea tree oil, although I have been thinking about adding it. My little boys love taking a little sponge or cloth and the spray bottle of vinegar/water to clean their little table or the windows. I also use beeswax polish for wood, and the boys can polish their special toys with it too. I have been using method wood for good on our wood floors, but I'd love to hear what others find works on theirs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xuzi Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 Is there perhaps a natural cleaning "recipe book", where all these different recipes are in one place? (like laundry detergent, all-purpose cleaner, glass cleaner, etc.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mabeline Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 I usually just use a 50/50 mix of water and vinegar with essential oils to wipe down counters and anything else that needs wiping. I keep baking soda in an old parmesan cheese shaker and use that whenever I need to scrub. I haven't used a lot of these recipes but they look really good. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorMom Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 Water and white vinegar - for almost everything. I added a few drops of dish soap occasionally, or poured it over salt to form a scrub. I still use this on our boat, but I hate to admit that I found the stronger stuff to be so much easier to use around the house - and I'm lazy :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 Here is a link to laundry detergent: http://tipnut.com/10-homemade-laundry-soap-detergent-recipes/ I use recipe #3, but use 1 C Borax, 1 C Washing Soda and 1 bar Fels-Naptha. Keeps our clothes nice and clean. Does this have a scent? We need to use unscented products here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flobee76 Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 50/50 vinegar and water works great for us. I use that for cleaning up anything, including the floors, windows, bathrooms, and inside the fridge! I do keep conventional sanitizing wipes in the bathroom for quick clean-ups if we are sick or if we have guests here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom31257 Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Findley2 Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 I love this book. It has a lot of recipes. They are listed according to their uses, and each recipe gives the shelf life. http://www.amazon.com/Green-Clean-Environmentally-Sound-Cleaning/dp/1595910042/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1301152373&sr=8-3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaMa2005 Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 Does this have a scent? We need to use unscented products here. The borax and washing soda have no scent. The Fels-Naptha smells like Fels-Naptha, but to me, it really isn't a scent. You can always substitute Ivory for the Fels-Naptha, but then again, I don't consider Ivory really a scent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 The borax and washing soda have no scent. The Fels-Naptha smells like Fels-Naptha, but to me, it really isn't a scent. You can always substitute Ivory for the Fels-Naptha, but then again, I don't consider Ivory really a scent. Thank you. This would work for us, I believe.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 (edited) Does this have a scent? We need to use unscented products here. We also need to use unscented/no dye detergents, and I recently made laundry detergent with this recipe - 2C A&H Washing Soda 2C Borax 1C Sun ("Walmart Brand" Oxyclean) 9oz grated soap (I used Jergens pure and natural) Blend thoroughly. Use 1-2T per load. It has a very slight soapy scent, but you can't smell it on the clothes. I also add 1/2 C white vinegar in the softener compartment. I've been surprised at how clean and soft our clothes have been. To clean my wood and laminate floors, I filled an old 32oz spray bottle with water and added 2T vinegar. The vinegar smell goes away when it dries. Better Basics for the Home by Anne Berthold-Bond is a really well done book. You can see a preview on Google Books. Edited March 26, 2011 by Susan in TN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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