RainbowSprinkles Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 As of now I'm using the Green Works products. I've heard of white vinegar with water, does this really kill germs? Does this work in bathrooms as well? I've also heard about lemon juice for bleaching cutting boards and counter surfaces. Are they talking about the kind that's in the produce section? As you can see I am clueless. :tongue_smilie: Please share your favorite true and tried recipes for home cleaning! :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoCandJ Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 please share I would like to know too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 I use a 50/50ish mix of vinegar and water in a big spray bottle with a few drops of tea tree oil. I keep a bottle in the kitchen and a bottle in the bathroom. I sprinkle baking soda before I spray on the vinegar if I want to scrub something. I put my cutting boards in the dishwasher, but other than that, I use it for pretty much everything. It works fine for the toilet if you keep on top of it. As far as it killing germs, it seems to be working for us. We very rarely get sick, and I'm pretty sure nobody here has had food poisoning. We probably average a cold a piece each year. I keep one container of commercial disinfecting wipes around for wiping things down if I make something particularly messy/yucky like a whole turkey or something, and when someone is sick I use them for wiping down things like door knobs and light switches. I also keep a small package of magic erasers for stubborn stains and crayon in unfortunate places. :) One package of each usually lasts me a year or so since I use them so infrequently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdie Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 Here is my disinfectant spary recipe: 15oz distilled water, 1oz liquid soap, (I use Dr. Bonners or Meyer all purpose) and 1/4 tsp tea treee oil. Shake to mix in spray bottle. I have no idea if it really works but it is what I use in the bathrooms and once a week on kitchen counters. I also keep Clorox wipes on hand to wipe down door knobs/phone in the event that of my children gets sick. I just found a glass cleaner recipe that I love. My dd cleaned her bathroom last week and told me that her mirror has never looked so good. LOL! It has rubbing alcohol so probably not for younger children. Glass cleaner: 2 c water, 1 T cornstarch, 1/4 C vinegar, 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol. Shake in spray bottle before use due to cornstarch. (I warmed the water and then added the cornstarch to help it disolve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorMom Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 (edited) I've been using a few different combos that clean really well. For scrubbing (toilet, shower), I use Borax. I had no idea it was all natural until I did more research... It is strong, though - have to wear gloves. It works far better than anything more expensive I have tried. Sprays - I have two. One for glass with water, vinegar, and lemon. The other is for everything else - water, vinegar, lemon, and a tiny bit of (phosphate free) dish soap. BTW - Dawn is phosphate free... Vinegar is a very effective germ killer. I don't know that I'd use it in a hospital setting - but for the home? I'd rather have a few germs around than all those chemicals. As for effectiveness - I didn't think the sprays worked all that well at first - but then I started using them with microfiber cloths. Wow - talk about clean. Much better than the old commercial cleaners with paper towels. There is even a set of cloths that have specific uses. I.E. - one for the windows that you don't need to use cleaner with - you just get the cloth damp - it worked perfectly. Also - one for the stainless steel - again, no cleaners, just get them damp. Frequently, I just use warm soap and water in the kitchen, and that seems to work better than almost anything else :) Especially for the microwave. My homemade laundry powder is working out great as well. I got the recipe online - it's 1 bar of Fels Naptha soap shredded, 1/2 c Borax, 1/2 c Arm and Hammer Washing Soda, and then I added some OxyClean. I use about 2 tbsps per load. It's "green" and cheap :) I tried all the Green Works cleaners and just was not impressed. Especially for the price :) The environmentally friendly laundry soap worked ok (Seventh Generation) - but it was just way too expensive. ETA - for the general cleaning microfiber cloths, it is cheapest to get them in the automotive section of WalMart (not the regulat rags, the actual microfiber ones) - the big packs used to wash cars. The more specific glass and stainless cloths are more expensive, but you only need one or two of each. Edited February 9, 2012 by SailorMom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elise1mds Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 When I first started making my own cleaners, I was skeptical of how 'clean' (read: disinfected) it would really get things. I found several studies indicating that essential oils DO, in fact, kill microbes quite well, particularly the citrus ones. So I've cleaned happily with them ever since and they seem to work very well. We hardly ever pass germs, even within the family. DS has been home all week with a cold and nobody else has caught it. Here's what I use: Glass cleaner (and sometimes I use this on the counters, if they're just mildly dirty): 2 c. water, 1/4-1/3 c. vinegar, and a tiny bit of castile soap (~1/2 tsp.) just to help me scrub those nasty bathroom mirrors. All-purpose cleaner: 2 c. hot water, 1 tsp. castile soap, 1/2 tsp. washing soda, and 10 drops essential oil of your choice (I usually use lemon or another 'citrus' scent). Bathroom cleaner (and for those really nasty kitchen counters): 2 c. water, 2 tsp. tea tree oil. This stuff is my favorite. It can even be used on wood as long as you dry the surface afterward. Old cloth diapers are the bomb ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainbowSprinkles Posted February 9, 2012 Author Share Posted February 9, 2012 I use a 50/50ish mix of vinegar and water in a big spray bottle with a few drops of tea tree oil. I keep a bottle in the kitchen and a bottle in the bathroom. I sprinkle baking soda before I spray on the vinegar if I want to scrub something. I put my cutting boards in the dishwasher, but other than that, I use it for pretty much everything. It works fine for the toilet if you keep on top of it. As far as it killing germs, it seems to be working for us. We very rarely get sick, and I'm pretty sure nobody here has had food poisoning. We probably average a cold a piece each year. I keep one container of commercial disinfecting wipes around for wiping things down if I make something particularly messy/yucky like a whole turkey or something, and when someone is sick I use them for wiping down things like door knobs and light switches. I also keep a small package of magic erasers for stubborn stains and crayon in unfortunate places. :) One package of each usually lasts me a year or so since I use them so infrequently. Here is my disinfectant spary recipe: 15oz distilled water, 1oz liquid soap, (I use Dr. Bonners or Meyer all purpose) and 1/4 tsp tea treee oil. Shake to mix in spray bottle. I have no idea if it really works but it is what I use in the bathrooms and once a week on kitchen counters. I also keep Clorox wipes on hand to wipe down door knobs/phone in the event that of my children gets sick. I just found a glass cleaner recipe that I love. My dd cleaned her bathroom last week and told me that her mirror has never looked so good. LOL! It has rubbing alcohol so probably not for younger children. Glass cleaner: 2 c water, 1 T cornstarch, 1/4 C vinegar, 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol. Shake in spray bottle before use due to cornstarch. (I warmed the water and then added the cornstarch to help it disolve. When I first started making my own cleaners, I was skeptical of how 'clean' (read: disinfected) it would really get things. I found several studies indicating that essential oils DO, in fact, kill microbes quite well, particularly the citrus ones. So I've cleaned happily with them ever since and they seem to work very well. We hardly ever pass germs, even within the family. DS has been home all week with a cold and nobody else has caught it. Here's what I use: Glass cleaner (and sometimes I use this on the counters, if they're just mildly dirty): 2 c. water, 1/4-1/3 c. vinegar, and a tiny bit of castile soap (~1/2 tsp.) just to help me scrub those nasty bathroom mirrors. All-purpose cleaner: 2 c. hot water, 1 tsp. castile soap, 1/2 tsp. washing soda, and 10 drops essential oil of your choice (I usually use lemon or another 'citrus' scent). Bathroom cleaner (and for those really nasty kitchen counters): 2 c. water, 2 tsp. tea tree oil. This stuff is my favorite. It can even be used on wood as long as you dry the surface afterward. Old cloth diapers are the bomb ;) Thank you! This helps a lot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainbowSprinkles Posted February 9, 2012 Author Share Posted February 9, 2012 I've been using a few different combos that clean really well. For scrubbing (toilet, shower), I use Borax. I had no idea it was all natural until I did more research... It is strong, though - have to wear gloves. It works far better than anything more expensive I have tried. Sprays - I have two. One for glass with water, vinegar, and lemon. The other is for everything else - water, vinegar, lemon, and a tiny bit of (phosphate free) dish soap. BTW - Dawn is phosphate free... Vinegar is a very effective germ killer. I don't know that I'd use it in a hospital setting - but for the home? I'd rather have a few germs around than all those chemicals. As for effectiveness - I didn't think the sprays worked all that well at first - but then I started using them with microfiber cloths. Wow - talk about clean. Much better than the old commercial cleaners with paper towels. There is even a set of cloths that have specific uses. I.E. - one for the windows that you don't need to use cleaner with - you just get the cloth damp - it worked perfectly. Also - one for the stainless steel - again, no cleaners, just get them damp. Frequently, I just use warm soap and water in the kitchen, and that seems to work better than almost anything else :) Especially for the microwave. My homemade laundry powder is working out great as well. I got the recipe online - it's 1 bar of Fels Naptha soap shredded, 1/2 c Borax, 1/2 c Arm and Hammer Washing Soda, and then I added some OxyClean. I use about 2 tbsps per load. It's "green" and cheap :) I tried all the Green Works cleaners and just was not impressed. Especially for the price :) The environmentally friendly laundry soap worked ok (Seventh Generation) - but it was just way too expensive. ETA - for the general cleaning microfiber cloths, it is cheapest to get them in the automotive section of WalMart (not the regulat rags, the actual microfiber ones) - the big packs used to wash cars. The more specific glass and stainless cloths are more expensive, but you only need one or two of each. Thank you! So it works on stainless as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 Clean House, Clean Planet is a good book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UmMusa Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 (edited) Boohoo my library doesn't have that book! I jotted down some recipes, thank you! Edited February 10, 2012 by UmMusa Ipad typo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MsAlimar Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Clean House, Clean Planet is a good book. I also recommend this book! I use her recipes and they work really well, even better than some store bought cleaners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Boohoo my library doesn't have that book! I jotted down some recipes, thank you! Clean and Green is another one. http://www.amazon.com/Clean-Green-Annie-Berhold-Bond/dp/1886101019 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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