Homemade Cleaning Products

I like making my own cleaning products. I have also done a lot of looking into other natural cleaners. Some of these recipes I have tried and use. Other I have as of yet not tried.

Dishwasher Detergent:
1 cup Borax
1 cup Washing Soda
1/4 cup Kosher Salt
1/4 cup Citric Acid (or 2 pkg lemon unsweetened Kool-Aid)
Mix all ingredients well. Place 1 tbsp in both detergent spots. For added anti microbial benifits you can add a few drops of tea tree oil to each compartment. (I also use vinegar as a rinse agent)

All-Purpose Cleaner
1 tsp vegetable oil based Laundry Detergent
1 tsp Borax
2 tbsp White Vinegar
1 qt Hot Water

Herbal Cleaning Solution
Steep 1 cup of herbs in 3 cups of boiled water overnight; in morning, strain out the herbs & add to 1 gallon of hot water. Also add 1 cup cider vinegar & 2 tbsp liquid soap.
Recommened herbs: agrimony, angelica, bay, cinnamon, cloves (1/2), coriander seed, lavender, pennyroyal, peppermint, rosemary, & thyme.

Glass Cleaner
(my favorite formula)
1/4 cup plain vinegar
2 cups water
1/2 tsp liquid soap
Mix well in spray bottle
Formula#2
Add 1/4 cup white vinegar to a 16 oz spray bottle & fill the rest of the bottle with warm water.
Formula#3
Combine 1 cup rubbing (70% isopropal) alcohol, 1 cup water, & 1 tbsp white vinegar in a 12 oz spray bottle.

Wall Cleaner
Dissolve 1/2 cup borax in 1 gallon warm water. Stir in 1/2 tbsp ammonia.
Instead of ammonia I used 2 cups lavender herbal water. From what I saw it worked pretty good.

Wood Clean & Polish Solution
Mix 1/2 tsp olive oil & 1/2 cup vinegar or lemon juice in a spray bottle. Shake well. Spray onto a microfiber or flannel cloth & use cloth to clean & polish wood.
I found using 1/2 vinegar, 1/2 lemon juice & a few drops lavender essential oil made it smell okay.

Tub & Tile Cleaner
Formula #1- Mix 1 2/3 cups baking soda, 1/2 cup dishwashing liquid, & 1/2 cup water. Then add 2 tbsp white vinegar. Apply, scrub, & rinse.
Formula #2- Combine 1/4 cup borax & 1/4 cup baking soda. Add 1 1/2 cups hot water & stir until mixed. Apply, scrub, & rinse.

Nontoxic Bug Spray
Mix 3 tbsp liquid peppermint Castille soap with 16 oz water in spray bottle. Spray directly on ants, spiders, & cockroaches to kill them.

Soft Scrub
Mix baking soda and dish soap into a paste consistency. Make as needed. Does not store well.

Natural Disinfectant Cleaner
15 drops Grapefuit Seed Extract
2 cups Warm Water
Pour solution into spray bottle. Double the amount of grapefruit seed extract to create a super-strength cleaner for extreme jobs.

*Grapefruit seed extract prevents the spread of E. coli, straphylococcus, streptococcus, & many others.

Other Disinfectant
Spray a mist of hydrogen peroxide (3%) onto the surface and then spray a mist of vinegar. Allow to sit for a few minutes then wipe with a paper towel or cloth.

Cleaning Tips
-After spraying on a cleaning product wait a few minutes to allow the product to do its job.
-To disinfect sponges: Place damp sponges in the microwave & "cook" them on high for 1 min. Do NOT microwave Dry sponges! They can catch fire.
-To ease cleaning your microwave place 1 cup vinegar in a microwave safe bowl and cook on high for 5 min. Then you can easily clean the inside. This also helps deodorize as well.
-For burnt on food in the bottom of pots, sprinkle with baking soda, then add hot water. Let soak overnight.

I have future plans to make my own laundry detergent and herbal rinse. Since I'm not exactly sure on the recipe I will share later.