Homemade Cleaning Supplies

Disinfectant

One Gallon

Fill your gallon jug up with water or take a gallon jug filled with water
from the grocery store add 160 drops of your choice of essential oils and 40
drops grapefruit seed extract. You can mix and match your essential oils to
get up to 160 drops. Also I find that 40 drops is approximately two dropper
full's of essential oil or 1/2 teaspoon. To make 32 ounces divide by 4. Use
10 drops each.

For example:

40 drops of Thyme
40 drops of Lemon
40 drops of Cinnamon
40 drops of Clove
40 drops of Grapefruit seed extract

Homemade Bleach

1 Cup Pure Food-Grade Hydrogen Peroxide
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
10 Cups Distilled Water

Mix together and store mixture up to three months in glass container.

DISINFECTANT

Mix a half-cup of borax (a natural mineral that kills mold and bacteria)
with 1 gallon hot water. Add a few sprigs of fresh thyme. Steep for 10
minutes, strain and cool. Store in a recycled plastic spray bottle or better
yet, a GLASS spray bottle.

Easy Homemade Cleaners

All Purpose Cleaner
Combine in a clean spray bottle:
Two teaspoons of borax
Two teaspoons baking soda
1 quart water

Window and Glass Cleaner
Combine ingredients in clean spray bottle:
1 part vinegar
1 part water.

Oven Cleaner:
3 parts baking soda
1 part water
nylon scrubber
elbow grease
Combine baking soda and water and use like a paste with the scrubber and
your elbow grease. For really stuck on stuff, instead of three parts baking
soda mix half baking soda half salt (increases abrasiveness). Keep baking
soda off the heating element.

Floor Cleaner:
1/2 cup baking soda
1 gallon warm water
Dissolve baking soda in warm water and apply with rag or mop. For extra
disinfecting add 1/2 cup borax.

Fruit Cleaner
Mix in sink, and scrub and rinse vegetables well with:
3 parts baking soda
2 parts water

Drain Cleaner:
1 cup baking soda
1 cup salt
1 quart boiling water
Blend together and pour down drain followed by boiling water. Let set
several hours or overnight.

Scouring (Dish cleaning) Powder - Sprinkle baking soda directly on a sponge
or rag.

Toilet Bowl cleaner - Scouring powder (see above).
Sprinkle in baking soda and brush as you would a scouring powder, or if the
toilet is stained try mixing:
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup vinegar.
Beware, it bubbles.

Tub and Tile Cleaner - Scouring powder ( See above).
If mold and mildew are present try adding enough water to the baking soda to
make a paste. Dip a toothbrush in it and scrub the area.

Room Deodorizer
Mix in a clean spray bottle:
4 Tablespoons baking soda
1 quart warm water

Carpet Deodorizer - Sprinkle carpet with baking soda and vacuum as usual.

Furniture Polish
Mix together:
1 part olive oil
1 part lemon juice
Apply lightly with a soft cloth.
Don't make much more than you need. It doesn't store well.

Hardwood Floor Polish/Shine
Mix:
1 part vinegar
1 part olive oil or vegetable oil.
Apply to the floor, then rub it in well.

Brick and Stone Cleaner:
1 cup of white vinegar
1 gallon of water.

Uses for Tea Tree Oil

General Antiseptic & Cleanser

Add 1 teaspoon of 100% pure oil to 1 1/5 gallons of water when washing
windows, floors, toilets, bathrooms and kitchen surfaces.

Add 2 teaspoons of 100% pure tea tree oil to washing machine for a fragrant,
fresh wash.

Household ants and other pests dislike tea tree oil, so a few drops put at
the point of entry will deter them. Wipe cupboards out with an oil and water
solution to deter cockroaches.

Remove scuff marks from a vinyl/linoleum floor by rubbing with a damp cloth
to which pure oil has been added.

Room Spray: 5 drops of tea tree oil to 2½ cups water. Spray around room to
refresh and give a cooling effect.

Refrigerator gaskets stay fresh and clean if you wipe them over occasionally
with a tea tree oil/water solution.

Shower doors stay cleaner if you wipe them over with a tea tree oil/water
solution. Helps prevent soap sum build-up.

After washing down walls and removing grime and mildew, wipe over again with
a tea tree oil/water solution to prevent mildew regrowth.

To remove chewing gum from hair, apply pure oil.

Diaper Cleanser: Add 20 drops tea tree oil to approximately 1 gallon of
water, stir, then soak diapers overnight.

Washing Soda: All-Purpose Cleaner - How To
http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/home/712

Adapted from Better Basics for the Home by Annie Berthold-Bond (Three Rivers
Press, 1999).

Simple Solution
A chemical neighbor of baking soda, washing soda (sodium carbonate) is much
more strongly alkaline, with a pH around 11. It releases no harmful fumes
and
is a far safer heavy duty cleanser than a commercial solvent formula.. It
cuts grease, cleans petroleum oil, removes wax or lipstick, and neutralizes
odors in the same way that baking soda does.

This terrific all-purpose cleaner formula is one you will stick with for a
lifetime.

All-Purpose Cleaner (Fantastic Cleaner)

1/2 teaspoon washing soda
2 teaspoons borax
1/2 teaspoon liquid soap or detergent
2 cups hot water

Combine the washing soda, borax, and soap in a spray bottle. Pour in the hot
water (it will dissolve the minerals), screw on the lid, and shake to
completely blend and dissolve. Spritz every 6 inches or so of surface once
or twice,
wiping off the cleanser with a rag as you go. For tough dirt, leave the
cleanser on for a few minutes before wiping it off. Shake the bottle each
time before
using.

Shelf Life: Indefinite

Storage: Leave in a labeled spray bottle. Helpful Hints Wear gloves when
using
washing soda because it is caustic. And don’t use it on fiberglass, aluminum
or waxed floors--unless you intend to remove the wax.

Shop for Supplies
BOOK: Better Basics for the Home
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0609803255/

Copyright: Adapted from Better Basics for the Home by Annie Berthold-Bond
(Three Rivers Press, 1999). Copyright (c) 1999 by Annie Berthold-Bond.
Reprinted
by permission of the author.

More Nontoxic Cleaning Solutions
(scroll halfway down the webpage)
http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/home/712

Alternative Furniture Polish
Removing the New Smell from Back-to-School Clothes
Clearing Clogged Drains
Fabric Softeners
Cleaning Outdoor Furniture and Grills
Automatic Dishwashing Detergents
Homemade Soft Scrubber
Spring Cleaning - How To
Vinegar Kills Bacteria, Mold and Germs
Wet Clean Wool, Silk and Rayon
How to Clean with Vinegar
Nontoxic Oven Cleaner
Solvent-Free Furniture Polish - How To
Clean Your Silver with Household Basics
Detergent or Soap?
Brass Cleaner
Say Goodbye to Mold and Mildew
Chlorine in Household Cleaners
Air Fresheners
General Purpose Cleaners
Antibacterial Spray
The Five Basics for Nontoxic Cleaning
Make Your Own Non-Toxic Cleaning Kit - How To
Washing Soda Fireplace Soot Remover
Winter Holiday Mulled Cider Air Freshener
12 Effective Ways to Remove Laundry Stains
Eco Hero: Natural Detergent Product Formulator
The Best Window Cleaner
A Safer Spa Maintenance Solution
The Wonders of Washing Soda
Top Ten Eco-Friendly Ways to Clean the House
Clean and Green on a Budget
Annie's Favorite Wood-Floor Soap - Formula
Obliterating Odors - How-To Formulas
Your 20 Greatest Stain-Removing Tips - Reader-to-Reader
Aromatic Carpet Freshener
Fragrant Floor Wash – How To
Light and Lemony Dusting Cloth - How-To
How Safe Are Your Cleaning Products? - Quiz
Baking Soda: Best Soft Scrubber - How To
Vinegar As Antiseptic: Floor Wash with Herbs - How To
Washing Soda: All-Purpose Cleaner - How To
Tips and Hints to Keep Whites White
How To Remove Grass Stains
Cure for Scaly Mineral Build-Up
Wonders of Baking Soda for Carpet Odors
Three Good Reasons to Get to Know Neem
Where Are the Bathroom Germs? You'll Be Surprised
Upholstery Cleaning 101 - The Nontoxic Way
Best-Ever Fixes for Holiday Cleaning Crises
Banish Mold from Bathroom Grout - Formula
Housecleaning with Magic - How To
Summer Shower Scrubber – How-To Formula
Washing Wood: Linseed Oil Soaps and More…
Five Easy, Smart Ways to Use Vinegar in the Home –How-To
Five Easy, Smart Ways to Use Borax in the Home– How-To
Five Smart, Easy Ways to Use Washing Soda in the Home – How-To
Five Smart Housekeeping Ways to Use Tea Tree Oil –How-To
Five Smart, Easy Ways to Use Essential Oils in the Home – How-To
All-Purpose Spray Cleaner For Just Pennies
Soft Scrubber with Aromatherapy Attitude - Bathtub How-To
Get Inspired to Clean - How To
A Cleaner House - The One-Step Solution
Spring Space Clearing and Cleaning
Counter Cleaners
Wonderful Wicker: How to Clean It
Cleaning Cutting Boards – How-To
The (Antibacterial) Vinegar of the Four Thieves
Top Three Clean Air Priority Fixes in the Bath
Use Smudging to Clear Your Home - How To
Melted Candle Wax and Sloshed Red Wine - Fix-It How-To
Five Safe, Nontoxic Winter Cleaners
Lemon’s Aromatherapy Gifts - Dusting How-To
Three Rules of Thumb for Nontoxic Living
Lavender For the Home - How-To
Removing Chocolate Stains - How-To
How to Remove Berry Stains
Annie Shows Her Soft Scrub Formula - Short Video