With salaries going down and prices going up, everyone is looking for a way to cut costs and still stay green. If you’re anything like me, you are trying to save your family, pets, and the environment, all while staying within your budget. With some research, trial and error, and many hours of cleaning, I’ve created a collection of some very effective recipes for homemade cleaning products which include homemade furniture polish and homemade cleaner.
I was very surprised to learn that a lot of the ingredients were sitting either in my cupboard or under my kitchen sink the whole time. Some key items to collect for these recipes: Gallon of distilled white vinegar (it costs about £1.50 and you’ll use it in a lot of these recipes), a large box of baking soda (cost is about £1), a bag of lemons, essential oils (optional but adds great scents to everything).
Laundry
Add 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar to the last rinse. Vinegar makes a great fabric softener and is great for sensitive skin. It will also reduce lint, removes soap from wool garments and blankets, and also reduces static cling. Don’t worry about vinegar smells as white vinegar is the ultimate multipurpose product.
All-Purpose Cleaner
Plastic Spray Bottle
White Distilled Vinegar
Lemons (Optional)
Essential Oil (Optional)In a spray bottle, mix 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water. Add 10-15 drops of essential oil for scent or squeeze the lemon juice into the bottle (to get more juice out of the lemon, it helps if you roll it on a surface before you cut it in half). This combination makes a great degreaser, which is perfect for a homemade cleaner.
Baking Soda
Water
Mix baking soda and water together to make a paste. Use in sinks, tubs, and on other hard surfaces for tough stains.
Disinfectant
Water
Castile Soap
Tea Tree Oil (or another disinfecting oil)
Fill a spray bottle with water. Add in about 3 Tbsp castile soap and 10-15 drops of tea tree oil. Spray on surfaces with the most contact (doorknobs, sinks, phones, trash cans, etc.).Fresh Carpets
Baking Soda
Essential oil (optional)
Mix 3 cups baking soda and 20 drops of essential oil in a bowl. Break apart any clumps. Sprinkle on carpets around your home and let stand for 15 minutes. Vacuum. If you don't use essential oil, baking soda still acts as an absorber and will absorb odors in your carpet.Slow-Moving Drains
Pour 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup down the drain. Dribble hot water to wash down. Let stand 1 hour or overnight.
Furniture Polish
This homemade furniture polish leaves your furniture shining and is also cheap to make, you probably already have the ingredients in your cupboard and fruit bowl!
Olive Oil
Lemons
Spray Bottle
Mix 1 cup olive oil with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a spray bottle. Use an old rag or cleaning cloth and apply a small amount of mixture. The dry side of the rag can be used to polish.Floor Cleaner
White Distilled Vinegar
Lemons (Optional)
Add 1/2 cup vinegar to a bucket of water. To dilute the vinegar smell, squeeze a few lemons into the bucket.
This combination also makes a great soap scum and hard water deposit remover!Air Freshener
Put cloves, cinnamon sticks, orange/lemons rinds, or allspice into a pot of water. Simmer for a few hours to add a great scent to your home.
Combine 1 cut-up lemon and 1/2 cup water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 45 seconds.
Dissolve baking soda in 2 cups of hot water. Add lemon juice or essential oil into a spray bottle.
Grind lemon rinds in the garbage disposal to remove odors.Other Helpful Hints
Baking soda and salt are great abrasives. Use them in your kitchen for tough stains.
Sprinkle baking soda in the kitchen sink. Use 1/2 lemon as your "sponge" to scrub with.
Lemons are a natural bleacher. Be careful to wipe up after using counter-tops!
Straight distilled white vinegar is one of the best natural glass cleaners!
The smell of vinegar will go away within a few hours, so don't worry!Most important: Even though these homemade cleaning products are safe, always remember to label anything you mix at home!!! These products are game changers and the homemade furniture polish has especially changed things up.
Other posts I have written on sustainability include 12 Ways to Use Stasher Bags in the Home and 6 Energy Saving Tips Around the House
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