Clean the Home Naturally

There is no need to buy separate cleaning supplies for each purpose in your home. You can save lots of money and exposure to chemical solvents by trying these easy-to-make cleaning solutions. Most of the ingredients are already in your pantry and laundry room.

Borax: 20 Mule Team variety from the grocery store is a wonderful disinfectant and absorbs odors. It softens water so laundry detergent and soaps work more effectively. Try adding 1/2 cup the wash cycle before adding the clothes. If you have a front loading machine, dissolve the borax in a quart of hot water and pour it into the clothing before you close the door and start the cycle.

Rubbing Alcohol: The same rubbing alcohol you probably have in the bathroom is good for mixing with vinegar in equal parts with hot water to clean most surfaces and tile. Fill a spray bottle with one third each of vinegar and alcohol and finish with warm water.

Salt: Fine grain table salt is great as a gentle abrasive for cleaning the tub and sink. It's good for cleaning copper pots and burned on food in pans and glass casserole dishes. Salt cuts grease and is really affective when combined with natural liquid soap. Put a squirt of liquid soap on a damp cloth, sprinkle a liberal amount of salt onto the surface of the copper pot and rub gently with the soap cloth. Rinse with warm water and polish dry.

Baking Soda: We all know that keeping an open box of baking soda in the refrig helps to keep odors down. Did you know you can also dissolve it in hot water and use in a spray bottle to remove offensive odors from the air? Baking Soda can be added to the laundry wash cycle to help eliminate odors and soften the wash water. Use a half cup per load.

Vinegar: The mild acid in the vinegar is a great disinfectant, grease cutter and stops lime build up in the shower from hard water. Combined with baking soda it helps loosen baked-on food in the oven and in pots and pans; the foaming reaction generates oxygen and heat to help make clean up of burned food come up easily. Oven: Wet the burned food area liberally with vinegar and sprinkle baking soda on the area. It helps if the oven is still warm. Pots and Pans: Pour vinegar into the pot, add the baking soda and gently heat the pot to increase the action. Allow it to cool to room temp or overnight. The burned-on food should be easy to remove.

Keep a spray bottle of vinegar and borax in the shower. Spray the walls and around the tub a few times to keep soap scum and hard water deposits from building up.

Essential Oil: Many essential oils smell as good as they are effective in cutting grease and disinfect bathrooms and kitchens. Sweet Orange, Grapefruit, Rosemary, Cinnamon and Lavender essential oils are my favorite. Mere drops are needed and they even help to keep you happy while you do the tough work. I like to put 5 or 6 drops into the vacuum bag just before I turn it on. The scent is nice and helps clean the air. Add a few drops to spray bottles.

Ammonia, NON-Sud sing: The best cleaner for windows and glass.
NEVER COMBINE AMMONIA WITH CHLORINE BLEACH! EVER!
Use 2 tablespoons of ammonia to a quart of warm water in a spray bottle. You can also add 1 tablespoon of baking soda and a small squirt of liquid soap.

Washing Soda (calcium carbonate): Not to be confused with baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), you'll find washing soda in the laundry aisle at the grocery store. A paste of washing soda and vinegar are especially affective for tough laundry dirt like grass stains and perspiration stains. Dissolve 1/4 c of washing soda and 1/4 c baking soda in a spray bottle of very hot water and keep it handy to spritz stains before they go into the hamper or before they go into the machine.

Corn Starch: Draws fresh oil and grease stains from clothing and carpets. Corn Starch mixed with Borax and Baking Soda can be worked into pet urine stains and food stains in carpets. Work the powder in with a cloth whetted with vinegar. The powder will fizz and work it in some more. Cover the area with aluminum foil and allow it dry for a day or so then vacuum it up completely. You may need to repeat the process a few times. Use equal parts borax, baking soda and corn starch, mix well and store in a container.

Peroxide: Good for oxidizing protein based stains on wood and color fast fabric. Apply peroxide directly to the stain, allow it to work for a few minutes then wipe up. Rinse the area with warm water and dry.

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ALL PURPOSE CLEANING POWDER

2 cups Baking Soda
2 cups Borax
2 cups Salt

Combine thoroughly and store in a closed container. Use a scoop in the toilet. Apply with a damp cloth for cleaning the sink and tub.

Use 1/4 cup to a gallon of hot water to wash the floor. Rinse with warm water and dry. Put the solution in a spray bottle for the shower walls. Add a little vinegar to the bottle for tough water deposits.


ALL PURPOSE SPRAY/LAUNDRY

1/4 cup washing soda
1/4 cup baking soda
Hot water to fill spray bottle, but leave a little room for
a good squirt of liquid soap


ALL PURPOSE CARPET CLEANER

Equal parts: Borax, Baking Soda, Cornstarch

mix thoroughly and store in air tight container.


Thanks for reading! Hopefully we can all do our part to keep excessive chemical cleaners out of the water supply!