Homemade Cleaning Products

I don’t know about you but every time I buy a bottle of spray cleaner, I am a little disappointed at how much cleaner you actually get for your money. We do pay quite a bit for those fancy spray bottles that they come in. Some of the best advice I ever received was to buy some good quality empty spray bottles and make my own cleaning solution.

There is just something about making it yourself, that is satisfying; especially if it works good and you are saving money. One thing that really makes me feel good is when I am able to use regular household products that I already have and don’t need to run out and buy.

I also like, being the preparedness geek that I am, being able to have all the ingredients on hand. I’m sure I’ll just be itching to clean in the event of an emergency. However, I do know that with the rising cost of everything, there are so many things I’d rather spend my money on than cleaners.

When I was growing up, Saturday was cleaning day. My mother always said that if you have the right cleaning products, and they work well, cleaning is much less stressful. I know that each of us have cleaning jobs that we hate or maybe detest is a better word. Maybe it’s cleaning the toilet, the oven, washing walls or doing dishes. I have said for years that I would rather do any of those than dust. However, a good duster or even furniture polish changes my thinking on that.

There is so much emphasis today on the environment. If you can use a cleaning product that is good to the environment, as well good to your health, that’s even better. Besides, think how much less garbage we’d have without all those empty cleaning product bottles.

I’ve found so many versions of homemade cleaning products and I am sure some of you have some of your own. We’ve talked about the homemade laundry detergents which I love as well as some other things that work but today here are a few other recipes you can try to save a little money. If you have a favorite, tell us about it.

I love using spray cleaner in the kitchen, especially on my stove. It makes cleaning so much easier. Here is a good one that cuts grease or spaghetti sauce easily. You can also use it in the bath on counters and mirrors.

Homemade Cleaning Spray
16 oz spray bottle (better yet use a 32 oz bottle and doubled the ingredients)
1 T. rubbing alcohol
½ c. of vinegar
1 t. dish soap
Add enough water to fill spray bottle. Spray on anything that you wish to clean and wipe with a soft cloth.

Homemade Dish Soap Recipe
This takes a little longer to make, but is even very frugal
¼ c. soap flakes or Ivory or Fels Naptha soap shavings (any bar soap will do)
2 c. water
1 t. lemon juice or white vinegar
Get out a sturdy sauce pan. Pour the water and soap flakes in and slowly heat it over medium heat. Stir the mixture and keep heating it until all the soap flakes melt into the water. DO NOT let the mixture come to a boil. Turn down the heat if needed. Allow the soap mixture to cool a bit, and then stir in the lemon juice or vinegar. Let it sit in the pot until it is completely cooled, then pour it into an old dish soap bottle. If you like, you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to make it smell better. If you use the lemon juice, you probably don’t need the essential oil. Bottled lemon juice works just fine.

Homemade Furniture Polish
Mix the ingredients well, apply to the wood and let sit a few minutes, and then buff smooth.
The juice from 1 lemon
1 t. olive oil
1 t. water

A while ago we made homemade fabric softener sheets for your dryer. Here is a recipe for liquid fabric softener if you prefer.

Liquid Fabric Softener
6 c. water
3 c. vinegar
2 c. hair conditioner (a regular bottle is 15 oz, just use that)
Either use an old fabric softener bottle or a big clear plastic juice jugs and mix all ingredients in one of those, and store. Use the same amount as you normally would. Experiment with different scents of conditioner till you find one you love. Also, you can almost always find VO5 or Suave conditioners for around $1.00 a bottle so this is very economical. Vinegar is a great rinsing agent so don't be afraid of the smell. Your clothes won't smell like vinegar.

Fake Febreze
Take one part of that handy dandy fabric softener that you just made and mix it with two parts tap water, shake, and put in a cute colored spray bottle, and spritz on fabric for a fresh scent. It's that easy and it saves a lot of money.

Oven Cleaner
Simply mix a couple tablespoons of cream of tartar with a small amount of white vinegar. There are no exact amounts; you want to end up with a thin paste. Start with about half a capful of vinegar and adjust accordingly. After doing it once you’ll discover the right consistency.
Apply it to the glass with a paper towel, a sponge or your fingers, close the door and wait two to three hours. Remove it — and the gunk — with a damp sponge and dry with a towel. If some stubborn spots remain, just do it again. This costs mere pennies per application and cream of tartar is one of the few things in the baking aisle with an indefinite shelf life. It will still be good five years from now.

Window Cleaner
2 c. water
¼ c. of white distilled vinegar
Up to ½ t. Dawn in a spray bottle
It cleans windows beautifully!

Floor Cleaner
1 c. white vinegar
1 gallon hot water
Mix together and mop!

Bathroom Cleaner
To a spray bottle add:
½ c. Dawn
Finish filling bottle with as much vinegar as the bottle holds. It works as good as any commercial tub cleaner!

Toilet Cleaner
¼ c. baking soda
¼ c. Dawn
¼ c. water
Mix above ingredients. Let sit on the toilet bowl for a couple of hours, swish with a toilet brush, and flush.