Tips For Cleaning Supplies On The Cheap

Making your own cleaning supplies seems to be a lost art, our grandmothers seemed to able to keep their houses clean without the need for using harsh chemicals so why can’t we? Not only is making your own cleaning supplies a great way to save money, it’s eco-friendly and great way to minimize hazardous chemicals in your home. The cost of commercial, popular cleaning products is ridiculously high not to mention they are terrible for the environment and can create long-term health problems for everyone at home. Nearly everyone in the world suffers from allergies, asthma or bronchitis so eliminating any irritating chemicals from your home should be a priority.

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With fewer chemicals around you don’t have to worry about storing them away from little ones or worrying about what will happen if they get their hands on them. Below I will cover what ingredients you should use to mix and create different cleaning solutions and recipes for cleaning solutions that you can use in every room of your home. Let’s start with the ingredients.

  • Baking Soda – softens water, scours, deodorizes and cleans.
  • Lemon – one of the strongest food-acids against bacteria and it smells amazing.
  • Isopropyl Alcohol – disinfects.
  • Cornstarch – used to clean windows and polish furniture.
  • Soap – unscented, biodegradable and will clean just about anything. Look for soap without petroleum distillates.
  • White Vinegar – removes odors, wax buildup and grease.
  • Borax – cleans painted walls and floors, deodorizes and disinfects. (may cause some irritation)

Most of these ingredients are non-toxic and do not harm the environment, not only are you saving money, you are also making your home a safer place. By mixing and combining these ingredients, you can clean nearly every space in your home. Here are some of the recipes for cleaning products.

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All purpose cleaner

Mix 2 litres of water with ½ a cup of vinegar and ¼ cup baking soda. Store and keep, use for water stains, windows, mirrors.

Carpet stains

Mix white vinegar and water in a bottle, spray directly on the stain, clean with a brush and soapy water. For grease stains use cornstarch and let it sit for 30 minutes, vacuum. For a heavier clean use ¼ cup salt, ¼ cup borax and ¼ cup vinegar, run onto the carpet and let sit for a few hours, vacuum.

Disinfectant

Mix 3 cups of hot water with 4 tablespoons vinegar and 2 teaspoons borax, if you want to make it stronger add ¼ teaspoon liquid soap, transfer into a spray bottle.

Window cleaner

Clean-Windows-Like-a-Pro

Mix 1 litre of water with 2 teaspoons of white vinegar, use black and white newspaper or cotton cloth to clean the window.
Toilet bowl cleaner: Mix 1 cup vinegar and ¼ cup baking soda, or if you need something stronger you can use a mixture of 2 parts borax to 1 part lemon juice. Pour your mixture into the basin and let it sit for about 15 minutes, scrub with a brush and rinse.

Floor cleaner

Most surfaces can be cleaned by mixing 2 litres of water with 1 cup of white vinegar and a few drops of baby oil.

Scouring

Apply baking soda with a damp sponge to surfaces you do not want to scratch like the oven.

Oven Cleaner

Wet down the inside of your oven with a sponge and water use ¼ of a cup of water, ¼ cup salt and ¾ of a cup baking soda to make a thick paste. Spread over oven surfaces and let it sit overnight, wipe clean. Use steel wool on any hard to remove spots.

Painted surfaces

Apply baking soda to a damp sponge rub any spots gently, then rinse.

Always be aware what is in the cleaning supplies and products you are using, some of the fumes produced by commercial cleaners can be harmful so always read the instructions. If you are concerned with saving money then the chances are you already have half of these products already, if you are concerned about saving the environment then these products will cut down on your use of toxic chemicals. There are also many environmentally friendly, biodegradable products available on the market today. Cleaning your home has never been more natural, cheap and easy.

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