Homemade Cleaning Products

We have had several busy days here at our little homestead.  The holiday season is right around the corner and both of my girls are expecting little ones.  McKenna, pictured below, is due in the next month or so.

This was taken this past Saturday, hard to believe she is 33 weeks in this picture!

We have been busy washing new little human clothes, putting baby beds together and cleaning the last of the clutter out of 'Coopers' soon to be room.  This past weekend I was talking with a friend of McKenna's, about using coupons and living a frugal, self sufficient life.  She and her new husband have just purchased their first home and are discovering how expensive running a home can be.  I gave her a few tips on how she could cut her budget by  meal planning, couponing, and doing things such as  by making her own cleaning products.  That evening I had her make her very first batch of homemade laundry soap.  She and her husband were so surprised to see how easy and inexpensive it was!


Here are a few recipes for cleaning products that can be made with basic ingredients most of us have on hand.

Laundry Detergent

Ingredients & Supplies:

• 2 cups of Borax

• 2 cups Arm & Hammer Washing Soda

• 1 bar of laundry soap 

 Instructions:
Grate laundry soap, mix Borax and Washing Soda all together.  Use 2 tbsp. per load.  Please note that this recipe will not foam or suds up.

Fabric Softener
 

Soften your clothes without harsh chemicals with this simple alternative. The vinegar will also help to reduce laundry detergent residue on your clothes, a bonus for members of your household with sensitive skin. 

Ingredients & Supplies:

• 1 cup white vinegar

Instructions: Pour vinegar into the laundry rinse cycle (or the fabric softener compartment, if your washing machine has one).

All Purpose Cleaner 

Use this to clean, disinfect, and deodorize a variety of surfaces. Use it to wipe down kitchen and bathroom countertops, stovetops, appliances, and more.

Ingredients & Supplies:

• 1 cup vinegar
• 1 cup water
• spray bottle

Creamy Scrub "a.k.a. soft scrub"

Instructions: Mix vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Spray onto surfaces and wipe with a cloth or sponge. Caution: Improperly diluted vinegar can harm certain surfaces. Always test first in a small area if you're unsure.
 

Use in place of commercial creamy scrubs to clean stained and dirtied surfaces.

Ingredients & Supplies:

• 1½ cup baking soda
• ½ cup water
• bowl or jar

Instructions: Mix baking soda and water in the jar (or bowl) to create a paste. Spread paste over surface, and wipe with sponge.

For stubborn stains, let paste stand for 15 minutes before sponging off.
 

Soften your clothes without harsh chemicals with this simple alternative. The vinegar will also help to reduce laundry detergent residue on your clothes, a bonus for members of your household with sensitive skin.

Furniture Polish Recipe

Ingredients & Supplies:

• 1 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• spray bottle

Instructions: Shake well and apply a small amount to a flannel cleaning rag or cleaning cloth. Spread evenly over furniture surface. Turn cloth to a dry side and polish dry.

Strong Glass Cleaner Recipe

Ingredients & Supplies:

• 1 cup rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon clear, non-sudsing ammonia
• Spray bottle
• Recycled newspaper to wipe the glass (works better than any paper towel)

Homemade Glass Cleaner

Ingredients & Supplies:

• 1 cup rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• Spray bottle
• Recycled newspaper to wipe the glass (works better than any paper towel)

Granted, it's an admittedly small step in the right direction, but with the state of world affairs over the last several years, anything and everything helps!

Laundry Detergent

Well this is it, our first post!  My husband and I have wanted to start blogging for quite some time now but like other things in life it has been put on the "I'll get to that later" list.  I thought I would start posting and just maybe he will start to feel sorry for me and take over the typing. *sheepish grin*


We spoke at a Mom's of Multiples group last night and had a wonderful time sharing our experiences with them.  We received a warm welcome and loved the Q & A during the chat.  One of the topics we spoke on was cutting your budget by making your own laundry detergent.  Several of the ladies were interested in the recipe so here it is.

CONCENTRATED LAUNDRY POWDER 
1 bar grated laundry soap ( use a regular cheese grater)
2 cups borax
2 cups Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
Mix all the ingredients thoroughly and store in a plastic container with a lid. Use 2 tablespoons per wash. This powder will not make suds and this is perfectly okay. 

LIQUID LAUNDRY DETERGENT
Makes 5 gallons 
You may add any essential oil of your choice to these homemade cleaners. Oils like tea tree, eucalyptus, lavender or rose are ideal. They are not necessary to the recipe but do not detract from the effectiveness by adding them. Use essential oil and not a fragrant oil.



Ingredients
8 cups water
1 bar laundry soap or any similar pure soap, grated on a cheese grater
2 cups washing soda (Arm & Hammer)
2 cups borax



Tools
Saucepan
5 gallon bucket
Slotted spoon or wooden spoon for mixing

Method
Into a medium sized saucepan add 8 cups of water and the soap. Over a medium heat, stir this until it is completely dissolved. Make sure the soap dissolves properly or the mixture will separate when cold.  Add the washing soda and borax.  Stir until thickened, and remove from heat.  Pour mixture into your bucket then fill the bucket with hot water from the sink.  Stir to combine all the ingredients.



The laundry liquid will thicken up more as it cools, just stir before pouring into your old laundry bottles.  Use 1/2-3/4 cup of mixture per load or monitor to see what works well for you.