DIY Cleaning Products!

I have ALWAYS been very interested in our environment and in 1978 I pledged to “Go Green.” Each new year gives me reason to stop and consider what else I could do to be better at being green. Around our house we already do most of the typical things – recycle, eat locally grown produce and even grow a few of our own strawberries, grapes, citrus and veggies.  We also compost and support local farmers by buying their soaps, honey, jams and more.  I always shop with reusable bags and I even take a commuter bus to work and work from home as often as possible. So while I’m not exactly giving No Impact Man a run for his money, there is a long list of things I can do to reduce my impact even more...

Of late, I have been experimenting with the idea of replacing our off-the-shelf cleaning products with natural, non-toxic alternatives that I can make at home from a few simple ingredients. Not only are these homemade cleaners better for the environment, they are also healthier and significantly cheaper. There are many variations, but here are some common recipes for natural cleaning products I found online:

 

All-purpose Cleaner

• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 2 tbsp baking soda
• 1/4 gallon hot water
• a few drops of essential oil (optional)

Combine ingredients in a bucket, stir, then allow the mixture to cool before pouring into a spray bottle.

Glass Cleaner

• 2 tsp white vinegar
• 1/4 gallon water
• a few drops of lemon essential oil (optional)

Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake. Wipe the glass surface with crumpled newspaper.

 

Furniture Polish

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 tbsp white vinegar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake well before use. Store extra in the refrigerator to prevent lemon juice from souring.

Dishwasher Soap

• Equal parts borax and washing soda

Mix the ingredients and store in a labeled container. Use the amount normally called for in your dishwasher.

Laundry Soap

• 1 cup unscented, dye-free soap (such as Ivory), grated or ground with a food processor
• 1/2 cup washing soda
• 1/2 cup borax
• a few drops of essential oil (optional)

Combine the ingredients and store in a labeled container. Use 1 tbsp for lighter loads and 2 tbsp for heavy loads.

To learn even more go to

http://www.bystephanielynn.com/2011/02/homemade-cleaning-products-non-toxic.html

And to download labels you can print go to:

http://gardenberger.blogspot.com/2011/06/homemade-labels-for-our-homemade.html