Cleaners: Do they have to be the pre-packaged, store-bought ones? Many are now seeing the hazards of the chemicals in commercial cleaners, so there’s a double benefit to making your own.
We use a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water for many of our cleaning jobs. We spray counters and stovetops (it cuts grease well) and also use it to mop the floors.
We use a bleach/water solution for bathrooms, though I know the chemical dangers of bleach. My friend at Seeds to Sew quoted from a site that said cleaning with vinegar and hydrogen peroxide simultaneously gets rid of almost all bacteria. So maybe we’ll replace our clorox with peroxide (although I do love the clean scent of bleach!)
Scrubbing with baking soda has the same effect as Comet, and even better when using a lemon sliced in half for added bleaching effect.
Remember, companies want to convince you that you have to have the latest, newest products–close your eyes, and remember that you’re smarter than that!
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9 comments
I love “close your eyes, and remember that you’re smarter than that!” So true!!!
So true. I love to use vinegar and soda, even if it does smell like someone has been eating a salad in the bathroom after I finish cleaning it! I like to add a few drops of lavendar oil to our vinegar solution for a little less “vinegrette” smell. I had not heard that about hydrogen peroxide. I will add it to my natural cleaners list post haste!
I love using natural cleaners as well. One of the other things I use that is cheap and works well is regular rubbing alcohol to clean mirrors and windows. works just as good as Windex and has not ammonia in it.
Does anyone know if you can put vinegar in dish water? Is that ok for the dishes instead of bleach? I’m allergic to bleach and I don’t want it around the house with small children anyway.
This may not solve all your need for bleach in the dishwater because it’s not sterilizing, but a little bit of baking POWDER on a wet surface will remove stains beautifully from white mugs and the coffee maker. We use it to get rid of coffee stains. It would probably work on other things too I’ve just never tried it.
We use vinegar & water in its own spray bottle, hydrogen peroxide in its own spray bottle (can buy this in a spray bottle at WalMart), and then spray the vinegar & hydrogen peroxide on the same item, but do not mix them in the same bottle. The two mixed in confinement creates a different chemical that is not safe.
We also use baking soda for scrubbing. We also use Krud Kutter for heavy duty cleaning.
I add vinegar to my hand dishwashing and rinse water as well. It can also be used as the rinse agent in a dishwasher.
And since using vinegar for a hair rinse, my hair has been soft and less oily, with fewer washings needed.
Vinegar and hp are standard staples here.
Mommaof10
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Lol sorry I forgot to mention I don’t have a dishwasher and do all my dishes by hand. It’s always been that way for me so I forget to mention it. We are probably getting a house with a dishwasher soon though and I’m excited!
I did two… I hope that is o.k. Two different blogs 🙂
I use Club Soda for cleaning windows. I use it with a dry clean wash cloth and it works wonders. If there is lent left over, just turn your cloth around and dust it off.
You can use soda sprinkled on your sponge and then add a little “real” liquid soap, not liquid detergent, and this works great at cleaning the tub and sinks. Rinse by spraying with vinegar.
These are just a few of my favorites.