With a little extra effort you can concoct your own cleaning agents for the home. Some cleaning products are worth it and others may not be. If you can find a few that work for you, it’s a great way to avoid unknown chemicals coming in contact with your skin and in your mouth. It can also be much less expensive for your yearly budget!
Here are three highly recommended DIY recipes for cleaning products.
1. All Purpose Cleaner
- 1/2 tsp washing soda
- 1 tsp borax
- 1 tsp liquid castille soap
- Add your preferred essential oils such as this recommended combination: 4 drops lemon, 4 drops lavender & 10 drops orange
Directions:
Add 2 cups of warm water. Distilled water is best, but any water that has been boiled will do. Cover bottle and shake well. It can be used as a bathroom, floor or kitchen cleaner and child safe surface disinfectant.
Approximate cost $0.20 per 24 oz. Compare to your grocer prices of $3-$5 per [especially for those health conscious folks using all natural brands].
2. Laundry Detergent
- 1 Box of Super Washing Soda 3 lb. 7 oz. (About $3)
- 1 Box of Borax 4 lbs 12 oz. size (About $3.50)
- 1 Box of Pure Baking Soda 4 lb. (About $2)
- 3 bars of Fels-Naptha 5.5 oz. or you could also use Ivory soap (Less than $1/bar)
- 1 container of Oxy-Clean 1.3 lb (About $4)
- *optional: Purex Crystals 28 oz. for scent (About $5)
Directions:
Grate the Fels-Naptha Bar with a cheese grater or a food processor for quicker results. If you want, an alternative is to use Ivory soap and microwave it until it foams up [making it easier to grate]. Grab a plastic bin and line with a garbage bag. Pour each of the ingredients inside and mix them up well. It should come out grainy and colorful.
Use 1-2 tablespoons per load (HE machines are okay too!). It is very concentrated, so don’t overdo it. It can be a great alternative for sensitive skin. The cost per load is about $0.04 vs. $0.12 per load of bulk brand name with lots of extra added chemicals. Still look out for coupons for the ingredients to save even more.
3. Dish Detergent
- 1 c. Borox (Less than $1 per cup)
- 1 c. Washing Soda (Less than $1 per cup)
- 1 glass jar (Reuse a mason jar)
Directions:
To mix, pour Borax into glass jar, then add 1 c. washing soda. Secure jar lid and shake well. 1 tbsp. per load and voila! Easy peasy.
Both of these ingredients are available at local grocers, hardware or big box retailers. The recipe makes approximately 32 tablespoons or about a months worth depending on usage ($2/month sound good to you?). You can easily save tens of hundreds over the course of a few years using this mixture.
Credit for recipes & photo goes to:
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