Ingredients:
- 2 tsp White Distilled Vinegar
- 1 Liter Hot Water
Directions:
- Combine the ingredients, pour into a spray bottle.
- Clean windows/glass while the solution is hot for the best results. Also, use a cotton cloth or crumpled newspaper. Do not wash windows in direct sunlight to avoid streaking.
This recipe originally surprised me with how well it worked and yet how few ingredients it takes! If you have hard water, just add an extra 1/2 cup of citric acid to prevent hard water stains.
Ingredients:
- 1 Cup Borax ("sodium borate" a naturally occurring mineral), buy it in the laundry section of your grocery store
- 1 Cup Washing Soda (natural “sodium carbonate”), buy it in the laundry section of your grocery store
- 1/2 Cup Citric Acid (a weak organic acid, found in citrus fruits) Find it online, brewing supply stores and in some health food stores
- 1/2 Cup Kosher Salt
Directions:
- Mix Ingredients and store in a tightly sealed recycled container or glass ball jar
- Fill detergent reservoir with 1 TBS solution or to capacity (amount depends upon your specific water and washing machine)
Fill reservoir cup with white distilled vinegar (natural bubbling will occur if it comes in contact with detergent)
Toilet Bowl Cleaner
- Regular Strength Cleaner
Pour 1 Cup of white distilled vinegar into the toilet bowl and allow it to sit for half an hour or longer, clean with a toilet brush and flush.
- Heavy Duty Cleaner*
Sprinkle 1/4 cup Borax into the toilet bowl and use your toilet brush to scrub it around. Let it sit for half an hour to overnight, clean with a toilet brush and flush. (*Do not use if you have pets that drink out of the toilet bowl.)
Carpet Cleaning*
*Carefully spot-test your carpet with stain/cleaning treatments in an inconspicuous area as results may vary depending upon carpet material, dyes, etc. As with any kind of stain, having a quick response time is the best guarantee of success. Before treating liquid stains, thoroughly blot up liquid with a light colored towel. For solid substances, scrape off the substance first with a spatula or spoon.
- Carpet Deodorizer:
Sprinkle baking soda all over your carpet several hours before vacuuming.
- Spot Treatment Spray:
Mix equal parts white distilled vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Spray directly on stain, let sit for several minutes, and clean with a brush or sponge using warm soapy water.
- Grease Spot Removal:
For fresh grease spots, sprinkle corn starch or baking soda onto area. Let it stand six hours to overnight, vacuum.
- Grape Juice Removal: Blot stain with a light towel and rub club soda onto it.
- Gum or Candle Wax Removal: Use an ice cube to harden, then scrape off.
- Heavy Duty Spot Treatment:
Mix 1/4 cup each of salt, borax and white distilled vinegar. Rub paste into carpet and leave for a few hours. Vacuum. Shampoo.
- Vinegar Steam Treatment*:
For a carpet steamer unit, create a solution of 2 & 1/2 gallons of very hot water and 1 or 2 cups of white distilled vinegar. Add this homemade cleaner to your steam cleaner, up to the fill line, and steam clean your carpet as you normally would. The vinegar smell with disappear once the carpet is dry and leave your carpet clean and fresh. Whenever you steam clean a carpet, be sure to ventilate the area properly and do not do it on humid days as it can prevent proper drying. *Note that although many people effectively use this method, the manufacturer of your carpet steamer will most likely warn in the unit's instructions that you can only use their specific brand of cleaner. Therefore, use at your own risk.
- Regular Strength Cleaner
Pour 1 Cup of white distilled vinegar into the toilet bowl and allow it to sit for half an hour or longer, clean with a toilet brush and flush.
- Heavy Duty Cleaner*
Sprinkle 1/4 cup Borax into the toilet bowl and use your toilet brush to scrub it around. Let it sit for half an hour to overnight, clean with a toilet brush and flush. (*Do not use if you have pets that drink out of the toilet bowl.)
Carpet Cleaning*
*Carefully spot-test your carpet with stain/cleaning treatments in an inconspicuous area as results may vary depending upon carpet material, dyes, etc. As with any kind of stain, having a quick response time is the best guarantee of success. Before treating liquid stains, thoroughly blot up liquid with a light colored towel. For solid substances, scrape off the substance first with a spatula or spoon.
- Carpet Deodorizer:
Sprinkle baking soda all over your carpet several hours before vacuuming.
- Spot Treatment Spray:
Mix equal parts white distilled vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Spray directly on stain, let sit for several minutes, and clean with a brush or sponge using warm soapy water.
- Grease Spot Removal:
For fresh grease spots, sprinkle corn starch or baking soda onto area. Let it stand six hours to overnight, vacuum.
- Grape Juice Removal: Blot stain with a light towel and rub club soda onto it.
- Gum or Candle Wax Removal: Use an ice cube to harden, then scrape off.
- Heavy Duty Spot Treatment:
Mix 1/4 cup each of salt, borax and white distilled vinegar. Rub paste into carpet and leave for a few hours. Vacuum. Shampoo.
- Vinegar Steam Treatment*:
For a carpet steamer unit, create a solution of 2 & 1/2 gallons of very hot water and 1 or 2 cups of white distilled vinegar. Add this homemade cleaner to your steam cleaner, up to the fill line, and steam clean your carpet as you normally would. The vinegar smell with disappear once the carpet is dry and leave your carpet clean and fresh. Whenever you steam clean a carpet, be sure to ventilate the area properly and do not do it on humid days as it can prevent proper drying. *Note that although many people effectively use this method, the manufacturer of your carpet steamer will most likely warn in the unit's instructions that you can only use their specific brand of cleaner. Therefore, use at your own risk.
All-Purpose Cleaner*
This multi-purpose cleaner works well in the bathroom or kitchen. It dissolves soap scum and hard water deposits on shower stalls, chrome fixtures, bathroom mirrors, etc. *As with commercial cleaning products, do not use on marble or other stone surfaces because vinegar's acid nature can permanently damage them.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 Cup Distilled White Vinegar
- 1/4 Cup Baking Soda OR 2 tsp Borax
- 1/2 Gallon (2 L) Water
Directions:
- Pour first 2 ingredients into 1/2 Gallon Water
- Use with cloth or pour into spray bottle, depending upon need.
- Store and keep
Counter Top Cleaner *
Dip the cut side of a lemon half in baking soda or salt and rub directly on the counter top. Wipe with a wet sponge and let dry. *Do not use on marble or other stone surfaces.
Bathroom Mold Removal
Ingredients:
Ingredients:
- 1 Cup Hydrogen Peroxide (3% Household Strength)
- 1 Cup Water
Directions:
- Pour ingredients into a spray bottle
- Spray mold areas with solution
- Wait at least one hour or overnight before rinsing or using shower. (Scrub before rinsing with bristle brush if needed.)
This concludes my Household Cleaning Products series for the time being. I'm looking forward to next week when I can share something dear to my heart and pocket book... how to save $$$!
