Natural (and Cheap) Cleaning Tips

About three weeks ago, right before Christmas, I went on a cleaning rampage. This rampage was fueled by two things:

1) The fact that we had JUST found our air filter after living in the house for 2 years....gross!!
* Not that we didn’t try, we had been searching for the past two years. We even called the previous owner to ask where the air filter was and she said there was not one. That means when we finally did find it...it had not been changed for at least 6 years-Poor hubby had to wear a mask to pull it out!

Can you imagine the air we were breathing? We live in the dust bowl and have two dogs....I was constantly cleaning.

2) My hubby and I had both been away from the house for five months and trusted a friend to watch it for us, bad idea!

We came home to four ft. tall weeds in the yard, a disaster in the kitchen and a really stinky guest bedroom that I am still trying to recover from.

So...I went on a cleaning bender. It started with my bedroom, which took about three hours to clean. I used all of the normal cleaning products and when I was finished I felt like I was walking out of chem. lab. The smells billowed through the house and started to give me a headache. That’s when I decided it was time to try something new.

I started researching online different ways to make my own cleaning recipes and found some great ones! I have been using them for the past three weeks and am excited every time I clean.
My house now smells fresh (although I’m not going to lie sometimes Alfred says it smells like
I’ve been making pickles), but a small price to pay knowing that I’m cleaning the house with natural products that have been tried and true forever.

Products that you need:

* White distilled vinegar
* Baking soda
* Borax (optional)
* lemons
* black tea (if you have hardwood floors)
* micro-fiber cloths
* spray bottles

Easy enough, right? And price these babies, they’re all really cheap to buy. I read somewhere it costs about 1/10th ounce per ounce of what normal cleaners cost.

Recipes:

All- Purpose Cleaner- removes water deposit stains on shower, bathroom fixtures, windows, bathroom mirrors. I also used it to clean the counters in the kitchen, to spray and wipe down the cabinets.
* Mix 1/2 c. vinegar and 1/4 c. baking soda (or 2 tsp. Borax) into 1/2 gal (2 liters) water.
*Store in spray bottle

Air Freshener- I have been using this one to try and get rid of the nasty “boy” odor in my guest bedroom.
* baking soda or vinegar with lemon juice (place it in small containers around the house to absorb odors)
* grind up a slice of lemon in the garbage disposal
* boil 1 tbsp. of vinegar in 1 c. of water on the stove while cooking, it will prevent cooking odors.

Chopping Block cleaner- simply rub a slice of lemon across the chopping block to disinfect.

Disinfectant- (not an ant-bacterial cleaner, which most kitchens and bath do not require)
* 2 tsp. of borax, 4 tbsp. vinegar, 3 c. hot water
* wipe on damp cloth or spray bottle
* to disinfect sponges, throw them in the dishwasher when running a load

Floor Cleaner
* vinyl and linoleum- mix 1 c. vinegar and a few drops of baby oil in a gallon of warm water (can add 1/4 c. borax for tough jobs). Use sparingly on linoleum

* wood- for damp mopping wood floors. mix equal amounts of vinegar and water, add 15 drops of pure peppermint essential oil; shake.
( I spray it on the floor with spray bottle, and mop it up with a micro-fiber mop)
** MY FAVORITE: to get your wood floors sparkly clean- Use tea
* boil 3 (black) tea bags in a qt. of water. Let them steep for 15 min.
* (only use black tea, because it is the tannic acid that makes your floors shine)
* allow the tea to cool to room temperature
* put it in a spray bottle, dampen your floor and wipe with a rag or microfiber mop
* buff the floor with dry cloth to increase shine
I love this one, every time I use it, I want to go get a big glass of tea. (tea is my favorite drink on the planet)

Furniture Polish
* add a few drops of lemon oil into 1/2 c. warm water, spray onto a microfiber cloth
( I have not been able to find lemon oil yet, in the booming metropolis of Clovis, NM)
* I tried a few drops of peppermint oil and warm water, it works well to grab all of the dust
* wipe furniture once more with a soft cotton cloth

Scouring Powder- use for stove top, refrigerator, sink, surfaces that should not be scratched
* apply baking soda with a soft sponge or rag

Toilet Bowl Cleaner
* 1/4 c. baking soda and 1 c. vinegar, pour into toilet and let it sit a few min.
* scrub with brush and rinse

Window Cleaner
* 1/4 c. vinegar to qt. of water
* put in a spray bottle
* spray windows and wipe with old dry newspapers, it will really make the windows shine!

Those are just a few that I have tried, I will try more and post them. I do feel like when I’m cleaning with these few simple ingredients I am making our home healthier for us and from my experience these simple ingredients do a stand up job getting the house clean.

Can you think of any additional recipes that you have tried? How do you feel about cleaning products?

It is one of my goals, by the end of 2011, to do all of my cleaning with simple homemade recipes.