Apr 01 2009

Kitchen Floor Cleaner for Tough Jobs

Rose| Category: eucalyptus essential oil, liquid castile soap, peppermint essential oil, tea tree essential oil, washing soda, water | 0 Comments

If you have a lot of grease to fight, try this vinegar formula:

Ingredients:

  • 1 gallon of hot water
  • 2 tbsp liquid castile soap
  • 1/4 cup washing soda
  • 1 cup vinegar
  • 20 drops essential oil, either peppermint, eucalyptus or tea tree

Clean your floor as usual.  Rinsing is not necessary.  For extremely stubborn spots, drop essential oil directly on the spot, wait a litte, and scrub off.

Mar 16 2009

Put green into your spring cleaning

Rose| Category: baking soda, liquid castile soap, tea tree essential oil, vinegar, washing soda | 2 Comments

It’s worth checking this out, there are plenty of links to follow in the article itself.  I am only blogging their suggestions for household cleaners here:

Via: Kentucky.com

How-to: Making your own cleaning products

It’s easy to make household cleaning products. And making your own is often a lot less expensive than buying ready-made products.

Here are some suggestions for homemade cleaning products from the Web site www.care2makeadifference.com.

Supplies:

  • Baking soda
  • Washing soda
  • White distilled vinegar
  • A good liquid soap or detergent
  • Tea tree oil
  • 6 clean spray bottles
  • 2 glass jars
  • Creamy soft scrubber

Liquid detergent

Pour baking soda into a bowl, and add enough liquid detergent to make a texture like frosting. Scoop the mixture onto a sponge, and wash the surface. This is the perfect recipe for cleaning the bathtub because it rinses easily and doesn’t leave grit.

Note: To store it, add 1 teaspoon vegetable glycerin to the mixture, and store in a sealed glass jar to keep the product moist. Otherwise, just make as much as you need at a time.

Window cleaner

  • 1/4-1/2 teaspoon liquid detergent
  • 3 tablespoons vinegar
  • 2 cups water
  • Spray bottle

Put all the ingredients into a spray bottle, shake it up a bit, and use as you would a commercial brand. The soap in this recipe is important. It cuts the wax residue from the commercial brands you might have used in the past.

Oven cleaner

  • 1 cup or more baking soda
  • Water
  • A squirt or two of liquid detergent

Sprinkle water generously over the bottom of the oven, then cover the grime with enough baking soda that the surface is totally white. Sprinkle some more water over the top. Let the mixture set overnight. You can easily wipe up the grease the next morning because the grime will have loosened. When you have cleaned up the worst of the mess, dab a bit of liquid detergent or soap on a sponge, and wash the remaining residue from the oven. If this recipe doesn’t work for you, it is probably because you didn’t use enough baking soda and/or water.

All-purpose spray cleaner

  • 1/2 teaspoon washing soda
  • A dab of liquid soap
  • 2 cups hot tap water

Combine all ingredients in a spray bottle and shake until the washing soda has dissolved. Apply and wipe off with a sponge or rag.

Furniture polish

  • 1/2 teaspoon oil, such as olive (or jojoba, a liquid wax)
  • 1/4 cup vinegar or fresh lemon juice

Mix the ingredients in a glass jar. Dab a soft rag into the solution and wipe onto wood surfaces. Cover the glass jar and store indefinitely.

Vinegar deodorizer

Keep a clean spray bottle filled with straight 5 percent vinegar in your kitchen near your cutting board and in your bathroom, and use them for cleaning. For instance, spray the vinegar on a cutting board before going to bed at night; don’t even rinse it, and let it set overnight. The smell of vinegar dissipates within a few hours. Straight vinegar is also great for cleaning the toilet rim. Just spray it on and wipe off.

Mold killers

Tea tree treasure

Nothing natural works for mold and mildew as well as this spray. It can be used on a moldy ceiling from a leaking roof, on a musty bureau, on a musty rug or a moldy shower curtain, among other things. Tea tree oil is expensive, but a little goes a very long way. Note that the smell of tea tree oil is very strong, but it will dissipate in a few days.

  • 2 teaspoons tea tree oil
  • 2 cups water

Combine in a spray bottle, shake to blend, and spray on problem areas. Do not rinse. Makes two cups.

Vinegar spray

Straight vinegar reportedly kills 82 percent of mold. Pour some white distilled vinegar straight into a spray bottle, spray on the moldy area, and let it set without rinsing if you can put up with the smell. It will dissipate in a few hours.

Source: www.care2.com/greenliving/make-your-own-non-toxic-cleaning-kit.html#

Read it all here

Jun 23 2008

laundry detergent

Rose| Category: Fels-Naptha, borax, washing soda | 0 Comments

Via:  Trying Traditional

I thought I would be posting once more to warn of my absence, but alas I didn’t meet the deadline. I am, however, back and ready to go now. Sorry about that readers!

Do you make any household cleaners yourself? We make our own laundry detergent and are quite happy with it. Here’s the recipe I follow.

Read her recipe here

Apr 30 2008

Tough Job Oven Cleaning

Rose| Category: baking soda, borax, lemon essential oil, lemongrass essential oil, salt, tyhme essential oil, vinegar, washing soda | 0 Comments

For a very messy stove, or one that has not been cleaned in a while, this formula will help you fix the issue.

First preheat the oven to 250F for 15 minutes, without racks or baking sheets, then shut it off and leave the door open. then add the following ingredients to make a paste.  If any scrubbing is needed, for example for food splatters or baked on grease, use fine steel wool and, if necessary, a bit more salt.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cups salt
  • 1/4 cups borax or washing soda
  • 16 ounces baking soda (1 box)
  • scant 1/4 cups water

Spread the paste carefully over the walls using a cloth or sponge.  Let sit for 20 to 30 minutes.

Then combine the following ingredients in a spray bottle:

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cups white vinegar
  • 10 drops thyme essential oil
  • 10 drops lemon or lemon grass essential oil

Shake well and spray the oven walls with it.  Wipe clean and rinse well.

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