Making your own cleaning products is easy, fun, and can save you lots of money. Many recipes only require a few ingredients, and you will find that many of the ingredients can be used in multiple cleaners. Although using green cleaners sometimes takes longer or more effort, they definitely will do the job and do it well. For now, just replace your conventional cleaners with the four recipes listed below. Keep eliminating one or two each month, and soon you will have a cupboard full of safe and aromatic cleaners!
All-Purpose Castile Cleaner:
1 teaspoon washing soda
1/2 teaspoon castile soap
2 cups hot water
10 drops essential oil
16 oz spray bottle
*Mix the ingredients in your spray bottle, spray, and wipe clean with a cotton cloth. This recipe is great for greasy stains.
Dish Soap:
Castile soap
Distilled white vinegar
*Grate some of the castile soap into the dishwater and add vinegar to the rinse water. This will give glasses a great shine, especially if you have hard water.
Toilet Bowl Cleaner:
2 cups distilled white vinegar
A few drops of your favorite essential oil
16 oz spray bottle
*Mix the ingredients in your spray bottle and spray the bowl completely. Use a brush to scrub around the entire bowl.
Drain Cleaner:
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup salt
1/8 cup cream of tartar
Boiling water
*Mix all the dry ingredients together and pour down the drain. Then pour the boiling water, and repeat until cleared.
These recipes are all great, and will help you to eliminate some of the most harmful (and most common) cleaners from your closets. Feel free to comment with some of your favorite green cleaning recipes–or with questions about other homemade cleaners that you may want to use.
For more recipes, check out these great sites:
The Daily Green
Safety At Home
Apartment Therapy