Hi, does anyone have any recipes on natural house cleaners? I have been thinking about this. I have not gone green yet but have been reading more and more about it. I have started buying some organic foods.

Thanks, Susan

Vinegar and water (1/2 and 1/2) for glass.
Baking soda and vinegar for the toilet bowl and cooked on spills on the stove top
Just sprinkle baking soda inside your oven over baked on spills and let set for a while, then wash off.
A little salt and rubbing alcohol can get marker off of a counter top...with a little elbow grease.

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Thank You

i make all my own cleaners and some beauty products too
laundry soap
2 cup borax
2 cup washing soda
2/3 bar FelsNeptha soap grated
mix all together use 1-2 tbs per load
soft scrub
1 cup baking soda
1/4 cup borax
1 tbsp castile soap
1/4 cup water
combine and shake
antibacterial cleaner
4 cup water
1 tbsp castile soap
1/4-1/2 cup vinegar
20 drops tea tree oil, 20 drops lavender
put in spray bottle
automatic dish soap
1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda
combine,use 1 tbsp in large 1/2 tbsp in small
jet dry
vinegar
shower cleaner
1 tsp borax
1 tsp washing soda
1 tbsp liquid soap
1/2 cup vinegar
fill spray bottle almost full w/hot wat and add
glass cleaner
1 cup rubbing alcohol
1 cup water
1 tbsp vinegar
floor cleaner
1 cup vinegar
2 gal water

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dishwashing gel
1 bar white bar soap(ivory)
1/2 gal water
grate soap into flakes and place in large pot w/water stir to dissolve flakes,boil 10
minutes stirring frequently pour into glass jar and allow to cool w/out lid
to use pour int squirt bottle may dilute w/water
shampoo
grate bar of castile soap
blend in blender w/enough warm water to give thick pudding like consistency-after well
blended add 1/4 cup olive oil and 1/2 cup of distilled wated continue blending until well
blended
deordorant
1 part baking soda
1 part corn starch
20 drops tea tree oil
face toner
1 part water
1 part vinegar
face wash
honey
that's all i have that should get you started

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Mother Earth News had an article on making your own green cleaners - there isn't an internet link so I'm going to give the basic recipes.

All-Purpose Disinfectant
Mix 2 tsp borax, one quarter cup vinegar and 3-4 cups hot water in a spray bottle. For extra cleaning power, add one quarter teaspoon liquid soap to the mixture.

In the Kitchen
- Countertops. For a "soft scrub," mix baking soda and liquid soap until you get a consistency you like. Make only as much as you need; it dries up quickly.
- Ovens. Mix 1 cup baking soda and one quarter cup washing soda, then add enough water to make a paste; apply the paste to oven surfaces and let it sit overnight. In the morning , wipe out and rinse surfaces.

In the Bathroom
-Tub and tile. Mix 1 2/3 cup baking soda, one half cup liquid soap, and 1/2 cup water. Last, add 2 tbsp vinegar (if you add the vinegar too early it will react with the baking soda). Immediatiately apply, wipe and scrub.
-Toilet. Pour 1 cup of borax into the toilet before going to bed. In the morning, scrub and flush. For an extra-strength cleaner, add one quarter cup vinegar to the borax.

In the Living Room
- Furniture polish. Mix olive oil and vinegar in a one-to-one ratio and polish with a soft cloth.
- Windows. Mix 3 tbsps vinegar per 1 quart water in a spray bottle. Some recommend using half vinegar and half water. For extra-dirty windows try one half tsp liquid soap, 3 tbsp vinegar and 2 cups water. Want streak-free windows? Use newspaper instead of paper towels to wipe them.

In the Laundry Room
-Laundry brightener. Add one half cup of strained lemon juice during the rinse cycle.
- Fabric rinse. Add one quarter cup white vinegar during the washing machine's rinse cycle to remove detergent completely from clothes.
- Detergent booster. To reduce the amount of laundry detergent you need to use, add baking soda or washing soda. These minerals soften the water, which increases the detergent's power. For liquid detergent, add one half cup soda at the beginning of the wash. For powdered detergent, add one half cup soda during the rinse cycle.
- Bleach. Use hydrogen peroxide instead

Try these out and let us know how they worked for you!

I used the "soft scrub" recipe and it worked very well on my countertops (even removed a stain from canning season) as long as I put it on my dishcloth and then cleaned. It wasn't the best on my stove - but truthfully nothing works well on my stove as my stove is black and picks up every stain there is.

Baking soda and liquid soap works wonders on pretty much anything. I have used it for crayon on the door, scuffs on the vinyl floors and cleaning my countertops and sinks.

I use 50/50 vinegar and water for glass cleaner, wiping with a newspaper. If it streaks, I go over it again with a microfiber cloth.

Sometimes I get a sample of a chemical based cleaner and think I need to go back to using store cleaners, but I always get back to the "green" homemade cleaners.

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These are wonderful! I love vinegar and baking soda. Plus - bleach cleaners that I used to buy always set my asthma off. The green cleaning never does.

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HeatherMama to TWO lovely children
4 year old boy
2 year old girl

I was watching "Jon and Kate" and they were doing a show with Sara Snow on Green Cleaners. I really wanted to try them becuase my 4 year Old DS has asthma. My DH said that if it doesnt have the Bleach smell, he doesnt feel like its clean though. I am gonna keep working on him.

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