Cleaning Recipes

[Earthy]

All Purpose Cleaners
Plain & Simple; spray bottle
1t Borax
2T Vinegar
2C Hot Water
-Add a drop of essential oil for smell
For cleaning walls, woodwork, bath and kitchen counters, appliances – outside and inside, plastic laminate counter tops and furniture, and carpet stains.

Recipe #1
¼ Cup Baking Soda and 1 quart of water

Recipe #2
2 cups warm water
1/2 tsp. washing soda
1/2 tsp. liquid dish detergent
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. Borax

Recipe #3
2 C Water
2 T Lemon Juice
½ t Liquid Dish Soap
1 T Baking Soda
1 t Borax

Scouring Powders and Soft scrubbers
Rub on surfaces and rinse dry
Scouring Powder
Baking soda
-Pour directly on area & scrub

Disinfect & Scour
1C Baking soda
½C Borax
-Store in shaker container

Cut Grease
1C baking soda
½C washing soda
-Store in shaker container

Salt Scrubber
Salt
-Pour salt directly on area and scrub

Disinfect
Borax Cleaner; mop
½C Borax
¼C Vinegar
2 gallons hot water
Borax Spray; spray bottle
1t Borax
3T Vinegar
2C Hot Water

Mold Cleaners
Vinegar Mold Killer
Full strength vinegar
Scrub and rinse well
Eliminate Mildew from Books
Cornstarch
Sprinkle evenly onto pages, let sit, wipe clean


Kitchen
Clean your counters, appliances, and other surfaces with the vinegar spray. Use baking soda to scrub the kitchen sink, and sprinkle it in the drain to fight odors. If your drain is clogged, pour in cup of baking soda followed by cup of vinegar. Let it sit and foam for a few minutes and then rinse it out with boiling water. Garbage disposal odors can be eliminated by grinding citrus peels or ice cubes. To mop the kitchen floor, dissolve cup of borax in a bucket of hot water.


Stainless steal sink
Paste of baking soda and vinegar

Refrigerator Deodorizer
1 qt warm water
1T Borax

Refrigerator
Wipe with cloth moistened with vinegar
Leaves clean fresh scent and prevents mildew

Spray
1t Borax
3T Vinegar
2C Hot Water
-Place ingredients in a spray bottle, shake to mix, spray on appliances and wipe clean

Recipe
Equal parts vinegar and water
-Cleans glass, stove fronts, windows and microwaves

Dishwasher
Sprinkle borax in the bottom of the dishwasher and leave over night. Wipe down the inside with a damp sponge. No need to rinse.


Dishwasher Spot Stopper
1 C Borax
½ C Baking soda
--Store in container. Use 1t along with regular detergent

Remove film from glassware in dishwasher
Fill dishwasher with glassware. Put bowl of 1Cup bleach in the bottom of the dishwasher. Run through the wash cycle, but do not dry. Fill bowl again with 1 cup vinegar and let dishwasher go through the entire cycle.

Garbage disposal, Drain and Septic cleaners


Drain Opener
1 C Salt
1 C Baking Soda
Follow with pot of boiling water

Garbage disposal cleaner
½c Borax
-Pour in, flush with water in 15 in

Drain Maintenance
½C Baking Soda
3C Boiling Water, or hot tap water
-Pour baking soda into drain and follow with water

Baking Soda and Vinegar
½C Baking Soda
½C Vinegar or Lemon Juice
-Pour baking soda into the drain first, follow with vinegar. Let mixture rest for 15 min before rinsing with hot tap water.

Just Vinegar
¼ Vinegar
Pour down the drain

[Earthy]

Bathroom
Fill an empty spray bottle with half vinegar, half water. Use this spray to clean sinks, counters, toilets, shower doors, and to freshen shower curtains. The scent may be offensive at first, but it disperses quickly. Vinegar kills mold and bacteria, reduces odors, and removes soap scum. Sprinkle baking soda in your bathtub for a no-scratch cleanser that also absorbs grease and odors. Clean the toilet bowl by pouring baking soda and vinegar in it and then scrubbing as usual.

-Add few drops of essential oils or ¼ cup lemon juice to your cleaners for smell

Remove soap scum from tub, sink and showers
Vinegar in a spray bottle

Plastic shower curtain
Add 1 cup vinegar to washing machine along with reg detergent

Fiberglass Cleaner
½C Borax
Enough vinegar to moisten the borax
-Place in a bowl; add vinegar slowly until borax is damp. Scoop onto a sponge and rub on the fiberglass. Rinse well.

Shower, Tub, Tile, porcelain & enamel surfaces
Borax –sprinkle on damp sponge and clean

Fiberglass Cleaner
½C Baking Soda
Water

Tub, Tile, shower curtain & Sink
Sprinkle Baking Soda on damp sponge and clean

Toilet Bowl Cleaners
1.
Borax overnight
¼ C Borax
-Pour in toilet and let sit overnight
2.
1C Borax
¼C Vinegar or Lemon Juice
-Pour ingredients into the bowl; let rest for few hours’ scrub and flush.
3.
1 C Baking Soda
-Pour the baking soda into the toilet and clean as normal

[Earthy]

Living Space

Telephone
Cotton ball soaked in mouthwash or alcohol

Air Fresheners

Simmer Water
Slices of lemon, orange, cinnamon sticks, vanilla
-Simmer for an hour or two

-Place baking soda in open container and set in areas

-Soak cotton ball in vanilla and sit in a bowl

Spray:
1.
1t Baking Soda
1t Lemon Spray
2C Hot Water
-Dissolve in hot water, pour in spray bottle. Spray in rooms.

2.
1 t Baking soda
1 T vinegar
2 C water
-pour in spray bottle shake before using to spray rooms.

[Earthy]

Glass/Mirror Cleaner

Cornstarch
3 T Cornstarch
½C Water
-Put ingredients in a bowl and mix well, dab on window with rag and rub in.

Window Cleaner
2 quarts water
½ C Cornstarch

Glass
1 Part Vinegar
1 Part Water
-Pour into spray bottle

Wood Dusting
Dusting Aid
-vinegar, olive oil

Dusting Cloth
2 or 3 T Lemon Juice
Few drops of Olive Oil
-Place lemon juice and oil in a bowl; saturate dusting cloth with the liquid and dust

Wood Floor Cleaner
1 Part Vinegar
1 Part Olive Oil
-Apply to floor then rub in well

Dusting Repellant -Blinds, refrigerator and glass top tables
1 part liquid fabric softener
4 parts water
Apply with a soft cloth and dry.

[Earthy]

Floors

All Purpose Floor Cleaner (good for vinyl floors)
1C Vinegar
1-bucket warm water
-Wash floors as normal.

Borax Floor Disinfectant (good for vinyl floors)
1/4c Borax
1 gallon hot water
-Pour borax into the bucket and pour hot water over it, dissolve well

Floor Cleaner
½C Baking Soda
Bucket of warm water
-Mop and rinse clean for a sparkling floor
-Extra disinfecting ½c Borax

Vacuum -Dampen the dust; before sweeping, moisten the floor with water using a spray bottle

Carpet Cleaning

Baking Soda Odor Absorber
Box of Baking soda
-Sprinkle over floor, let sit over night, and then vacuum.

Carpet Stains

1.
¼C Vinegar
¼C Water
-Combine and rub with sponge, rinse well
2.
Mud
Salt
Rub salt on the mud. Let rest for 1 hour then vacuum
3.
1-2T cornstarch
-Cornstarch will absorb the stain. Pour onto stain, let rest, vacuum

[Earthy]

Laundry

Instead of buying fabric softener, fill the dispenser with vinegar or add it to the final rinse cycle. Bloodstains will come out of fabric when you pre-treat with hydrogen peroxide. Soak cloth diapers in vinegar to remove urine odors. Hang them in the sun to further bleach and sanitize. Vinegar and sunlight work wonders on any white fabric that has turned yellow or grayish.

Powdered Laundry Det
1 Cup Grated Fels Naptha Soap
1/2 Cup Washing Soda
1/2 Cup Borax
-For light load, use 1 tablespoon. For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 cups.

Deodorize/Freshen
½ C Baking Soda
-Add to rinse cycle

Laundry Brightener
1.
½ C Baking Soda
-Add to wash cycle
2.
½ C Borax
-Add to wash cycle

Bleach
Hydrogen Peroxide
-Use this in your laundry instead of bleach

Fabric Softener
¼C Baking Soda
-Add to wash cycle

Fabric Softener/Non-Cling
¼C Vinegar
-Add vinegar to wash cycle

Bleach
¼C Washing Soda
-Add to wash cycle

Brighten Laundry
¼C Vinegar
-Add to wash cycle

Whitener
1/4C Borax
-Add to wash cycle

Bleach
¼C Lemon Juice
-Add to wash cycle

Removes Static/Lint/Chemicals
¼C vinegar
-Add to rinse cycle

[P.H.]

II notice Borax is a main ingredient in a number of these recipes. Also, vinegar and soda. Thanks!

[Marylyn_TX]

I make the powdered washing powder a lot - or I did when I could find the washing soda. I need to find another source for that. I use Zope soap (found in the laundry section of our grocery store) instead of the Fels Naptha. I've used both and like the Zope much better.

[Bry's-Gal]

Thanks for the tips! I will be trying them!!

I've been on a search the last week for washing soda. I finally found it at Krogers! Hope that helps!

[Ava Rose]

Wow, Nellie! that is great. Seems like if you have borax, vinegar, baking soda, and...that is about it...you seem to have everything you need to clean. I will have to try out a few and see if they work as well as my ole spray bottle of clorax cleaner. lol.

[Earthy]

Your welcome:)

I know alot are the same but I keep the list anyhow.