Homemade Cleaner Roundup

If you're anything like me, you are always looking for ways to spend less money without sacrificing quality. That's why I love thrift store shopping, DIY projects, and homemade recipes. Aside from the economic advantage, in many cases homemade is simply better for you. I started making my own cleaners about a year ago and haven't looked back since. I found all of these (and many more) recipes online, but wanted to do a summary of my favorites. So without further ado: 

Homemade Bathroom Cleaner: This is THE magical formula which replaces all of your harshest bathroom cleaners. I use mine in the kitchen as well. My mom bought an old house with a tub that had most of the enamel worn away, and she assumed that's what the gray blotches were. After all, she had used every cleaner known to man and it stayed the same. I decided to try this formula on it just for kicks, and to my delight (not to mention hers) the tub came completely clean! Since then I keep this stuff on every floor of my house and use it on just about every tough stain. Bonus: it keeps bathroom hardware shiny and water-spot free for a long time.

• 1 1/2 cups blue Dawn dish soap
• 1 1/2 cups warm vinegar 
• pour into a spritz bottle, shake gently and spray onto dirty surface
• let sit for up to half and hour depending on severity of the stain
• wipe off with a microfibre cloth and water.
• enjoy the shine!

Homemade Laundry Detergent: An alternative to the expensive liquid detergent, and just as effective. I use old, empty detergent containers to store mine. 

• 1/2 Cup: Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda {not Baking Soda}
• 1/2 Cup: Borax
• 1 Bar Ivory soap
• Bucket {2 gallon size or larger}
• Empty laundry detergent containers or bucket with lid to store detergent.
• Grate Ivory Soap over large pot or saucepan
• Add 6 cups of Water.
• Heat over medium-high until soap dissolves and melts.
• Add Washing Soda & Borax, and stir until dissolved.
• Remove from heat and set aside.
• Pour 4 cups Hot Water into bucket, then add Soap Mixture.
• Stir, then add 1 Gallon + 6 Cups of additional water.  Stir.
• Transfer to a bucket with a lid, or pour into empty laundry detergent containers.
• Set aside, and let it sit overnight, or up to 24 hours, to thicken and gel up.
• Consistency and color will vary depending on your soap & water ~ it may be lumpy and watery… kind of like a watery gel, but it works great!
• Stir or shake before each use, as it will continue to gel.

Homemade Laminate Floor Cleaner: For a streak-free shine on your laminate floors, look no further. Be warned that the vinegar has a potent smell as you're using it, but it's harmless and dissipates fairly quickly, leaving nothing but the smell of clean!

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup vinegar
• 1 cup isopropyl alcohol
• 2-3 drops of dish soap
• a few drops of your preferred essential oil(s)
• Pour into a spritz bottle, shake gently and spray onto your swept or vacuumed floor
• Wipe with a microfibre cloth. I use a Swiffer with the cloth attached instead of those disposable wipes.

Homemade Disinfectant: This is a great all-purpose surface spray when you want to make sure that your counters, table, etc are clean and germ-free. 

• 2 teaspoons Borax
• 4 tablespoons vinegar
• 3 cups hot water
• Combine in a spritz bottle
• Spray onto surface and wipe clean

I bought all of the ingredients pictured here for around $30.00, including the buckets. That was over a year ago and I still have some of them leftover. You really can't beat that!