Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Fresh Cleaning

Recently I've made some of my own cleaning solutions, and I know this sounds silly, but I actually look forward to cleaning my bathroom now, because they're so much fun to use! Isn't that absolutely ridiculous? I was so tired of the feeling of my lungs being coated with bleachiness for the rest of the day after I would clean the kitchen or bathroom...not to mention that all those chemicals are being rinsed right down the drain. I do not consider myself a "green" person, and I'm not into the "pink is the new green" thing. But here are my recipees for some cleaning solutions:

All-purpose cleanser:
(this works great as a deodorizer...like with potty accidents...or on greasy surfaces like the stove top)
In a spray bottle mix together 1/2 cup ammonia, 1/3 cup white vinegar, 1/4 cup baking soda with 1 3/4 pints water.

Bathroom cleaner:
Sprinkle a little bit of borax (borax is a mineral...not a chemical...that has disinfectant properties) on sink and in tub. Scrub with a sponge and rinse. After cleaning tub this way, spray tub with a solution of vinegar and water and wipe.

Toilet cleaner:
Pour some borax and a little bit of lemon juice in toilet. Let stand for 20 minutes. Scrub.

Disinfectant cleaner:
In a spray bottle, mix together water and 20 drops of lavendar, tea tree oil, lemon, grapefruit or any combination of the above of essential oils. (all the oils listed are disinfectants and work just as well as Lysol at killing germs!) I spray this all over my bathroom fixtures and then wipe dry after I've cleaned the bathroom. It leaves the bathroom smelling very fresh.

4 comments:

Anna said...

I'm glad you posted about this because I have been noticing that my nose feels like it is burning when I clean the shower even with the exhaust fan on and running in and out of the bathroom trying to get fresh air. Where do you buy the ammonia and essential oils? Maybe that is a stupid question, but it seems like I have a hard time finding them. Also, do you find it more or less cost effective than buying cleaning solutions?

the Young family said...

Thank you, thank you, thank you for these recipes Jana! I've known the ingredients, but just like my cooking, I usually need some numbers or proportions to start with. Did you get these from Jessa?

BJ said...

Terri,
Jessa definately inspired me to go more natural, but I came up with the recipees.
Anna,
Ammonia you can get at Target or the grocery store...it's super cheap. The essential oils you can get at Huckleberries (maybe the Roseaur's Huckleberries too). They're about $7 but will last a long time. As far as cost effectiveness...I think it is by far cheaper to make your own cleaning solutions. I did buy the only "natural" cleanser Walmart had, but when I got it home, I realized that it was not a disinfectant, and I definately need a germ killer with kids...so I took it back and made my own.

Nikki Schreiner said...

WOW, thank you so much! I also need to have things spelled out for me, even though I knew the ingredients. This is wonderful information. I've been wanting to buy some essential oils anyway.