Yup, we’ve been over this territory before, but here is the FINAL word on kitchen-ingredient cleaners, 4 formulas that cover almost all the bases, are safe and enviro-healthy and won’t let you down. And you make them from 5 basic ingredients, only 2 of which you might have to purchase!
Give them a try and then report back—let us know how they work and what you think.
Homemade Soft Scrub
˝ C baking soda
Liquid soap or detergent (enough to make a frosting-like consistency)
5 drops Antibacterial essential oil (lavender, tea tree oil, or rosemary)
Pour the baking soda in a bowl; slowly pour in the liquid soap or detergent, stirring, until consistency reaches that of frosting. Place in airtight container; label. After scrubbing surfaces, rinse and wipe dry.
Homemade Windex
˝ C vinegar (distilled, white, 5%)
˝ tsp liquid soap or detergent
2 C water
Combine in spray bottle; shake to blend. This is an excellent degreaser, as well.
Homemade Fantastik All Purpose Cleaner
˝ tsp washing soda (find in laundry section of grocery store)
A dab of liquid soap
2 C hot water
Combine ingredients in spray bottle; shake until washing soda is dissolved. Apply and wipe off with sponge or cleaning cloth.
Homemade Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Vinegar is remarkable as an acidic cleaning dynamo. Studies show it kills 99% of bacterial, 82% of mold, and 80% of germs.
5% straight white distilled vinegar
Pour vinegar into spray bottle; spray directly onto areas needing cleaning or deodorizing. Don’t rinse. (The strong vinegary smell will dissipate with 30-45 min.)
(If YOU have a smart idea, won't you share it? Life is so much easier and we accomplish so much more when we pool our resources. And after all, we're all in this together. So email
patty@dvo.com or
alice@dvo.com with YOUR Smart Ideas!)
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