Frugal Tuesday – Making Household Cleaners

One way to live frugally and be eco-friendly at the same time is to make your own household cleaners.  There are several brands available that are eco-friendly, but did you know you can make great cleaners right at home?  It is super-easy and really quick to throw together.

I have found several “recipes” for making your own cleaners.  I got the following from an issue of Real Simple magazine.  The best party is, you probably already have these ingredients in your pantry!

What you will need:

1. Baking soda
2. Distilled white vinegar
3. Lemon
4. Olive Oil

All-Purpose Cleaner

• Mix a solution of 1 part vinegar and 1 part water in a spray bottle.
• Works great on glass, countertops, and toilets.  (It is not for use on marble.)

Laundry – Clothes softener

• Adding 1/2 cup of vinegar during the rinse cycle will soften clothes and cut down on odors.  This is GREAT for making clothes soft when line-drying your laundry!

Bathroom Cleaner

• Mix water and baking soda to form a paste to scrub fixtures and tile.
• Sprinkle baking soda into toilet bowl, add vinegar, and clean with a toilet brush.

Wood Furniture Cleaner

• Combine 2 parts lemon juice and 1 part olive oil.
• Pour a small amount onto a rag and use to polish finished wood surfaces.

Kitchen Cleaner (my own recipe)

• 1 part lemon juice to 2 parts vinegar.
• Add to spray bottle.  It cleans the stove top, outside of the oven, sink, countertops, and refrigerator.

You can add each of these cleaners to a different spray bottle (that you can pick up at any Dollar store, Wal-Mart, Target, etc) and stick a label on the front.

And, in keeping with the eco-friendly and frugal theme, use old wash rags or T-shirts as your cleaning “rags,” instead of paper towels!

More frugal living tips from me…

Do you make your own cleaners?  Do you have a recipe to share?  Add your recipe or a link to your post in the comments section.