11/13/10

How I Save $$


I don't use a lot of chemicals to clean our house.  I LOVE to use natural things!  I KNOW this saves me a ton of money!!  Woo hoo!

There are all sorts of recipes out there for homemade household cleaners.  There are a few basic ingredients (which cost next to nothing) that you will need to make most of them.

Surface spray:  In a spray bottle (about $1 at Walmart) I mix 1/3 vinegar and the rest water.  (You could probably get away with less vinegar)  I use this on counters, in the refrigerator, on mirrors (doesn't leave streaks) and any other surface I need to clean!  It shines faucets wonderfully!!

Toilet:  I sprinkle baking soda around the bowl and squirt my vinegar/water mix.  It fizzes and I scrub & flush!

Floors:  I put hot water in the sink (about 1/3), squirt a small amount of dish soap, and put in about a cup of vinegar.  The vinegar is a disinfectant and doesn't leave spots on the floor.

Rinse agent:  Vinegar is a great rinse agent for the dishwasher.  During the rinse cycle (if you can catch it) splash in about 1/2 C. (depending on how soft or hard your water is).  The vinegar takes the soap scum off and shines!

Coffee pot:  Put vinegar in where the water goes.  You can dilute with a little water if you'd like.  Run the coffee pot as usual.  If it's real bad, run more vinegar through again otherwise, run water through a few times and you're done!

Smelly things:  Wipe down with vinegar or leave a vinegar soaked item (sponge or cloth) in overnight.

Kill gnats:  Put out a small dish of dish soap (like Dawn) and vinegar mixed with a spoon.  Gnats will fall in (as they are attracted to the vinegar) and die from the soap.  This works like a charm!

Remove sticky stuff:  You can put vinegar on sticky things like price tags and they will come off after a good soaking!

Microwave:  Spray vinegar mix surface spray all over inside the microwave.  Shut the door for a few minutes then wipe out.

Carpet:  Put water in carpet cleaner then add a splash of vinegar (maybe about 3/4 C.).  Run as usual.

1 comment:

Tonya @ The Traveling Praters said...

I've been trying to make some of my own cleaners as well. I bought a gallon of vinegar and have gone to town cleaning the house. I have also made my own laundry detergeant (liquid and powder but prefer the liquid) and my own dish washing liquid which I did not like. Do you buy dish washing liquid or have you found a recipe/directions for some that seems to work pretty well? Just curious. :)

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