Mar 29, 2012

DIY Cleaning on a dime!

I recently had a fabulous girls weekend with three friends from college that remain some of my besties.  Good food, laughs, and convos were much needed!  But I also got inspired.  Inspired to make my own cleaning products!  I've had recipes "pinned" for forever, but the the thought of getting all the supplies overwhelmed me.  I just wasn't sure how they'd work.  And I didn't know if the laundry detergent could be used in my front loader.  Well, after being able to see my friends supplies, try them, smell them and know that one used them in a front loader.  I was sold!  So here I go, using homemade products that:

1) Really work, disinfect, and smell amazing!
2) Are safe, safe, safe for kids and septic!
3) Are CHEEEAAAP and EASY!
Laundry Detergent:
One Box Borax
One Box Washing Soda
2 Bars Fels Naptha Soap (grated)
(I got these all in the laundry aisle at my local grocery store.  It cost me $8.50.  I only use 1 TBS per load and my friends guarantee me it will last forever!  It smells AMAZING, cleans SO well, and is better for my septic system than regular Laundry detergent. I also scored the awesome glass container with blackboard square on it at Christmas tree shop on my girls weekend!)
Counter Spray:
4c Water
6 TBS Castile Soap
60 drops tea tree oil
(You can get a giant container of all natural Castile Soap at Christmas Tree shop for $10.  It will last you more than a year my friends say.  And mine is peppermint scented.  I had the tea tree oil from cloth diaper days.  The 60 drops of it may sound like a lot but it's not at all.  It's a natural and safe anti-bacterial.  I don't remember how much it costs, but it too lasts forever!)

Glass Cleaner:
2c water
1/4c vinegar
1TBS cornstarch
(It might sound wierd, but holy hannah does it work!  And it's SO safe.  When I started researching all the chemicles in Windex, out it went!  You can also add 1/4c. rubbing alcohol which I hear makes it work even better.  I opted out of this because of the kid safe factor.)

I also purchased me self some microfiber cleaning cloths so that I can reuse!  Helping save the environment, my wallet, and my kiddos all at the same time!  So if you're like I was...considering it but having a hard time making the leap.  Just Do It!  Totally worth it! 

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Hey Sarah - thanks for the post, because I too had "pinned" the ideas but haven't got around to actually doing it yet. Will you be using the detergent for baby stuff - specifically cloth diapers? Just wondering how it works with that aspect of laundry.

anxiousknitter said...

I've had them "pinned" too and just didn't know anyone who could testify to their effectiveness! I think I'll actually give this a try - I already use Borax as a laundry enhancer :) Thanks, Sarah!

Sarah said...

I do plan to use with baby clothes and cloth diapers b/c it's mild and way less chemicals than regular detergent. Borax is recommended for use in cleaning cloth diapers. Also...once you buy borax and read the box or other DIY cleaning tips on the web, u realize there are one gazillion uses for it!

Unknown said...

Sounds awesome! Thanks!