Make Your Own Cleaning Supplies

Here's some recipes I have collected over the years for homemade cleaning supplies...

Homemade Glass Cleaner

1 cup rubbing alcohol
1 cup water
2 tablespoons vinegar

Mix together in a spray bottle and use the same way you would use Windex.


Homemade Furniture Polish

2 cups olive oil
1 cup lemon juice

Shake up in a bottle. To use, just pour a little on a cleaning rage, and spread evenly over the surface you want to clean. Use a dry rag to "polish."

Mold Killer

1 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup salt

Mix together and apply to moldy areas in bathroom. Wait for about an hour, then wipe clean using water to rinse. I've never tried this one, so I don't know how well it works. I always applied straight bleach to mold--but if you try this, make sure the area is very well ventilated as the mold has a very toxic reaction with the mold. I've also heard hydrogen peroxide works on mold, too.

Homemade Soft Scrub

1 cup baking soda
1 tbsp. water
Enough lemon juice to make a thick paste

Mix together and use just as you would the commercial product.

Laundry Stain Pre-treater

1/4 cup baking soda
1/2 cup ammonia
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 Tbs liquid soap
1 cup water

Mix together and put in a spray bottle. Spray stains, let set a few minutes, and wash clothes as usual.

Also, a few natural bug killers:

If you want to avoid ants on your picnic table next summer, wipe it down with straight vinegar just before you serve the meal. The vinegar burns them and they stay away

Borax is a good roach killer. Sprinkle it into corners, cracks and crevices. I've also heard of people using it to mop their floors and to wipe down the walls in their house if they have a roach problem.

So...what kinds of homemade cleaners do you use?