Homemade Cleaners that Do the Job

By Jacqueline Harris

If you’ve run out of a particular cleaner for a specific job, you don’t have to run out and buy it again. In fact, you can easily find substitute cleaners in your home that can do the job just as efficiently. In fact, if you just have baking soda, bleach, ammonia, alcohol and white vinegar, you’ve got the ingredients for several potential cleaners!

For example, if you’re cleaning mirrors and windows, you can mix ¼ cup ammonia with 2 quarts of warm water to clean dirt. To clean water mineral deposits, you can mix ¼ cup white vinegar in 2 quarts of warm water.

Rubbing alcohol can disinfect surfaces, especially important in the winter when everyone has colds or flu, and you can use alcohol on items that are touched frequently in the house like doorknobs, telephones and computer keyboards.

To remove baked-on foods in pots, soak them with a quarter of warm water mixed with 2 tablespoons of baking soda.

For drains that are slow, you can try flushing them with very hot water every day. This should help break up blockages and grease. Take care not to splash the water on yourself. You can also try using a cup of salt mixed with a cup of baking soda down the drain, then rinse it with boiling water to send the mixture through.

Shower mildew is one of the most annoying household cleaning issues to have to deal with, but the good news is that you don’t have to buy a special mildew cleaning agent. Equally powerful is a mix of ¾ cup of bleach in 1 gallon of warm water.

For removing spots from clothes, rugs or upholstery, you can use club soda. Pour a little on, let it set in, then lightly rub with a damp cloth.

About what of the nasty toilet bowl? No way you can use anything but a toilet bowl cleaner, right? Sure you can! You can use bleach. But use it straight and don’t mix it with another chemical. You might even prefer this method to the standard toilet bowl cleaner.

An instant home deodorizer can be made by putting cinnamon sticks in simmering water for an hour. Mmm…smells like you’ve been baking apple pie! You can also do the same with lemon rinds for a clean, citrus scent.

You remember Grandma placing open boxes of baking soda in the refrigerator to absorb odors? You can do the same in your house. Place them in closets or near where your pets gather, like kitty litter boxes. (Baking soda can also be added to kitty litter to act as a deodorizer.)

Check the items you have in the cabinets and pantry. You likely have the ingredients for several cleaners including: baking soda, non-toxic all purpose cleaner, deodorizer and stain remover; salt, used as an abrasive; vinegar, cuts through grease and removes stains; lemon juice, cuts grease and removes stains, even perspiration stains in clothes. Essential oils like patchouli or lavender can be added for fragrance.