Christian Homekeeping

Why buy cleaners such as Fantastic, 409, Windex, etc?? When you can make your own cleaners and get it just as clean (if not cleaner, cheaper AND safer) than buying the store cleaners. There are so many different variations of cleaner recipes but you basically just need the following items:

White vinegar
Lemons
Lemon Juice
Lemon Oil (for real wood)
Salt
Baking Soda
Borax
Castile Soap (or some cheap dish soap)
Tea Tree Oil
Washing Soda
Toothpaste
Basic soap

White vinegar and baking soda are the top items you will need to clean with. White vinegar cuts through soap scum and dirt. It is a natural deodorizer also, so while you are cleaning you are making it smell good too! ; ) You can take equal parts of vinegar and water and combine them in a spray bottle for a great everyday cleaner. Spray the counters with it and wipe surfaces.

Baking soda is also a deodorizer and a great tool for jobs that need some scouring. It is a mild abrasive, so it will clean but it won't be too harsh on surfaces. For deodorizing, sprinkle 1 cup in the bottom of your trash can! It will keep it smelling a whole lot better than before. Also keep baking soda in your fridge and freezer.......this is no secret to others I'm sure, as you can now buy the fridge/freezer boxes of baking soda in the grocery store.

Lemon juice, along with vinegar, is good for hard water deposits and soap scum. They are both acidic and that is what helps them work great!

You can really mix and match with all the products above. Most cleaning recipes can be interchanged with the different items above. Borax is like baking soda, in that it is a mild abrasive and deodorizes. With salt.....you will want to use that on surfaces that can stand a hard scrubbing! Don't use it on surfaces that it will scratch!!

Take 1 tablespoon of Tea Tree Oil and pour it in 16+ oz of warm water for a disinfectant spray. The Lemon Oil would be used on real wood products to "feed" them.

Then you have the soap products.....washing soda, castile soap and basic soap. Use these in places you are going to rinse with water after you have cleaned.

Ok....you are probably saying.......what is the toothpaste for?? Basic, white toothpaste (not the gel kind) can do a lot! You can shine silver with it, remove crayon from walls........treat a pimple and there is MORE here.

So the next time you pick up that bottle of 409 at the store and get ready to whip out your 3 or 4 dollars a bottle.........how about mixing up your own batch of homemade cleaners and saving some money!!