Photo: marinegirl
I was first introduced to natural cleaning products last year, and have since completely switched over. These new products are great because they work well, and your hands aren’t left with a terrible bleach smell that lasts all day. (Not to mention how much better they are on our planet!)

Most of the popular cleaning products you can buy off the shelf have refreshingly simple ingredient lists. Which made me think…I can probably save a few dollars and make them at home. Well, sure enough, I did some experimenting and found some great recipes:

All-Purpose Cleaner:

2 cups water
4 tbls white vinegar
2 tsp of borax
1/4 cup dish soap
1 tsp tea tree oil (optional)
1 tbls lemon juice

To unclog drains:

Pour baking soda over drain, add lemon juice and slowly pour hot water down drain to get the bubbly mixture further down the pipe.

To clean wood floors:

Use 1/4 cup of olive oil
and 1/2 cup of vinegar

Use an old water bottle to mix the ingredients. Shake well and squirt on a rag and wipe the floor. A bit of buffing later, and you have a clean and shiny wood floor. Increase amounts of olive oil and vinegar accordingly to make enough for your floor area.

Natural Carpet Cleaner:

Natural Carpet Cleaner Recipe

6 qts HOT HOT water
4 teaspoons Dr. Bronner’s castille soap
1-2 cups white vinegar
25-30 drops of lavender essential oil
30-50 drops GSE (grape seed extract)

This will clean carpets and make them smell wonderful too!

Natural Glass cleaner:

1/2 part vinegar and 1/2 water.
Clean kitchen sink faucets: (and not just the place where the water comes out, but the whole area)

Lay a cloth around the bottom of it all and wet it with vinegar. It will soften and remove all
that gunk buildup.

That’s my list. What recipes have you tried?
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Thanks to the folks over at Treehugger forums for their help!