A clean home is usually a happy home. And contrary to what many homeowners believe, you don’t necessarily have to run out to the store to purchase a quality cleaning product. That’s right, in some cases you can save a lot of money – not to mention produce a more environmentally-friendly cleaning chemical – using products from your own home than you can by purchasing store-bought cleaning chemicals. Here’s a closer look at some quality cleaners that you can make at home and what types of applications they are ideally used for.
Glass Cleaner
Vinegar, rubbing alcohol and the option of an aroma-adding oil are all the household products that are necessary to create a glass cleaner to work on windows and mirrors. Specifically, all you need is an empty spray bottle. Then just mix 2 cups of water, a half-cup of vinegar, a quarter cup of rubbing alcohol and a few (optional) drops of orange essential oil to give it a nice scent.
Scrubber
Can’t find any heavy-duty scrubber to get the dirt and grime out of your bathtub. Check to see if you have any borax in the house! If you do, simply make a half-cup of borax and then dip a lemon in it and start scrubbing. Just be sure to rinse when you’re all done.
Cleaner and Deodorizer
The ace-in-the-hole household ingredient for all-purpose cleaner and deodorizer is none other than baking soda. Just mix four tablespoons of it with a quart of warm water, then start cleaning away.
Grease Remover
Have company coming over and your oven is in dire need of a cleaning? Look to see if you have any ammonia in the home, then go find an empty 1 gallon milk jug out of your recycling bin. Toss a half-cup of sudsy ammonia into the gallon jug and fill up the rest of the container with water. Use a sponge to dab the solution out of the jug and then clean the affected area. Just be sure to also rinse the cleaned area with water when you’re finished.
So the next time you have a cleaning emergency and don’t have the right product in the home, just refer to this list above. You never know when a great cleaning product can be made using items already within the home.