Make Your Own Cleaning Products

by MarkGallagher

I watched the documentary Chemerical a few months ago and wanted to start making my own cleaning products at home for a while.  I do not like the smell of most conventional cleaning products and bleach makes me want to gag, even with the windows open.  I'm using what I have now, but I bought glass mixing bottles from Ross and just grabbing ingredients as I go.

As soon as a bottle was empty I went to work creating my own mosquito repellent, because the screens on my bedroom widow doesn't quite fit and I'm being eaten alive.

I bought some lemon eucalyptus oil from Whole Foods and grabbed some Rubbling Alcohol from CVS, I also grabbed some vinegar to make a natural all purpose cleaner later.

The recipe I followed was based off the instructions from About.com:

One 16 oz. Bottle of Rubbing alchohol
One Small Bottle of Lemon Eucalyptus Oil (One bottle is almost not enough for the ratio, so 1/2 of another bottle of essential oil will cover the appropiate ratio)

The rubbing alcohol cost a little more than a dollar and one bottle of oil was about $6 and still cheaper than a 16oz bottle of the premade natual repellent.

by Stephanie (strph) from Oklahoma City, USA

How well does the concoction work?
I haven't been bittin again sense as long as I spray it nightly around the windows and front door.

How does it smell?
Like Off, but not too offensive once it dries, I think if I added more essential oil it would smell fine.

I also made my own personal all purpose cleaner:
32 oz. bottle (glass for me, but you can use your own old spray bottles too!)
1/4 cup of salt
about 16 oz  water
about 16 oz vinegar
If you don't like the smell, add favorite essential oil (about 100 drops, more or less)

With the essential oil it doesn't make for a great glass cleaner, but you can just do 1 part water and 1 part vinegar to make a good glass cleaner.

A great car windshield recipie:
3 tablespoons of cornstarch (to clean off bugs)
1 cup vinegar
3 cups natural glass cleaner (I used Method Glass Cleaner)

Another recipie I've used was for deodarant:
1 part corn starch
1 part coconut oil
1 part baking soda
Essential Oil 4 drops per oz

You mix all the ingridents in a pot or pan, put in mold or old deodarant stick container and keep in fridge in hot weather.  If the deodarant irritates your skin add less baking soda or change the essential oil.  I recomend a small batch of unsented to just try it out and change it later for your needs.

These are just a few I've used so far, do you have any cheap natural recipes for cleaning your home?