Home Remedy Cleaning

[Asch]

I've gotten away from using most name brand and generic cleaners. The fumes bother me and they're super expensive. Instead I use combinations of alcohol, tap water, white vinegar, and baking soda for everything except the inside of the toilet bowl.

For instance, to clean windows and mirrors I mix water, alcohol and vinegar in a spray bottle and use that (it's about two parts water, one part vinegar and 1/2 part vinegar but experiment as needed).

For stubborn hard surface stains few things can beat a thin layer of vinegar followed by baking soda or vice versa.

If the vinegar smell is obnoxious you can air out the area and/or add some essential oils to your cleaning repertoire - some have natural antibiotic properties like tea tree oil and IIRC thyme.

Anyone else have any tips or tricks they use for anything similar?

(I also use soap nuts for laundry)

[cwummel]

I've gotten away from using most name brand and generic cleaners. The fumes bother me and they're super expensive. Instead I use combinations of alcohol, tap water, white vinegar, and baking soda for everything except the inside of the toilet bowl.

For instance, to clean windows and mirrors I mix water, alcohol and vinegar in a spray bottle and use that (it's about two parts water, one part vinegar and 1/2 part vinegar but experiment as needed).

For stubborn hard surface stains few things can beat a thin layer of vinegar followed by baking soda or vice versa.

If the vinegar smell is obnoxious you can air out the area and/or add some essential oils to your cleaning repertoire - some have natural antibiotic properties like tea tree oil and IIRC thyme.

Anyone else have any tips or tricks they use for anything similar?

(I also use soap nuts for laundry)

 
I do a lot of similar things while cleaning, but I usually just open some windows if I can to get the vinegar smell out quickly.

For my laundry I make my own laundry detergent!  I use 1/2 a bar of Fels Naptha, 1 cup washing soda and 1 cup of borax powder. It involves several gallons of water and boiling the Fels Naptha for quite some time as well.

[veggiewolf]

...

(I also use soap nuts for laundry)

I've been wondering about soap nuts and how they'd be for sensitive skin?  My son has eczema, so we can only use products that won't make it worse.

[Asch]

I've been wondering about soap nuts and how they'd be for sensitive skin?  My son has eczema, so we can only use products that won't make it worse.

 
I don't have sensitive skin so I can't really say if they're helpful on that front but they don't leave any residue or scent behind. They also aren't very good with some types of ground in stains but they're great for regular washing.

[Asch]

For instance, to clean windows and mirrors I mix water, alcohol and vinegar in a spray bottle and use that (it's about two parts water, one part vinegar and 1/2 part vinegar but experiment as needed).

I just realized that makes no sense, the 1/2 part would be the vinegar, the 1 part would be alcohol

Has anyone done much with Borax? I picked some up a couple days ago to use for a bath salts recipe anyone have any recommendations for further or alternate uses?

[Ocelot]

Has anyone done much with Borax? I picked some up a couple days ago to use for a bath salts recipe anyone have any recommendations for further or alternate uses?

I've used it around the porch and doors to help keep ants out. Works pretty well, but doesn't seen to last as long as commercial insecticides.

[Asch]

I've used it around the porch and doors to help keep ants out. Works pretty well, but doesn't seen to last as long as commercial insecticides.

 
Ha it's interesting you mention that I just checked a couple of those enclosed ant traps my Dad/roommate (I rent from him) picked up about a month ago - we were getting tiny black picnic ants in some rooms - and sure enough the active ingredient is a borax gel.

*notes new way to save more money*

Honestly, one of the reasons I prefer these methods is that a big huge box of baking soda is about $2 and a jug of vinegar is roughly $3 and a quart of 70% alcohol is about $2 and that's enough to keep my house clean for three months. BAM.

[cwummel]

I've used it around the porch and doors to help keep ants out. Works pretty well, but doesn't seen to last as long as commercial insecticides.

 
Never thought to use it for this purpose. Thanks for the tip! I got a ton for making my laundry detergent and now have another use for it.

[Asch]

Never thought to use it for this purpose. Thanks for the tip! I got a ton for making my laundry detergent and now have another use for it.

Yeah apparently it's ridiculously useful stuff.
 
Meant to add I like to use the spray bottles you can get from some hardware stores (I picked up two for about $.99 a piece from Home Depot a couple months ago) mostly because they have measuring levels on the side so if you're trying to get the ratios of ingredients just right it's pretty helpful.

Does anyone have any other recipes or tips?

[Waterfall]

Has anyone done much with Borax? I picked some up a couple days ago to use for a bath salts recipe anyone have any recommendations for further or alternate uses?

I've used borax to clean carpets before. I know I used it on dog urine (in combination with something else that I can't remember) and also for random spills because I'm dumb and clumsy and have lightsaber fights while drinking cranberry juice and other things that stain. Worked pretty good.

I think we used it in the dishwasher as well, although I don't think we had very good results with that. We did have the crappiest dishwasher in the world though. Only thing it was good for was putting in the wrong kind of soap and letting it fill the kitchen with bubbles. So maybe it would work in a decent dishwasher.

[woodhick]

I do a lot of similar things while cleaning, but I usually just open some windows if I can to get the vinegar smell out quickly.

For my laundry I make my own laundry detergent!  I use 1/2 a bar of Fels Naptha, 1 cup washing soda and 1 cup of borax powder. It involves several gallons of water and boiling the Fels Naptha for quite some time as well.

 
I also make my own laundry soap, but I dont boil the Fels Naptha, just grate it fine for the powdered version and grated fine and dissolved in water for the liquid/gel version. Both work wonders. I also add baking soda to mine as I have to wash a lot of grass and blood from my clothes when I have a job in my career field.

Most everything else is vinegar and baking soda..... the cat prefers it when I clean her litter box . works even keeping drains clear as a preventative maintenance.

[mandrina]

I also make my own laundry soap, but I dont boil the Fels Naptha, just grate it fine for the powdered version and grated fine and dissolved in water for the liquid/gel version. Both work wonders. I also add baking soda to mine as I have to wash a lot of grass and blood from my clothes when I have a job in my career field.

Most everything else is vinegar and baking soda..... the cat prefers it when I clean her litter box . works even keeping drains clear as a preventative maintenance.

my laundry soap is 1 part grated fels naptha
1 part borax
1 part baking soda
1 1/2 part washing soda

1/4 per load

my dishwasher soap is
1 part borax
1 part baking soda

2 tablespoons in the detergent drawer, fill the rinse thing with white vinegar.
 
I also bought a felted wool ball that functions as a static electricity neutralizer in the dryer. The cat likes it too.

[Star]

my dishwasher soap is
1 part borax
1 part baking soda

::confused::  Isn't borax toxic?  Is that safe for dishes you'll be eating off of?...  (Maybe it's not a high enough concentration to be dangerous or something?...)

[Asch]

::confused::  Isn't borax toxic?  Is that safe for dishes you'll be eating off of?...  (Maybe it's not a high enough concentration to be dangerous or something?...)

 
If its thoroughly rinsed it shouldn't be a problem. From Wikipedia: Simple exposure can cause respiratory and skin irritation; ingestion may cause gastrointestinal distress including nausea, persistent vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Effects on the vascular system and brain include headaches and lethargy, but are less frequent. "In severe poisonings, a beefy red skin rash affecting palms, soles, buttocks and scrotum has been described. With severe poisoning, erythematous and exfoliative rash, unconsciousness, respiratory depression, and renal failure."

[DomesticWitch]

Anyone else have any tips or tricks they use for anything similar?

Dont know if this really counts but whenever you have a candle holder thats got wax on it (or the last bit of a votive that wont burn), soak the holder in hot water. The wax will melt into the water or just slide right off/out of the candle holder.

I have a question - does anyone know how to get grease off of grill pans? I just cant seem to get the damned things clean!