Recipes for a few All Natural Household Cleaners

                                         Recipes for a few All Natural Household Cleaners

Window Cleaner
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons liquid castile soap
- 2 cups pure or distilled warm water
- 3-5 drops tea tree oil

#2

-1/8 cup vinegar
-1 cup water
-10-15 drops lemon oil
 

#3

-3 cups distilled white vinegar

-1 cup water
-10 to 15 drops grapefruit oil

 Directions: Add all ingredients to spray bottle, shake to blend, spray on glass, and clean using newspapers or microfiber cloth. Shake well before each use.

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All-Natural Disinfecting Spray

-1 cup distilled water
-20 drops lavender oil
-20 drops of thyme or eucalyptus oil
-10 drops tea tree oil

Directions:        Mix ingredients with 4 cups of hot water. If desired, add 1 teaspoon of essential oils for kicks. You can use a mixture of two or just one. Oils suggested are lemongrass, eucalyptus, lavender, sweet orange or peppermint (eucalyptus and lavender go nicely together). You can use this cleaner on everything except glass.

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All-Purpose Cleaner

-2 teaspoons of castile soap

-5 tablespoons of cheap white vinegar
-2 teaspoons of borax
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-¼ teaspoon of tea tree oil

Directions:     Mix all baking soda, water & dish soap with essential oils. Place container  in larger bowl. Add vinegar. Mix.

#2
-2 cups boiling water
-2 tablespoons white vinegar
-½ teaspoon dish soap
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-5 drops lemon oil

#3

-2 cups white vinegar
-2 cups water
-2 drops tea tree, lemon, or lavender

Directions:                 Combine baking soda and essential oils in a mixing bowl. When ready to clean toilet bowl add vinegar and pour mixture into the toilet. Then scrub with toilet brush. Note: This is a single use recipe. There is no method of storage due to the fizzing action.

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Toilet Bowl Cleaner

-3/4 cup baking soda
-3/4 cup white vinegar
-10 drops of tea tree oil
-10 drops of lavender oil

Usually, the toilet bowl cleaner recipe is enough to clean the stains in the toilets. However, tougher stains may require the use of the following homemade soft scrub in addition to the toilet bowl cleaner.

Directions:       Add these ingredients directly to partially drained bowl. Tip: For serious stain or rust, empty water from bowl & scrub with a wet pumice stone. When wet, the stone will not scratch porcelain.

#2
-½ cup baking soda
-10 drops melaleuca oil
-¼ cup vinegar

Directions:        Add baking soda & vinegar to the toilet bowl, & let sit for 10 minutes. Scrub with a toilet bowl brush. Follow up by scrubbing with castile soap, if necessary.

#3

-¾ cup baking soda
-½ cup white vinegar
-1 tablespoon liquid castile soap (optional)

Directions:         Add liquid castile soap to baking soda slowly until paste is formed. Then proceed to add antiseptic essential oils. Apply scrub to sponge for use on surface to be cleaned.

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Homemade Soft Scrub

-¾ cup baking soda
-Enough liquid castile soap to form a paste
-5 drops tea tree oil
-5 drops of lemon, lemongrass, or orange oil (optional)

Directions:                                                  -WARM or HOT water – just add 1-2 tablespoons of washing soap to the washer. -COLD water – dissolve the 1-2 tablespoons of powder in hot water to be sure it distributes through the clothing properly. -You won’t see a lot of suds, but your clothes will be ‘spectacularly clean’.

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Washing Soap

-1 bar shaved soap

- ½ cup of borax
-½ cup of washing soda
-3 drops essential oil

Directions:                                                  Fill large bucket with half of the water. The bucket should be about ½ full. Add borax, washing soda & castile soap; mix well, breaking clumps as you go. Add the remaining water & essential oils, if desired. Stir well. Use immediately, & store in an old laundry container; the mixture will gel when cooled, so mix thoroughly before each use. Use 1 to 2 cups per load of laundry.

  #2
-¼ cup borax
-¼ cup washing soda
-½ cup castile soap
-1 gallon hot water
-5 to 10 drops of oil (lavender, rosemary, or tea tree are nice)
 

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Floor Cleaner

-1 gallon hot water
-2 tablespoons liquid castile soap
-15 drops wild orange oil
-8 drops lemon oil

Directions: Combine ingredients in a large bucket. Use a mop to clean the floor. Allow to dry completely.

#2

-2 gallons hot water
-¼ cup baking soda
-2 cups white vinegar
-3 to 4 drops tea tree oil, pine oil, or half a lemon

Directions:   Combine ingredients in a large bucket. Squeeze out mop thoroughly before using. Go over wood with a dry mop to remove excess moisture & give it shine.

Wood Floor Polish

-¼ cup olive oil

-¼ cup vinegar
-10 drops wild orange or lemon oil (or other)
 
#2
-1 cup white vinegar
-2 gallons of water
-20 to 30 drops peppermint oil

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Furniture Polish

-¼ cup vinegar or ¼ cup fresh lemon juice

-1 teaspoon of oil (or jojoba liquid wax)

Directions: Combine ingredients in a spray bottle & shake well. Mist onto furniture surfaces, & polish immediately with a rag (mixture may stain rag.) No need to rinse!

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High Chair Disinfectant

Mix 8 drops tea tree oil with 2 ½ cups water in a spray bottle; shake well. Spray & wipe down high chair surface.

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Mosquito Repellant

Mix 4 oz water & 6 drops peppermint oil in a spray bottle. Shake well before use.

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Insect Repellant

Lavender, geranium & eucalyptus all have repellant properties. Mix several drops of each in an 8 oz spray bottle. Shake well before each use and spray as needed.

Fruit & Vegetable Wash

-1 cup water

-1 cup white vinegar
-1 tablespoon baking soda
-10 drops grapefruit & lemon oils

Directions:                Combine ingredients in a spray bottle & shake well. Spray onto fruits & vegetables before eating. For berries, grapes, etc put items in a bowl & pour in the fruit & vegetable wash. Let sit for several minutes & rinse.

 

Canning a cake...in the oven. 3-2-1 Cake. Oven Canning

Useful Preparedness Tools

Other Useful Preparedness Tools - great site!

One of my VERY favorite blogs I follow is Frugally Sustainable.  I've found some really great recipes for household items that are natural, easy to make, and wonderful to use! :)

Here's the link for Laundry Stain Stick... ~delisa

http://frugallysustainable.com/2012/04/homemade-laundry-stain-stick/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+FrugallySustainable+%28Frugally+Sustainable%29

Homemade Laundry Stain Stick
I call the following soap recipe my Laundry Stain Stick — and it is crazy amazing at cleaning all sorts of stains – but I also use it when making laundry detergent and my liquid dish soap. The reduced percentage of excess fat and the inclusion of eucalyptus and lemon essential oils give this soap serious grease/stain cutting ability.
Ingredients
-2 pounds lard
-4.39 ounces lye
-10 ounces water
-1 ounce eucalyptus essential oils, optional
-1/2 ounce lemon essential oils, optional
Hot Processed Method
1. Measure the lye and water — each in separate bowls. Note: Run your recipe through a lye calculator to be sure that you are using the proper amount of lard, lye, and liquid.
2. Carefully combine the lye and water by pouring the lye into the water (never pour the water into the lye) and stir liquid until lye is completely dissolved. The liquid is caustic and not to be touched in anyway. The outside of the bowl will be extremely hot as well. Note: Be careful when working with lye and follow all of the recommended precautions. What I’m trying to say is, I can not be held responsible for any craziness, mishaps, explosions, etc. that may happen when making this recipe.
3. Allow the lye mixture to stay under a vent and cool down while you prepare the lard.
4. Measure the lard by weight and then place in a crock pot to melt on low heat.
5. Once melted, add the lye/liquid mixture to the lard in the crock pot and stir. Note: Any equipment the lye touches needs to be neutralized in a mixture of white vinegar, soap, and water.
6. After a brief stir, grab your stick blender and get to work! Blend the lard and liquid in the crock pot for at least 3-5 minutes. We are working toward ”trace.”
7. Blend until the mixture becomes a thick, pudding like consistency.

8. Once the mixture is pudding-like, cover the crock pot and “cook” the soap for approximately 1 hour.
9. Prepare your molds. I just use a standard loaf pan lined with parchment paper and it’s always worked perfectly.
10. Just before pouring “cooked” soap into molds stir in the essential oils (if using).
11. Spoon soap mixture into molds.
12. Allow soap to cool and harden for 24 hours.
13. Remove from mold on to cutting board and cut into bars.
14. Place bars on a tray with good airflow so that they can harden further. But go ahead and use your first bar!!!
To Use

To use the laundry stain stick simply wet the stained clothing and soap then rub the soap directly on to the stain. Wash as you normally would.
Notes
-I do not recommend using this soap recipe on your skin. It will have too much of a drying effect.
-Eucalyptus and lemon essential oils are known for their grease cutting ability and are excellent additions to the recipe.
-Many of the vintage recipes that I have read for stain sticks used turpentine instead of the essential oils. Turpentine is a natural substance that comes from the resin of pine trees and it is biodegradable. If it’s available to you, it may be a viable option.
-If you are new to soap making I strongly suggest you read through these super informative posts and find what will work for you:

• Crock Pot Soap
• Beginner’s Guide To Soap Making
• 4 Steps To Making Homemade Soap

-I would also recommend borrowing a few of these books from the library if you really find yourself wanting to know more:

• Handcrafted Soapby Dolores Boone
• The Soapmaker’s Companionby Susan Miller Cavitch
• The Natural Soap Book by Susan Miller Cavitch

-Looking for the raw materials mentioned in this post? The Soap Dish has some of the best prices on soap making materials you can find — not to mention it’ s a small family owned business. Mountain Rose Herbs is my go-to for all my essential oil needs!