We had an incident that changed our minds about what cleaners would be kept in the house and we wanted to avoid as many chemicals as possible.
When my daughter was almost 2 she got into a cabinet that was supposed to be locked, and sprayed 409 house cleaner in her eyes and had to be rushed to the emergency room. She ended up alright, just eye irritation, but like I said it was a big eye opener and didn't want any possibility of that happening again. After a lot of research and trial an error I finally found what works best for our house and family. All of the cleaners we use are homemade and most of the ingredients you can find around your house and they are SO easy to make!
Some basic supplies you are going to need are:
24oz clean spray bottles
I recycled most of mine at first but eventually switched over to brand new bottles so I could label them according to what I was using them for.
I found some similar to these at Walmart for about 2 bucks.
White Vinegar
Any kind will work honestly. I prefer as organic as possible.
I found this brand at the Food Lion next to where I work.
Dish Soap (liquid)
Again any kind will work, but I prefer 7th Generation because it's the most organic chemical free dish soap I can find. I have also used Dr. Bronners liquid Castile soap but I don't recommend it because it has a reaction with the vinegar and it's slightly unpleasant (trust me on this).
Add 1 cup of warm water to the clean empty spray bottle.
Add 1/8th of a cup of dish soap to the warm water and gently swish the bottle around until the two are mixed together.
Add in 1 cup of the vinegar and swish the bottle around again and you are done!
Another thing I learned is NEVER shake the bottle after the soap has been added or you will have a big bubbly mess.
Just with these 3 things you can make an all-purpose cleaner that works good on anything! Just last week I cleaned my oven top with that mix and it worked perfectly!
For a good disinfecting cleaner I make the above and add in Tea Tree Oil which is an amazing disinfectant that is an essential oil. It has been shown to fight not just bacteria but various fungi and viruses, too. Tea tree oil is commonly used on bacterial and fungal health conditions such as acne, blisters, warts and insect bites. I just add 3-4 drops in the bottle after the water but before I add the soap.
The latest cleaner I have tested and tried out is Glass cleaner since all of our living room tables are now glass topped.
Just mix 2 cups warm water
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 tbsp cornstarch
Works like a charm!
Lastly, an awesome carpet deodorizer that is pet friendly!
1 cup of baking soda
8-10 drops of essential oil or your choice. I prefer Lavender or Orange... Something sweet, relaxing and uplifting. Put in an old Parmesan Cheese shaker and shake and generously sprinkle over the carpet and let sit for 2-3 minutes and vacuum like normal!
We have being using all of these for the past 2 1/2 years and I will honestly never switch back. It's not only safer but it's way cheaper as well.
That's all I can really think of right now, but If I can remember any others I'll come back and update this post with them then.
If you make any homemade cleaners or have any questions I want to hear from you! :)
(11/8/12 UPDATE)
I took this picture while I was cleaning my kitchen today, so that you can see my own personal bottles! Whenever I run out and need to make more, I'll take better pictures!
No comments:
Post a Comment