Make Homemade Cleaners Using Common Household Ingredients

Sodium Bicarbate, better known as Baking Soda, makes a wonderful homemade cleaner for use inside and outside of the home.  It is safe to use around your family and is very economical, costing about $1 per box.  Baking soda can safely be used on all types of surfaces in the kitchen and bath, on outside surfaces like lawn furniture and fountains, as well as being a terrific laundry aide.

Tips for mixing and using Baking Soda as a homemade cleaner:

• Mix 4 tablespoons of Baking Soda with 1 quart of warm water and mix until dissolved.  Pour the mixture into a spray bottle for cleaning surfaces inside and outside of the home. 
• Cleaning surfaces.  Simply spray the surface, wipe with a cloth and rinse with clear water.
• Treating tough laundry stains.  Spray the cleaner directly on a stubborn stain and rub gently.  This mixture is safe for use on most types of fabric but if there are concerns you may want to test it on an inconspicuous area on the fabric or choose another option for treating the stain.

Another common household ingredient that makes an excellent homemade cleaner is natural, all purpose Vinegar.  Vinegar can serve all types of purposes inside and outside of the home.  Vinegar kills mold, bacteria and germs, cuts through grime and grease, removes water spots from mirrors and windows and eliminates odors.   Vinegar is not only environmentally friendly but, at a cost of about $2 per gallon, vinegar is very economical as well.

Tips for mixing and using Vinegar as a homemade cleaner:

• Speed up a slow coffee pot.  Add 1cup of  Vinegar into the reservoir of a coffee pot and fill with water.  Turn on the coffee pot and begin the brewing process, just as you would a pot of coffee.  Turn off the coffee pot before the brewing process is complete and let the Vinegar and water sit for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes, turn the coffee pot back on and allow the brewing process to complete.  Pour the hot contents down the sink (removes odors) and fill the reservoir with clear, cool water.  Turn on the coffee pot again, allowing the water to rinse away the remaining residue.  Repeat the clear water process one last time to rinse away any remaining traces of Vinegar.
• Clean and deodorize the inside of a dishwasher.  With the dishwasher empty, pour 1 cup of Vinegar into the bottom of the dishwasher and allow it to run through a complete wash and rinse cycle.
• Clean and shine windows and mirrors.  To remove grime and water spots from windows and mirrors spray the surface with homemade Vinegar cleaner and wipe with a lint-free cloth or newspaper. 
• Clean tough buildup on showers and tubs.  Spray undiluted Vinegar directly on shower walls, doors, tubs and shower curtains to loosen buildup.  For extremely stubborn buildup, scour with baking soda, allowing it to sit for 10 minutes.  Rinse well with clear water.

As you can see from the tips above, homemade cleaners can be made out of everyday household ingredients, are very inexpensive to make and can literally be used to clean all types of things in the home, including the kitchen sink.