What do you use to clean with? (Green-as-can-be products please)

[big brown horse]

I know all about laundry and dishwasher detergent and how to wash my hair (or not) now I would love to know what everyone is using for household cleaning products. If it is home made, please give directions on how to make it ourselves.

How do you clean wood surfaces, your bathroom, tile and wood floors, gas, electric and flat stove tops etc?

I am getting sorta tired of using white vinegar and magic erasers for everything. :/ I tend to get stuck in ruts. Give me some of your ideas!

 

[DrakeMaiden]

I use a lot of vinegar, baking soda, and dish washing liquid, although not usually simultaneously. I try not to use bleach, so I often use peroxide based "bleach" or borax instead.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Maybe this article will help spice up your cleaning chores?

 

[keljonma]

Here are some threads...

http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=1723

http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=1295

http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=963


ETA: Murphy's Oil Soap is used to clean all the woodwork at the church. But you can use a little olive oil and vinegar to polish your furniture. Use 1 part white vinegar and 3 parts olive oil. Add a little natural lemon oil (not the synthetic kind) and you've got a great polish.

Baking soda or cream of tartar is wonderful for cleaning stainless steel.


Homemade All Purpose Natural cleaner
Take white pine needles...they are the ones with 5 needles per cluster.
Cut small branch stems from tree and put them in a jar.
Pack them in well and fill jar with water.
Put a tight lid on the jar to seal.
Let sit for about a week, then strain.
Put into a spray bottle and you have your very own natural household cleaner.
Whit pine has many disinfecting and deodorizing properties.

 

[noobiechickenlady]

This is what I use. Still trying to convince DH that they really do work

All purpose cleaner - 2 tablespoons white vinegar, 2 tablespoons borax in a spray bottle. Fill with warm waater, shake until it's all dissolved.

Carpet Cleaner - 1/2 cup baking soda, 1 cup borax, 1 cup cornmeal, sprinkle on carpet & leave several hours or overnight, vacuum up as usual.

Window cleaner - 1/4 cup amonia in a spray bottle, fill with warm water. Use with a microfiber cloth to prevent streaks & fuzz.

Mold & yuck remover - Straight hydrogen peroxide, spray on, let sit for several minutes (unless its a dark colored item, then let stay briefly!) wipe off. Rinse remaining bits off with warm water.

Wood polish - Couple drops olive oil, tablespoon lemon juice added straight to a cloth. Rub vigorously.

Soft scrub - baking soda to cover the stain, enough water to make a paste, generous amounts of elbow grease.

I like the pine cleaner! Very cool!

 

[DrakeMaiden]

I like the pine cleaner idea too!

 

[big brown horse]

I have a plethora of pine needles! Thanks you guys!

 

[big brown horse]

Thanks keljonma! I wonder why those didn't pop up when I did a search? Oh well, glad you found them for me!

 

[patandchickens]

How do you clean wood surfaces, your bathroom, tile and wood floors, gas, electric and flat stove tops etc?

Wood furniture: dry or barely-slightly-damp cloth.

Wood or tile floors: usually just dry-mop; spot clean with hot damp rag and lotsa scrubbing if occasionally needed.

Bathroom: hot water with a little soap as needed, plus lotsa scrubbing; vinegar or stronger acids for hard water deposits.

Stove: hot water with a little soap (if it's really stubborn crud, I lay a hot damp rag on the surface for a minute or two before commencing to scrub, which makes a tremendous difference in ease of crud removal)

I totally utterly do not get this modern fad (that seems to now be taken for granted as a normal part of life!) for scented special-purpose cleaners. To me, there is not much that cannot be removed with hot water, soap or vinegar, and scrubbing. The few exceptions are generally solved with the addition of baking soda, salt, or ammonia.

JMHO,

Pat

 

[DrakeMaiden]

I totally utterly do not get this modern fad (that seems to now be taken for granted as a normal part of life!) for scented special-purpose cleaners. To me, there is not much that cannot be removed with hot water, soap or vinegar, and scrubbing. The few exceptions are generally solved with the addition of baking soda, salt, or ammonia.

I agree. But I was raised into thinking all those cleaning products were normal and had to find my way out of that mess on my own.

My neighbor tried to sell me some environmentally friendly cleaning product line . . . I told her I use the basic stuff. She expressed ignorance on how to use the basic stuff and when I tried to tell her how to educate herself, she seemed uninterested. :/ But if you ask me . . . most of those special green cleaning supplies are just money down the drain.