How to Mix Your Own Environmentally Friendly Cleaning Products

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By chasedbydinos
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Mix Your Own Environmentally Friendly Cleaning Products

Mixing your own cleaning products takes just seconds and is incredibly economical. Because they contain no chemicals they are also much healthier and environmentally friendly.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

vinegar
baking soda
castile soap
spray bottles
tea tree oil

Step 1

Let's talk a little bit about the basic ingredients and what they do.

Vinegar has been used for generations to clean just about anything you can think of. It's a degreaser and mild disinfectant. If you are concerned about the smell, it actually dissipates very quickly.
Baking soda acts as an abrasive and a deodorizer.
Castile soap is a vegetable based soap that cleans everything and comes in a myriad of delicious scents. I like Dr. Bronners Lavender Castile Soap.
Tea tree oil is an incredibly powerful disinfectant. Soldiers carried it in their field kits as recently as World War II because it was still considered the best disinfectant.
Step 2

I use two basic cleaners. To make the first cleaner, fill a 16oz spray bottle halfway with water then fill it the rest of the way with vinegar. It's ridiculously simple, I know. I'll call this Cleaner A. To make Cleaner B simply add one tablespoon of castile soap and 6 drops of tea tree oil to a 16 oz bottle, fill with water and shake. That's it. You will use these two cleaners, along with the other basic ingredients listed, to clean most everything in your house. It is also helpful to have a spray bottle containing straight vinegar.
Step 3

Here's how to use these products in the kitchen.

Sink- Spray with Cleaner A and let it sit for a minute or so. Sprinkle on some baking soda and scrub.
Garbage disposal- Pour a cup or so of vinegar down the drain and let it sit for 5 minutes. Dump some baking soda down after it. Wait for it to stop fizzing then flush with hot water and run the disposal. I also like to put left-over orange and lemon peels down the disposal. It makes it smell so good you might find yourself actually wanting to smell your garbage disposal!
Counters and stove top- Spray with Cleaner A, let it sit a moment and then wipe clean. To disinfect, spray with straight vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes before wiping.
Floors- Fill a bucket with warm water and add a squirt of castile soap. Adding 1 cup of vinegar also works well if you don't want to use soap on your floors.
Step 4

Here's how to use these products in the bathroom. Sink- Spray Cleaner B and let it sit for a minute or two. Sprinkle on some baking soda and scrub. Toilet- Spray the inside of the bowl heavily with Cleaner B, sprinkle with baking soda and let sit for 5 minutes and scrub. Mirrors and windows- Spray with straight vinegar and wipe clean. Tub- Spray with Cleaner A and let sit for 15 minutes. Respray, sprinkle with baking soda and scrub. Shower curtain- Keep a bottle of Cleaner A close by. When you get out of the shower each day just spray some on the curtain to prevent soap scum buildup.