Homemade Cleaners

Below are some new homemade cleaning recipes I am looking forward to trying soon. Thought I would post it in case anyone out there is interested. I'm especially excited for the homemade hand sanitizer as the one I use is very expensive. I had most of the stuff for the recipes below and got what I didn't have yesterday so if you are curious about any of it or would like to try something out before going to the expense I am happy to let you try something or even make up a small batch for you if you supply the bottle.


LAVENDER-LEMON DISINFECTING SPIRITS SPRAY
¼ cup vodka
½ cup 3 % hydrogen peroxide
1 cup water
5 drops grapefruit seed extract
10 drops essential oil of lavender
5 drops essential oil of lemon
In a spray bottle, combine all the ingredients and swirl to mix them. Do not shake the bottle vigorously or the active oxygen in the hydrogen peroxide will go flat and lose its action.
Spray the surface and wipe it, or spray it and let it dry.
It will keep indefinitely.

ALL-PURPOSE CITRUS SPRAY
½ cup vinegar
1 T Citra-Solv Cleaner and Degreaser concentrate
½ teaspoon liquid dish soap or castile soap
1 ½ cups warm water
½ teaspoon total antiseptic essential oils
In a spray bottle, combine all the ingredients and shake well to mix.
Spray and wipe as you go.
The solution will keep indefinitely.

CLEAR AND CLEAN GLASS SPRAY
¼ cup vinegar
½ teaspoon liquid soap
1 ¾ cups water
8 drops essential oils of your choice
In a spray bottle, mix together all the ingredients.
Spray the cleaner on glass, windows, and mirrors and wipe until clear and dry. Use newspaper.

HOME SPRAY: GRAPEFRUIT LAVENDER OR VANILLA ORANGE
½ cup filtered or distilled water
½ cup vodka
10 drops essential oil of lavender and 8 drops essential oil of grapefruit
Or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract and 4 drops essential oil of sweet orange.
Mix the ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake well before using. Spray several times in rooms that need freshening.

HOW TO CLEAN AND DEODORIZE A DISHWASHER
Clean the filter according to the manufacturer’s directions. Then, use white distilled vinegar to deodorize the inside and dissolve water spots. Pour 2 cups white vinegar into a bowl and sit it upright in the bottom rack. Run the machine through a short wash cycle and it will be clean, deodorized, and ready to run!

FRUIT AND VEGGIE WASHING TONIC
Double or triple recipe for bigger jobs
3 cups filtered water
3 tablespoons vinegar or apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons baking soda
Mix the water, vinegar, and baking soda together in a spray bottle or bowl, depending on how you will use it.
Spray: Spray on fruits and veggies. Scrub firm fruits and veggies like cucumbers, apples, and potatoes, especially if you plan to eat the skin. Rinse well.
Dunk Tonic: Dunk, swish, and scrub the produce as desired. Put veggies in a colander or strainer that fits inside the bowl for easy draining and to allow you to use the same batch of tonic multiple times.

HOMEMADE LEMON PEEL CONCENTRATE AND PRODUCE WASH
4 organic lemons
1 cup vodka
Scrub the lemons with water. Peel away the yellow part of the skin (which cooks call zest) and chop it finely. Try not to include any of the white pith because it’s bitter. Place the chopped peel in a freshly washed glass jar and cover it with the vodka. Cap the jar tightly and let it stand for 2 weeks. Strain out the solids before using the concentrate.
Take the made produce wash, dilute 2 tablespoons of concentrate in each quart of water. Put it in a spray bottle for spritzing or a bowl for dunking. Rinse the produce after using the wash.
If you would like to make a pretty gift of the strained concentrate, add curly fresh lemon peels made with a zest tool.
Store the concentrate in a tightly capped jar, away from direct light and at room temperature.

HOMEMADE CUTTING BOARD SANITZER
¼ cup 3 % hydrogen peroxide
¼ cup vinegar
4 drops grapefruit seed extract
4 drops essential oil of oregano (optional)
1 tablespoon baking soda
Mix the hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, grapefruit seed extract, and essential oil of oregano in a spray bottle or bowl.
Sprinkle the baking soda on the cutting board. Spray the board with or dunk a clean sponge in the mixture and scrub the board. It should fizz up a storm.
Wipe the board thoroughly with fresh water before using it.

SUNDAY OVEN CLEANER
16 oz. baking soda
Water
Spray method. Sprinkle the baking soda evenly over the bottom of the oven. Spray with water from a spray bottle until the soda is very damp, but not running wet. Let it stand for 12 hours (check it and spritz again if necessary to keep it moist). Then, simply wipe and scoop the remains with a scrubber sponge – all the grime will be as loose as a goose and easy to wipe away. Wipe the oven thoroughly with a damp cloth to remove all of the baking soda (this is the most elbow grease you’ll need for this method: it takes a few minutes, but it’s worth the nontoxic effort).

CLEAN HANDS SPRITZ (homemade Formula)
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon plain, aloe vera, or lemon witch hazel
1/8 teaspoon tea tree oil
24 drops essential oils of lavender, lemon, cinnamon, peppermint, and/or thyme (use two or more for good action and a balanced aroma, and also because these oils are potent)
4 drops grapefruit seed extract
Mix all the ingredients in a 1-ounce glass spray bottle (available at natural food stores and online, or reuse a bottle that something else came in).
Shake well before using.
Spray two or three times on grimy paws and rub them together.
Indefinite shelf life.

ANTIBACERIAL SOFT SCRUB “FROSTING”
½ cup baking soda
2 to 3 tablespoons liquid detergent or castile soap
12 to 20 drops antibacterial essential oil of lavender, lemon, orange, rosemary, thyme, and/or tea tree
In a bowl, mix together the baking soda and liquid detergent or castile soap with a fork until the consistency is like frosting. Detergents and soaps vary in their thickness, so add it a little at a time, mixing all the while until it looks good enough to eat.
Mix in the essential oils. Scoop some of the soft scrub onto a sponge and scrub. Rinse the surface well, then step back to enjoy the good job you’ve done.

BASIC SODA FIZZ TOILET SCRUB
1 tablespoon castile or other liquid soap
1/3 cup baking soda
1/3 cup distilled white vinegar
8 drops essential oil of lavender, rosemary, or both
Squirt the soap into the bowl, douse it with the baking soda, then pour in the vinegar and essential oils. Let I fizz and sizzle for 2 o 3 minutes, then scrub the bowl with a toilet brush and flush.

CITRUS FLOOR CLEANER
1 gallon hot water
2 tablespoons liquid castile soap
15 drops sweet orange essential oil
¼ cup lemon juice
Combine in a large bucket.

ON-THE SPOT STAIN LIFTER
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
2 drops peppermint, eucalyptus, or lemon essential oil
Water
Combine to make paste, spread on stain, allow to dry before washing.

EASY DOES IT BOWL CLEANER
½ cup baking soda
¼ cup white vinegar
10 drops tea tree essential oil
Combine, scrub with brush, and flush.