Homemade Cleaning Products

I try to keep my house as environmentally friendly as possible. Some of these aren't as Earth-friendly as I'd like, but it's an improvement.

CHEAP "FEBREEZE"
Take an old spray bottle (I used the leftover Febreeze spray bottle), fill it half way with fabric softener, and fill it the rest of the way with water. This is the only thing I buy fabric softener for, since I use vinegar in the rinse cycle. I buy the phosphorous free softener.

DISH SOAP
3 tbsp liquid castile soap
2 cups warm water
2 tsp. vegetable glycerine
2 tbsp. vinegar
My favorite thing about making dish soap (this will show you what a dork I am) is putting in the first three ingredients, mixing them up, and then pouring in the vinegar. It's way cool. All the ingredients are clear, right? You've got crystal-clear, water-looking stuff in a jar...and then you pour in even more clear stuff, but it looks like you just poured in creamer...it's way nifty. (This coming from a chick who loves lava lamps, so take that for what it's worth.)

LAUNDRY SOAP
1/2 cup liquid castille soap
1/2 cup borax
1/2 cup washing soda
Put these in a gallon jug, fill the rest of the way with warm water, and mix it up. I also like to add some shredded fels naptha (not much, though...it makes the soap clumpy). And I've been putting a teaspoon of seventh generation laundry powder in the wash to give it that extra kick, and it works wonderfully. I use a downy ball with vinegar in it for the rinse.

On a side note here, I used to use just plain baking soda in the wash (did that for about a year), and aside from the cost, it worked fabulously. Going through all my trials and errors with making laundry soap, I've often contemplated just going back to the baking soda days. But since I started adding in that teaspoon of commercial soap, I finally found a formula that works the same as the baking soda. And it's cheaper.

ALL PURPOSE CLEANER
2 parts water
1 part vinegar
Yep, that's it. Put it in a spray bottle or mop bucket, and off you go.

I've got plenty more where that comes from. I actually printed out a whole book of recipes for different things that I'll pull out when one of these won't do the job I need done.

And now, I'm off to clean the house...