Homemade Cleaners

A busy time making homemade cleaners and baking.  The Christmas cake is now done and sitting in my store cupboard.

Homemade Cleaners
I decided from the first day of this year onwards I would not buy any more cleaning products from the supermarket, and that I would make everything I needed myself.  Last year I began buying the ingredients I would need and stored them away in preparation. A basic list from Bin Inn for me would look like this...

• Baking Soda
• White Vinegar
• Borax
• Washing Soda
• Citirc Acid
• Salt

The reality of this decision soon dawned on me in February as the purchased cleaners soon started running out.  So out came the recipes I had been writing up and the process began.  At the time Alex and I made it part of our homeschool life, and between us started making these products.  I wanted to be able to reproduce as much as possible the cleaners I was already using.  So for me, I especially wanted to make dishwasher powder, laundry  liquid and spray and wipe.  And to be honest that about covers most of what I use.  Add vinegar and baking soda in as well.  So Thursday was make cleaners day here. I have collected many recipes for cleaners from very good websites such as down---to---earth and .simplesavings.  Do go to these sites and have a look, they are full of great advice on living a more simpler life.

Dishwasher Powder

1 cup washing soda

1 cup baking soda

1/4 cup salt

1/4 cup citric acid

 Combine ingredients, then use 1 tablespoon as needed.  Use white vinegar for rinse aid.

  

Laundry Liquid

1 bar of sunlight soap

1 cup washing soda

1/2 cup borax

water miscible oil if required for smell

Grate the bar of soap into a big pot.

Cover with water and simmer over a medium heat until all soap is melted, stirring occasionally.

Pour into a very large bucket.

Add the washing soda, oil and borax.

Add enough very hot water (I use the electric kettle) to fill the bucket.

Stir as often as possible as it cools down.

Let sit overnight to gel (and believe me, it will gel!) but give occasional stir as it thickens.

I use 1 cup per load.

If gel is too thick add more water.

Homemade Spray and Wipe

2 Tablespoons Cloudy Ammonia

1/2 cup white vinegar

2 Tablespoons dish washing liquid

4 litres warm water

Mix together in a well ventilated area.  Ammonia is very toxic so read instructions for its use very carefully.

Store in spray bottles ready for use.  I personally find this spray amazing.  It can be used in the bathroom, toilet and even to wash the floors with.

 8 litres of spray and wipe ready to use

3 buckets of laundry liquid almost being filled with water from kettle

Bye for now, Lee-Anne