Homemade cleaners, part 2.

[maryadavies]

I think most of you know that we aren't in the best money straights since my mom died. One of our problems is..My sister is allergic to a LOT of household chemicals, including most all purpose cleaners. (Luckily not Simple Green..yet.) Bleech! The stuff she isn't allergic to can be very pricy! To save money, we've been replacing these where possible with homemade. (That is, baking soda and vinegar cleaners, which don't set off her asthma/allergies.) If you remember wayyyy back, this got me started; then I discovered CleanMySpace; some of hers work even better, like her dishsoap and baking soda tub cleaner. (I suggest if you get into cleaning with baking soda a lot; get the bag for pools, the little boxes do not last very long. Oh and I also often use some dishcloths I knit myself; If anyone wants to try that, I'll gladly give the pattern out for free if someone knows how to knit and purl!)

Oh and I love this soap scum remover for mild soap scum.

So! Anyone else like to make their own cleaners for money saving or one reason or another?

[snafu]

When one of our DKs exhibited an allergy to a new brand of laundry detergent, I tried making home made laundry detergent based on a demonstration on You Tube. That was so successful I began replacing most brand name cleaners with easy, home made products. My very best item is a small, electric steamer that came with a window tool, and several different, small brushes. A couple of years later I replaced it with a larger unit [gifting the initial unit to a neighbour]. Best thing about those small steamers is that they're fun to use and cleaning toilets, windows and sills no longer feel like horrid chores.

[TexasHusker]

I made a bar of soap once.

[Gailete]

I'm allergic to those cleaners too especially those with the really strong smells. My one ex loved his 409 cleaner and I insisted it not be used. It was almost deadly to me. At one point got a Jello or Kool-aid stain on the counter. He went off for his precious bottle of 409 while I reached for the baking soda, some water and a rag (no paper towels) and he was amazed as that spot disappeared in no time without even hardly any rubbing. He constantly for the 4 years we were married wanting to use the 409 - the worst bottled cleaner I have ever smelled! I always had something more natural, cheaper and wouldn't send me into a coughing fit. Love baking soda. It s also good with some elbow grease for cleaning the tops of ceramic electric stoves.

Do you know the formula for fruit fly poison? I put a squirt of dishwashing detergent into a cup and add about 4-8 oz (it doesn't need to be exact)cider vinegar in after the dish soap and let it sit. Depending one how bad the fruit flies are in minutes they will be hanging around on the cup and then drowning themselves. In a day or two you will see a gob of dead ones in there. Change it out every 3-5 days and keep it going as long as needed - for someone that cans all summer that usually would mean all summer. Some summers I have gone through a half gallon of cider vinegar to keep the fruit flies under control. We live in the country where there are fruit farmers, gardeners, horses, etc. We always have one infestation after another just about all year. I had heard a lot of fruit fly 'sure cures' none of which worked until I stumbled onto this. If you have a problem with them, I hope it works for you. My theory is the soap causes a change to the surface tension of the vinegar and the fly can't get out and drowns.