Floor Cleaner and Polish

http://eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm

 

Vinyl and Linoleum: Mix 1 cup vinegar and a few drops of baby oil in 1 gallon warm water. For tough jobs, add 1/4 cup borox. Use sparingly on lineoleum.

 

Wood: Apply a thin coat of 1:1 vegetable oil and vinegar and rub in well. 

 

Painted Wood: Mix 1 teaspoon washing soda into 1 gallon (4L) hot water. 

 

Brick and Stone Tiles: Mix 1 cup white vinegar in 1 gallon (4L) water; rinse with clear water.

 

Most floor surfaces can be easily cleaned using a solution of vinegar and water. For damp-mopping wood floors, mix equal amounts of white distilled vinegar and water. Add 15 drops of pure peppermint oil; shake to mix.
 

Furniture Polish: 

 

For varnished wood, add a few drops of lemon oil into a 1/2 cup warm water. Mix well and spray onto a soft cotton cloth. Cloth should only be slightly damp. Wipe furniture with the cloth, and finish by wiping once more using a dry soft cotton cloth.

 

For unvarnished wood, mix two tsps each of olive oil and lemon juice and apply a small amount to a soft cotton cloth. Wring the cloth to spread the mixture further into the material and apply to the furniture using wide strokes. This helps distribute the oil evenly.

 

 

MORE FROM: Some essentials- from 'The Queen of Cleans' by Linda Cobb

 

Club Soda:

 

Club soda is the best emergency spot remover.  Club soda will remove red wine, coffee, tea, soda, kool-aid, etc., from clothing and carpet. React as soon as possible!  Lift any solids carefully then pour on club soda, blotting with a rag until all color from the spill is removed. Club soda has even worked on old stains.

 

Lemon Juice:

 

Lemon Juice is nature's bleach and disinfectant.

• Apply lemon juice to clothes, undiluted, to remove, to remove fruit-based stains. Let soak for 30 minutes, then launder.

• Remove rust from clothes by applying undiluted lemon juice and laying garment in the sun.

• As bleach alternative, mix 1/4 cup lemon juice and 1/4 cup white vinegar in a gallon of warm water and soak clothes for 15 minutes prior to washing.

• Use straight lemon juice or mix into paste with baking soda to take bleach spots off Formica.

• Clean brass and copper by sprinkling salt on 1/2 lemon  and rub the metal, rinse thoroughly (you can also mix lemon juice and salt if you don't have fresh lemons.)

• Remove tarnish from silver with a pasted of lemon juice and baking soda-- apply mixture with a sof toothbrush, allow to dry. Remove with a clean, dry toothbrush, and polish with clean, soft cloth.

•  Make a cleaner in a spray bottle  with 2 cups water, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon liquid dish soap, 1 tablespoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon borax. Shake before using to clean any hard surface.

• To remove stains from hands, massage lemon juice (bottled or fresh-squeezed) into hands before washing with soap and water.

• To remove food stains from good china, make a paste of lemon juice and cream of tartar and rub gently. Rinse piece well when done.

• Bleach a wooden breadboard by applying lemon juice and letting it sit overnight. Wash and rinse in the morning.

• Apply lemon juice to chrome and buff to shine.

 

Baking Soda (continued):

 

Baking soda is a great deodorizer, cleaner and mild abrasive.  Use as you would a soft-scrubbing product.

• When you replace the little box of baking soda in your fridge (twice a year), don't let the old one go to waste.  Pour it down the drain and chase with 1/2 cup white vinegar. This will naturally clean and freshen the drain.

• Use baking soda on a damp cloth to clean.  Screen stain/mineral deposits from a window, polish silver, remove crayon from hard surfaces, cleaning car's chrome/headlights/enamel, remove dark heel marks from hard floors, etc.

• To clean grout: 3 cups baking soda mixed with 1 cup warm water, scrub grout with brush and rinse.

• To remove burned food from casserole dish: Fill dish with hot water, add 1 tablespoon baking soda, and allow to soak.

• to clean up pet vomit: Sprinkle heavy coating of baking soda, let absorb and dry, then scoop or vacuum up.

• For odor-eating socks: Mix 1 gallon warm water and 1/4 cup baking soda, soak freshly washed socks in this for 30 minutes-- do not rinse.  Spin out in the washer, dry and you will have odor-eating socks!

• Put in your car's ashtray (may not discourage smoking, but will neutralize the odor...)

 

White Vinegar and Baking Soda (continued):

 

• To remove mineral deposits from around drains, close the drain and pour in enough vinegar to cover drain area. Let soak overnight, scrub with nylon scrubbing sponge, drain and rinse.

• Spray vinegar on the underarms of clothes  or use a paste of baking soda and let soak for 15-30 minutes to deodorize and minimize underarm stains.

• Remove road-salt stains from boots by wiping them with a mixture of 1 part water, one part water.

• Clean stainless steal sinks with a paste of baking soda and vinegar. (Don't let the foaming scare you!)

• Make an air freshener: Mix 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and two cups water in a spray bottle. After foaming stops, put lid on-- shake before using.

• Keep drains free flowing  with 1/2 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup vinegar poured down the drain. Cover drain for 15 minutes (it will foam). Then flush with cold water.  Do this once a month.

 

White Vinegar:   

 

•  Warm and put into spray bottle, spray showers, tubs, and sinks, and let soak for 10 min. Then use  nylon scrubbing sponge to remove heavy soap scum. Respray if necessary. 

• To remove soap scum and mildew from plastic shower curtain/liners: fill the washing mashine with warm water, 1 cup vinegar, and detergent. Add curtains and several old, light colored towels- run through complete cycle, rehan curtain immediately.

• Add 2-3 tablespoons  to hot water along with regular dishwashing liquid to cut grease on dishes and crystal.

• Add 1/4 cup  to the washing mashine during the final rinse to soften clothes and remove lint from dark clothes. 

• Use vinegar to clean glass-- mix 1/4 cup to one quart water in spray bottle. Use 1/2 and 1/2 solution for mirrors.

• Apply undiluted to skin to deter bugs.

 

 

un-ROUNDUP:

 

1 gallon White Vinegar (organic, non GMO)

1/2 cup sea salt

1/4 cup natural dish soap

 

Mix ingredients and place in spray bottle. Spray ONLY on plants you want to kill.

 

 

VODKA (More than just a beverage!):

 

check out This Old House's 10 household uses for Vodka such as removing stains and rust, deoderizing laundry, and shining windows and chrome: http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20559918,00.html

 

 

DIY Laundry Detergent:

http://www.adornedfromabove.com/2012/07/diy-laundry-detergent.html

Approved by Erin-- all items can be found at WalMart!

 

Ingredients:
1/4 bar Fels Naptha Soap
2 Tbsp. Borax Powder
1/4 cup Arm and Hammer Washing Soda (not baking soda)

 

Directions:
1. Cut your bar of Fels Naptha Soap into quarters, and save 3 of the quarters for future batches.  Grate 1/4 bar of the Fels Naptha.
2. Heat 1 cup of water in a pan on the stove and add the Fels Naptha soap.  Stir constantly until the soap dissolves.  I use a whisk.  It will get foamy on top, but you can use a large spoon or ladle to look at the water / soap mixture to see if it has totally dissolved.  Just try to get the mixture without the foam.  It took me about 10 to 15 minutes with the water lightly boiling. 

3. Once the soap has dissolved turn off the heat and add the borax and washing soda, and whisk together well.  Make sure that there are no lumps.  It will be thick, but I found that it is easier to do it this way, then the to add it after after you add the additional water.  The recipe at Busy At Home tells you add them once you add the additional water, but I found that it was harder to get rid of the clumps that way.
4. Next put this mixture in a bucket and add 10 cups of water.  Whisk together well.  Then add another 10 cups of water.  Cover the bucket or put in a container with a lid and let sit overnight.

5. The next day stir well again.  It will have thickened up overnight.  Then pour this mixture into containers, and only fill containers half full.  Then fill the next half of the containers with water.  Shake well to mix detergent.  I have used different containers and they all seem to work well.  I have an old tide bottle that I use, but I have also used 1 gallon empty water jugs, and also large juice containers.  I save empty containers, because I never know what I am going to need them for.

 

Note: My suggestion is to shake the bottles before each use, so that you do not get lumps.  Otherwise, use as you would any other laundry detergent.  I use about 1/4 cup or a little less per load.  

 

Note: Scent can be added using essential oils, be aware if you are sensitive to fragrances!

 

Makes approximately 2 1/2 gallons of laundry detergent.