Here are some more recipes for homemade cleaners. I tried each of these and found that they are more effective than store bought products. These products are easy to make and very effective. They are also much cheaper than commercially available products,

Tub and Tile Cleaner

12 oz white vinegar

12 oz Dawn detergent

Heat the vinegar in the microwave until very hot. This will help it blend in with the sunrise. It’s best to mix them first and let them cool before adding them to a spray bottle. Then just spray it on and let it sit for 30-60 minutes. Hard water deposits or soap residue may require some cleaning. Otherwise, just rinse well. This formula removed all the dirt from our showers and bathtubs without scrubbing!

Multipurpose cleaner

1 cup of vinegar

1 cup rubbing alcohol

3 cups of water

3 drops of sunrise

10-15 drops of your favorite essential oil

Mix everything in a large bowl. I found the essential oil at AC Moore for $ 1.99 in the candle making area. I used a 40% coupon, so the total cost was $ 1.19. You can use this to clean countertops, windows, mirrors, and floors! This is the best cleaner I have found for our laminate floors. It is the only thing that does not leave streaks.

Wrinkle release

Ok I admitted it, I hate ironing! My daughter wears a uniform to school, and the white shirts come out of the dryer a little wrinkled. I love Downey Wrinkle Release, but it is expensive. I did some research and found it was just diluted fabric softener. So I experimented. When I ran out of bottle, I added two tablespoons of fabric softener to the 33 oz bottle of anti-wrinkle. Then, I filled the bottle the rest of the way with water. I tested it on a small area of ​​clothing to make sure it was safe. It works just as well as the original, but it costs about twenty-five cents! Just spray it on, shake off clothes, and hang up. Effectively removes wrinkles from most items.

Stain pretreatment

I adapted this recipe from the Tightwad Gazette. (I love these books!)

1/8 cup powdered dishwasher detergent

1/8 cup color-safe powdered bleach (I used Sun brand from the dollar store)

1 gallon of water.

I put this in a repurposed Dawn bottle and apply it on the stain. Then I let it sit overnight and wash it as usual.

The original instructions said to soak all the clothes in a bucket, but we really don’t have enough stained clothes for this to work.

Laundry detergent

I have not included a laundry detergent recipe. I have been using Purex for the last two years. I often find it on sale for $ 1.99 for a bottle that costs 33 loads. It is also safe for my HE machine. I added in the cost to make my own, but decided it wouldn’t save a significant amount of money. Also, I wasn’t sure if the homemade recipes would be safe for an HE machine. Sometimes prevention is better than cure!