3 Recipes for Homemade Cleaners That Will Save You Money TODAY

by Vincent King · 11 comments

You’re tired of throwing out cash at the register. And you don’t know where else you can save even though you want to save money.

Have you checked your cleaning cabinet? If you’re still using commercial cleaners, you’re running up your grocery total for nothing.

You’re a smart, savvy buyer, so why are you buying commercial cleaning products just because that’s what you were raised on?

You already know that homemade cleaners can help preserve Earth, but perhaps you’ve never believed a homemade product could clean as well as a commercial solution.

They can, and do.

Overspending On Cleaners That Aren’t Superior Is Bad Budgeting

Science shows that the ingredients already in your pantry are every bit as effective as the ones in the cleaning aisle at the grocery store, as long as you only make enough to use at the time of cleaning. Leaving the leftovers to sit until it’s time to use them again will reduce their effectiveness because the blended products break down over time.

Buying commercial products is more expensive, but it’s also potentially more dangerous. If you’ve ever been around a pregnant woman, you may know that the doctor prescribes her to stay away from certain cleaning products because the fumes are dangerous.

Why expose yourself and your family to chemicals that might be dangerous to the lungs?

By spending your hard earned money on costly chemicals, you’re putting your budget and health in danger.

Time and Money Aren’t The Issue

Fear of wasting time or effort has stopped you from mixing your own cleaning cocktails. But you don’t have to be afraid of wasting time or getting it wrong anymore.

Arming yourself with recipes that work and how-to’s that make it easy, then organizing your cleaning cabinet to support your new strategy, will help you slash your margin of error to nothing.

You can make saving money at the grocery store as simple as stirring a bucket.

Know What You Need, Then Get the Right Ingredients For the Job

Many people overspend on cleaners because they buy too many.

You don’t need a special cleaner for everything. The cleaner you use to scrub the toilet can be the same cleaner you use for the sink and bathtub. The cleaner you use on the floors can be used on counter tops and cabinets as well. Most households require only one all-purpose cleaner, a window cleaner, and a furniture polish.

These are all fast, easy and inexpensive to make.

Make Your Own Cleaning Cocktails With These Easy, Frugal Recipes

You probably already have most of these products in your pantry. These following five ingredients will help you whip up effective solutions in no time:

  • Baking Soda
  • Lemon juice
  • Vinegar
  • Liquid dish soap
  • Vegetable or olive oil

Use cleaning bottles you already have on hand, to eliminate the need to buy anything extra. Just be sure to empty and rinse them until no more bubbles appear, then give them time to dry before adding your homemade money saving solutions.

Also, be sure you label each bottle and keep it for its own purpose. No mixing.

Place these recipes on index cards, then post them on the inside of your cleaning cabinet door so you can refer to them later.

Recipes:

Glass Cleaner

  • 1 gallon of water
  • 1/2 tsp liquid dish soap
  • 1/2 c vinegar

Mix them together in a spray bottle, then shake until soap dissolves. Using a lint-free towel, clean your windows, mirrors, and other glass surfaces to a spot-free shine.

All-Purpose Cleaner

  •  1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 c hot water
  • a few drops of liquid dish soap

Mix in a spray bottle and shake well to dissolve. Use with a sponge or towel to clean almost in surface in your home.

Furniture Polish

  • 1/2 c lemon juice
  • 1c vegetable oil

Mix in a bottle and apply to surfaces with a lint-free towel to polish furniture and hardwood floors.

Note: Do not put more oil than necessary as it will ruin the shine of items.

A couple of important notes:

If you experiment with any homemade cleaning recipes, be smart and do your homework. These solutions are made up of chemicals, and you should always take precautions when mixing chemicals.

Precautions to take:

  • Do NOT mix chlorine bleach and vinegar.
  • Do NOT mix acids (like vinegar and lemon juice) with alkalis (like baking soda and ammonia.)
  • Mix in an area of proper ventilation.
  • Make only what you can use within a few days.
  • Do NOT keep mixed solutions within reach of children.

There you have it:three recipes for cleaning cocktails that will help you stay under-budget without sacrificing a single sparkle of clean.

Bonus Tip:

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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }

Gina Tonne July 10, 2012 at 11:59 am

Thank you for having these easy to make cleaning solutions on your sight. I have been looking for a way to make my own.

stephen July 14, 2012 at 11:53 am

Thanks for the tips. The ones listed here work better than the top brands.

glenna July 24, 2012 at 12:01 pm

I have been looking for a hard water cleaner or solution to put in my dishwasher so it doesn’t leave white film on my dishes. I use a product named lemieshine and I wonder if washing soda combined with vinegar would do the trick. I know that the phosphates have been removed from many products and now we need something cheap to work in our dishwashers. Thanks for any help you can give to me for this problem.

Chee Chee July 25, 2012 at 4:19 pm

We use the Eco Method in our RV black holding tank and it works better than anything so far. Calgon, Tide and Pine-sol.

jt July 27, 2012 at 1:52 pm

I would add ammonia too. If you mix ammonia with baking soda and dish soap you get something they call a ‘miracle stain remover’ the mixture is online so just google it,

Other wise I would use
1/2c ammonia +
1/2c dish soap +
2c part water +
1/4c baking soda

Let mixture sit on a stain for a few minutes and stain should remove easily.

Heather July 28, 2012 at 7:21 am

Thank you for these fantastic ideas. I have a new found love for Dawn Dish Soap and was just googling the heck out of it for more ideas. Your site caught my eye. I love the idea for glass cleaner. Thanks again!

Jessie September 12, 2012 at 6:25 am

I love these tips. I have a child with asthma, so I don’t want a bunch of toxins around the house.

Jacqui November 28, 2012 at 4:19 pm

Glenna, white vinegar works great for removing the mineral buildup in dishwashers. Just pour 2 cups of vinegar in the bottom of the dishwasher and run through a regular cycle. You can also add clean dishes and glassware that have a film on them. If you have shower heads, vases, and other items with a white mineral buildup, just soak them in a vinegar and water solution and it will come right off.

Jacqui November 28, 2012 at 6:36 pm

Here is a homemade window cleaner from the Consumer Association of Canada. I have used this for years! The windows sparkle. (The blue food colouring is just to make it look “official”).

In a 1-gallon container, mix:

1/2 cup SUDSY ammonia
2 cups (1 pint) isopropyl alcohol
1/2 tsp. dishwashing liquid
3 drops blue food colour (optional)
Add water to make 1 gallon

MCain November 28, 2012 at 10:29 pm

The glass cleaner recipe says to use a gallon of water and small amounts of 2 other ingredients. Then the instructions say to mix them together in a spray bottle and shake it. Excuse me? Who has a spray bottle that holds a gallon of water? Who would have the strength to shake it well? Who would have the strength and endurance to hold it and spray from it? Do you have more reasonable proportions and/or instructions for this cleaner?

jan January 10, 2013 at 3:26 pm

just make a quarter of the recipe by dividing the ingredients by 4 it will make 32 0zs….or 1 litre

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