Frugal Cleaning

[pingem]

I don't know why, but Kav looks just like my mental image of what Lily Potter (mother of the famous Harry Potter) looks like.

[imagine girl]

But she was in Griffyindor and the green scarf is for Slytheryn. Not that I know about such things. -innocently whistles and walks away-

[kav122]

Originally Posted by imagine girl

But she was in Griffyindor and the green scarf is for Slytheryn. Not that I know about such things. -innocently whistles and walks away-

haha! Well, I don't know if these are compliments or not, but either way, just let me believe that they are

[imagine girl]

They are definitely compliments. I believe her character is described as beautiful, charming, brave, and above all, an excellent mother.

[kav122]

Originally Posted by imagine girl

They are definitely compliments. I believe her character is described as beautiful, charming, brave, and above all, an excellent mother.

well! Then I am flattered!

[rodaniel]

My wife is enamored with those silly Swiffer WetJet mop thingies. I've humored her on it a few times, but they're so wasteful and do a poor job of getting in the corners and such. And they leave a lot of debris behind.

Combine my disappointment with those products with the fact that I'm pretty picky about getting the floor clean (and we don't own a traditional mop) and I find more often that I end up "mopping" the floor by hand with a towel. I got into the habit of doing this in my old bachelor days in my tiny apartment where a mop would've been major overkill.

I have a stack of old worn out (expendable) hand towels in my laundry room that I use for especially grimy or dirty tasks. So I just run some very, very hot water in a bucket, toss in a little lemon-scented ammonia, get down on my knees, and get busy. The floor never, ever looks cleaner than when I've hand-mopped it. And it actually takes very little time as opposed to messing around with that darned WetJet nonsense.

Rob

[hollyvangogh]

Seriously...one of these days I'm going to right a sonnet that's an ode to vinegar. That stuff is miraculous. You know what other non-toxic cleaner is phenomenal? Pumice. You can get little pumic stones to scrub porcelain and ceramic with (i.e. tile, sinks, etc.). Those little pumice stones got our apartment bathroom sink, toilet, and tub white again. I thought we were doomed to live with those nasty fixtures until we moved out of this dump.

[quitejaded]

We are saving money, but I wonder if it really matters of its non-toxic or not. I mean, is windex toxic? Are scrubbing bubbles? But anyway, it feels good to do things the non-commercial way and save money! However, how can your house smell good with all that vinegar?

[kav122]

Originally Posted by quitejaded

However, how can your house smell good with all that vinegar?

I don't know if I just got used to the smell, but I don't smell it at all. Vinegar actually absorbs smells, like baking soda, so I think that my house just smells like fresh air. As opposed to the "orange-ammonia-burn my eyes smell" of some of the cleaning products out there.

And I don't think that Windex, per se, is toxic. For me, though, I would rather have less chemicals in and around my house period.

[Joanne]

Originally Posted by CFOontheGo

I have done away with all commercial cleaning products! I now clean my house with white vinigar and baking soda. I can get a gallon of white vinigar for around $3, and then I dilute it! Plus it is totally non-toxic and it works almost as good as commercial cleaners.

**copied from one of my blog posts**

I've been making my own cleaners for a long time, mainly as a simple way of saving money. Another benefit being that household cleaners on the market today can be harmful to your health and are not environmentally friendly. Over the years, I've collected a lot of information from various sources. Some of these I have tried (the glass cleaner), others I haven't (the laundry detergent). I usually make large batches of it ahead of time and store it in empty water jugs. Before you begin, keep in mind...NEVER MIX BLEACH AND AMMONIA TOGETHER!

ALL PURPOSE CLEANER:
½ cup ammonia
¼ cup vinegar
¼ cup baking soda
Mix the above ingredients with 1 gallon of warm water and use for basic cleaning jobs around the home.

WINDOW CLEANER
3T Ammonia
1T vinegar
Put in spray bottle and fill the rest of the way up with water.

JEWELRY CLEANER 1/4 cup ammonia 1/4 cup dishwashing liquid 3/4 cup water. Mix all the ingredients well, then soak your jewelry in the solution for a few minutes. Clean around the stones and designs with a soft-bristle toothbrush. Buff dry. (Caution: Don't use this with gold-plated jewelry; with soft stones such as pearls, opals, or jade; or with costume jewelry, because it could ruin the plastics or loosen the glue.)

TOILET CLEANER 1 cup borax 1/4 cup vinegar or lemon juice
Combine the ingredients to make a paste. Apply it to the inside of the toilet bowl, let sit for 1 to 2 hours, and scrub.

LAUNDRY DETERGENT
In a large heavy-duty plastic container, combine 1 cup soap flakes, 1/2 cup washing soda and 1/2 cup of borax. Use 1/2 cup of mixture per load of laundry. Use with cold and warm water washes, with cold water rinse.

FURNITURE POLISH - 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp white vinegar, 4 cup water in spray bottle, swipe with cloth.

Esssential Cleaning Oils
·* Lavender disinfectant, calming scent to ease tension and anxiety.
·*Lemon, Orange and grapefruit oils are tough degreasers with refreshing scents.
·* Eucalyptus is a disinfectant and relieves a stuffy nose.
·* Tea Tree Oil is anti-bacterial, anti viral, and anti fungal. Use as an all purpose disinfectant, esepcially when there is illness in the home, also eases congestion.
·* Pine oil is a degreaser and disinfectant.