I am looking for....[Recipes for homemade household cleaners...]

[jenna rose]

Recipes for homemade household cleaners. I've seen a lot of different ones but was wanting to know if any of you have some that work really well and what you use it for.

Also, I'm looking for good brands of dishwasher detergent as well as clothes washing detergent that are all-natural, cruelty-free, etc.

I want to get away totally from the chemical cleaners.

[ProudVegan]

Ecover have great dishwasher detergent...

as for homemade cleanser.. I onced used half distilled vingar and half water to clean out the soap scum in the shower esp those showerheads. It works really well.

Otherwise, i use real lemon and scrub the inside on the sink and dishes.

[sag77]

I use vinegar to clean my tub and sinks. I got the idea from The Queen of Clean. Heat the vinegar, put it in a spray bottle, spray the tub and sink. Let soak for 10 or 15 minutes, then wipe clean. Works great, better than any product I've tried.

[IamJen]

There are some good recipes here (some eco-friendly, others not so much..you have to peruse :) )
http://www.recipegoldmine.com/house/house.html

There are some good ideas in "How It All Vegan" as well.

Another :up: to vinegar here. I add some essential oil to the mix so it smells a bit nicer.

[Daffodil-11]

for windows:
1/4 cup vinger mixed with 3.5 cups water

for porceilain and ceramic sinks and tubs: 1/4 cup baking soda with 1/2 cup vinegar or make a paste of borax and lemon juice. scrub away!

for silver: white toothpaste like Tom's...great silver polish

for copper pots: dissolve a tablespoon of salt in a cup of white vinegar. dip half a lemon in this solution and scrub the pots with the lemon

for carpets: you can deodorize by sprinkling baking soda on the carpets, letting it sit for 15 to 20 minutes, then vacuuming

for your car: you can remove bugs and disgustoids by making a light passte of baking soda and water and wiping it over the car's external surface. let sit for a few minutes before wiping dry.

for your drains: pour 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain. follow this with 1/2 cup of vinegar and let sit for five or 10 minutes. then empty a kettle of boiling water down the drain.

air freshener: slice lemons into a sucaepan and fill with watter. simmer on the stove to freshen the air in the house. cinnamon sticks, sliced ginger root, and vanilla or almond extracts work well.

furniture polish: mix together one tablespoon olive oil, one tablespoon lemon juice, and one tablespoon corn starch. apply the mixture to furniture with a soft cloth and wipe dry.

scouring powder: mix 1 cup baking soda with 1/4 cup borax. use as you would any powder cleanser.


hope this helps!

[Blue Plastic Straw]

Buy this book: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0671535951/qid=1111213276/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/103-8068444-1987060?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

It's the best one I've found for simple homemade recipes that really work well. I combined a couple of the recipes to make a disinfecting spray cleaner. I like that the author is honest about how well the recipes work compared to the chemicals and she gives price comparisons as well.