Some Homemade Cleaners Recipes

Lately I’ve been scouring the web for homemade cleaners, and I thought I’d share my findings.  My reasons have been more for financial benefits than ‘going green,’ but most of these will definitely help keep some of the toxins out of the home!  You’ll notice there are only a handful of ingredients…I purposefully chose first the ones that would be the cheapest for me to make, and I figured if I didn’t like the results, I would then try some of the more involved recipes.  I can happily report that I’m very pleased so far!

All-Purpose Cleaner

equal parts white vinegar and water

a few drops of your fave essential oil for a pretty smell (completely optional)

This works really well for just about everything, even the bathtub.  Of course, if your tub is really grimy (ahem…), you can sprinkle on some baking soda to help scrub it all off.  If you skip the oil, you can also use this as a window cleaner.  I found out the hard way about the oil…

Laundry Detergent

1 bar of laundry soap (Fels-Naptha, Zote, Ivory), finely grated

1 cup washing soda (NOT baking soda)

1 cup borax

Mix ‘em all together, and use 1-2 tablespoons per load.  I use Fels-Naptha because it’s what my grocery store carries, and I’ve never had any residue left behind.

Fabric Softener

white vinegar

Just fill your washing machine’s fabric softener dispenser or a downy ball, and walk away.  Otherwise add about a cup during the rinse cycle (who has time for that?).  *Note* Sometimes you can smell the vinegar when your load is done, but as soon as it goes through the dryer, you’re good to go!

Drain Refresher

mix 1/2 cup baking soda and 1/4 cup salt and pour it down the drain

then pour 1 cup of heated vinegar down the drain (it will fizz and bubble)

let it go for about 15 minutes, then run hot water for a minute

I did this one today after noticing an unpleasant odor coming from the sink (I didn’t have any lemons or oranges around to use in the disposal).  Smell be gone!

Homemade Febreze

2 cups warm water

1/4 cup liquid fabric softener

1 tsp baking soda

Just mix them up in a spray bottle and voila!  Obviously, if you’re looking for a green product, the fabric softener is not going to fit the bill.  I suppose there are green fabric softeners out there, though.  Also, there are a lot of recipes that use vinegar again, but since that smell is around until it dries, I knew it wasn’t what I was looking for.  I often only remember to use Febreze when someone is coming over to hide the stale diaper smell that likes to hang around here!

These recipes are all over and there are tons of variations, but these are some that are working for me.  If you have any of your own to share, please do!

Breakfast Smoothie

Here’s an easy recipe for a yummy strawberry-banana smoothie:

4-5 frozen strawberries

1/2 banana

1 cup vanilla yogurt

about 1/4-1/3 cup of juice (orange for a tangy flavor, apple for a sweeter flavor)

Put it all in your blender and blend until smooth.  Delicious! 

This is just one good-sized serving, but you can easily adjust the measurements for more.  It’s an excellent choice for those who can’t handle milk products, and when I buy a bag of frozen strawberries, it seems to last forever!

Monkey Shakes

Monkey Shakes!!!!  They're our new favorite snack.  And incredibly fast, easy, and inexpensive to make, which makes them winners in my book!  The kids love them so much that I find I can use them as a special surprise treat or an incentive to get some work done (as I did this morning- If we can get the house cleaned up in 20 minutes, we'll celebrate with Monkey Shakes!)

So here's the magic recipe:

2 1/2 C Milk
2 C Ice
1 Banana
1 Packet Instant Chocolate Pudding

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

That's it!  Super easy!  It makes 4 good-sized servings (I get 5 child-size cups full plus an adult-sized cup almost full).  Here's the nutritional info if you use 2% milk and sugar-free, fat-free pudding:

150 Calories; 3g Fat; 8g Protein; 23g Carbs; 2g Fiber

Not bad, huh?  That'll get a few ooo-ooos aah-aahs.  Not sure how to spell monkey sounds...

And best of all......drumroll, please.......

You get to use a straw!!!  My kids love straws :)