Homemade Household Cleaners

Ok, so I have been trying so different household cleaners for awhile now. a few I use on a regular basis, and a few I am trying for the first time. I'll start off with the things that I use on a regular basis.

Rubbing Alcohol - I LOVE to use rubbing alcohol to shine my metal sink, faucets and other metal items throughout the house. It sterilizes and evaporates immediately leaving a great shine. Simply put it on a soft washcloth (i use a baby cloth) and wipe the area to a shine.

Wood cleaner- mix 1 part oil (olive or even vegetable) to 1 part lemon juice in spray bottle. Shake well before use. Spray onto  soft cloth and rub onto wood surface. Cleans and shines.

Counters- I still just mix bleach and water. Let sit wet for 5 min and wipe off with wet cloth. Nice and clean.


Walls/cabinets/basebords- I just mix borax and water and wipe the area down. Works wonders.

waterspots on wood - toothpaste! let it dry and wipe it off.

I just tried these for the first time...

Floor cleaner. I usually just mix bleach and water and go to town. Mop & Glow if I need a shine. My husband is sick of the bleach smell and so I was serching for something else. I have a hardwood laminate floor in my house and I tried two types Borax and then vinegar lemon. let me tell you one thing before you read on. I HATE VINEGAR SMELL!! with passion. It makes me think of coloring easter eggs or eating fair fries...not something I want my house smelling like, but i tried it anyways...

Borax cleaner - 1 cup Borax to about a gallon of water. Mop as usual. I didnt like this one. I felt it left my floor very very splotchy. You could actually see the mop streaks on the floor. Not a fan and I wont be using this...

Vinegar Lemon- 1 cup white vinegar, 1/2 cup lemon juice, 1 tbsp dish soap. Mix in about a gallon or so of water. Mop as usual. I was actually pleasantly surprised. It did smell of vinegar, but the lemon covered alot of the smell and once it dried it wasn't noticeable at all. It cleaned very well. Left a pretty decent shine to the floor also. Dried quickly. I can't believe im saying this as much as I am against using vinegar in cleaning, and as much as the smell offends me.... but I have now used this more than once. I will probably continue to use it also.....

Dishwasher detergent

1 cup borax, 1 cup washing soda, 1/2 cup salt, 1/2 cup citric acid.
OR
sub the citric acid with 8 packets of unsweetened lemonade (kool-aid or off brand)
Use white vinegar as the rinse agent

Citric acid costs entirely too much so I followed the second recipe. works well enough. Some spots on my glasses, but I have that even with the expensive stuff so no difference in quality as far as I can see. Now mind you that my dishwasher sucks so if yours is a good dishwasher and you try this let me know how you like it.
 
Anyone else have any good tips for cleaning? I'd love to hear you share!!!! The cheaper the better. Ha!