2. Make your own cleaning supplies

Making your own cleaners will not only will you save a lot of money, but you can also feel good that you are “going green”.  I will warn you, you will need to really be committed to this one because a lot of the homemade cleaners involve vinegar.  Here is the website that I get most of my cleaning “recipes” from.

I am a bit of a Pinterest fanatic, so I have also seen a lot of ideas there as well.  I will share some of my successes and failures that came with making my own cleaning supplies. 

Dishwashing detergent:  Here is the recipe that I used.  I tried it with the Lemonade-Flavored Kool-Aid and ended up with a terrible white film that took 4-5 hand washes just to remove.  I almost gave up, but then read about a product called Lemi Shine, which is for hard water.  I already had this huge tub of detergent that I would never be able to use, so I thought I'd give it one more try.  Worked like a charm!  I will say that this detergent is not perfect, but it is just as good as the commercial stuff.  A side note to the Lemi Shine, it will make your detergent harden (think brown sugar that's been in the pantry for awhile).  I put a little sack with rice in it and it made it soft enough that I could scoop it out.


Laundry detergent:  This is the recipe I used for my laundry detergent. I use the powdered detergent version at the bottom of the page for a few reasons.  1.  I don't have empty jugs that I can put detergent in.  2.  It involves using the stove (hot water).  Ain't nobody got time for that!  3.  I don't have a 5 gallon bucket.  So, the powdered version was a no brainer.  I love this stuff.  The only drawback is that if you love a lot of scent (I'm looking at you, Tide) you are not going to get it from this.  You can buy the scent pellets that are everywhere now, but they are kind of pricey.  That does defeat the point of making your own detergent.  However, if you MUST have the scent and it is between an expensive detergent & homemade, buy the scent pellets and enjoy your savings.  I found the Fels-Naptha in the laundry aisle at Wal-Mart 
Note:  This does not get sudsy, so it is supposed to be safe for HE machines

Homemade Shout:  This recipe is a huge thumbs down in my opinion.  Without going into much gory detail, I tried this on multiple onesies that had "baby stains" on them and this didn't do anything for that.  

Dryer Sheets:  The link for homemade dryer sheets is here.  I didn't like these very much at all.  As the rags were soaking my house REEKED of fabric softener-it was caustic.  Using the sheets wasn't a whole lot better.  The first few loads smelled way too strong.  A few loads were the right amount of softener and then nothing.  Dyer sheets really aren't that expensive.  This one is not worth it in my opinion.


Wood floor cleaner:  I don't remember where I got this recipe from, so I don't have link.  Here is the recipe:

• 1 part vinegar
• 1 part rubbing alcohol
• 1 part water
• 3 drops Dawn dishwashing liquid

This is the best wood floor cleaner that I have ever used.  Hands down.  The vinegar cleans, the Dawn degreases, and the the alcohol disinfects, makes the floors shine, and evaporates the water quickly so that it does not sit on the wood for a long time.  I put it in a spray bottle and spritz the floor.  Then I use a Swiffer dry mop to mop it.  Another tip, use an old wash cloth on the Swiffer, don't waste money on the refills.

This recipe takes an iron constitution.  It STINKS.  I have to use it when my husband is at work and the kids are napping.  Otherwise, it is a chorus of "It stinks", "Mommy, why does it smell so bad?".  The good news, the scent does go away. 

All purpose cleaner:  This is an easy one.  Just equal parts vinegar and water.  Vinegar is a natural disinfectant.  Again...it stinks.  There is a popular pin on pinterest that says if you soak vinegar in orange peels it will make the vinegar smell go away.  Don't believe it.  I tried it and it smells like pickled oranges and vinegar.  I think it is a worse smell than just vinegar.  

While I was pregnant, I could not stand strong smells, so I switched to hydrogen peroxide.  It is antiseptic, great at killing mildew, and has no scent.  You can buy a pretty big bottle for a dollar or less.