I love to save money. One of the best ways I’ve been able to do that is through my tried and true homemade cleaning recipes for the bathroom and kitchen. They’re safe for babies; no gloves are needed; and they’re effective and affordable.
When we found out we were pregnant with our son 3 years ago, I started “trimming the fat” on our bills. Harsh cleaning chemicals costing us $20 a month were the first to go. If I don’t have a way to make something myself, I won’t spend over $1 on what I need to tide me over. When I do spend a dollar on a cleaning product, I keep the old container since the sprayers are generally nicer than buying empty containers to use on homemade products. Most are also safe enough so that if any one gets a hold of it and sticks the nozzle in their mouth (it happens), I won’t be needing the number for poison control or making a run to the ER.
We’ll start in the dirtiest and also our most frequent cleaning place, the bathroom.
Tub & Toilet Cleaner
Heat 1 cup white vinegar for about 15 minutes, let cool before pouring it into a spray bottle. Next, add 1 Tbsp of original blue Dawn, shake vigorously, and you are ready to use! Once I’ve sprayed this all over the tub and the toilet, I let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes before scrubbing it clean. This can also be used on the inside of the fridge, on counters, or the sink. Or really just anywhere.
Another great toilet cleaner requires flushing all the water out first. Here’s my video tutorial.
Now that we’ve cleaned the tub and the toilet, let’s move on to the mirror.
Homemade Windex
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
10 drops of tea tree oil (oils are optional, I just like the way they make stuff smell)
10 drops of lemon oil (optional)
Combine and heat for 15 minutes. Add 1 Tbsp corn starch to your spray bottle, then your liquids, and shake to combine. When you’re ready to use it, shake it again because the corn starch doesn’t break down, so it’ll settle on the bottom.
Since the kitchen is where I spend most of my days, my two favorite kitchen cleaners are the methods I use for cleaning the inside of my oven and the stove top grates:
Ammonia.
It stinks, and I wouldn’t want my kids near it, but all that I do is pour a cup into 4-gallon sized bags, add one grate, seal, and sit in the sink over night. Rinse your grates in cold water, dry thoroughly, and replace. This is the best way to get the stuck on stuff off without even half of the work.
The inside is almost as easy. First, I remove the racks and typically wipe them off outside…they are too big for my double-sided sink. Then I let my son sprinkle baking soda all over the inside. I can fit the nozzle on the top of my vinegar bottle and spray straight from there anywhere the baking soda landed. Then it bubbles and we watch it and giggle. After about 10 minutes, I take half of a lemon and scrub away any dark spots and wipe clean. Every other month, I then use my oven’s cleaning setting, replacing the inside racks first. Food tastes better coming from a clean oven.
I hope you try these out; they are truly staples in our home. Oh, and one more thing, if you have any leather furniture like we do, dress it like a salad with olive oil and vinegar.
Happy low cost cleaning to you all!
