Green Clean Your House with Homemade Cleaners

Many people clean their homes with cleaning agents bought from stores for the sake of ease. But think about it. Stores now sell so many cleaners for so many different types of jobs that one would go broke buying them all, not to mention getting a headache trying to figure out which ones to buy! Excellent cleaners can be made for a fraction of the cost that commercial cleaners sell for. And don't forget the environment. Instead of using those store-bought cleaners with all sorts of chemicals, you can make your own cleaners with more environmentally-friendly products. Following are some great cleaners that you can make yourself. Please note that clear spray bottles are available at most dollar stores.

All Purpose Natural Cleaner: Mix 1 cup of water, 1/4 cup of white vinegar and 2 drops of dish soap (use colorless eco-friendly soap). This is a wonderful cleaner as it is an all-around multi-purpose cleaner. You can use it on bathroom and kitchen counters or to clean showers or to clean blinds, etc.

Window Cleaner: Mix 1 gallon of water, 1/2 cup of white vinegar and 1/2 cup of ammonia. You'll be surprised at how well this works on your windows.

Copper Cleaner: Mix 1/4 cup of lemon juice with 2 tablespoons of salt. Dip a cloth into the mixture and clean your copper.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner: Mix 1/2 cup of white vinegar and 1 cup of Borax.

Furniture Polish: Mix 1/2 cup of vegetable oil with 1/4 cup of lemon juice.

Microwave Cleaner: Mix 2 teaspoons of Borax, 1/4 cup of white vinegar, 1/4 cup of liquid soap, and 5-10 drops of orange or lemon oil.

Surface Cleaner with a Fresh Scent: Pick you favorite essential oil (lemon, orange, etc) and just mix it with warm water. The warm water will help the oil mix with the water. You can vary the amount of oil depending on how strong you want the scent to be. Spray onto surfaces in your home and enjoy the fresh, clean smell.