Homemade Cleaners & Stain Removers

Everything around us needs cleaned at some point and commercial cleaners can be pricey, especially when you purchase one for each individual chore. Many commercial cleaners have harsh chemicals that can damage fabrics, woods or painted surfaces, and how will you know for sure that they won't do any damage unless you test them in a hidden area? You don't. So I have found that the safest, easiest method for avoiding high-priced cleaners and getting the best value when it comes to cleaners and stain removers is to simply make your own. You know what has gone into the cleaner, and homemade cleaners can be made in larger quantities so that you really get a bang for the buck. However, some stains do require a commercial cleaner, and I have listed a few of the best ones for removing tough stains. Another way to save money is to keep old empty cleaning bottles for future use of your homemade cleaners. An old Murphy's Oil Soap bottle is perfect for homemade furniture polish.

*TIP* When mixing various homemade cleaning concoctions, remember to never mix bleach with ammonia or vinegar, it smells horrible, and it is dangerous!

Homemade Cleaners

Furniture Polish: ½ cup of vegetable oil mixed with 1/4 cup of lemon juice. Use a soft, clean white rag.

Window Cleaner: ½ cup of ammonia, ½ cup of white vinegar and 1 gallon of water.

Surface Cleaner: 1 Tbsp. of ammonia, 1 Tbsp. of Cascade detergent, and 1 ½ cups of water.

Fabric & Carpet Cleaner: 3 Tbsp. of Hydrogen Peroxide and 1 Tbsp. of ammonia. Dip a clean white soft rag into mixture and blot the stain.

Oven Cleaner: Sprinkle baking soda completely on the bottom of the oven. Spray warm, clean water to dampen the baking soda. Depending on how dirty the oven is, continue spraying water to keep the baking soda wet. Leave over night, then wipe clean.

Oven Cleaner: 1/4 cup of ammonia, 1/4 cup of baking soda, and 1/4 cup of white vinegar and fine steel wool pads. Heat the oven to 200 degrees. Turn off the oven, put ammonia into a glass bowl and allow to sit over night in a closed oven. Next, make a paste with the baking soda and the vinegar, wipe the oven clean. Rinse with clear water.

Copper Cleaner: ½ cup of lemon juice and 2 Tbsp. of salt. Wipe the copper with a clean rag dipped into the mixture.

Wood Floor Cleaner: Brew 4 cups of water and two tea bags. Cool and mop floors. Buff with a dry cloth.

Appliance Cleaner: 1/4 of white vinegar, 2 tsp. of Borax, 1/4 cup of liquid soap, and 20 drops of lemon or orange oil. Store in a spray bottle.

Microwave Cleaner: ½ white vinegar and 1 cup of water. Heat the mixture in the microwave for 2 minutes. Wipe the inside surface clean.
Grease Remover: 2 Tbsp. of baking soda, 1 drop of lemon juice and 1 Tbsp. of water. Mix into a paste and rub into grease. Use a toothbrush for harder grease spots. WD-40 also works well on grease splatters.

Toilet Odor Remover: 4 cups of hot water, 1 box of brown sugar and 2 teaspoons of dry yeast. Dissolve the sugar in the hot water, allow to cool a little, then add the yeast. Pour into the toilet and flush.

Dish Liquid Cleaner: ½ cup of soap flakes, ½ cup of glycerin, 1 tsp. of lemon oil, and 4 cups of hot water. Put the soap flakes into the hot water and completely dissolve. Allow to cool, then add the glycerin & oil.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner: 1 cup of Borax and ½ cup of white vinegar.

OxiClean Cleaner: ½ a cup of baking soda, 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide and 1 cup of hot water. Soak heavily soiled garments in this mixture over night.

Porcelain Cleaner: Make a paste of Cream of Tartar and water. Wipe with a soft cloth.

Mildew Cleaner: ½ a cup of white vinegar, ½ Borax and ½ of hot water. Dip a clean rag into mixture and wipe mildew away.

Floor Cleaner/Wax Build -Up Cleaner: 1 cup of ammonia and 1 cup of laundry detergent to 1 gallon of warm water.

Disinfectant Cleaners: Borax and hot water, also Isopropyl alcohol rubbed on bathroom or kitchen fixtures will also work as a disinfectant.

Freshening Up Cleaner: Use any type of essential oil like lemon, orange, lavender, or pine mixed with warm water. Put the mixture in a spray bottle and wipe surfaces clean and freshen your home.

Stain Remover Guide

*TIP* Never dry any clothing before removing a stain completely or it will set and be almost impossible to remove.

Greasy stains from butter, cooking oil, body oil, proteins, and soap scum need cleaners with alkaline.

Soluble stains like rust, oxidation, lime, and water spots need cleaners that are acidic.

Stains from motor oil, axle grease, paint, lipstick, gum, tar and sticky labels need a petroleum type cleaner.

Types of Cleaners

Alkaline cleaners: baking soda, borax, soaps and detergents, bleach, ammonia, lye, and Draino.

Acidic cleaners: lemon juice, vinegar, club soda, ketchup, fats and oils.

Petroleum Cleaners: kerosene, lighter fluid, turpentine, rubbing alcohol, fingernail polish remover, WD-40, Ben Gay, paint removers, and De-solve.

Stain Removers

Water or Heat Rings on "Real" Wood Furniture:
#1 Method
Use real mayonnaise mixed with some cigarette ashes. Rub onto the ring with a clean white cloth, working in a circular motion. Allow the mixture to sit on the discolored area for several hours. Then wipe some away to see if the discoloration has been removed. You can also leave the mixture on overnight for complete removal of the stain.

#2 Method
Sprinkle salt onto the ring. Dip a clean white rag into some vegetable oil. Gently wipe the salt on the ring until it disappears.

Butter/oil Remover for clothing or fabric: Sprinkle baby powder onto the stain. Rub or blot gently with a clean white cloth.

Crayon Remover: Make a baking soda/water paste and use a toothbrush to remove from walls.

Crayon Stain Remover: Spray WD-40 on both sides of the crayon stain. Let the solution sit for 3-5 minutes before rinsing thoroughly with warm water.

Rust Remover: Mix salt and lemon juice in equal parts. Saturate the stain and allow the garment to dry in the sun.

Severe Rust Remover: Oxalic acid removes rust and can be purchased at drug or hardware stores. Products like Zud and Whink contain oxalic acid.

Rust Remover for Metal: Coca-Cola removes rust and corrosion from battery cables, and bolts. It also removes rust from bumpers when rubbed with aluminum foil dipped into Coca-Cola.

Antiperspirants and Deodorant Stains on Clothes: Wash the stains with bar soap and warm water. Rinse. Antiperspirants that contain substances like aluminum chlorides are acidic, and may cause fabric damage or change the color of some fabric dyes. Lemon juice works wonders on these stains, and blotting new stains with ammonia and water may remove the yellow marks, and for old stains, try white vinegar.

Ink Remover: Try spraying the garment first with aerosol hair spray, if this doesn't work then blot ammonia and water onto the ink stain.

Blood Stain Removers:Make a paste of meat tenderizer and ice water. Blot onto the stain or try cold hydrogen peroxide blotted onto the stain. If this fails, try using Biz which is an enzyme remover, and soaking the garment in 1 cup of Biz to 1 gallon of ice water over night should remove the blood stain.

Ring Around the Collar: Shampoo works great for this because it was designed to remove body oils. Just rub some into the black stain and keep rubbing it together until the collar is clean.

Tomato Stain Remover: WD-40

Sticky Label & Tape residue Remover: WD-40

Lipstick Stain Remover: WD-40

Tip: Give used S.O.S. pads a longer life by wrapping them in aluminum foil and putting them into the freezer or a soap dish. Don't allow them to sit in water.