Recession 2008 - Natural low cost cleaning products

You would think that alongside laundry I would hate house cleaning.
Actually I dont mind housecleaning at all , what I hate is cleaning after a house full of NEAR adults who cant do anything themselves lol
I have a husband, a 2 year old and 4 teenagers.
Can you feel my pain ?

I also have allergies along with our 2 year old son so most store bought cleaning products seem to irritate our allergies.
There has been a stigma about natural house cleaning products that they won't work unless their loaded with harsh chemicals...NOT true !

These natural cleaners will do just as good a job "if not better" than any store bought, prepackaged product on the market.
What do you think our grandparents used befor there was oxyclean and windex?

Start with vinegar , now this stuff smells to high heaven but wears off when it dries.
Vinegar can be used as a multiple or all pupose cleaner.
Vinegar costs about $2.00 per GALLON and can be used for thousands of cleaning jobs.
Vinegar should be dilluted and used in a test area for some jobs.

Use vinegar in the…
Bathroom -
Clean the bathtub, toilet, sink, and countertops.

Use pure vinegar in the toilet bowl to get rid of rings.
Flush the toilet to allow the water level to go down.
Pour the undiluted vinegar around the inside of the rim.
Scrub down the bowl.

Mop the floor in the bathroom with a vinegar/water solution.
The substance will also eat away the soap scum and hard water stains on your fixtures and tile.
Make sure it is safe to use with your tile.

Kitchen- Clean the stovetop, appliances, countertops, and floor.

Laundry Room- Use vinegar as a natural fabric softener. This can be especially helpful for families who have sensitive skin.
Add ½ cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle in place of store bought fabric softener. Vinegar has the added benefit of breaking down laundry detergent more effectively. (A plus when you have a family member whose skin detects every trace of detergent.)

Use vinegar to clean wood floors or mock wood floors.

Spray vinegar from a spray bottle to remove most odors from fabric and the air, including ciggarette smells.

Rubbing alchohol
Rubbing alchohol costs .50 cents a bottle and cleans the dickens out of windows and other glass surfaces.
shines sink and bath faucets.

Baking soda

Costs about .75 cents - $1.00 per box

A box or small bowl of baking soda in the refrigerator, freezer, or any cupboard will keep away unpleasant odors.

Baking soda will keep away garbage odors; sprinkle the bottom of the pail, and then sprinkle again after you put a new bag in.

Grease fires can be put out by sprinkling them with baking soda.

Clean surfaces, sprinkle baking soda on a damp cloth. Wipe, then rinse with clean water.

Remove stale smells from food containers, rinse out with hot water and baking soda. If the smell persists, let the container soak overnight in the baking soda and water mixture.

Clean silver, use a paste of 3 parts baking soda to one part water. Rub the paste onto each item, then rinse with warm water and dry with a soft cloth.

Remove scuff marks or grease spills from the floor, sprinkle with baking soda and then wipe with a warm, damp cloth. This is even safe for no-wax floors!

For burnt-on food in the bottom of pots, sprinkle with baking soda, then add hot water. Let soak overnight; the dried on food will come loose much more easily.

Remove stubborn stains from most surfaces, use a baking soda paste (3 parts baking soda, one part water). Apply, let stand, then scrub or wipe clean.

Hairbrushes and combs can be cleaned in a baking soda solution.

Avoid clogged drains, pour 1/4 cup baking soda down weekly. Rinse through with hot water.

Remove scents from a carpet, sprinkle with baking soda. Let stand for at least fifteen minutes, then vacuum. Repeat as needed.

If there is a smoker in the house, put baking soda in the bottom of each ashtray to keep away some of the stale smoke smell.

Baking soda in the litterbox will help prevent odors.

Quickly clean pets and remove "wet dog" odor, sprinkle with baking soda and brush out their fur.

Help remove spills, blot as much as possible. Then clean as you normally would. When finished, sprinkle with baking soda. Vacuum. This will decrease the chance that some of the spilled item will remain in the carpet and cause unpleasant odors later.

Children's toys can be cleaned using 1/4 cup baking soda in 1 quart warm water. Submerge in this mixture (or wipe with a cloth dampened in it), then rinse with clear water.

Replace half of each measure of laundry detergent with baking soda to keep clothing fresh.

Remove grease stains, either add baking soda to the wash load or pretreat the stains with a baking soda paste.

Pretreat diapers in their pail with baking soda. This will keep odors from becoming overpowering between washings.

Baking soda increases the effectiveness of chlorine bleach. Add 1 / 2 cup to your laundry, along with the usual amount of bleach.

If you keep a laundry hamper, add some baking soda every day to keep the hamper from smelling between emptyings.

Baking soda can be used to help clean up grease spills.

To remove burnt food from the grill, sprinkle with baking soda, then soak. After several hours, the charred pieces will come loose easily.

Lawn furniture can be easily cleaned with a rinse of 1/4 cup baking soda in 1 quart warm water.

The children's pool can be cleaned and have mildew removed by washing with baking soda in warm water.

Before packing away your camping gear after a trip, sprinkle with baking soda.

Hope this helps with your cleaning chores and saves you some money in the process.

Total cost for these cleaning products $3.50

Take a challenge and use these cleaning products for 6 months.
You'll never go back to spending all that hard earned cash on fancy cleaners again.