Wednesday, March 4, 2015

My Favorite Cleaners


Here are some of my favorite cleaning formulas I use all the time to clean our home.

My all time favorite is Orange cleaner. I used to get it from Dollar Tree but it really affected my breathing. I learned how to make my own orange or other citrus cleaner and love it!
Homemade Citrus Cleaner

you can make your own citrus cleaner from vinegar. It has the added benefit of a pleasant smell, plus the boost of citrus oil for cleaning power.

After you’ve made your lemonade, save the lemon peels. Its winter right now and I have lots of oranges so have lots of jars full of soaking oranges right now Fill a glass jar, I use old pickle jars, but you can use any quart size jar with a screw down lid.

Fill the jar 3/4 full with your lemon or orange peels. Pour white vinegar over the lemon peels. Let it set for a minute and then top off with more vinegar, so the lemon peels are completely submerged. Cover with a lid and band and set in a dark cupboard for two weeks. You might want to mark the top of the lid with the date in case you forget.

In two weeks, pour the vinegar through a strainer. Dilute with two parts water to one part citrus vinegar. Use on windows, counter tips, mirrors, and as a general multi-purpose cleaner. The vinegar smell will leave when it evaporates, leaving behind the lemon scent. You can use any citrus, orange or lime, or add some herbs for you own unique custom blend. This works really well to keep the soap scum cleaned off the shower walls and door.


Awesome Goo Cleaner

The next one is my awesome goo cleaner. I use a spray bottle and add 1 Tablespoon of washing soda(not baking soda). Next I add a big squirt of liquid detergent ( I use Dawn Dish Soap) and then add 3 cups warm water and mix well. You have to shake it each time when you use it but it really cleans well.



Make your own  Furniture Polish

My third favorite cleaner is furniture polish I use on furniture and cabinets. I use a wide mouth jar and add 2 parts olive oil and 1 part lemon juice. I keep a rag right in the jar to wring out and use each time,

Pick up the dust better spray

My 4th favorite one is a mix I do in a spray bottle with 2 teaspoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon lemon oil, ¼ cup vinegar and up to 1 ¾ cup water. You have to shake this each time you use it it. I use this to spray my feather duster and it sure helps pick up the dust much better when its sprayed first.

Floor Cleaner

I've tried several cleaners to keep my linoleum floors clean and shiny and was unhappy with all of them. I had gotten a swiffer mop but their sheets really dulled my floor fast! I ended up cutting fleece to fit my swiffer and I get it wet and attach to my swiffer and put ammonia water on the floor and this has been the best cleaner so far. I tried mop and glo also and it just didn't shine the way I wanted it to. A little ammonia in water and poured on my floor does the job much better and much cheaper.

Bad smell/smoke Rescue

Have to ever burned something really bad and had a house full of foul smoke to deal with? I soaked and hand towel in ammonia and waved it around in each of the effected rooms and did it twice and and took a break. With in an hour the whole house was smoke free and not burned smell remained.

I hope these things will help you keep your home clean and make the job easier and cheaper.

Blessings,
Cherlynn
brchbell@yahoo.com