A cheap cleaner that works!

[wrenb]

I just cleaned the tub with borax and liquid castille soap (Dr Bronner's almond). It only took a little scrubbing with the floor scrubby brush and rinsed off nicely to give me a white tub

Comments

[zellandyne]

to clean the stove top of caked on grime, I use a combo of a homemade spray (vinegar, distilled water, sweet orange oil, peppermint oil) and baking soda. Works really well.

[clare_s]

I will fish out the recipe but I make a multipurpose with white vinigar, fairy solid soap, borax and water. If I don't come back - remind me !

One woman, 20 mules

[onanothertopic]

Borax is a religious experience. If you can get past its not foaming, then you can use it by itself and save the Dr. Bronner's for something more fancy

P.S.

[onanothertopic]

As you can see, this is basically free (2 gal.?!)

There will be a liquid part and a gel part to the finished product. Both work fine for laundry.

Re: One woman, 20 mules

[zathrus]

The recipe I use involves grating the soap (Fels-Naptha or Zote laundry soap preferred), then mixing with borax and washing soda (I used 3 cups each for a whole bar of Zote; it's supposed to be 1 c. grated soap per 1/2 c. each borax and washing soda), and using dry, 1-2 tablespoons per load. For me, this is easier, as there's no boiling or mixing of large quantities of liquids, and it still lasts forever.

Newt

Re: One woman, 20 mules

[onanothertopic]

Dude! No boiling! Does it dissolve in a cold water wash, though?

[zathrus]

I grew up using baking soda to clean the stove, and still do. It's also useful for all those other kitchen cleaning chores.

Newt

[onanothertopic]

and re: stove cleaning--I always heard to leave a thin! layer of liquid soap on the stove to make it clean off easier, and I do, and it seems to help, but one could always, you know, just wipe up spills. Worth a try, though.

[jminnis]

I'm always curious about this sort of thing. Intellectually, it leaves two questions to me:

1) Why is a home made cleaner necessarily better for the environment? Lots of natural things when concentrated (as they would be for a home made cleaner) are harmful to the local environment.

2) What's wrong with modern cleaners? Simple modern cleaners like soap and bleach are extremely effective. They also tend to have relatively few ingredients, and thus relatively few odd environmental reactions. The problematic modern cleaning products are the 'anti-bacterial' and 'anti-microbial' ones which can result in medication resistant microbes.

[wrenb]

The problem with modern cleaners is that they are often overpriced. And you can't tell because they aren't required to have the ingredients listed on the packet. With soap, vinegar, ammonia, bleach, borax, washing soda, and baking soda you know what you are exposing your family and your body to. You can make an informed decision. Plus it tends to be cheaper.

It doesn't stop me from thinking that the Mr Clean Magic Eraser is an awesome tool. I just used that to clean 2 years worth of grease off the back of a tenant's stove tonight. But I'd rather not pay all my money to the great big chemical conglomerates. And who knows what's in that thing?

[jminnis]

That's fair.

I think I misread your original post as more looking for natural cleaners than you meant it. I'm all for knowing what is actually in the cleaning products I use. For the same reasons you mention (cost and knowing what I'm using), I've moved more towards using simple cleaning products.