BUT: My favorite natural cleaning product has been taken off the market.
(Insert annoyed growl and squinchy face here.)
So after attempting (unsuccessfully) to buy the last known container (in bulk) from somewhere in the remote mountain regions of China for less than $3,000…
And unable to find it at any sort of *sane* price via black market eBay arbitrage (one would think ~ with all the hoarders in the world ~ that at least one person would corner that particular niche market)…
I said to myself…
“Self!”
(I often talk to myself in the third person, you see.)
“Self! Why don’t you just make your own?”
And Myself said…
“Ermagheard! YOU. Are. Brilliant.”
(Yes, I really am that amazing.)
So I did some research, and raided Martha Stewart’s annals…
(Yes, I said annals.)
Online…
(Annals! Two Ns!)
Messed around a bit (heh) with what I found there…
And this is what I came up with:
HOME-MADE TUBBY SCRUBBY STUFFY
1 cup baking soda
2 tsp liquid soap
Water, to desired texture
Mix it together to make a paste. Add a teensy drop of anti-bacterial essential oil if you wish to make scenty stuffy. It works! It’s awesome! (And, of course… So. Am. I. 😀 )
Matha Stewart’s anals? Some people will dig deep for cleaning products. 😀
Sometimes you just gotta think outside the box. 😉
Or right next to the box. 🙂
It’s amazing how much information just sort of…
Falls through the cracks. 😛
LOL, you win with that one.
Hmmmmm…
Will there be a prize? 😀
You can be first in the closet when it is finished being built. 🙂
Wooo-hooooo! 😀
I always wondered about the homemade cleaning products … good to know that it works. 🙂
I’m actually sort of kicking myself for not thinking of it sooner. (Like, ten years ago.) Baking soda is really an excellent cleaning agent. It’s good for a bunch of other stuff too.
Random Fact #487: Baking soda will help alleviate sunburn. Adding baking soda to cool bath water will help draw the heat out of your skin and provide some relief.
You a full of great soda advice! 🙂 Im going to try the shower remedy as I hate sprays and chemicals.
I hope it works for you! 🙂
I will keep you posted 🙂
(a) Point taken. Yes, I caught that. Clever. 😛
More to come; I’m distracted right now…
Point? I’m not pointy. I have curves. 😉
I’ve got some great recipes for homemade (DIY) Fabreeze! 😀
Most are just variations of fabric softener and vinegar. . Some also have alcohol and or baking soda. Probably not mixing the baking soda and vinegar.
Oooooh, really?!? I’d love it if you shared one! 😀
I’d like that too please. 🙂
Like furbal said, there are a bunch of cleaning agents that can be made from very basic stuff. Baking soda, vinegar, borax, washing soda, citric acid, and salt – in various combinations.
Some that I’ve used over the years:
Laundry detergent (powder) – 1/3 baking soda, 1/3 borax, 1/3 washing soda. Basically the ingredients in commercial laundry detergent and if you buy in bulk much cheaper. The borax makes it so colors don’t fade and whites stay white.
Drain cleaner/unclogger – 1/2 salt, 1/2 baking soda. Mix about a cup of it, pour half of it down the drain followed by two cups of boiling water, then the other half of the mix, and another cup of boiling water. Then, 2 cups of vinegar. The vinegar and baking soda react and agitate the salt (as an abrasive) which scrubs the pipes. Much cheaper than commercial stuff – especially if you buy all of those in bulk.
Dishwasher detergent/soap – 2/3 washing soda, 1/3 baking soda and a couple of table spoons of citric acid. Washing soda is really good at getting crap (food) off of glass, porcelain, and metal. And no lather, so it’s good in a dishwasher. The citric acid keeps the drains and stuff clean, without deposits and the washing soda also helps if you have hard water. (One cheap and easy substitute for citric acid in a pure form is Tang or powdered concentrated lemonade mix. Without sugar, natch.)
Toilet cleaner – baking soda. Dump a cup in the crapper and scrub it with a brush. If you have hard water, add a cup of washing soda too.
Glass/window/mirror cleaner – white vinegar. Put in a spray bottle and you’re good to go.
Brass cleaner – 1/3 salt, 2/3 vinegar solution. Soak the brass in the solution for a half hour and then scrub it with a rag. Or, if it’s brass on something, use a soft brush and scrub the brass with the solution, then wipe it with a wet rag.
These are awesome! Thank you so much for sharing! 😀
Now, um… You’ll have to excuse my ignorance, but what is “washing” soda…?
Washing soda –
sodium carbonate.
You can get it from pretty much any store in the laundry detergent area. 😉