I was searching for vinegar based floor cleaners and found this. I will be using tea tree oil in mine - based upon my research it appears you can use pretty much what you like or need in an essential oil to make your own cleansers. Cleaning supplies are getting so expensive (on top of everything else) and I often wonder about the fumes and residue - esp when I use Armstrong cleaner on my flooring it is *really* strong! Microwave Cleaner Ingredients: 1/4 cup baking soda 1 teaspoon vinegar 6 drops lemon essential oil Instructions: Mix ingredients to make a paste. Apply to interior of microwave with a sponge. Rinse and leave door open to dry for 15 minutes. Wash the glass turntable by hand. This recipe will get rid of food odors...great for getting rid of that popcorn smell. Hard Floor To clean hard floors, add 1/4 cup of white vinegar to a bucket of water. Then add 5-10 drops of lemon, pine, spruce, If the floor is especially dirty, add several drops of dishwashing soap. This will clean even the dirtiest floor. 1/4 cup white vinegar to a bucket of water 5-10 drops lemon, pine, spruce Liquid castile soap if needed Floor Cleaner Add 1/4 cup white vinegar to a bucket of water. Add 10 drops of lemon oil and 4 drops of oregano essential oil. Oregano oil has powerful antiseptic properties! 1/4 cup white vinegar to a bucket of water 10 drops lemon oil 4 drops oregano oil Carpet Freshener To make a carpet freshener, add 16-20 drops of essential oils to a cup of baking soda. Mix well and place in a covered container overnight so that the oil can be absorbed. Sprinkle over your carpet the next day and then vacuum the powder up. 1 cup baking soda 16-20 drops essential oils Vacuum Cleaner You may also saturate a disposable cloth or tissue with several drops of essential oil and place it into the collecting bag of your vacuum. This will diffuse a pleasant odor as you clean. If your vacuum collects dirt into water, simply add a few drops into the water reservoir before cleaning. This refreshes both, the carpet and the room. Homemade Soft Scrubber 1/2 cup baking soda Liquid Castile Soap 5 drops Lavender essential oil and/or 5 drops Tea Tree essential oil Place the baking soda in a bowl. Slowly pour in liquid soap stirring constantly, add liquid soap until the consistency resembles frosting. Add the essential oil (oils) if desired. Scoop the creamy mixture onto a sponge, scrub the surface, and then rinse. If you add a little pure vegetable glycerin to the baking soda, the mixture will stay moist for a long time in a jar with a tight lid. Basic Wood Cleaning Formula This formula is for well-used furniture. The vinegar works to pull dirt out of the wood. It doesn't leave an oily residue because the little bit of oil keeps the wood from drying out. It will store almost indefinately in a lidded jar. 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar 1/4 cup water 1/2 teaspoon liquid castile soap 5 drops jojoba or olive oil Combine the ingredients in a bowl. Saturate a sponge and squeeze out the excess. Wash surfaces of tired and dirty wood. The vinegar smell will disipate soon. Dry with a soft cloth.
I've decided to save money too, by not using mine as often :mrgreen: Guess I'm saving some on water too!
lol, that's the way it looks around here! Just too busy. Once that plane takes off, I'll have plenty of time.