Yesterday I had the pleasure of sharing some of my favorite cleaning supply recipes on CBS 5 news. This is a 5 part series that will air all week long at 6:20am local Arizona time. This was such an amazing opportunity and I had so much fun filming these simple and natural cleaning aids that I use around my own house.
Homemade All-Purpose Citrus Vinegar Cleaner & Dishwasher Rinse Aid
What you will need…
* citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, limes, or grapefruits)
* distilled white vinegar
* large mason jar & lid, make sure it is clean
Squeeze the juice from your citrus fruits. Place all rinds in the mason jar. Be sure to smash them down so that they all fit as many as you can. You really need to smash and squish the rinds to fill the mason jar. Boil the vinegar (about 2 cups) and pour over the rinds in the jar, leaving about 1/4 inch of air at the top. If you would like a strong citrus scent, you can also add some drops of orange or grapefruit essential oil to the mix. Cap the jar tightly, using oven mitts to protect your hands.
Your orange cleaner will be ready in 2 weeks, but in the mean time, enjoy some freshly squeezed citrus or freeze the juice in plastic bags and place in the freezer to use later.
After 2 weeks, remove rinds, strain liquid, and mix citrus vinegar solution with equal parts distilled water. To use as a rinse aid, store in an airtight container, undiluted.
Homemade Dishwasher Detergent
What you will need…
* 1 cup washing soda
* 1/4 cup citric acid
* 1/4 cup coarse salt
* 10-15 drops of any citrus (orange, grapefruit, lemon…) essential oil of your choosing
* Homemade All-Purpose Citrus Vinegar Cleaner (recipe above)
Mix the first 3 ingredients, add essential oils, and stir again. Store in an airtight container. Stir before each use.
Use 1/2 to 1 tbs of detergent for each load and 1 tbs of citrus vinegar cleaner in rinse aid compartment
Homemade Liquid Dish Soap
What you will need…
* 1 cup of hot water
* 1/2 cup liquid castile soap
* 1 tablespoon of washing soda (used to thicken the soap)
* 12 drops of tea tree oil (unless you chose to use scented castile soap
* for anti-bacterial aids add a few drops of lavender or eucalyptus essential oils
Combine all ingredients into a large bowl and then pour in 1 1/2 cup of very hot water. Be sure to whisk/stir this mixture until all ingredients are thoroughly blended. Allow mixture to cool completely on the counter. Stirring occasionally. Store in any dish soap dispensing bottle and use as you would the commercial brands.
Homemade Foaming Hand Soap
What you will need…
* Foaming soap dispenser
* 1/4 cup liquid castille soap (scented or unscented)
* 3/4 cup distilled water
* 2-3 drops tea tree essential oil (for disinfecting)
Mix soap, water, and tea tree oil. Pour into a foaming soap dispenser.
Borax Free Detergent
3 Cups Washing Soda
1 Soap bar
1/2 Cup citric acid
1/2 Cup Kosher Salt)
1) Finely grate your soap bar
2) Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl or 1 gallon bucket
That’s it, now make sure to keep your detergent in an airtight container and mix before you use it. Use ½ cup to 1 cup in your washer as you would use your everyday detergent.
You can also add 30-40 drops of your favorite essential oils, just make sure that you mix the detergent thoroughly.
Here is the cost break down –
Sodium carbonate -$12 for 5lb box (about $1 per cup)
Bar soap – $2.00 (I used glycerin which is far cheaper than castille)
Citric acid – $4.99 for 7 1/2 ounces (I used most of the bottle)
Coarse salt – store bought a little under $4 for 3 lbs (about $1.33 per cup)
So for $10 can make 56-112 tbs of laundry, between $0.11 to $0.18 per load of chemical free laundry! By purchasing the citric acid in bulk or shopping around, this amount could have been even lower.
Watch our friends at CBS 5 make the recipes above!
