Ever since the discussion with Diane Carol back in May about homemade laundry soap, I've received several email requests for homemade cleaner recipes ~ so I thought I'd just go ahead and post them here. These are the ones I use most often in our home. As a side note - I personally don't care for the automatic dishwasher soap - I still use Cascade. Can't seem to help myself!

To begin with, buy a gallon of white vinegar, and you may as well stock up on baking soda, borax and washing soda ~ and some of your favorite essential oils. The oils are costly at first, but they honestly last forever. The washing soda is made by Arm and Hammer and is in the laundry section of your grocery store, usually right along side the borax. As I mentioned, I'm not crazy about the Dishwasher Detergent stuff. It works okay, but the glasses come out looking kinda cloudy, and I don't have time to stop the dishwasher during the rinse cycle to add vinegar. Using the products below will save you a ton of money, they are gentle (no harsh chemicals in your home) and good for the environment. Try them out and use the ones that work for you. I've tweaked them several times until I've gotten them right for me and my family. Have fun and let me know how they work.
Helen

Carpet Freshener:
1 cup baking soda
9-10 drops of your favorite essential oil (I use lavender). Mix together and shake well. Leave to stand overnight. Then shake onto carpet. Leave for up to an hour, and then vacuum away for a fresh-scented room.

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent
1 C. Borax
1 C. Baking soda
Combine both ingredients COMPLETELY.
Use 2 T. Per dishwasher load. I sometimes use 1/2 cup vinegar in the rinse cycle for sparkling glasses.

Homemade Furniture Polish
1 cup Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon lemon essential oil
Mix the ingredients together well. Apply with a soft rag. Wipe excess off and buff well with a clean, soft rag to a nice glossy finish...

Home Made 409
2 cups Vinegar
3/4 cups ammonia (I use the lemon scent)
4 squirts dish soap
Water to fill up a gallon jug
Put into a cleaned out milk jug. I write the recipe on the outside of the jug with an indelible marker.

Clean and deodorize a microwave
Put 4 tablespoons of lemon juice in a microwave-safe bowl with 1 cup of water. Boil 5 minutes in the microwave. Allow the steam to condense on the inside of the microwave. When time is up, wipe dry with a clean cloth.

Home Made Comet
Equal parts Baking Soda and Borax
15-20 drops favorite essential oil
Place ingredients in shaker bottle (the type
Parmesan cheese comes in at the Pizza Restaurant - I get mine for $1 at the Dollar Store). This works fine for regular dirt. For extra grease and grime, I keep a can of store brand scouring cleanser under the sink for emergencies.

Garbage Disposal Cleaner
1 C Chopped lemon, including rind
1 C Baking soda
1-1/2 C Water
Mix baking soda and water. When ready to clean disposal, turn it on, drop in lemon pieces and let the machine grind them up as you pour in the baking soda mix. Rinse with cold water.

Floor Wash
1/8 C liquid soap (Dr. Bronner's is good)
1/4 to 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar or lemon juice
30 drops essential oil (peppermint is great as it adds antibacterial qualities)
Combine ingredients in a pail or bucket. Swirl the water around until it is sudsy. Proceed as normal. Make only what you use, discard any remaining.

Lemon-Mint Window Wash
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cups water or club soda
1/2 teaspoon peppermint essential oil
1 teaspoon corn starch
Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl, using a spoon to blend them well. Pour into a plastic spray bottle. Shake well before using.

Sink dish liquid
Not for automatic dishwashers
10 drops lemon essential oil
10 drops lavender essential oil
10 drops orange essential oil
4 cups castile liquid soap (such as Fels Naptha)
Fill a 32-oz. squirt bottle with liquid soap and add the oils. Shake well and enjoy! It smells heavenly.

Toilet Cleaner
2 tablespoons baking soda
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon orange essential oil
1 teaspoon grapefruit essential oil
2 cups water
Mix all ingredients in a 4 cup measuring cup or bowl. When you mix the vinegar and baking soda, it will foam. Let this mixture stand for 10 minutes before pouring into a spray bottle.

Thanks so much for posting all that. Where do you get your essential oils?

I buy them at the local health food store.

Great ideas! As a possible hint for the dishwasher detergent, I wonder if you added water softner powder, I always add either 'Rain drops" or Calgon water softner to my dishwasher. I fill to the first line with the detergent, and then to the next line with the water softner, and your glasses will shine, and you dishwasher itself, will be cleaner.

Anyway, I have the stuff on hand, and may just try it and see how it goes. Will report. Mrs. K

Sorry for the email, I must of missed this yesterday. Thank you for the post..

Aunt Honey - thank you for the fabulous post! I will be trying out several of your recipes! I am still making the soap....and in fact our girls (all grown up) have jumped on the bandwagon...helping to make the laundry soap and LOVING the end result! I purchased (back in May??) the ingredients...I think is was around $9.00....and have made 7 batches....and have plenty more product left to make more! I've given away tons and several friends have asked for the recipe (which I have happily shared). I love walking by the laundry soap isle in the store and we love the end result. It has been a blessing in many ways! Clean clothes, bonding with daughters "brewing" our soap, and saving dollars! Our plan is that when I run out of the ingredients, the next dear daughter will purchase and share, and on and on. So, my guess is that I will have to cough up $9.00 in about a year to do laundry! That makes me smile!

Thank you for posting your recipes for the soaps/ cleaners. I have most of the things you're using, but it's nice to have measurements to go with them.

I love making these cleaners. And I really like the way my home smells when I use them. Something I don't think I mentioned......to further save $, instead of fabric softener, I use 1/4 to 1/3 cup white vinegar in the rinse cycle of my laundry. I swear you can't smell it when the clothes are dry. It gets rid of any soap residue and the clothes are static-free. I also use the clothesline for almost everything. Of course, I can do that because it's sunny almost year-round here. Anybody have any other cleaners I'm not aware of? I'd be happy to try new ones. What about shampoo and body wash?

Bump....I'm hoping someone has a recipe that they might share for the personal soap/body wash/shampoo? Anyone???? (PS - Thanks Aunt Honey for the terrific post!) Di (PSS - did anyone happen to see GMA this weekend? They were discussing "parties" where folks got together to make laundry soap and home cleaners...duh??? )

**Bump**
Here you go, Mumsey.

Thanks Aunt Honey, I was searching and by the time I got to the end of the post, there's your message!

So do you buy the castile soap already as a liquid, can't say that I've seen it. Is it in the dishsoap isle?

Mumsey: I buy my liquid Castile soap by the gallon at the local Super Target store. I think I paid about $30 last time I bought it - and it lasts a long time. In case you can't buy it locally, I looked online and came up with the following website where you can buy it:

http://www.greenlivingtips.com.../1/Castile-soap.html

I'm not sure how to place the link here, so just copy and paste it into your browser.