I don’t clean with harsh chemicals, because doing so made me feel sick and gross. Isn’t cleaning supposed to make you feel better? How can a clean home make you feel like hammered dog poop? It will if you are sensitive to chemicals, which I am.
I remember when I decided to go green with my cleaning. I heard baking soda was good for tubs so I thought I’d give my
dingy tub and surround a scrub with it. Oh, my stars and garters! It cut through the soap scum like butter. It wiped it away, with no elbow grease, no headache, and no nausea. Just clean. Yay! Epiphany. I threw away my scrubbing bubbles and never, ever looked back.
Here’s what I use:
- Baking soda for scrubbing
- Borax for scrubbing and laundry (on occasion)
- Diluted vinegar for mopping, surfaces, and windows. About a cup for mopping. The surface and window cleaner goes in the same bottle. 4 oz vinegar, nearly fill with water, and about a 1/4 tsp. of dish soap.
- Lemons for deodorizing. Well, I could but I only use them on the cutting board.
- Pledge for dusting. Well, if I dusted I might use pledge. I really don’t dust often. I’ll usually knock it around with a feather duster and then vacuum it up.
- I gave up fabric softener when I ran out. Our clothes are lasting longer, staining less, and dirty laundry doesn’t get that funky musty dirty laundry smell (much). True story
I have all the ingredients to make homemade laundry detergent, but just haven’t done it yet. My bad.I am trying homemade laundry powder: 1 bar Fels Naphta soap (finely grated), 1 cup of borax, and 1 cup of washing soda.- I could make homemade furniture polish, but my furniture isn’t polish-worthy.
[homemade laundry soap slideshow coming soon]
That’s about it. My house is no less clean from using these items. My house is less clean because I clean less, but that is another story and at least a pot of coffee down the blog trail. What is your favorite cleaner? Would you be afraid to stay at my house?
theincompetenthausfrau 
how to you clean your laundry?
I just use regular detergent, but I’m going to try some homemade. It uses washing soda, borax, and a bar of soap, either Fels Naphta, or Ivory.
I use vinegar to clean in the kitchen. It’s so much better than any of the other “kitchen” cleaners, and it doesn’t leave streaks or smudge marks. 🙂
Oh, yes, yes! Everything gets wiped down with my all purpose vinegar solution.
You are a genius and my hero.
I stand upon the strong, capable shoulders of women who came before me. And I’m cheap. 😀
Aaah, I’d answer that question about my favorite cleaners if I used any!
*cough*
From that, you’re probably able to (correctly) surmise I’d have no problem staying at your house. As to whether you’d want to stay at mine? Another question altogether! 🙂
Hehehe. I surmise that your man must be better trained than mine. 😀
Baking soda for the tub??? I’m definitely going to try that. Scrubbing bubbles is sooooo chemically!
Yes it is! And it doesn’t even work that well.