DIY Cleaning | These Two Hands

I got this recipe from my sister who is genius when it comes to managing your home on a budget. She gave me some of this for Christmas and I love it so much that I’ve already used it all! This stuff is great and costs WAY less than Febreeze. There are a lot of recipes out there for homemade fabric refreshers but most contain things like baking soda and fabric softener which seems thick and messy to me…though I have never tried any of them. I like this one because it’s simple, cheap and it works.

Here is what you need:

Water

Inexpensive Vodka or Rubbing Alcohol

Essential Oils

Clean, Empty spray bottle

The ratio is 50/50 water and alcohol. I’m using vodka because 1.) I always have it on hand 😉 and 2.) Sister says it has less of a smell than rubbing alcohol. I usually buy the big 1.75 liter bottles for around $15…the cheap stuff! The essential oils can get a little pricey but since you use such a small amount they will last you a long time. I got mine at central market and paid around $4 per fluid ounce but, different oils are usually different prices and they can go all the way up to $10 for a 1/3 of an ounce if you buy organic (I didn’t). You can use whatever scent that you like. Today, I used Eucalyptus and Lemon. Other good ones to use (all having antibacterial properties) are Tea tree, Oregano, Lavendar, and Geranium.

So…mix 1 part water with 1 part alcohol. Then add your oil. The amount will vary based on how much you make. My spray bottle only holds about 8 ounces so for that I used about 30 drops of each oil. It sounds like a lot but it’s really not. The great thing is that you can adjust the amount of oil after you mix it if you use the spray and feel like it’s not smelly enough, just add a smidge more. This is safe to use on carpets where babies and animals crawl, pillows, matresses, couches…anything! Let me know what you think!

This is quite possibly the easiest and most effective homemade cleaner I have tried (and I’ve tried a few). It’s also the least expensive which is, let’s face it, HUGE. It consists of two ingredients. 1.) White distilled vinegar and 2.) Citrus peels. That’s why it’s so cheap. You save the scraps from the fruit you buy so as far as I’m concerned this part is free because it would otherwise be discarded. You can use any citrus fruit. So far I have used lemons, oranges, limes and tangerines in various combinations.

my “homebrew” 🙂

I save every glass jar that enters my home. You never know when you might need one. I wash them in the dishwasher to sanitize before using. Fill your chosen jar (packed fairly tight) with citrus peels. Mix and match, that’s the fun part! Then fill to the top with vinegar and screw the lid on tight. Write the date on it and store it at room temperature (shaking it up a bit every day or whenever you think of it) for 4 + weeks before using as a concentrated cleanser. You could leave it in these jars and when you’re ready to use it just spoon out what you need into a spray bottle or you could strain it out into a separate clean jar or squirt bottle. Here is the breakdown of what it works for and how I dilute it.

Counter top spray for kitchen and bath : 1/4 cup citrus oil in a 32 oz spray bottle then fill the rest of the way with water.

Greasy oven cleaner: No diluting needed. Just spritz concentrated cleaner on and wipe grease off!

Dishwasher rinse aid: No diluting needed. Fill rinse aid cup with citrus oil and watch in amazement as your dishes come out sparkling clean!

Kitchen sink, bathtub and shower: Wet the surface and sprinkle baking soda on area to be cleaned. Fill spray bottle with half citrus oil and half water. Spritz on top of baking soda then gently scrub the area to mix. Wave goodbye to soapscum and grime!

Toilet: Flush toilet once and wait for water to stop running. Sprinkle baking soda all around the inside of the bowl then spritz with undiliuted citrus oil, scrub and flush!

Tile and hardwood floors: 1/2 cupt of citrus oil for each gallon of water. No need to rinse.

Happy cleaning!