All Purpose Cleaner
1c. White vinegar
2c. Water
5-8 drops peppermint oil
This is a great cleaner! Mix it up in a spray bottle, grab a few reusable rags and your ready to go (you may want to buy a few funnels for easy mixing) It wont streak or leave a film, is safe to use on almost all surfaces and fabrics, including food surfaces like counters and cutting boards, and it works. It really shines (*pun*) on windows and mirrors. The best way to clean a dirty window or mirror is to spray it on and wipe with a lint free microfiber cloth to remove any yuck, then use a small squeegee for a perfect streak free shine every time. Little squeegees make doing windows a snap! Don't have a squeegee (well go buy one!) then you can polish with a dry cloth for the same effect.
Floor Cleaner
2.5c. Water
2.5c. White Vinegar
20 drops Tea Tree Oil
This is another non residue cleaner, and it works great on laminate, tile, and finished wood floors. I like to take this stuff in a spray bottle and spray and damp mop as I go. It dries without leaving a film, but you can buff with a dry cloth for extra shine if you're so inclined. You can also store this in a jug and add it to warm mop water if that's your style - great if you have wintry salt stains on your floors. It cuts through sticky gunk like nobodies business. Tea Tree oil has antimicrobial properties and smells really "clean". An all around great floor cleaner.
Wood Floor Cleaner
1c Castile Soap (peppermint is nice)
6c. Warm Water
10-20 drops Pine Oil
If you have a wood floor that is not polyurethaned or sealed, this might be the stuff for you. I use this on waxed, unfinished, or very worn floors (where the finish is mostly worn away) Whenever dealing with unsealed floors always try a little first to see what's what. This cleaner is great at getting up dirty gunkyness that older, seldom cleaned, wood floors tend to collect, it also nourishes the wood and protects it a bit. It will leave your floor glowing with good health! Castile soap is awesome, I use Brommer's, but there are a lot of great brands out there. Again, spray it on, and dry or wet mop, depending on how dirty the floors are. This stuff really responds to a good buff afterwords with a dry rag or mop. (This cleaner is not good on laminate or polyurethane treated floors as it can be slippery or leave a residue on those surfaces.)
Wood Cleaner/Polisher
1/2 c. Canola Oil
1/4 c. Castile Soap
1/4 c. warm Water
Keep this in a jar (old peanut butter jar works good). It will separate so shake before you use. Use a cloth to rub into wood, then buff with a clean dry cloth to a glorious shine. Shines, protects, and discourages dust.
Borax & Baking Soda are the other major players in my cleaning arsenal. They both work great on stainless steel sinks, bathtubs, tile, grimy or stained floors (laminate), etc. Both can also be used in toilets to remove stains and odor. Sprinkled on a damp sponge or cloth they add scrubbing power, or you can make a paste with a bit of warm water to really clean a grimy, greasy bathtub. Be careful on flat top stoves and granite though, as it can scratch. They both can leave a gritty residue, so rinse very well, and if using on a bathtub or shower I recommend spraying the tub down after you rinse with the all purpose cleaner, wiping, and even buffing and drying with a cloth after to make the tub shine and prevent water stains. You can also use your handy squeegee for this!
I also recommend Hydrogen Peroxide on mildew, or rust stains. It has a bleaching action and if left to sit a bit can work wonders (it can pull color from fabrics though, be careful!).
A few drops of any essential oil with a few cups water in a spritz bottle makes a great fabric and air freshener. I like geranium oil!
These are the basics of my cleaning kit. All so cheap and easy to make, and all work amazingly well and are safe for you, your family, pets, and plants. Happy cleaning!
