Making my own toxic-free cleaners

I am slowly changing over to all homemade products. I have had so much fun making my own toxic-free products (everything from baby wipes to toothpaste) with my mom this month. There are several reasons to make your own stuff including; saving money, healthier for you and your family, safer for the environment, and a lot of times they work better than the commercial products you are replacing. There are several different recipes online and in books so you just have to play around with them and see what works the best.

My mom has more expensive essential oils from doterra. They claim to be the best because you can eat them. I am cheap, so I just bought these on amazon. They seem to be really good. I don't think that I am going to regret getting the cheaper ones.


The best pergo or laminate floor cleaner: I looked for this for a long time as our kitchen and hallways are pergo. I used to never clean them because it was so hard to get them looking good.
1 C Water
1 C white Vinegar
few drops Castille soap
few drops orange essential oil
I love how the vinegar makes my floors shine! A lot of the recipes in books and online call for rubbing alcohol, but I omitted it because of the smell and that it is toxic to drink. This combo works amazingly!

Glass Cleaner
1 C water
1 C white vinegar
few drops of essential oils

or
3 tablespoons cornstarch in 1/2 cup water. Mix ingredients well in a bowl. Dab a soft rag into the mixture and rub on the window. At first there will be a film, but as you keep rubbing, the window will become so clean you feel you could walk through it. (from 'Clean and Green', by Annie Berthold-Bond)

Multipurpose Cleaner, hand sanitizer too!: I spray this on my toys, high chair, counters, everywhere! For the hand sanitizer I have it in a little spray bottle in my purse.
3 C water
2-3 drops tea-tree essential oil (disinfects)
2-3 drops lemon (disinfectant smell)

Bathroom scrub: (to be made just before cleaning and discarded afterward)

1 cup Baking Soda
Lemon juice of one Lemon
Enough water to make a thick paste
5 drops Tea Tree essential oil (optional - to disinfect)
3 drops Lemon essential oil (optional - for fresh smell and additional cleansing)
+ White Vinegar in a spray bottle

Laundry Detergent:
This recipe is all over the internet. I have used it for about a year now and I really like it. I like to pour white vinegar in just before the rinse cycle for a fabric softener. \
1 C Borax
1 C washing soda
1/2 C grated fels napha soap.
1-2 drops essential oil of choice (for smell)
I want to try to recipe with castille soap, so I'll let you know how it goes.


trash pails:
borax or baking soda

dishwashing detergent
1 part borax
1 part washing soda
1 C vinegar during rinsing

Drains:
1 C Vinegar
1 C baking soda
will foam up and eat anything that's obstructing. I even have used this in my toilet bowl when it was clogged.

That's all I can think of for now.