What kind of housecleaning products do you use? Baking soda vinegar?

Question

I was cleaing the other day and accidently made some nasty fumes. It really scared me so I did some research and found out about cleaing with vinegar and baking soda. I also have a 4 month old son who will be getting into things soon so it will be a good idea all around. Does anyone do this and what kinds of things do you clean them with? Have any cleaning recipes?

Answer 1

All Purpose
32 oz water in a spray bottle
2 tablespoons natural dish soap (I like Ecover)
20 drops grapefruit seed extract (buy at a healthfood store)
20 drops essential oil of your choice (I use lemon)
The grapefruit seed extract is a natural hospital grade disinfectant. It is a little pricey ($10 for 2 oz) but it will last you for YEARS ( 5 years for the average household.) The essential oils make it smell nice and make cleaning more pleasant, but are optional. If you end up having to use a conventional dish soap use 1/2 as much.

You can clean bathtubs and showers with straight natural dishsoap and a wet scrubby pad. It really does work very well. If the tub is super grody, then you can use Bon Ami, but I save this for the last resort since it is harder to rinse.

Window Cleaner
1/2 cup vinegar
fill the spray bottle the rest of the way up with hot water
1 teaspoon soap (I use unscented Dr. Bronners)
10-20 drops essential oil (I use peppermint or wintergreen)
Again, the essential oils serve no purpose other than to make it smell nice. Use hot water to help blend the soap, but then you can store it as usual and use it at room temp after that.

I mop my floors with a flat mop and the window cleaner, just spraying the floors as I go. If you need to use a bucket, then just use hot water with 1/2 cup vinegar in it. I promise your house will not smell like vinegar after it dries.

For toilets you can either use vinegar and baking soda (which works just fine) or you can buy the Seventh Generation Bowl Cleaner (which makes me want to lick the toilet bowl it smells so good! That is what I use.)

For ants, mix equal parts baking soda and powdered sugar. The sweetness of the powdered sugar brings them to that spot and the baking soda works along with the enzymes in their bellies to make them explode. The reason this is better than Borax, is the baking soda takes longer to work and when it makes it to the Queen, she dies and the ants move on to another colony, away from your home (hopefully). I just use a margarine lid and a popsicle stick for a walkway (gotta make it easy for them). If that does not work, then try equal part powdered sugar and borax. Borax will just straight poison them.

As far as grease on the stove goes, first try the all purpose and a scrubby pad. If that is not enough then try some dish soap or some Bon Ami.

Bothe the all purpose and the window cleaner cost on average less than 10 cents per 32 oz bottle, BTW.

Do not listen to all these people telling you to just use cleaning chemicals. They are extrememly harmful and not worth the risks when there are safer alternatives available. I own a cleaning service (all natural of course,) and I have yet to run into a house I could not clean with the above formulas.

Answer 2

Try using cleaning solutions that contain bleach (Clorox) to disinfect surfaces. There is a new product on the market that is said to be good on surfaces & safe around children--I think it's either Lysol or Clorox. Search & study the cleaning aisle at Wal-Mart or ur local grocery store--it should tell u right on the label the details about safety, contents... I use Softscrub in my sinks/tubs & Clorox toilet bowl cleaner. Approaching winter, u need to keep a good disinfectant on hand. Vinegar is really good to clean coffee pots... I keep a box of baking soda in the fridge to keep the odors away. Just read the labels & keep ur child away from the area that ur cleaning until it's had a chance to air out.

Answer 3

I use vinegar for many things but have found that a paste of baking soda and peroxide is great at removing stains from my kitchen counters.

I also use peroxide to clean the grout on my tile floor. I let it soak in a while and then mop.

Vinegar and baking soda is probably safer than other cleaning products but I would surely keep them out of reach of children.

Enjoy your child!

Answer 4

cut vinegar down 1:3 with water and it cleans windows, showers, and sinks well. to clean drains dump down baking soda 1:2 with water wait 20 minutes and chase with vinegar after another 20 minutes flush with warm water. baking soda works on anything stinky like trash cans and refrigerators. also add soda to laundry to take out the stinkiness.

good job keeping it natural!

Answer 5

Baking soda is good for cleaning stains off your counter tops, refrigerator, microwave, and putting in your laundry. Vinegar is good for cleaning windows and cleaning out your coffee maker.
For bathtubs and floors I use Ajax and pine sol. Hope this helps.

Answer 6

baking soda is good for scrubbing stainless steel sinks . it does not scratch . use a soft cloth or Teflon scrubber and warm water ...make a paste ..vinegar is a natural cleaner for laundry, cleaning anything even washing vehicles and windows . mixed with water. vinegar will get shower doors clean ..
peroxide is good for stains in clothing and carpets.
good to soak toothbrushes in .. to kill the bacteria.
Dawn is a good stain removal for clothing ... rub into fabric and let set a few minutes..
the scrubbing bubbles bathroom cleaner is good for getting stains from carpets. using a toothbrush or Teflon scrubber..
Baby oil applied to soft cloth is a good way to remove fingerprints from stainless steel appliances. use a little at a time and wipe off with clean soft cloth.. rub one way not in a circle ..

Answer 7

I like that basics

1..bleach for toilet its quick and cheap..for the top of the stove and the laundry..i put it in a spray bottle with water and dish liquid for the shower walls and the bath tube..i clean the sinks out with it..i clean the hot water heater and the furnish with it..so many uses for bleach soap and water..

2..pine sole..for walls and floors and the laundry..and i pour the used pine sole and water on my side walks to clean them then i sweep them like a scrub brush..

3...vinegar and water to clean glass and windows and mirrors and put vinegar in a small bowl and set aside will absorb Oder's in the house..

4..baking soda..sprinkle in litter box, sprinkle on carpet..pour on counter top as an abrasive, put in fridge for Oder's..

5..laundry..arm and hammer detergent..dawny..bleach..pine sole..shout..

6..dishes..dawn..dawn direct foam..a must in my house..SOS pads..

7..plenty of candles,, but i also use sented pine cones in the registers like cinnamon will go all over your house..

Answer 8

A Sargeant Steam clean machine will do the entire house without use of household or chemical cleaners. Its the best investment I ever made.

Answer 9

Load of rubbish, the only thing vinegar is good for is fish and chips. Cleaning products are the best idea, if possible ventilate the room you are cleaning, and NEVER mix cleaning products together when working.
As far as you son is concerned, keep products out of reach or better child locked away..... I have 3 girls and so I can give you my experience.
If you choose to steam clean, they are good, BUT watch your 4 yr.!!
Best of luck!!!

Answer 10

I like natural things. Vinigar and baking soda are good. Borax is good for whitening laundry. And one of my favorites is my steam cleaner-no cleaners necessary!