large jar
funnel
spray bottle
white distilled vinegar
citrus peels (orange, lemon, grapefruit, etc)
1. Start collecting peels into your large jar. I keep my jar in the refrigerate (to keep the peels from spoiling) and add to the jar over time. The more citrus you eat, the faster this process will go.
2. Once your jar is full of peels, carefully pour vinegar into the jar, making sure you fill the jar completely and there are no air bubbles between the peels.
3. Cover tightly with lid and let sit in a cool dark place for 2 weeks.
4. Using your funnel and strainer, strain the vinegar out of the jar and into the sprayer bottle.
5. That's it! Use as you would any other all purpose cleaner.
Buy a bottle of 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide (food grade) and replace cap with a sprayer. Do not transfer to a clear bottle, h2o2 stay fresher longer in a dark colored bottle.
Disinfections and wipes off clean, so need to rinse.
Use for:
- Mirrors and glass: Spray and wipe clean.
- Sinks, toilets and tile: Spray and wait a few minutes, wipe it off.
- Granite, stainless steel, and appliances: Spray on, let it sit a minute or two, wipe it off with the cloth.
- Stain removal: Remove blood stains by soaking fabric in solution of 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 4 parts water. Watch the bubbles make the stain disappear.
Benefits of using Hydrogen Peroxide for Cleaning
- All-Purpose Cleaner - you only need one spray bottle to clean just about everything (use caution with wood surfaces); that simplifies cleaning and eliminates all of the individual kinds of cleaners you have to buy, store and haul around when you clean
- Anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-mold, anti-mildew - it really works in all these ways
- Earth-friendly - upon application, it breaks down into oxygen and water; completely safe for the earth and us earthlings
- Inexpensive - 32 oz. bottles are available for about a buck at many discount, drug, and grocery stores
- Odorless - no icky smells left behind (no lemon or pine scent either, so you have to get over it if that's what you think clean smells like)
½ cup borax
1 cup washing soda
1 bar of Dr. Bronners Magic Soaps (5 oz.)
3 gallons water
5-gallon bucket with a lid
1. Using a box grater, grate the entire bar of Fels-Naptha soap. You'll end up with a pile of little soap curls.
2. Pour 4 cups of water into a large pot and bring to a boil, then lower the heat until it's simmering. Add the entire pile of grated soap, handful by handful, and stir with a wooden spoon until it's all dissolved.
3. Pour 3 gallons of water into your bucket. (Make sure the bucket is clean first.) Pour in the borax, washing soda, and pot of soap; stir until dissolved.
4. Cover the bucket and let the mixture sit for 24 hours.
The mixture will be a little clumpy, so give it a good stir before using. The globs will dissolve in the washing machine anyway. Use 1 cup of detergent per regular-size load. Makes 52 loads.
Cost per load: 7 cents
1 gallon of white vinegar
30-40 drops of your favorite essential oil
Just shake well before each use and it's ready for the rinse cycle. For small or average loads add ½ cup to the rinse cycle, or a little more for large loads. For HE washer, use about ¼ cup.
5 inch square of cotton cloth (maybe cut from an old t-shirt)
3-5 drops of essential oil (added before each load)
Add 3-5 drops of essential oil to your cloth and throw it in the dryer with your next load. These cotton dryer sheets can be used for 2 or 3 loads, each time adding 3 more drops of your favorite essential oil. Wash the cloth after a few uses and experiment with a new fragrance the next time! Some of my personal favorites are lavender, lemon, or grapefruit.