apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I love these homemade ideas. The vodka thing on clothing though? Hmmm. I don't need to be smelling like that all day lest I be confused with the corner drunk.

Personally I'm a huge fan of these staples:
Bon Ami, Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds, White Vinegar, Baking Soda and Murphey's Oil Soap.

Vinegar and water has completely replaced my all purpose spray cleanser and toilet cleaner. The smell disappears rapidly taking any cooking odors along at the same time. So cheap compared to store products.

ditto to Lizzy C list except I use Howards Orange Oil Furniture Polish. Murphey's is not good for wood. I only have a couple of very old wood pieces and the Howards makes them happy and look like they are newly finished.

Here is another good list of mixtures, especially the oven cleaner-
http://www.ecocycle.org/hazwaste/recipes.cfm#altcleaners

Bon Ami is eco-friendly? (it's not a sarcastic comment, it's a real question!)

You can check out this article from Scott Common Sense for some ideas on how to clean without using chemicals http://tinyurl.com/b7xy6b

LoriSF
Thanks for that site! Once a month to keep the bathtub drains clear I use a box of baking soda/vinegar and then run warm water for about 5 - 10 minutes.
Also, vinegar or a bowl with a half a lemon for the microwave. I simply let it sit in there once the liquid becomes steamy then remove it after a few minutes wipe clean.
These are great tips I'll be sure to try.

I recently had great luck cleaning a burnt pan with baking soda and a little vinegar. I really though the pan was lost, but the soda and vinegar fizzed up, and I was able to get every last bit up with steel wool and a little elbow grease. It was like magic!

Can you use white vinegar to clean the toilet? How long do you let it soak?

"A spritz of a 50/50 vodka-water mixture also helps to freshen clothes." And pure vodka helps relieve the anxiety of cleaning.

the 50/50 vodka mixture is something I learned a long time ago- it gets the smell of smoke, light mildew, sweat etc out of fabrics you don't want to wash. I used it on an old velvet theatre curtain I got at an auction that smelled of the above 3 items. It worked like a champ- and didn't smell like a bar afterwards.

I've always wondered about the whole vinegar thing. Everyone says it doesn't leave a smell, but... I really can't stand the smell of vinegar. I mean, I really really really can't stand it. Do ya'll swear it doesn't leave any smell behind?

What if I also spray the vodka/water mixture into my mouth? That might also make cleaning more fun ;)

Spring Cleaning episode of Decor It Yourself with 3 DIY recipes for homemade organic cleaning supplies.
*Vinegar and lemon juice are key!

jyw- honestly, i think the smell only seems to go away because youre nose gets use to it. its still there you just arent offended by it anymore. kinda like when you walk into your home after being away all day and realize you forgot to take out that nasty trash, but after a while the odor kinda disapears. yeah, like that.

50/50 vodka is a great bathtub disinfectant, Don't use vinegar on tiles, it will dissolve the grout

i used to try a natural cleaning product for a few weeks and then guiltily change back to raging chemicals as they didn't seem to work it as hard.

then i stumbled upon an awesome recipe for homemade cleaner - i love it so much i posted on my blog 'bout it a few weeks ago. i've been using this for 6 months and haven't thought about changing.

'scuse the self indulgence. here's the post if you're interested.

http://reddoorread.blogspot.com/2009/01/clean-and-green-baby.html

cheers

An improvement on the 50/50 vinegar h2o mixture is to also add in a few drop of liquid dish cleaner and - to make it smell better - 10 or so drops of lavender essential oil.

The dish soap helps to break down grease & the lavender is also a natural disinfectant.

Bon Ami, white vinegar & Murphy's Oil Soap are my best friends.

Here in the land of seriously hard, scaly water, I just successfully removed about a 1/4 inch of hard white buildup with vinegar and baking soda on my bathroom faucet! I put about 2 tablespoons of baking soda into a folded paper towel, around a 3-4 inch square. Then I took a long piece of plastic wrap, put the paper towel/baking soda in the center and 'tied' it to the end of and the length of the faucet, keeping the bundle in place and somewhat 'sealed'. Then I poured a few tablespoons of vinegar into a small opening in the top of the bundle, until it foamed over. I left it for 30 minutes and was shocked and very happy to see it completely dissolved ALL of the buildup.

this is a serious post...
the enzymes in saliva work really well on lots of things that lots of basic household cleaners can't break down--basically anything food-based. when i'm cleaning the kitchen, especially the stove, i mostly use water and a rag, then a drop or two of spit to get rid of anything stubborn (which is usually the remnants of a recent meal). completely eco and free. probably not a good idea for germophobes. (i wouldn't do it when i'm sick...then again i don't usually clean when i'm sick anyway.)

saliva is also good for getting a blood stain out of clothing -- especially when it's YOUR blood and YOUR saliva.

I'm all about the green nontoxic good-for-you save the earth cleaners (I usually swear by baking soda and vinegar), sometimes bleach just needs to happen.