Thank you! I've been cleaning almost everything with vinegar and/or baking soda for years now, but I couldn't figure out a replacement for dish soap. I suppose I could have researched a bit more, but I always get caught up in endless, meandering 'net searches.

Don't stop there, homemade dishwasher detergent is extremely easy (1 part borax with one part washing soda, and I use vinegar as the finishing rinse), and for the laundry, add some soap flakes (I shred a bar of soap in my food processor) to the borax and washing soda. Vinegar makes a great laundry softener/disinfectant; just add a cup to the wash cycle. If you can't find borax or washing soda in your area, you can get them from Amazon.com or Alice.com.

Don't forget to use newspaper instead of paper towels for cleaning mirrors or glass; works beautifully.

We are first-time homeowners who were so excited about our pretty pergo floors in the kitchen. We had heard that pergo was soooo easy to clean. Come to find that everything sticks like glue to it, and that the finish has become dull and difficult to clean. We have tried everything under the sun, or so we think. Any suggestions?

Dr. Bronner's will work in the laundry too. I use Sal Suds which is a bit more rugged than the castile soap, but it works right out of the bottle for dishes and laundry. I add a bit of borax and baking soda to each load, and clothes are cleancleanclean. Borax cleans the toilets as it's better disinfectant.

What do you mean by rags? My rags are all different colors from cut up old clothes/towels and often get used for things that are so nasty I won't want to use the cloth again. I use microfiber most of the time. The ones in big packs in the auto section are cheap but as good as or better than the ones in store's cleaning section.

Don't forget rubbing alcohol for electronics and almost anything else that you can't get water on. For instance I use it to clean the glass on my picture frames.

@upndown, try Dr Bronners Sal Suds. I wouldn't use it full strength, like theforce says - I dilute it with about 80% water for dishes, 50% for counters/floors/surfaces, and save full strength for really really tough jobs.

Its magical, and way better than using their regular castille.

I'm a recent convert to homemade cleaning products, and I now swear by them. I've shared my little concoctions with friends and have heard nothing but good things! Two friends were super-sensitive to regular cleaners and were glad to not have headaches or skin rashes after using them. Nice!

I use vinegar, baking soda, washing soda, and Dr. Bronner's castile soaps (liquid and solid) to clean, with the help of some organic essential oils. I love cleaning the kitchen and bathroom now that it smells so good and isn't bad for me or the environment!

Here's the recipe I used for laundry detergent. Also ... 1/3 c. vinegar instead of softener is amazing for your laundry, especially towels!

http://behindcloseddrawers.wordpress.com/2011/10/28/homemade-laundry-detergent-and-softener/

I just got amazing results from vinegar and baking soda to take my oven from disgusting to sparkly. It was amazing... Will try the dishwashing soap next -- who wants to pay for Dawn?

Anything safe to effectively get rid of mold that's begun on the bathroom ceiling?

Thanks, sandyliz! I'm going to have to get to buying some more Dr. Bronner's. I love having some of their regular castille soap when I'm traveling, too. Also, interesting reading on every bottle.

also try 20 Mule Team Borax (a salt of boric acid), or TSP (Trisodium phosphate) - very effective! instead of water, try Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). a pinch of salt often makes the cleaner more effective.

I'd been given a sample of a shower cleaner and decided to have a go using it instead of my usual bi-carb/vinegar.

I gave up before I'd finished cleaning, this stuff just didn't cut it = back to the usual.

FWI the key ingredient in dishwasher detergents for spotless dishes is TSP (Trisodium phosphate). However in July 2010 many states banned tsp from the dishwasher detergents, because it causes alge blooms which kills fish when the alge uses up all the oxygen. Most of the manufacturers have banned it on their own in most other states because it was just cheaper to make it one way. This change happened very quietly with little to no publicity. The result is that none of the dishwasher detergents actually work very well anymore like they used to.

Products sold as "TSP substitute", containing soda ash and zeolites, are promoted as a direct substitute, but they are far less effective. You can buy real TSP online or from many hardware stores or paint stores, because it's unparalleled for cleaning up walls before painting, and it effectively cleans up lead paint.

You can add about a tsp of real TSP to your dishwasher detergent and you will notice a dramatic improvement. One person doing this isn't going to kill the fish. it's when everyone does it, which they won't anymore! You can be the wiser one with spotless dishes.

My local Target recently added a grocery section and they carry the best-priced gallon jugs of white vinegar that I've seen in my area...less than 3 bucks. They also started carrying the large box of baking soda with the natural cleaning products like Method, also at a much better price than the grocery store.

Would love to see a recipe for ceramic tile floors and grout.

Anyone know where I can get a nice-looking, long lasting empty 32 oz spray bottle?

My boyfriend and I renovated our kitchen. We did a honey colored ceramic tile and....white grout. So dumb. I will never do it again. I have, however, gotten pretty good at cleaning it. A baking soda paste....just baking soda and water.....which i spread all over the grout neatly so I can let it soak in for about an hour then some serious elbow grease with a grout brush. Sparkling white. I am sure this isn't "green" but you can get a sealer at a hardware store with a roller applicator. Every time I am finished with my grout I re seal to cut back on how often I have to do it. I do this every 3-6 months or when I can NOT stand how dirty it is anymore. Works in the shower too. Good luck!

My boyfriend is absolutely repulsed by the smell of vinegar, am i just out of luck here or is there anything else i can use? maybe i'll have to just buy those more expensive organic cleaners?

Really a nice post.
Dr Woods Castile Soap