Friday, September 7, 2012

Experimenting with homemade cleaning products

I've tried a few homemade cleaning products over the past 5 plus years with great success. I've been making my own homemade detergent for nearly 5 years. I took a break from it at one point but I started making it again to keep my grocery budget down. I'm still using a vinegar and water cleaner for my toilet and it works great.

Grocery prices continue to rise but our income is not. So, I'm continuing to look for ways to cut back. This month I decided to concentrate on finding an inexpensive stain remover to replace the Shout Advanced Gel I normally buy which can cost anywhere from $3-4. I love Shout but it's a high price item so hopefully I can find a good alternative.

So, today I did some research online to see if I could find a recipe that would use ingredients  I  have on hand. It was encouraging to see how many different recipes are used with great success. I always like to have an alternative recipe on hand  in case I'm out of a specific ingredient.

I took note that some homemakers use plain old shampoo directly on a stain and Dawn dishwashing detergent or 2 parts hydrogen peroxide and one part dawn.  All were given good reviews. I'll keep these in my file as a back up.

The recipe I chose is this one:

1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup liquid homemade detergent
1/2 cup water

The mixture was a bit lumpy so I kept stirring. I knew it needed to be pretty smooth so the mixture would go through the spray nozzle. I used my old Shout bottle. I used the spray on items in my white load and the stain came out. We will see how it works on my dark load tomorrow.

I can see that these homemade items are making an impact on my food budget for the better.

This recipe was found at :

Dollar Store Mom

I liked the idea that she experimented with 3 different options of stain remover which included the recipe above. Her conclusion was that the DIY stain remover worked just as well as the other brands.


Do you use any homemade cleaning products (or beauty products) that save you money?

6 comments:

  1. This is great and I'll need to try it. I too have been making my own laundry detergent for some years though am currently taking a break from it. Once things settle down a bit more, I will make it again.

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  2. We have made our own laundry detergent for at least two years now, I have no plans to ever purchase any ever again. I find a batch lasts us about a month, making it up takes very little of my time, the money saved if good, and it works very well.

    I use baking soda to scrub out stubborn stains. My tea mug gets rather disgusting after a while, baking soda takes care of the stains and the mug looks almost new again. I also like to use vinegar and baking soda to freshen up the kitchen sink drains.

    I use ammonia diluted in water to clean a lot of things, does a great job on the floors, woodwork, paintwork, and for damp dusting furniture. Ammonia is a bit smelly, but diluted isn't bad and it is an extremely versatile and inexpensive cleaning product.

    Bean

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  3. I've got to start making my own laundry soap ... and other things, back to like when I was younger since I will retire soon and have the time and need to be even more thrifty. You are always a wonderful resource.

    I'm sure I've asked you before if you have read the tightwad gazettes?

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  4. G,

    Hey there! Glad to hear you've found a way to make laundry soap. Check out this site you may like:
    http://tipnut.com/category/cleaning/

    Sandy, Oklahoma Transient

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  5. I use white vinegar a lot. to get that water ring out of the tea pot, to clean al the faucets and in a bag clipped to the shower head to clean out the hard water. I put it in the clothes softener dispenser in my washer to soften the clothes and it gets the last of the soap out too . Lots of things. I also use Fels Naptha bar soap to get stains out of cloths. Apply water to stain, rub on the soap, rub a little and toss in the wash water to wash with the rest of the load. Now I have a new fangled washer that uses only a tiny bit of water, a Maytag and if I don't rinse All the soap out before tossing in the washer there is not enough water in the washer to get the soap out. So much for saving water! :) I had NO problem with my old washer. Really I hate this washer for many reasons. so If you have such a new low energy washer watch for this problem. I I honestly wish I had my old washer back. Anyway I am enjoying your blog and too love to save $ and be a homemaker. Sarah

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