I don’t know about you, but I’m getting the Spring-time itch. The days are noticeably longer. I don’t have the urge to stay inside all day, every day. The sun shinning through my windows is no longer a rare occurrence, it’s an every day event.
Spring is so close that I can now smell it on the air. I adore this time of the year, with promises of new life, open windows and days spent outside. Even though we’ve had a wonderfully mild winter, I can’t wait for the warm weather to come.
The sun shinning through my windows has also pointed out something else. After months of the house being closed up, it could use a good cleaning. Spider webs on the ceiling. Windows with steaks of winter life. And just the general feeling for the need of a good, deep cleaning.
I’m getting the itch. The Spring-cleaning itch. I must clean the house. From top to bottom. And I must do it now.
I have a little secret though. I don’t buy cleaners. Okay, okay, on occasion I will, but for the most part I make my own. It’s easier. It’s cheaper. And I control what goes in them, which means no weird chemicals. Just ingredients that I already have at home.
My favorite by far is vinegar. Good old white vinegar. I use this stuff to clean the kitchen, dust every hard surface in the house, clean mirrors and make sour milk with. Okay, that last one isn’t for cleaning, but it’s a great substitute for buttermilk.
I have a few other favorite cleaning “recipes” that I make up every month or so. A multipurpose, disinfecting solution that I use daily to wipe down my bathroom sink and toilet, which also doubles as another option to clean the kitchen. Plus a daily shower-cleaner, so I don’t have to scrub my shower clean every week. With these two basic cleaners, I have my entire house covered.
Multipurpose, Disinfecting Cleaner
- 2 teaspoons borax
- 4 tablespoons vinegar
- 3 cups hot water
- 1/4 teaspoon liquid dish soap (such as Dawn)
Combine ingredients in a spray bottle. Spray on surface and wipe clean with paper towel or an old wash cloth or shirt. (Note: this is not an antibacterial formula)
Daily Shower Cleaner
- 3 cups rubbing alcohol
- 1 tablespoon liquid dish soap (such as Dawn)
- 4 tablespoons dishwasher rinse agent
- 3 quarts water
Mix together and store in a gallon-sized container. Before adding to a spray bottle add:
- 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide to a 24 ounce bottle or 2/3 cups hydrogen peroxide to a 32 ounce bottle
Spray immediately after a shower to help prevent the build up of soap scum and mildew.
Sour Milk (Buttermilk Substitute)
- 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice
- Milk, enough to make one cup
Add the vinegar or lemon juice to a glass measuring cup. Pour in enough milk to make one cup. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Use in place of buttermilk in any recipe.
Do you have any favorite homemade cleaning recipes?
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