Home made cleaning supplies

kerosene · 02-22-2010, 08:29 PM

Okay, so I have been cleaning houses for a few weeks, now to make a little extra money. I originally got a whole bunch of cleaning supplies, but have since learned that I can make a lot of stuff, myself. Some of it is great, some of it is not as great.

Does anyone make their own cleaning supplies? If so, what do you use and do you love it?

squirell nutkin · 02-22-2010, 08:37 PM

David Sedaris wrote about his gig as a house cleaner in NYC. He said he used a mixture of Bleach and ammonia, which was very effective as long as you kept repeating to yourself

"I want to live, I want to live, I want to live..."

(For the humor impaired: This will not really work and will really kill you. It was a joke. And now back to our genuine cleaning tips)

I use Borax as an alkalinizer. It is awesome for everything.
Baking soda and vinegar.

What are you trying to clean?

Juniper · 02-22-2010, 09:42 PM

I basically clean everything in my house with vinegar/water in a spray bottle, diluted pine-sol in a spray bottle, and Comet.

I also make my own laundry soap, sometimes. It's a huge savings. Goes down to about ten cents a load.

lumberjim · 02-22-2010, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Juniper

I basically clean everything in my house with vinegar/water in a spray bottle

::can't think of a good douche joke::

Yznhymr · 02-22-2010, 10:13 PM

We go to yard sales, especially the big community ones, and buy up all of the left over cleaning supplies for cheap. 1/2 full bottles of name brand cleaning solutions for 50 cent to a dollar, when a full bottle would cost $3-$8. Not bad. Then we top off like cleaning bottles and wallah! We are not strangers to cleaning homes for extra mullah.

It's been noted elsewhere in the Cellar we are pikers. This is just more proof of the same.

Pete Zicato · 02-23-2010, 09:22 AM

I've had good luck with paint thinner getting soap scum off of bathroom tile.

xoxoxoBruce · 02-23-2010, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete Zicato

I've had good luck with paint thinner getting soap scum off of bathroom tile.

I hope you were following the instructions and using in a well ventilated area. Maybe the sparky electric fan will remove those explosive fumes.

White Vinegar works well.

Pete Zicato · 02-23-2010, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

I hope you were following the instructions and using in a well ventilated area. Maybe the sparky electric fan will remove those explosive fumes.

White Vinegar works well.

yup. Window open and vent fan on.

squirell nutkin · 02-23-2010, 11:04 AM

Citra solv is the most absolute dopest of all cleaners.

TheMercenary · 02-23-2010, 11:15 AM

I have read that cheap vodka was a really good surface cleaner. I would have to look into it more before I could endorse it.

piercehawkeye45 · 02-23-2010, 12:17 PM

Has anyone attempted to make their own laundry detergent? If so, how were the results and any recommendations on clothes not to use it on or is it pretty versatile? I wear a lot of sweaters in the winter so I don't want to ruin 75% of my winter shirts in one wash.

cabbagepulley · 02-23-2010, 12:46 PM

For my wannabe hardwood floor, I use a third each of white vinegar, alcohol, and water...works pretty well.

Juniper · 02-23-2010, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by piercehawkeye45

Has anyone attempted to make their own laundry detergent? If so, how were the results and any recommendations on clothes not to use it on or is it pretty versatile? I wear a lot of sweaters in the winter so I don't want to ruin 75% of my winter shirts in one wash.

Yup. I do. Grate up some kind of bath soap. I usually use Ivory, though most instructions say to use Fels Naptha - it really doesn't matter. You can also just save up bath soap slivers or use whatever is on sale. Dissolve it in 2 quarts of hot water on the stove - but beware - this pot may taste like soap for a while, I found out the hard way by making pasta shortly thereafter. Yuck. I use an old pot now, just for that. Anyway . . . I think then it's 1 cup of Borax and 1 cup of Washing Soda (not baking soda). Mix them all together and let it set up overnight in a bucket (cat litter buckets are good for this). You get a bucket full of weird looking gelatinous glop.

It works fine on everything I've tried so far, but it does work better if you dissolve it first in warm water then add the clothes. Which I guess is how you're supposed to do the wash anyway.

glatt · 02-23-2010, 01:47 PM

Does it really work out to be cheaper? I don't know what borax goes for these days, or what washing soda goes for. The washing soda sounds like a special order item and sounds fairly expensive. And bars of bath soap aren't free.

Vinegar is a lot cheaper than a bottle of spray cleaner. You can get a gallon of white vinegar for a couple of bucks, and clorox bathroom cleaner will cost maybe 5 bucks for a small bottle. So there's savings there, but some of these things sound like a lot of work for little savings.

piercehawkeye45 · 02-23-2010, 02:20 PM

The article I got a recipe from compared the price to $0.0225 per load with homemade versus $0.20 a load with Tide. So its around ten times as cheap.

Thanks Juniper.

02-22-2010, 08:29 PM	#1
kerosene Touring the facilities Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: The plains of Colorado Posts: 3,476	Home made cleaning supplies Okay, so I have been cleaning houses for a few weeks, now to make a little extra money. I originally got a whole bunch of cleaning supplies, but have since learned that I can make a lot of stuff, myself. Some of it is great, some of it is not as great. Does anyone make their own cleaning supplies? If so, what do you use and do you love it?

02-22-2010, 08:37 PM	#2
squirell nutkin has a second hand user title Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: in a Nut House Posts: 2,017	David Sedaris wrote about his gig as a house cleaner in NYC. He said he used a mixture of Bleach and ammonia, which was very effective as long as you kept repeating to yourself "I want to live, I want to live, I want to live..." (For the humor impaired: This will not really work and will really kill you. It was a joke. And now back to our genuine cleaning tips) I use Borax as an alkalinizer. It is awesome for everything. Baking soda and vinegar. What are you trying to clean? __________________ And now I'm finished posting.

02-22-2010, 10:13 PM	#5
Yznhymr the crowd goes wild! Join Date: May 2007 Location: USA Posts: 663	We go to yard sales, especially the big community ones, and buy up all of the left over cleaning supplies for cheap. 1/2 full bottles of name brand cleaning solutions for 50 cent to a dollar, when a full bottle would cost $3-$8. Not bad. Then we top off like cleaning bottles and wallah! We are not strangers to cleaning homes for extra mullah. It's been noted elsewhere in the Cellar we are pikers. This is just more proof of the same. __________________ "The pride system tends to intensify the self-hate against which it is supposed to be a defense, since any failure to live up to one's tyrannical shoulds or of the world to honor one's claims leads to feelings of worthlessness." Bernard J. Paris, Ph.D.

02-23-2010, 09:22 AM	#6
Pete Zicato Turns out my CRS is a symptom of TMB. Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Chicago suburbs Posts: 2,916	I've had good luck with paint thinner getting soap scum off of bathroom tile. __________________ Talk nerdy to me.

02-23-2010, 11:04 AM	#9
squirell nutkin has a second hand user title Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: in a Nut House Posts: 2,017	Citra solv is the most absolute dopest of all cleaners. __________________ And now I'm finished posting.

02-22-2010, 09:42 PM	#3
Juniper I know, right? Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 1,539	I basically clean everything in my house with vinegar/water in a spray bottle, diluted pine-sol in a spray bottle, and Comet. I also make my own laundry soap, sometimes. It's a huge savings. Goes down to about ten cents a load.

02-23-2010, 11:15 AM	#10
TheMercenary “Hypocrisy: prejudice with a halo” Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Savannah, Georgia Posts: 21,393	I have read that cheap vodka was a really good surface cleaner. I would have to look into it more before I could endorse it.

02-23-2010, 12:17 PM	#11
piercehawkeye45 Franklin Pierce Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,695	Has anyone attempted to make their own laundry detergent? If so, how were the results and any recommendations on clothes not to use it on or is it pretty versatile? I wear a lot of sweaters in the winter so I don't want to ruin 75% of my winter shirts in one wash. __________________ I like my perspectives like I like my baseball caps: one size fits all.

02-23-2010, 12:46 PM	#12
cabbagepulley Crumpler of Paper Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 10	For my wannabe hardwood floor, I use a third each of white vinegar, alcohol, and water...works pretty well. __________________ Misanthropists of the world, UNITE!

02-23-2010, 01:47 PM	#14
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	Does it really work out to be cheaper? I don't know what borax goes for these days, or what washing soda goes for. The washing soda sounds like a special order item and sounds fairly expensive. And bars of bath soap aren't free. Vinegar is a lot cheaper than a bottle of spray cleaner. You can get a gallon of white vinegar for a couple of bucks, and clorox bathroom cleaner will cost maybe 5 bucks for a small bottle. So there's savings there, but some of these things sound like a lot of work for little savings.

02-23-2010, 02:20 PM	#15
piercehawkeye45 Franklin Pierce Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,695	The article I got a recipe from compared the price to $0.0225 per load with homemade versus $0.20 a load with Tide. So its around ten times as cheap. Thanks Juniper. __________________ I like my perspectives like I like my baseball caps: one size fits all.

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