When you accidentally spill on your carpet, it’s like you’re watching it in slow motion. And if you’re anything like me, you’re scrambling to fix it! Luckily, I’ve found an easy solution that works every time. It’s all natural, green, and costs less than 30 cents.

My homemade carpet cleaner and this homemade carpet stain remover make the perfect combo! You can easily use both to keep your carpets fresh, clean, and unstained!

All you need to remove a stain is to use the chemical reaction of baking soda and vinegar, and it will lift the stain right up! It’s like magic. It works so well, I was confident enough to stain my own new carpet on purpose to make this video:

And just to make things a little easier, in case you don’t like watching videos, here is how you do it:

Can you believe how easy it is? This carpet is my favorite in our home, and I use it all the time because it’s in my office, which is my favorite room in the house. I wouldn’t risk it unless I KNEW I could get the stain out for sure. This stain remover works for me every single time.

And, let’s admit it, it’s fun to make baking soda and vinegar react and fizzle. That’s just an added bonus.

Well, what do you think? Try this out at home and let me know how it goes for you!

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There’s nothing I love more than a clean, clear, window. Natural light really transforms a space. But dirty, smudgy windows and glass can really make a room look sloppy! Even if you do clean them regularly, it’s hard to find a good smudge-free glass cleaner. Well, I’ve found it, and it’s green, easy, and costs less than $2 to make.

Windex does work really well, but I’m generally wary of any cleaning products that are a color and have a strong scent. Windex scores a D on the EWG’s guide to healthy cleaning– at minimum it causes skin and respiratory irritation, and its ingredients are terrible for aquatic life. It has two of my least favorite things in a cleaner- dye and artificial fragrance. I think we can agree that it’s just not something I feel comfortable using in my home- and with such a good alternative, why would you?

With only three ingredients, this homemade glass cleaner is so easy to make. It works on any type of glass- windows, mirrors, glass doors, etc. It’s super effective and streak free, every time. And it’s not causing you any negative health effects and you know EXACTLY what’s in it. Plus, it’s way cheaper than windex!

If you like this green cleaning recipe for homemade glass cleaner- check out my other recipes for green cleaning month!

I like to explain why I use each ingredient in my cleaning recipes. After all, if you know what’s in your cleaners, you should also know why they are there!

Ingredients:

• Rubbing alcohol: Disinfects and evaporates quickly for that streak free shine
• Vinegar: Great at removing dirt and smudges
• Dish soap: For just a little extra kick to remove dirt and smudges
• Essential oils (optional): for scent (I used lemon in this recipe)

Ready for the recipe?

Want to see just how great it is? My dog loves pressing his nose right on the sliding glass windows to watch passerby and always leaves smudges. I used this glass cleaner and the smudges were gone! At least until he put his nose up on the glass again 10 minutes later…

I just love a good green cleaning recipe that is super effective. You may not believe how great this cleaner is, but the alcohol really does make it streak free every time. I just love it!

I can’t get enough of my shiny clean windows and mirrors!

Let me know how making your own homemade glass cleaner goes for you!

supplies used in this post

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Ah, bathroom cleaning. No one likes to clean toilets- it’s just icky. But unfortunately we have to! So if we are going to clean the toilet, we might as well make it fast and easy. This awesome homemade toilet bowl cleaner is green, natural, effective, and takes so little work to use. It is so easy it doesn’t feel like work at all.

After all, who wants to use bathroom cleaners with icky ingredients that make you feel dizzy? before I switched to making my own cleaners, I used to have to take breaks from cleaning, especially in the bathroom. The scents and fumes from the store-bought cleaners would make me feel dizzy! Well, that doesn’t happen anymore!

So if you love green cleaning, and you want a clean home, this green homemade toilet bowl cleaner is for you! If you’re interested, you should also check out my other green cleaning recipes for green cleaning month in March! While you’re cleaning your toilet, you might as well get those tubs and tiles too! But for now, enjoy this awesome toilet cleaner.

I always like to explain why I use each ingredient and why they work in the recipe:

• Borax: disinfects, counteracts hard water stains, loosens dirt, is an alkaline compound, which works well in combination with the acidity of vinegar
• Vinegar: sanitizes, loosens dirt, is acidic, which works well in combination with the alkalinity of borax
• Essential oils (optional): for scent, and depending on the oil can have other properties as well (I used lemon in this recipe- I just love that lemon fresh smell!)

All right, wondering how to do it? It’s simple enough!

Check out that shiny clean toilet! Just how I like them. Now if only they stayed that clean forever…

Well, since that isn’t going to happen, this is the next best thing. I love how easy this solution is to use, and I love when I know exactly what I’m using to clean with. Green cleaning rocks!

Let me know how your homemade toilet bowl cleaner works for you!

supplies used in this post

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We all have tubs and tiles in our home. And they can be a really challenge to clean- soap scum and hard water marks can be tough to deal with. But tub and tile cleaners that you can buy in the store are sometimes made with ingredients that I just don’t feel great about using. So I needed to find an alternative, and I did! This homemade tub and tile cleaner is easy to make, effective, green, and costs less than one dollar! Oh, and it’s safe for marble. You just can’t beat that.

I’m gonna tell you the truth now… Cleaning my tub is my absolute least favorite chore. I would actually prefer to clean the toilet over the tub! For some reason I just hate it. So naturally I want to spend as little time as possible cleaning it, which means I need an effective cleaner. And trust me, this week, I REALLY needed one- which was perfect timing for green cleaning month!

We took our dog Biscuit to the dog park for the first time this week. Now that it’s becoming spring, all the snow is melting, which means MUD! So Biscuit needed a major bath… clearly:

And after he got that major bath, the tub was full of major mud. We did our best to rinse it all out, but we were a little busy keeping the wet dog from shaking all over everything. So the tub was a mess.

It was the perfect time for me to make a new homemade tub and tile cleaner!

I like to explain why I use each ingredient in my recipes, and the thought process behind them. That way you know why it’s made the way it’s made!

Ingredients:

• Borax: dissolves dirt, kills and prevents mold and milder
• Vinegar: sanitizes and gets rid of dirt, balances the alkaline pH of the borax
• Rubbing alcohol: sanitizes and provides a streak-free shiny clean
• Essential oils: for scent, and depending on the oil can have other properties (I used orange in this recipe!)

All right, let’s get to the recipe!

I designed this recipe to be pH neutral, with a pH of 7. I tested it using pH test strips. Since you are using your own ingredients, I still recommend using pH strips if you are using this cleaner on a natural stone.

My tub is happy now, and so am I! If only I never had to clean it again… but if I do, I have the right tools in my arsenal!

Let me know how making your own tub and tile cleaner goes for you!

supplies used in this post

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If you’ve read any of my posts about green cleaning and making your own cleaning products, you’ll know that I use baking soda or vinegar in pretty much every recipe or cleaning project. If you have vinegar, baking soda, and some rags or sponges, you can clean your entire house. They’re both such powerhouse ingredients.

Well the problem is, you might not like the smell of vinegar. If you don’t like the smell of vinegar, but want to use green, healthy, and inexpensive cleaning products, this is the answer for you!

Enter citrus infused vinegar. If you don’t like the smell of oranges or lemons, well, that seems pretty unusual to me. They’re two of the best smelling fruits and two things that we associate with freshness. Lemon fresh scent? Yep. Learn how to make your vinegar smell better AND increase its cleaning power.

Ok, it really is as easy as it sounds. Oranges seem to be a popular option to use because you get to eat them and keep the peel. Lemons you’ll have to scoop the center out and find a way to use them. I like putting lemon in my bubbly water, or you can use the fresh lemon juice for an awesome homemade hardwood floor cleaner. I suppose you could use limes as well. Or grapefruits. Anything that smells amazing and has a good rind or peel that you can separate from the fruit will work here.

The key to making this awesome smelling vinegar is getting the right supplies:

• Peels of citrus fruits
• White distilled vinegar
• An air tight jar (I like to use mason jars, or you can reuse old sauce jars, or anything else with an airtight lid)

And making it is easy peasy:

• Separate your citrus peel from the fruit flesh
• Fill a jar with citrus peels
• Pour vinegar over peels until it reaches top of jar
• Close tightly
• Let infuse for approximately 2 weeks
• Then use it!

This stuff is so great! It certainly isn’t perfect, and you can still smell a hint of vinegar in there, but it’s mostly orange-ey smelling.

Vinegar is so great for cleaning and I use it all the time. Citrus fruits are naturally anti-bacterial and anti-microbial, so they will make your vinegar an even more effective cleaner. If you add a few drops of essential oils in there in addition, you’ve got a super powerful cleaner on your hands.

I cannot wait to integrate my newly citrus infused vinegar into all kinds of cleaners. I’m actually planning on posting an updated hardwood floor cleaner with the citrus infusion, so keep your eyes open for that!

Are you as excited to try your citrus infused vinegar in green cleaning recipes as I am? Here are some other great cleaners to try:

The post How Do I Make My Vinegar Smell Good? Homemade Citrus Infused Vinegar for Cleaning appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

Spring Cleaning time is here! Lars and I already have started getting a jump on things by cleaning out our dressers and closets. I love the organizing part of spring cleaning. The cleaning part… not quite as much. But with this fabulous toolkit all assembled it will make things much easier on you.

We all know how great it is to have a clean house, but it’s not so great when you clean your house with products that are unhealthy for you, your family, and the environment. Full of synthetic chemicals, many commercial cleaners cause a lot more harm than good. Green cleaning products are healthy, effective, and they save you money! There’s not really a downside there.

For this toolkit, you’ll need to make a few green cleaners, using some basic supplies. The key to green cleaning is to use simple ingredients that aren’t harmful, and use reusable supplies that don’t create excess trash.

The ingredients that you should have on hand to make this toolkit are:

• Baking soda
• Vinegar
• Olive oil
• Liquid castile soap
• Essential oils (I like lemon for cleaning products)
• Borax
• Witch hazel extract
• Empty Spray bottles

So… let’s get started!

1. Green All Purpose Cleaner

This stuff is a total powerhouse. I use it pretty much everywhere in our apartment. All purpose is not kidding! Countertops, bathroom tiles, tile floors, random surfaces, walls, the fridge… it does it all. This is the basis of your green cleaning supplies and you will want to use it in pretty much every room.

To make it you need:

• Baking soda
• Borax
• Castile soap
• Water
• Essential oils

Head over to read how to make this great All Purpose Cleaner. It even has a free printable label for you!

2. Homemade Dusting Spray

My Homemade Dusting Spray has been by far one of the most popular posts on my site. And with good reason, it’s an amazing product! So simple and easy to use.

Dusting is an important part of spring cleaning. It’s a good time to dust all the places you sometimes neglect (hello- baseboards!) but if you just use a duster, the dust resettles quickly. To get the most bang for your effort, use this dusting spray which will help prevent dust buildup in the future.

To make it, all you need is:

• Vinegar
• Olive oil
• Water
• Essential oils

3. Homemade Febreeze/ Household Odor Remover

Sometimes cleaning the spots that we usually miss can stir up some… odors. Unpleasant odors. The easiest solution is to spray a bunch of febreeze. But febreeze has tons of icky synthetic chemicals. This Homemade Febreeze is just as effective and less expensive.

The ingredients you’ll need are:

• Water
• Witch hazel
• Baking Soda
• Essential Oils (I like cinnamon for this one)

And you might find that you spray it even when there aren’t any odors to mask… because it’s just that lovely.

4. Green Glass Cleaner

I know that I always neglect cleaning my windows. They’re so easy to forget. But it’s spring cleaning time now and time to clean everything, including windows. Also mirrors. I do clean our mirrors fairly regularly, but not nearly as often as I should.

Windex is great at cleaning and everything, but not so great at being healthy and harmless. And this Green Glass Cleaner is just as effective, if not even a little more.

What you’ll need:

• Water
• Vinegar
• Essential oils

5. Baking Soda and Vinegar

Baking soda and vinegar are my go-to green cleaning products. Both great cleaners on their own, but the reaction they make together is also effective at lifting dirt and other ickyness out of household surfaces.

Need to clean some stains? Sprinkle a little baking soda and spray some vinegar on it. Need to wash your tub? Same thing. How about the kitchen sink? Or the toilet? Or your drains?

I think you get my point.

I like to keep my baking soda in a mason jar with a sprinkle top, so I can just sprinkle some wherever necessary. The vinegar is in a spray bottle.

6. Other Supplies

Of course, cleaning products aren’t the whole picture- you still need other things to have truly green spring cleaning!

Things you will want:

• Microfiber cloths: Awesome for cleaning and scrubbing of all kinds
• Reuseable duster: (You can make your own!) Instead of tossing used dusters… just wash it! Saves lots of waste
• Sponges: An awesome go to cleaning tool
• Scrub brush: Packs an extra cleaning punch

Besides the products I included in the toolkit, Lars and I wouldn’t get by without our amazing mop and vacuum! We use homemade hardwood floor cleaner in our mop, so check out that recipe too!

Not a huge fan of making your own cleaning products? That’s okay too. Here are some alternatives that are not as harmful, unnatural, or toxic as many name brands:

• Honest Multi Surface Cleaner
• Honest Glass Cleaner
• Meyer’s Clean Day All Purpose Cleaner

I hope you find this green spring cleaning toolkit helpful! Let me know how it works out for you!

The post Green Spring Cleaning Toolkit appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

If you like this post, you should also check out Homemade Febreeze and Homemade Green Window Cleaner.

Wouldn’t it be great if everyone had the time and energy to dust all the surfaces in their home on a daily basis? It would be pretty awesome. But, unfortunately, it’s not gonna happen. So the next best thing you can do is use a spray that will help prevent dust.

Everyone loves pledge right? There’s no doubt it works. Problem is- the ingredient list is kind of scary: Isoparaffin, Dimethicone, Octylphosphonic Acid, Nitrogen, Polysorbate 80, Sorbitan Oleate, Polydimethylsiloxane, Aminomethyl Propanol, Fragrance from SC Johnson Fragrance Palette, Proprietary Thickening Agent, Methylisothiazolinone. Are these really necessary ingredients for cleaning? I don’t think so. These ingredients range from mild skin irritants to possible carcinogens. Definitely something you want to avoid.

Well, what if I told you you could make this at home, and it is just as effective, has no harmful ingredients, and less expensive?  Pretty much a win-win situation. One batch only costs 42 cents to make.

All the ingredients serve a purpose, and are non-toxic:

• Vinegar: Great all purpose cleaner
• Olive Oil: Helps prevent dust for settling
• Lemongrass Essential Oil*: Anti-bacterial, repels insects, smells awesome

*Other great oil options include: lemon, lavender, peppermint, cinnamon, tea tree, and orange, among others. Anything that is anti-bacterial with a nice scent will work.

The recipe is ridiculously simple.

This stuff works like a charm. You will still have to dust on a regular basis, but this dusting spray will make it less often.

There’s something about the smell of lemongrass that I just love. I chose it because it is anti-bacterial, repels insects, and I wanted a change from using my standard cleaning oil of plain lemon.  I really can’t get enough of the scent.

With the vinegar- it’s really more than just a dusting spray. It also makes a decent all-purpose cleaner if you are in a pinch. (And if you aren’t, check out my Natural All Purpose Cleaner with Free Printable Label).

With the olive oil and lemongrass essential oil, it has a pretty yellowish color in the bottle. Don’t worry- it sprays clear onto surfaces and won’t stain. The olive oil is also great for wood because it helps it maintain moisture and keep its stain.

It’s easy to dust with a microfiber duster or cloth. I opt for a cloth because it’s multi-purpose. It’s also important to shake the bottle before use. It’s a step that can’t be ignored. You gotta make sure the oil and water mix up. You can also use it with a homemade reusable microfiber duster– you really can’t go wrong with it.

Try making your own dusting spray and let me know how it goes!

Don’t forget to check out how to make a reusable washable duster without sewing!

Supplies Used In This Post

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There’s lots of good reasons to make your own laundry detergent. It’s less expensive, it has less irritants for the skin, it’s better for the environment, it has more natural ingredients, you name it.

When I started looking at homemade laundry detergent recipes, I noticed that they pretty much all use Fels Naptha laundry soap. Well, I went to read the ingredients in it and I wasn’t a huge fan. It contains titanium dioxide, which is harmful to the environment, and also has artificial colors and fragrances, two of my big no-nos.

Not only do I want to avoid artificial colors and fragrances for the reasons listed in my 13 ingredients to avoid, but for laundry-related reasons I have very sensitive skin and wouldn’t want to get irritation or a rash from the artificial fragrance. So I looked into recipes that had no Fels Naptha in it. I found this recipe from Measuring Flower that had no Borax or Fels Naptha. It mentions that it sometimes clumps, so I thought it was the perfect candidate to make into a tab!

And it only costs $3.23 to make 28 tabs. You can adjust the size to make them larger or smaller. I made mine on the larger side. So they’re definitely a good value.

I like to explain why I use each of my ingredients. Do you ever look at a label and wonder, what the heck is that and why do they need it in there? Well you won’t need that with my products.

• Baking Soda: Removes odor from clothes, removes a variety of stains
• Washing Soda: Alkaline compound that complements baking soda to remove stains. Also reduces the effects of hard water. (You can make it yourself from baking soda- see the tutorial here!)
• Castile Soap Bar: Removes dirt and stains from clothes. Made from vegetable fats and will not damage your washing machine or septic system
• Salt: Helps soften hard water and reduces mineral build up, and also helps clean dirt off clothes
• White Vinegar: Fabric softner and binds the tabs together
• Essential Oils: For scent, depending on the oils you choose may also have other beneficial properties like anti-bacterial or anti-fungal

I decided to grate my soap bar because I wanted to use my food processor to make the crust for my gluten free strawberry pie on the same day and I was feeling lazy and didn’t want to wash it. Well, let me tell you, it would have been a lot less work to wash the food processor than it was to grate the entire bar of soap. My arms got a little work out! So I recommend using the food processor unless you really like grating.

Here you can see what the tabs looked like before they were mixed and then after the vinegar was added. You can see it starting to clump up as the vinegar was added.

Be careful when you mix this, as washing soda can be an irritant if you breathe it in. I made the mistake of leaning over the bowl as I was mixing it and it was a little unpleasant.

Unfortunately, the heart-shaped tabs didn’t turn out. I think the silicon mold just wasn’t hard enough and I wasn’t able to press the tabs well enough so they didn’t take shape.

I filled the ice cube tray tabs about half way full, and the tabs were still pretty big. So you could do even less than that. Just make sure to really compact them down, or you will end up with powder instead of tabs!

I think my first attempt at making my own laundry detergent was successful. And I’m a fan of anything that saves time and doesn’t require me to measure out amounts. Just grab a tab and that’s it. Fast and easy. Oh, and the vinegar is a natural fabric softener, and it’s built into this recipe. Pretty awesome.

I am so excited to be rid of the chemicals in my laundry. You wear clothes and uses linens every day. And now I can rest assured knowing exactly what ingredients mine were cleaned in. That’s my favorite part of making my own cleaning products.

The tabs did a good job cleaning and didn’t leave any residue or odor. Exactly what I was looking for. And all natural and inexpensive to boot! Successful new creation.

Try making your own laundry detergent tabs and let me know how it goes for you!

supplies used in this post

Like this tutorial? You should check out my homemade dishwasher detergent tabs!

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