Personal Insurance Blog

This is my follow-up to last month’s blog on homemade cleaners.  As promised, here are a few more formulas and tips.

This is a basic formula I use as a floor cleaner:  simply combine one gallon of warm water and 1 cup of white vinegar.  I made a label with this formula and attached it to my mop handle so I don’t have to hunt for it when it comes time to wash the floors. 

I keep a spray bottle filled with this formula for spot cleaning my floors – 15 oz. water and 1 oz. white vinegar.

I’ve had good luck with this glass cleaner – I even notice that my mirrors stay cleaner longer.  Glass Cleaner:  3 cups water, 2 Tbs rubbing alcohol, ¼ cup vinegar, ½ Tbs Castile soap, 5 drops of essential oil.  If you are using a scented Castile soap, still add essential oil, but try 3 drops and add more if you like.  Some people swear by cleaning windows with newspaper.  Newspaper is very absorbent and can easily be tossed away.  A word of caution when using newspaper to clean your windows – ink can rub off the newspaper onto molding and trim.  It’s easily cleaned but who wants to add another step to the cleaning process! :)

Here are a couple of suggestions for wood cleaning and polishing.  The first formula:  ½ cup of water, ½ cup distilled vinegar, 1/8 tsp of olive or, 1 tsp dish soap, six drops of essential oil.  Or perhaps you would prefer this second formula:  ¼ cup olive oil, 4 Tbsps. distilled vinegar, 2 tsp of lemon juice.  You should keep this formula in the refrigerator, as the lemon juice may sour.

Here’s a basic formula for dishwashing soap:  Combine 2 cups of warm water and 2 cups liquid castile soap, stir gently (don’t create suds) until completely mixed.  You want this to be the same consistency of conventional dishwashing detergent so add more water if necessary.  Add ¼ cup of white vinegar (this will cut grease) and a few drops of essential oil.  Pour into recycled dish detergent bottles or olive oil bottles or even an old wine bottle fitted with a pour spout top.

I mentioned microfiber cloths in Part 1 – I consider them to be an essential part of my cleaning supplies.  Last month I discovered Vibrawipes.  They are by far the best microfiber cloths I have come across.  I ordered mine from Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CFALFXY/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Do you have a favorite homemade cleaning formula?  Please share it and post it here.