Natural and Homeade Cleaning Supplies

I wanted to share two natural cleaning products you can make yourself and are great on a tight budge. I won't go into all of the details in this post, but I am sure most of you know that cleaning supplies on the market have horrible chemicals in them. I strongly urge you to keep them away from your family and home. The worst part is that on cleaning supplies you will not find ingredients. I absolutely think this is wrong and I don't know how they get away with it in the secret trade. I personally like to know what is in the products I use and also know they are completely safe for me and my family. The two that I am going to share today are dishwasher and laundry detergents. These are two critical places to start with natural products in your home. Why? When you use most commercial dishwashing detergents it leaves chemical film on your dishes which you then ingest everytime you use the dishes. Many of the harsh chemicals and toxins that are repeatedly put into your body can lead to toxicity and health problems. In the same way laundry detergent is very important as it leaves scents and chemicals on your clothes that you wear all the time. Actually many babies are affected very badly by some of the chemicals and scents that they are surrounded in with clothes, blankets, etc used in detergents and fabric softners. So, it is really important to use natrual products with babies. You don't have to make them yourself, but since there is the secret trade even in natural products you will not always know the ingredients. They can say they are natural, but are really not. Make sure you are able to find out ingredients before purchasing. It should be pretty obvious as to what chemicals would be harmful. I know there are several new products out on the market right now that are probably really good, but I haven't tried them yet.

Dishwasher Detergent:
1 Tablespoon Borax (find with cleaning supplies at local grocery stores)
1 Tablespoon of Washing soda (find with cleaning supplies at local grocery stores)
Then put distilled white vinegar in the rinse compartment

Powdered Laundry Detergent for pennies a load:
2 cups Fels Naptha Soap (finely grated - you could also try the other bar soap, such as ivory)
1 cup Washing Soda
1 cup Borax

Mix well and store in an airtight plastic container.
Use 1 tablespoon per load for 32 loads.

You can also add a few drops of essential oils for a fresh smell of your choice.

I also have used Charlies Soap for Laundry detergent if you don't like to make it. I bought a huge tub that is pennies a load and will last me for years.

What about cleaning the rest of your house with homeade natural products? In the next post I will have recipies to use in the kitchen and bathroon and all purpose cleaners.

If you know of others that you use and like please pass them along!