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Cleaning… trying those homemade mixtures … Most of these cleaning ideas I saw somewhere on Pinterest. And, for most of them, I’ve seen several variations. As an official disclaimer, you should use these at your own risk.
These are not my creations and I don’t take credit or responsibility for them. But, I can tell you if they worked for me or not. You know, I’ll still be scrubbing, but, maybe with fewer yucky toxic chemicals.
And be sure to check out my Tips for Updating your Home for some great info that you can use in your house.
We appreciate your support
Hydrogen Peroxide and Dawn
I’ll start with my favorite. Hydrogen Peroxide and Dawn.
This one I’ve been using for many years (before Pinterest ever came around). Use about equal parts; I don’t really measure it; I pour approximately the same amount of each Hydrogen Peroxide and Dawn Dishwashing Liquid into a small glass dish. Mix them together, and you have a powerful cleaner. Take the mixture and rub it into the spot with a clean cloth.
I started using it because someone spilled red wine on my white couch at a party and didn’t bother to tell me about it. There was a spot a day or so later. I did some research and decided I couldn’t ruin the couch any more than it already was, so I tried the HP & Dawn. To my surprise, it worked like a charm!
It works on the stains in the carpet (even ones that have been there forever, though you might have to do more than one application on really old stains).
Try it on on ring around the collar (test it in an inconspicuous area of the garment first).
It works on upholstered furniture. It works on everything that I’ve ever tried it on. I love this one! Oh, and if you mix it up and leave it for a little while, it’ll turn clear and bubbly. That’s normal.
Laundry Detergent
Laundry Detergent:
3 bars of Ivory, Fels-Naptha, or Kirk’s soap
12 ounces {affiliate} Borax
4 pounds Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
3 pounds & 7 ounces Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
2 containers of Oxi Clean
Grate the soap using a food processor or a hand-held grater, just like cheese. Then mix all ingredients together. Store in a large jar or box. Use 1-2 Tablespoons of laundry detergent per load. It’s safe for HE washers, it’s safe for sensitive skin, and is almost unscented. It leaves my clothes really soft and clean, and I’ve been very happy with it. I love this one too!
super clean laundry
But my favorite hack for the laundry is this one:
Do your towels smell a little, er, funky? {affiliate links} Vinegar can help that!
Wash your towels in hot water with a cup of vinegar or lemon vinegar, then run the towels in a load again in hot water with a half-cup of baking soda. Doing this will strip that residue & mildew smell out of the towels, and will leave them feeling fluffy & smelling fresh. This really works! I love it & do it all the time!
Citric Acid to clean the dishwasher
Dishwasher Cleaner: I have hard water, so I get lime deposits all the time. Using lemonade (Kool-Aid Lemonade Unsweetened or Country Time) really works to get rid of those deposits. Pour a packet of lemonade mix or a tablespoon from a large container of mix into the detergent cup and run the (empty) dishwasher. The citric acid in the mix wipes out stains. Works really well!
Homemade Dishwasher Detergent
Dishwasher Detergent:
One box of Borax
One box of Washing Soda
3 cups of Kosher Salt
1 cup Kool-Aid Lemonade Unsweetened
Mix all the ingredients together well, and store in a large container or even an empty oatmeal canister. Use 1 tablespoon mix per load. I use this fairly regularly now. But, I’m not always happy with it. It seems to leave a white film on some of my plastic items. I like that it has the lemonade in it already to clean out some of the lime deposits.
Coca-Cola as a cleaner
Coca-Cola as a cleaner: Coke also has a lot of citric acid in it, and it cleans hard water stains in the bathtub, sink, and toilet. Just pour it in, let it sit, and wipe away the stain, and rinse. It also helps to unclog hair and debris in your pipes as it goes down. Now, in theory, I understand how this works, but I didn’t really see too much of a difference when I used it.
What are your favorite cleaners?
And, the follow-up… Lemon-Vinegar Cleaner with a bunch of ways to use it around the house! Click on the photo below to get the instructions for this great cleaner!
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Lisa @ Two Bears Farm
These are great tips. I need to get going to spring cleaning, but I’m not very motivated.
Nancy
You are like the Mythbusters of house cleaners. Love that you tried all of these different recipes and gave us your thoughts. Like the idea of Dawn plus hydrogen peroxide maybe as a laundry pre-treater on bad stains.
Thanks for sharing at Rural Thursdays. Great post.
Kathy
Fantastic tips! I am going to try the hydrogen peroxide and Dawn dish detergent! I have made homemade laundry soap – will add the Oxyclean to the recipe! Thank you so much for sharing with Home and Garden Thursday,
Kathy
Sherri B.
Thanks so much for these hints, I’m excited about trying the first one…always on the lookout for a good spot remover!
cathy
hi … please what is Oxyclean?
Debi
Hello. The OxiClean I use is a powder. Basically, it’s a Stain Remover that’s activated when added to water. Oxygen is released and targets the stain, rather than the fabric, removing stains on water-washable clothing, carpet, and hard surfaces both inside and outside the home. The oxygen makes it bubble when you add it to water. The two main ingredients are sodium percarbonate and sodium carbonate. I use it all around the house, on the kitchen counters, dishes, laundry. Here’s their website… https://www.oxiclean.com/ It’s sold on Amazon… https://amzn.to/43vBiPs I buy it in my grocery store. It might be an American product. I’ve seen other products like it at the store. I like it.
lulu
I’m always interested in tips for products you can make yourself. Adding KoolAid to a detergent is a totally new idea. Amazing what folks come up with but if it works, hey…….
Chris
do you have to rinse the peroxide dawn combo off of the upholstery? How do you actually apply it? We bought a used car and stains are emerging on the seats even where no one sits. They are embarrassing!
Debi
I mix the HP & Dawn in a small bowl, even a tupperware works. Then I apply a small amount by dipping a rag towel in the solution and wiping/rubbing it into the stain. No need to wash it off. When I apply it to the carpet I just vacuum over it after it dries. And, when I apply it to the couch, just use small amounts at first, trying to blend in the edges because it becomes clear that sometimes the whole couch needs a little cleaning! 😉
Eq4bits
An easy brass and copper cleaner/tarnish remover is Grape Kool-Aid. Mix and pour in a container large enough to put the item in (if needed you can always readjust the item for full coverage); allow to soak a while, then rinse and wipe. I cleaned up some antique and vintage fire hose nozzles with this method after several hours of attempting using conventional methods (store bought brass/copper cleaners, metal brushes with my Dremel – went through those in no time flat!) I also have brass and copper ‘wall platters’ from the Middle East with intricate filligree/open work and patterns on them and the regular store cleaners gunked the ‘details’ up horribly, but using the grape kool-aid this didn’t happen PLUS it got rid of the old gunk without having to resort to using picks/dental tools.
Elizabeth De Rue
Citric acid is the best for removing hard water stains especially in the dishwasher. A safe product as you will find it in lots of food items.We buy it from Amazon.com very cheap. We use it in every load of dishes, it removes the cloudy deposits on glassware and inside of the dishwasher, Another us is for cleaning the washer ( 1/4 cup to a hot water load) Check it out with google.
Amy
For the dishwasher detergent, you didn’t show any pictures of the Washing Soda. It looks like you’ve used a box of Arm & Hammer laundry detergent, which is completely different. Have you tried it again with the right product? To see if it works without leaving a white residue?
Anita Tschischik Seaman
love all that you post! Thank you! My husband accidentally got blood on his shirt and I was told Hydrogen Peroxide also gets blood stains out. We tried it and it worked!! We just put a little HP on a paper towel and dabbed it and it was gone!
ELAINE CALLAWAY BROOKS
I can NOT find the Arm & Hammer SUPER WASHING SODA !! Where should I look for it? Thanks!
Debi
I found it at my grocery store. Target may also carry it; I’ve found a good selection of cleaning products at Target. I also see it on Amazon… https://amzn.to/4j4cXEK (we do the Amazon Prime and I love it! No shipping costs!)
I also see on Amazon that they carry “kits” here’s one with Fels Naptha, Borax & Washing Soda… https://amzn.to/4lc9fLw
and one with Borax and Arm & Hammer … https://amzn.to/4j6APaP
The Arm & Hammer Washing soda may also be at CVS. Hope that helps!
Debi
Sorry the picture isn’t clear enough. That actually says Washing soda on it. I don’t have the box any longer to take another picture of it. I gave up on that mixture. For my dishwasher now I use 1/3 cup of vinegar in every cycle along with 1/4 teaspoon Dawn, and about a tablespoon of Lemishine. I rarely use anything else in the dishwasher any more. This mixture make my dishes clean, free of spots, and free of lime deposits. The dishwasher repair guy is the one who suggested the Lemishine, and it works well! Here’s what it looks like.. https://amzn.to/41RG5tu
Kathe
Does the HP & Dawn bleach out the fabric/ carpet? Has anyone tried it on darker material? I have been using equal parts water, white vinegar and rubbing alcohol with a drop or two of Dawn as my laminate floor cleaner. Works wonders!!
Debi
Oh, I like the floor cleaner idea!
I’ve used the HP & Dawn on all kinds of materials, furniture, carpet, clothes & I’ve never had it bleach out the fabric color. That being said, I’d probably test it on a small area that isn’t seen as much first if you’re worried. Like, maybe inside a shirt or on the back of a couch cushion. My carpet is grey and the only spot the mixture ever makes is a clean spot. So, if you don’t blend in the edges you can clearly see that area is clean and the rest of the carpet needs to be cleaned! LOL! Or, if you’re doing carpets, maybe spot clean with the mixture and then use a rug doctor. I use the mixture on sweat stains on shirts, pet accidents on the carpet, mysterious spots on the carpet, areas on the couch.
Shirley
Love your comments about HP and Dawn. Been using HP as a bleaching agent in all my laundry. I also found that if you take baking soda and HP and make a paste it will clean the bottom of your pots and pans to like new. I also use the Baking soda and White vinegar to keep my drains clean but be careful when using this mixture as it will bubble as the vinegar hits the baking soda. it does a great job especially in the bathroom sink and tub. We have started using it also in our floor drain in the garage and seems to keep the lines open we usually do this about once every 2 months.
Cecilia
I have a silky top but it not silk, and has chiffon see through sleeves, has a bad im guessing gressed stain on back of jacket, u think hydrogon peroxide and dish soap would work. plz help