Making My own Cleaners

I've been gradually replacing my store bought cleaners with environmentally friendly homemade alternatives and the other day I decided to try some recipes from a great new book I got called "Make your Place" by Raleigh Briggs. It's such a great book packed with cleaning, pain relief and hygiene recipes and best of all it's very reasonable. So I got my cleaners and supplies together and here is what I ended up with.

 I find it very helpful to write the recipe rite on the container, that way you don't have to find your book every time. So from left to right
First I have a dry carpet refresher which can be sprinkled on the carpet then vacuumed up, it's just baking soda with about 10 drops of lavender essential oil in it you can use whatever essential oil you want or none at all. I actually like to sprinkle this on my bed when I change the sheets I let it sit on the mattress until my sheets are ready to go back on the bed then I vacuum it up. It really freshens things up. This one isn't out of the book I don't know where I got it.

Next I made a fabric cleaner out of the book which I won't share the recipe for since it's from a book I purchased.

 Next is a lemon floor cleaner from the book

 Lavender spray cleaner, I can't remember where I picked this one up, which is
      1tsp borax
      2tbsp white vinegar
      2C hot water
      1/4 tsp lavender essential oil
      3 drops of tea tree
   Then you mix it all up in a spray bottle

Salt and vinegar scrub which I got from Meg Allen Cole she has several cleaning recipes in her video.

Then I have a disinfectant spray cleaner, which again I don't remember where I got it but it smells wonderful
       3 drops cinnomon leaf essential oil
       5 drops pine essential oil
       2 drops frankincense essential oil
      10 drops bergamont essential oil
      2 Tbsp castile soap or nature clean all purpose cleaning lotion (any all purpose liquid soap will do)
      30oz warm water
 Mix in a spray bottle.  I actually halved this recipe so it would fit in my spray bottle but if you want to make a bigger batch and refill your spray bottle it's up to you.

The supplies

 I would love to try to make my own soap and have started collecting up the supplies.  I purchased 2 other books along with this one that both show you how to make soap I got The Bust DIY Guide to Life and Making It Radical Home Ec For a Post Consumer World both of which I'm very impressed with. They both have awesome recipes, projects and ideas for living a healthier more sustainable life.

  Besides making cleaners I'm working on a costume for my towns upcoming centennial celebrations which I am hoping to have done soon and be able to post. I've been collecting up materials and patterns and working on getting it sewn up for the last month I'd say. I chose a pattern that was a bit out of my skill level so I had to get some help with it from the other gals who are making costumes but they where quite happy to help and I learned a few things.

I've had all my fabric pulled out lately and my cat decided it was quite a comfy spot to curl up so Hopefully my costume isn't to hairy. At least he's not shredding or wrinkling my patterns the little monster.