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Make your own cleaning products

This is an area where I tend to have conflicting drivers. Mainly of the 'I will live eco and cheaply' Vs 'I'm so tired why did I not just buy dishwasher tablets?'

To be honest making stuff doesn't take too much effort and especially when I think well I could just be properly eco and wash it by hand. But 4 people, especially the smaller ones do create an awful lot of washing up so the dishwasher is a concession in itself to survival at the moment.

So I thought I would share with you my homemade cleaning products. (NB. This isn't a recipe I created, these are recipes I pilfered from elsewhere on the web)

Dishwasher tablets

2 parts washing soda
2 parts Borax/Borax substitute
1 part citric acid
1 part salt
Essential oils (optional)

Mix together and pack into an ice cube tray. Leave for a few hours to solidify then they will come out as solid tablets.
These also produce an endothermic reaction (takes heat from the surroundings) which is quite exciting in a geeky way.

Washing powder

2 parts washing soda
2 parts Borax/Borax substitute
1 part soap flakes
(1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda for whites)

Clothes don't really need fabric conditioner but using white vinegar helps to soften them. (Don't worry it doesn't make your clothes smell of vinegar!)

General purpose cleaner

Mix half white vinegar solution with half water in a repurposed spray bottle.

Delimescaler
Make a citric acid spray and leave on for a few minutes before washing off thoroughly. (I don't have a tried and tested measurement other than 'some'. Roughly about 2 tablespoons with water to fill up a repurposed spray bottle.

Putting a tablespoon of citric acid in the toilet and leaving it overnight makes cleaning it with the brush the next morning really easy too.

NB. There are several places to buy the raw ingredients, I buy them from http://www.summernaturals.co.uk/

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