doing the math

keeper of the home has a post over here on price comparisons for making your own household cleaning products v. store bought. good to note!

borax

borax is great for:

tile/grout
sinks
pots & pans (aluminum and porcelain)
cleaning refrigerators
cleaning ovens
cleaning microwaves
stainless steel
fine china
garbage/diaper pails
mattress odors
outdoor furniture (plastic and metal)
crafts

*safe for all machines and high efficient compatible

diy non-toxic cleaners

before we moved in, i intentionally chose to make my own cleaning products rather then buy all the store-bought versions. i wanted not only to save money (which i am certain is significant, although i don't have the actual numbers) but also clean with elements that will NOT harm my family or the environment. i came across a spray bottle at target that had a list of house cleaning product recipes printed on the side. i came over by myself and cleaned for 2 days before our stuff arrived. it felt so good to wipe every surface! here are the recipes i used:

general cleaner: add 2 tbls. baking soda to 16 oz. warm water

window cleaner: add 1 tsp. distilled white vinegar to 16 oz. warm water

disinfecting cleaner: add 10-20 drops of tea tree oil to 16 oz. warm water

floor cleaner: to 16 oz. warm water add:

1/2 tsp. liquid soap (i used 7th generation dish soap)
1/2 tsp. borax
squeeze of lemon or splash of vinegar. spray floor with solution and mop as usual.

it seems that you can do a million things with borax, white vinegar and baking soda!! this might be my favorite past time: collecting useful house-hold recipes!