Making your own cleaning products?

Nik · 09-20-2008, 08:30 PM

Anyone have experience with making your own washing, cleaning, etc products? E.g., toothpaste, soap, shampoo, something for clothes, etc...

Please, do share!

Trishsgate · 09-20-2008, 10:01 PM

http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/...ave-big-money/

http://www.colormekevin.com/soap/howtomakesoap.htm

http://chemistry.about.com/cs/howtos/ht/toothpaste.htm

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organ...ecleaning.aspx excerpt below
Believe it or not, you can handle all your day-to-day cleaning with just seven easily available, inexpensive, environmentally benign substances. Baking soda, washing soda, soap flakes, oil soap, vinegar, borax and ammonia will take care of just about any mess

Just google what you want to learn and some pages will come up. From there you can decide what is best for you.
Hope this helps and gets you started on your way.
Love and Peace

Phtha · 09-20-2008, 10:08 PM

Great thread.
I have quit using anything that has a harmful chemical in it
Unfortunately that means I have quit using pretty much everything that is on
the grocery store shelves.

Anyone have experience with or information on Borax? I've heard it was an all natural cleaner. I just bought a box of it and there were no ebil chemical smells. Seemed alright to me....

09-20-2008, 10:21 PM

Borax is a poison. Do not touch it, or inhale it.

Peace

Trishsgate · 09-20-2008, 10:24 PM

Yes, borax is another good one.
I have this list that I found on the net and I use.
Vinegar— naturally cleans like an all-purpose cleaner. It is a great natural cleaning product as well as a disinfectant and deodorizer. Always test on an areas. Improperly diluted vinegar is acidic and can eat away at tile grout. Never use on marble surfaces. The smell disappears when it dries. Helps break down detergent in laundry. Use it to clean coffeepots, glass, paintbrushes, grout, windows and fireplaces.
WhiteVinegar - cuts grease, removes mildew, odors, some stains and wax build-up.
Lemon Juice – Another natural substance used to clean your home. Can go bad after 2 weeks.
Baking Soda – Cleaning agent even after used up as fridge deodorizer. Cleans, deodorizes, softens water, scours. I also use it as a health aid but people with health problems may need to check into this.
Soap – unscented natural soap in liquid form, flakes, powders or bars is biodegradable and will clean just about anything.
Borax - cleans, deodorizes, disinfects, softens, cleans wallpaper, painted walls and floors.
Washing Soda is sodium carbonate decahydrate, a mineral. Washing soda cuts grease, removes stains, cleans wall, tiles, sinks and tubs. Caution as washing soda can irritate mucous membranes. Do not use on aluminum.
Ethanol or 100 proof Alcohol & water - is an excellent disinfectant.
Cornstarch - can be used to clean windows, polish furniture, shampoo carpets and rugs.
Citrus Solvent - cleans paint brushes, oil and grease, some stains.
Murphy’s Oil Soap, Bar Keeper’s Friend & Bon Ami are other supplies.

Have some more but have to find them first.

09-20-2008, 10:26 PM

Throw your shampoo and expensive body washes away.
Take the no shampoo challenge!

I did it and have not looked back for a year and a half now.
My wife hasn't put me out and my job hasn't fired me (yet)
http://www.smh.com.au/news/richard-g...153246888.html

Bigfatfurrytexan · 09-20-2008, 10:29 PM

Vinegar. That is the best thing that you can use to clean if you can tolerate the odor.

a 50-50 mix of vinegar and water will clean just about everything (try it on your LCD monitor while turned off...especially if you are a smoker. it will disolve the tar on your screen and make it spiffy).

Baking soda is what i use to deodorize.

But there are some things i won't live without. For instance, Dawn soap. That is the best soap known to man. Put a little in your wash to help disolve oils. I have seen people use it to disolve the oils in the bilge pump housing on their boats. Works like magic.

Trishsgate · 09-20-2008, 10:30 PM

Sorry for not including this with the above on borax, etc.
As with any material such as lye, borax, amonia, etc. safety gear should be used in handling these products. I use rubber gloves, safety masks and goggles using, mixing, and making these products.

Toxicity
Borax, sodium tetraborate decahydrate, is not acutely toxic. [6] Its LD50 (median lethal dose) score is tested at 2.66 g/kg in rats. [7] This does not mean that it is safe, merely that a significant dose of the chemical is needed to cause severe symptoms or death. Simple exposure can cause respiratory and skin irritation. Ingestion may cause gastrointestinal distress including nausea, persistent vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Effects on the vascular system and brain include headaches and lethargy, but are less frequent. "In severe poisonings, a beefy red skin rash affecting palms, soles, buttocks and scrotum has been described. With severe poisoning, erythematous and exfoliative rash, unconsciousness, respiratory depression, and renal failure." [8]

A reassessment of boric acid/borax by the United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Pesticide Programs found potential developmental toxicity (especially effects on the testes).[9] Boric acid solutions used as an eye wash or on abraded skin are known to be especially toxic to infants, especially after repeated use because of its slow elimination rate.[10]

Nik · 09-20-2008, 10:39 PM

Great replies so far! Thanks all!

I have used lemons to wash body and hair in the past - and enjoyed it! My flat mate thought I was going nuts (more than usual

).

How about something to brush your teeth with?

09-20-2008, 10:40 PM

We have been making our own laundry detergent for a
year now.

Borax:Washing Soda:salt:cheap bar soap (fels naptha)
1:1:1/2:1/2 bar ...that is WASHING soda not baking soda Sodium Carbonate as opposed to sodium bicarbonate. It is caustic to the skin. That is why your oma wore rubber gloves back in the day.

delete the bar soap and you have dish washing detergent.
It does not work as well as cascade....

We made our own tooth paste for a while. Baking soda
glycerin, salt, flavoring (peppermint oil). It didn't last we
are back to cheap walmart toothpaste. We figure our brains are already fried from the fluoride...

Throw your deodorant away. A sponge bath works.

Nik · 09-20-2008, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baggywrinkle

Throw your deodorant away. A sponge bath works.

I never use deo.

09-20-2008, 11:18 PM

Great Posts!

One thing no one has mentioned yet is h2o2, hydrogen peroxide. I was amazed when I started using it. Its not the cheapest, but its an excellent disinfectant.

I remember I used to use bleach to clean the toilet because I was taught in school, and by my parents that it was the best way to disinfect. When I switched to h202 I was amazed at how my toilet bubbled... and the toilet brush bubbled too.

I spray my kitchen sink and counters with diluted 35% food grade h202. And clean the toilet with it... and I will never go back.

Trishsgate · 09-20-2008, 11:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OceanWinds

Great Posts!

One thing no one has mentioned yet is h2o2, hydrogen peroxide. I was amazed when I started using it. Its not the cheapest, but its an excellent disinfectant.

I remember I used to use bleach to clean the toilet because I was taught in school, and by my parents that it was the best way to disinfect. When I switched to h202 I was amazed at how my toilet bubbled... and the toilet brush bubbled too.

I spray my kitchen sink and counters with diluted 35% food grade h202. And clean the toilet with it... and I will never go back.

Yes I use this as well it is great, good for blood stains as well. Thanks for the add-on.

Bigfatfurrytexan · 09-20-2008, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nik

Great replies so far! Thanks all!

I have used lemons to wash body and hair in the past - and enjoyed it! My flat mate thought I was going nuts (more than usual

).

How about something to brush your teeth with?

baking soda and water (something without flouride) mixed to a paste consistency.

09-20-2008, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trishsgate

Yes I use this as well it is great, good for blood stains as well. Thanks for the add-on.

YES! I figured that one out on my own... got some blood on my fav shorts, and tried everything. Then I used h202 and the blood turned white... after that I used some soap and the blood came right out, no trace of it left. Amazing stuff h202.

09-20-2008, 11:45 PM

I use oil of oregano or peppermint oil to brush my teeth with.

chelmostef · 09-21-2008, 10:54 AM

Soap plants:

Soapwort:
Best of the soap plants, prized for cleaning delicate fabrics. Crush it in warm or boil for liquid soap.

Horse chestnut:
not as good as soapwort but more common, mildly antiseptic. Crush the leaves in warm water.

Chickweed:
Like horse chestnut, contains saponin and can be used as soap but is inferior to the other two.

A hazel twig crushed untill it frays for brush and wood ash for tooth paste. I have to admit I have not tried this, but is recommended in a survival guide.

09-21-2008, 11:06 AM

I know this is about making cleaning products but Lush is a good place to buy natural shampoos and soaps. I suppose if you take a note of the ingredients they use then you can use that as guide to try make your own. Also, there has been a new environmentally friendly range of domestic cleaning products which I buy from my local Oxfam shop. Again, take a note of the ingredients and see if you can make something similar

09-21-2008, 03:03 PM

anyone know what to use in a steam cleaner.... I am going to steam clean my car today and want it clean... but not chemically

Norval · 09-21-2008, 04:25 PM

Try the vinegar, , ,

angelite · 09-21-2008, 04:47 PM

Mix baking soda and salt and put in a jar with a lid sprinkle on wet toothbrush and use to bush your teeth.
This will clean and whiten your teeth better than any toothpaste.

Nenuphar · 09-21-2008, 04:48 PM

I also recommend investing in a bottle of tea tree oil. This does double duty as a great ingredient in natural cleaning products AND is important to have in your medicine cabinet. It has a nice, clean smell and is a powerful anti-bacterial. I put a few drops in with my laundry and also use it when making scouring powder.

Simple scouring powder:
1 box baking powder
3 or 4 Tbsp borax
6-8 drops tea tree oil

...can be used on counter tops, in the bathtub/sink, toilet bowl, etc... I never use commercial scouring powder any more.

Nenuphar

MargueriteBee · 09-22-2008, 01:18 AM

https://www.ezoetic.com/p-665-maggies-soap-nuts.aspx

I use soap nuts for everything. You can make dish soap, etc. from them.

Peace of Mine · 09-28-2008, 12:43 AM

I have looked EVERYWHERE for the washing soda. Anybody got a good lead on where to buy it?

Plain old baking soda is excellent as a toothpaste, and as a scouring agent. I use a container with holes in the lid, and shake on what I need for countertops, bathroom, wherever.

Do the soap nuts really work well for laundry???

Anchor · 09-28-2008, 07:44 AM

Second the tea tree oil suggestion - you can add some of it to your toothpast formula too for a funky brushing experience.

Eucalyptus Oil is another worthwhile investment. It is good on tar and sticky residues. You know the ones, left behind when you peel the labels off of stuff! (Not that this will be happening a lot in the scenario's being considered here

)

09-20-2008, 08:30 PM	#1
Nik Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 129	Making your own cleaning products? Anyone have experience with making your own washing, cleaning, etc products? E.g., toothpaste, soap, shampoo, something for clothes, etc... Please, do share!

09-20-2008, 10:01 PM	#2
Trishsgate Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: NC, USA Posts: 140	Re: Making your own cleaning products? http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/...ave-big-money/ http://www.colormekevin.com/soap/howtomakesoap.htm http://chemistry.about.com/cs/howtos/ht/toothpaste.htm http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organ...ecleaning.aspx excerpt below Believe it or not, you can handle all your day-to-day cleaning with just seven easily available, inexpensive, environmentally benign substances. Baking soda, washing soda, soap flakes, oil soap, vinegar, borax and ammonia will take care of just about any mess Just google what you want to learn and some pages will come up. From there you can decide what is best for you. Hope this helps and gets you started on your way. Love and Peace

09-20-2008, 10:08 PM	#3
Phtha Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 947	Re: Making your own cleaning products? Great thread. I have quit using anything that has a harmful chemical in it Unfortunately that means I have quit using pretty much everything that is on the grocery store shelves. Anyone have experience with or information on Borax? I've heard it was an all natural cleaner. I just bought a box of it and there were no ebil chemical smells. Seemed alright to me....

09-20-2008, 10:21 PM	#4
historycircus Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Making your own cleaning products? Borax is a poison. Do not touch it, or inhale it. Peace

09-20-2008, 10:24 PM	#5
Trishsgate Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: NC, USA Posts: 140	Re: Making your own cleaning products? Yes, borax is another good one. I have this list that I found on the net and I use. Vinegar— naturally cleans like an all-purpose cleaner. It is a great natural cleaning product as well as a disinfectant and deodorizer. Always test on an areas. Improperly diluted vinegar is acidic and can eat away at tile grout. Never use on marble surfaces. The smell disappears when it dries. Helps break down detergent in laundry. Use it to clean coffeepots, glass, paintbrushes, grout, windows and fireplaces. WhiteVinegar - cuts grease, removes mildew, odors, some stains and wax build-up. Lemon Juice – Another natural substance used to clean your home. Can go bad after 2 weeks. Baking Soda – Cleaning agent even after used up as fridge deodorizer. Cleans, deodorizes, softens water, scours. I also use it as a health aid but people with health problems may need to check into this. Soap – unscented natural soap in liquid form, flakes, powders or bars is biodegradable and will clean just about anything. Borax - cleans, deodorizes, disinfects, softens, cleans wallpaper, painted walls and floors. Washing Soda is sodium carbonate decahydrate, a mineral. Washing soda cuts grease, removes stains, cleans wall, tiles, sinks and tubs. Caution as washing soda can irritate mucous membranes. Do not use on aluminum. Ethanol or 100 proof Alcohol & water - is an excellent disinfectant. Cornstarch - can be used to clean windows, polish furniture, shampoo carpets and rugs. Citrus Solvent - cleans paint brushes, oil and grease, some stains. Murphy’s Oil Soap, Bar Keeper’s Friend & Bon Ami are other supplies. Have some more but have to find them first.

09-20-2008, 10:26 PM	#6
Baggywrinkle Guest Posts: n/a	I took the Australian no shampoo challenge Throw your shampoo and expensive body washes away. Take the no shampoo challenge! I did it and have not looked back for a year and a half now. My wife hasn't put me out and my job hasn't fired me (yet) http://www.smh.com.au/news/richard-g...153246888.html

09-20-2008, 10:29 PM	#7
Bigfatfurrytexan Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 151	Re: Making your own cleaning products? Vinegar. That is the best thing that you can use to clean if you can tolerate the odor. a 50-50 mix of vinegar and water will clean just about everything (try it on your LCD monitor while turned off...especially if you are a smoker. it will disolve the tar on your screen and make it spiffy). Baking soda is what i use to deodorize. But there are some things i won't live without. For instance, Dawn soap. That is the best soap known to man. Put a little in your wash to help disolve oils. I have seen people use it to disolve the oils in the bilge pump housing on their boats. Works like magic.

09-20-2008, 10:30 PM	#8
Trishsgate Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: NC, USA Posts: 140	Re: Making your own cleaning products? Sorry for not including this with the above on borax, etc. As with any material such as lye, borax, amonia, etc. safety gear should be used in handling these products. I use rubber gloves, safety masks and goggles using, mixing, and making these products. Toxicity Borax, sodium tetraborate decahydrate, is not acutely toxic. [6] Its LD50 (median lethal dose) score is tested at 2.66 g/kg in rats. [7] This does not mean that it is safe, merely that a significant dose of the chemical is needed to cause severe symptoms or death. Simple exposure can cause respiratory and skin irritation. Ingestion may cause gastrointestinal distress including nausea, persistent vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Effects on the vascular system and brain include headaches and lethargy, but are less frequent. "In severe poisonings, a beefy red skin rash affecting palms, soles, buttocks and scrotum has been described. With severe poisoning, erythematous and exfoliative rash, unconsciousness, respiratory depression, and renal failure." [8] A reassessment of boric acid/borax by the United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Pesticide Programs found potential developmental toxicity (especially effects on the testes).[9] Boric acid solutions used as an eye wash or on abraded skin are known to be especially toxic to infants, especially after repeated use because of its slow elimination rate.[10] Last edited by Trishsgate; 09-21-2008 at 08:44 AM.

09-20-2008, 10:39 PM	#9
Nik Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 129	Re: Making your own cleaning products? Great replies so far! Thanks all! I have used lemons to wash body and hair in the past - and enjoyed it! My flat mate thought I was going nuts (more than usual ). How about something to brush your teeth with?

09-20-2008, 10:40 PM	#10
Baggywrinkle Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Making your own cleaning products? We have been making our own laundry detergent for a year now. Borax:Washing Soda:salt:cheap bar soap (fels naptha) 1:1:1/2:1/2 bar ...that is WASHING soda not baking soda Sodium Carbonate as opposed to sodium bicarbonate. It is caustic to the skin. That is why your oma wore rubber gloves back in the day. delete the bar soap and you have dish washing detergent. It does not work as well as cascade.... We made our own tooth paste for a while. Baking soda glycerin, salt, flavoring (peppermint oil). It didn't last we are back to cheap walmart toothpaste. We figure our brains are already fried from the fluoride... Throw your deodorant away. A sponge bath works.

09-20-2008, 11:18 PM	#12
OceanWinds Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Making your own cleaning products? Great Posts! One thing no one has mentioned yet is h2o2, hydrogen peroxide. I was amazed when I started using it. Its not the cheapest, but its an excellent disinfectant. I remember I used to use bleach to clean the toilet because I was taught in school, and by my parents that it was the best way to disinfect. When I switched to h202 I was amazed at how my toilet bubbled... and the toilet brush bubbled too. I spray my kitchen sink and counters with diluted 35% food grade h202. And clean the toilet with it... and I will never go back.

09-20-2008, 11:45 PM	#16
OceanWinds Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Making your own cleaning products? I use oil of oregano or peppermint oil to brush my teeth with.

09-21-2008, 10:54 AM	#17
chelmostef Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Essex Posts: 240	Re: Making your own cleaning products? Soap plants: Soapwort: Best of the soap plants, prized for cleaning delicate fabrics. Crush it in warm or boil for liquid soap. Horse chestnut: not as good as soapwort but more common, mildly antiseptic. Crush the leaves in warm water. Chickweed: Like horse chestnut, contains saponin and can be used as soap but is inferior to the other two. A hazel twig crushed untill it frays for brush and wood ash for tooth paste. I have to admit I have not tried this, but is recommended in a survival guide.

09-21-2008, 11:06 AM	#18
border xer Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Making your own cleaning products? I know this is about making cleaning products but Lush is a good place to buy natural shampoos and soaps. I suppose if you take a note of the ingredients they use then you can use that as guide to try make your own. Also, there has been a new environmentally friendly range of domestic cleaning products which I buy from my local Oxfam shop. Again, take a note of the ingredients and see if you can make something similar

09-21-2008, 03:03 PM	#19
OceanWinds Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Making your own cleaning products? anyone know what to use in a steam cleaner.... I am going to steam clean my car today and want it clean... but not chemically

09-21-2008, 04:25 PM	#20
Norval Banned Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: On a boat in Tacoma, wa, usa Posts: 394	Re: Making your own cleaning products? Try the vinegar, , ,

09-21-2008, 04:47 PM	#21
angelite Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: NE Washington State on a mountain in A safe area. Posts: 24	Re: Making your own cleaning products? Mix baking soda and salt and put in a jar with a lid sprinkle on wet toothbrush and use to bush your teeth. This will clean and whiten your teeth better than any toothpaste.

09-21-2008, 04:48 PM	#22
Nenuphar Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: BC, Canada Posts: 60	Re: Making your own cleaning products? I also recommend investing in a bottle of tea tree oil. This does double duty as a great ingredient in natural cleaning products AND is important to have in your medicine cabinet. It has a nice, clean smell and is a powerful anti-bacterial. I put a few drops in with my laundry and also use it when making scouring powder. Simple scouring powder: 1 box baking powder 3 or 4 Tbsp borax 6-8 drops tea tree oil ...can be used on counter tops, in the bathtub/sink, toilet bowl, etc... I never use commercial scouring powder any more. Nenuphar

09-22-2008, 01:18 AM	#23
MargueriteBee Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Northern California Posts: 216	Re: Making your own cleaning products? https://www.ezoetic.com/p-665-maggies-soap-nuts.aspx I use soap nuts for everything. You can make dish soap, etc. from them.

09-28-2008, 12:43 AM	#24
Peace of Mine Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 23	Where to buy Washing Soda??? I have looked EVERYWHERE for the washing soda. Anybody got a good lead on where to buy it? Plain old baking soda is excellent as a toothpaste, and as a scouring agent. I use a container with holes in the lid, and shake on what I need for countertops, bathroom, wherever. Do the soap nuts really work well for laundry???

09-28-2008, 07:44 AM	#25
Anchor Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 2,280	Re: Where to buy Washing Soda??? Second the tea tree oil suggestion - you can add some of it to your toothpast formula too for a funky brushing experience. Eucalyptus Oil is another worthwhile investment. It is good on tar and sticky residues. You know the ones, left behind when you peel the labels off of stuff! (Not that this will be happening a lot in the scenario's being considered here )