Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Homemade surface cleaner

Not food, but still a recipe!

So easy, so cheap...
Someone passed this idea and recipe to me from Pinterest, and I use it daily.  It cleans dishes, sinks, tubs, showers, hard surfaces, and all kinds of things - simply and for pennies!

Some people don't like the smell of vinegar.  I don't mind it.  It's a gentle, versatile, thrifty, and effective cleanser and cooking ingredient.  Mostly, the vinegar smell wears off after a bit, and all you have is cleanliness.  If you are on a budget, or just want to avoid complicated, crazy, over-chemicaled cleaning products, TRY THIS.

You will need:
Dawn blue dishwashing liquid  (Must be Dawn, must be blue.  Others may work too, but not as well as Dawn)
White vinegar - you could use regular white vinegar in the cooking aisle of your store, or you could use cleaning-grade vinegar.  Both work well.

In a saucepan, heat equal parts of Dawn and vinegar (I use 1 cup/1 cup) over medium-lowish heat for about 2 minutes, until the solution is hot, but not boiling or bubbling over.  Turn off.  Let cool.  Use a funnel and pour it into a spray bottle.  That's it.  It's ready.

*Why heat it up?  The heat emulsifies the mixture and makes it a little more effective, and also keeps it from separating.  Could you make it without heating it?  Yes, but it may not work as well.

* What can this be used for?  Vinegar is great for cleaning all kinds of things.  This mixture is particularly good for soap scum and bathroom surfaces.  I have used it on laundry stains as a pre-treat.  I have cleaned my floors with it.  I've cleaned off my vinyl couches with it.  I've cleaned my counters with it.

WARNING:  I don't know what it would do to marble - so don't use it on that.  (Vinegar and marble don't mix.)