For trash cans – Leave ½ cup of borax or baking soda in the bottom of the can.
Leave bowls of baking soda or vinegar (half full) around the room.
Boil herbs to release their scent (bay leaf, clove, fennel – depending on your taste). Later, ice the boiled water and you’ve got homemade tea!
Place cotton balls with a few drops of pure, high grade essential oils (a little goes a long way) around the house.
Push whole cloves into the skin of fresh oranges, lemons, or limes.
All Purpose Cleaner Recipes and Replacements
1/2 cup of borax dissolved in 1 gallon hot water.
To cut grease - 1 teaspoon liquid soap or borax dissolved in 1 quart hot water with a splash of lemon juice or vinegar.
3 tablespoons baking soda dissolved in 1 quart warm water.
To disinfect - equal parts rubbing alcohol and hot water.
For heavy cleaning – dissolve ½ cup borax, ½ teaspoon liquid soap and 2 teaspoons trisodium phosphate in 2 gallons warm water.
Bathroom Cleaner Recipes and Replacements
Use a non-chlorine scouring powder.
Toilets - make a paste of 1/3 cup lemon juice and 2/3 cup borax. Spread on stains. Let sit 2 hours. Brush off.
Toilets - brush toilet with baking soda.
Toilets and tiles - rubbing alcohol..
Bleach Replacements in Laundry
Baking soda or borax in warm water.
Non-chlorine bleach.
Dishwasher Detergent Replacement
Sodium hexametaphosphate cuts grease and cleans dishes as well as the dishwasher.
Dishwashing Liquid Recipes and Replacements
Plain liquid soap.
Rub sponge with bar soap and clean as usual.
Bottles - put sand and water in the bottle, cover the opening, and shake.
Wooden serving dishes - rub with a half lime or lemon, rinse, dry with a cloth, and cover with salt to absorb moisture.
Crystal dishes – wash with warm soapy water and rinse with 1 part vinegar and 3 parts warm water.
Stains on enamel cookware – salt and vinegar paste.
Burned on food - sprinkle pot with baking soda and moisten with water. Let sit for a few hours and food should lift off. Also, simple scrubbing with plain steel wool or plain cloth scrubs.