Make-Your-Own Cleaning Products: Cleaning with Bleach

I got the following tips from HGTV, and then I added a few of my own!

~Never pour bleach directly into the washing machine. Dilute it first in at least three cups of water per one cup of bleach. Use an old milk carton that has been cleaned thoroughly for the diluting process.

~For the brightest results when using bleach, add the detergent first, add the clothes, then start the machine. Wait until the washing machine begins the agitation process to add the bleach. If you add the bleach right away, you may destroy the enzymes and whiteners that make the detergent effective.

~Make glasses sparkle by adding a capful of bleach to the dishwater when washing dishes.

~Sanitize countertops and cutting boards by filling a quart-size squirt bottle with water and about three tablespoons bleach, then spraying down the surfaces.

~Deodorize coolers and insulated beverage containers by mixing 1/2 cup bleach and one gallon water. Pour mixture in a spray bottle to distribute.

~Never soak items in bleach for longer than 15 minutes. After this amount of time, the bleach will be ineffective and may begin damaging fibers.

~To clean bathrooms, tile, and vinyl floors, make a bleach solution combining 3/4 cup bleach to one gallon of water.

~Disinfect a garbage can by adding one cup of bleach to one gallon of water.
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I have always made a bleach solution in my spray bottle of one part bleach to three parts water, but that's sounding like a bit much (oops). At any rate, I use my bleach solution every single day. Every time I'm cooking with raw meat, I quickly spray any surface that the meat might have touched, being careful to follow with a good swipe from my wet non-bleach washcloth so that I don't leave bleach residue around food.

I also scrub my kitchen sink every morning and then follow with a good spritz of bleach solution (let it sit for a few minutes, then rinse off). My step-daughter once told me that there are more germs in a kitchen sink than a toilet, so I'm a lot more diligent now!

On that note, I also use bleach solution instead of a disinfectant spray in the bathroom, or anywhere else a disinfectant is needed. Just be careful not to use on wood or other porous surfaces that might be discolored or broken down by bleach.

And last but not least--once every summer, I dump an entire gallon of bleach into my big outdoor garbage can and fill it with water from the hose. I let it sit for the first half of the day, then pour it out (we have a field next to our house, so we can do that pretty easily). I then blast anything that's left in the can with the high-pressure setting on our hose's spray nozzle attachment. Then I let it sit open in the hot sun until it's completely dry!

Recipes for Homemade Cleaning Products--White Vinegar

Taken a trip down the cleaning aisle at the supermarket lately? If you believe the ad hype, you can't keep a clean house without loading your shopping cart with a different cleaner for each surface, floor, and sink in the house.

Not true! Simple recipes using products from your pantry make effective household cleaning solutions. Stock your cleaning cupboard with these homemade cleaning sprays and solutions to make short work of household grime--without harsh chemicals or irritating fumes.

Try these easy recipes to clean your organized home faster, better and cheaper:

WHITE VINEGAR

Mildly acidic white vinegar dissolves dirt, soap scum, and hard water deposits from smooth surfaces, yet is gentle enough to use in solution to clean hardwood flooring.

White vinegar is a natural deodorizer, absorbing odors instead of covering them up. (Any vinegar aroma disappears when dry.) With no coloring agents, white vinegar won't stain grout on tiled surfaces. Because it cuts detergent residue, white vinegar makes a great fabric softener substitute for families with sensitive skin.

Try these recipes to harness the cleaning power of white vinegar:

HOMEMADE SPRAY CLEANER RECIPE

Mix in a sprayer bottle:

1 cup white vinegar
1 cup distilled water

In the kitchen, use vinegar-and-water spray to clean countertops, lightly soiled range surfaces, and backsplash areas.

In the bathroom, use vinegar spray cleaner to clean countertops, floors, and exterior surfaces of the toilet.

For really tough bathroom surfaces such as shower walls, pump up the cleaning power by removing the sprayer element and heating the solution in the microwave until barely hot. Spray shower walls with the warmed generously, allow to stand for 10 to 15 minutes, then scrub and rinse. The heat helps soften stubborn soap scum and loosens hard water deposits.


UNDILUTED WHITE VINEGAR

Undiluted white vinegar straight from the jug makes quick work of tougher cleaning problems involving hard water deposits or soap scum.

Use undiluted white vinegar to scrub the inside of the toilet bowl. Before you begin, dump a bucket of water into the toilet to force water out of the bowl and allow access to the sides. Pour undiluted white vinegar around the bowl and scrub with a toilet brush to remove stains and odor. Use a pumice stone to remove any remaining hard water rings.

Clean shower heads that have been clogged with mineral deposits with undiluted white vinegar. Place 1/4 to 1/2 cup vinegar in a plastic food storage bag, and secure the bag to the shower head with a rubber band. Let stand for 2 hours to overnight, then rinse and buff the fixture to a shiny finish.

Add one cup of undiluted white vinegar to the laundry rinse cycle instead of commercial fabric softener. White vinegar softens clothes and cuts detergent residue--a plus for family members with sensitive skin.