I often see a lot of misconceptions about cleaning supplies being put forth here and wanted to share some of my insights as well as a couple warnings.
Here are the cleaning supplies I regularly keep stocked in my house, in order of importance, and why:
- unscented bar soap - prime ingredient in all detergents, you can buy it or make your own. We generally have castille soap in the house because I can buy it in bulk.
- Borax - borax is magic and it's also an alkaline and an oxidizer - yes like oxiclean. It creates hydrogen peroxide when in contact with hot water and works by boosting detergent, bleach, you name it. Boron is a ph buffer which helps to maintain optimal cleaning chemical reactions. Borax is a natural pesticide by inhibiting metabolic processes in small organisms and all borates help to make mixtures more... uniform by helping ingredients disperse evenly. Borax is why liquid soap exists.
- Soda ash - Otherwise known as washing soda, not baking soda - sodium carbonate vs sodium bicarbonate. Washing Soda is very alkaline and you should wear gloves when using it, but the alkalinity is why it works so well as a cleaning agent, especially if you have hard water. If you have well water, washing soda is almost a requirement, it will pay for itself in soap saving alone. Washing soda is also good as a mild abrasive cleaner for cleaning pots and pans and soap scum in bathrooms.
- Vinegar - Straight up white vinegar - while the other cleaners are basic, vinegar is a weak acid and is good for breaking down oils and grease in fabrics. If you have pets, vinegar is great as a carpet cleaner. It helps with 'wet fur' smell and also works better for removing urine smell than any of those "protein cleaners". Vinegar is, unlike bleach, a great mold killer. Don't use bleach to attack mold, it doesn't work. Also, cleans windows nicely.
- Oxalic Acid - Another acid: brand name, it's known as Zud or Bar Keepers Friend. If you have stainless steel anything, this will keep it clean. It's that simple, amazing stuff and stupid cheap without a name attached to it.
- Ammonia - Buy household cleaning ammonia, don't buy janitorial strength unless you have adequate ventilation. Ammonia is fantastic for heavy greased items, like the stove and hard floors. Ammonia works by breaking down oils and greases sort of like how you make soap in the first place. In essence, ammonia is very much like lye. But ammonia has some downsides. The fumes can be intense, you don't want to mix it with other cleaners, like bleach - and if you have any shellaced furniture, it will instantly break down the finish.
- Bleach - Bleach is bleach - I really only use it on my whites. I don't do any other cleaning with it. A gallon of bleach might last me a year with two kids. Don't mix bleach with other cleaning products unless you know what you're doing. Bleach very much likes to give up its chlorine in gaseous form and that will kill you.
Now that that's done here are some things you should never do.
- NEVER MIX BLEACH WITH AMMONIA: You'll die.
- NEVER MIX BLEACH WITH VINEGAR: Might not die, but you will permanently damage your lungs.
- Don't mix vinegar with washing / baking soda: It's literally throwing money away. All you're doing is making CO2 and Salt Water. It has no special cleaning properties. In fact, mixing them destroys the cleaning properties of the items being mixed. throwing.money.away.
As far as recipes go, I've never used strict measurements. For example, when making a cleaner with borax, I add enough borax into hot water until it no longer dissolves. When adding soap, I add enough soap until I get the right amount of bubbling. Liquid dish soap will have a higher concentration than, say, carpet cleaner.
Oh, how do you make liquid soap? That's the magic of borax. Make a borax solution, melt in shredded bar soap, stir while cooling. That's it. Add some good smelling magic if you want to go that route.
If you have recipes, please share them for others - but please don't try and tell me that mixing vinegar and baking soda is good, I don't want to hear it. You're wrong. If you want the chemical reaction written out, I will do so, but you're just cleaning with salt water.
November 12, 2018 at 11:19AM
