Replacing all store-bought cleaners with homemade ones takes some effort in the beginning - researching ingredients (what to use and where to buy), finding recipes, trying things out and then trying something different if it doesn't work - but once everything is in place and you find what works for you, then you can easily continue with little effort.
And of course the reason I'm doing all this is to hopefully make it easier for someone else to get started by sharing what I've learned.
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A look at what needs to change
Okay, so after I made my commitment to stop using store-bought cleaners and detergents, I had to look at what products I needed to make for myself. At first, it felt a bit overwhelming, so I made a list and started one at a time. I'm still not completely done, but I've made some great progress.
Here are the things that I needed to work on for my house:
Laundry
Laundry detergent
Kitchen
Dishwashing detergent
Dish soap for handwashing
All-purpose cleaner
Bathroom
Toilet cleaner
Sink/Counter/Shower/Tub cleaner
Mirror/Glass cleaner
Personal Care Products
Hand Soap
Shampoo
Bar soap for the shower*
Toothpaste*
Deodorant
Lotion
* for now, these two things I will just buy all-natural products. I'm not ready to make my own soap...and I have to get a little braver to make my own toothpaste, but I'm sure I'll get there eventually.
Up to this point, I have pretty much tackled everything except shampoo and lotion and I'm pretty happy with what I've got so far.
One entire category that I personally don't have to worry about is make-up - I haven't worn make-up since my first child was born - so I can't speak to that. I have no idea if making your own is possible, but I know that all store-bought products are NOT created equal. I would suggest buying only truly natural products (which I'm sure are more expensive). To see where your current make-up products stand, find out at cosmeticdatabase.com.
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Store-bought is out the window...now what?
5 ingredients you'll need
Let's talk about ingredients for making your own cleaners. Here are the basics that will get the job done:
I just found this website for 1001 uses for white distilled vinegar. So there you go.
10 Uses for Baking Soda
27 Ways to Clean with Baking Soda
51 Fantastic Uses for Baking Soda
Arm & Hammer makes this product (I'm not sure if there are other brands) and on the box they call it a "Detergent Booster and Household Cleaner." It also says it "cleans grease from indoor and outdoor surfaces all around your home." In addition to cleaning surfaces, it can also be used in the laundry and on dishes.
Washing soda can be found in the laundry aisle, or make it yourself by baking some baking soda in the oven (I think that saves a little money).
I have just recently discovered this stuff and it's my new best friend. I'm using it in a lot of my recipes and I'm very happy with it.
As far as where to find it, I think you're limited to health food stores, specialty shops that sell natural products, or the internet. I bought a gallon of liquid castile soap and several bars on amazon.com.
(I'm noticing how much the prices fluctuate from day to day on these soaps on amazon. Prices have gone up on both the products I bought.)
Dr. Bronner's is a popular brand that most people say is really good quality - therefore worth the price. The bar soap I bought was Dr. Woods - a little cheaper than Bronner's - and I think it's fine. For me, I had to get over the initial price-shock of buying it in bulk. But ultimately, per batch of whatever-you're-making, it's cheaper than store-bought equivalents.
12 Great Ways to Use Castile Soap
How to Use Castile Soap
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What to think twice about buying
There were two products I bought when I started doing all this. They were mentioned in recipes and I bought them without doing any research for myself - just assuming they were fine and all natural. After doing some reading on them, I have decided to keep both out of my toxic-free recipes.
Fels-Naptha. This is a "heavy duty laundry bar soap" as described on their packaging. It is used to pre-treat stains. I saw it mentioned in a few recipes for homemade laundry soap and hand soap (grated and melted).
I realized, after reading the ingredient list on their website, that this bar soap includes talc. That is an ingredient to stay away from. It's a suspected carcinogen (read more: Risks of Talcum Powder and Talcum Powder and Cancer).
Borax. If you've never heard of this (like me 2 months ago), it's basically a natural mineral based on the element boron, that can be used as a cleaner and can do many other things (like kill insects). The most common brand of this is 20 Mule Team (marketed as a "Detergent Booster"). Borax is an ingredient in MANY, MANY homemade cleaning recipes.
So, I bought a box right off the bat (76oz for $3.something) and started using it as part of an all-purpose cleaner and in my laundry soap. Then I came across this article: Avoid borax in your green cleaning products. Since then, I have been trying to locate a difinitive answer as to whether or not this is 100% completely safe to use. That has been hard to do.
From what I've gathered, borax is harmful if ingested in large quantities (like many things are, but that doesn't mean small amounts aren't perfectly fine), and can irritate the skin. It may or may not be linked to reproductive toxicity (I've read conflicting reports). The cosmetic database gives it a "moderate" score for "overall hazard" and the good guide says the ingredient Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate is suspected of causing neurotoxicity (which alters the normal activity of the nervous system in such a way as to cause damage to nervous tissue).
A lot of people say Borax to be perfectly safe, and maybe it really is, but I've read enough about it to raise a red flag for me personally. I have chosen to leave it out of my homemade recipes, and you'll have to decide that for yourself.
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Okay, since this post ran a little long :) I'm going to take a breather. I'll continue later with the recipes I've gathered for happy cleaning.
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