How to Make Your Own Cleaning Products
These mix-it-yourself cleaners use environmentally friendly ingredients — like baking soda and vinegar — and are cheap, cheap, cheap! So if you’ve run out of your favorite cleaning solution, don’t run to the store — try one of my standbys instead. If you’re not sure it’s right for the surface, test it on a small area first.
Heavy-Duty Scrub
• Half a lemon • 1/2 cup borax (a laundry booster; find it in the detergent aisle)
Great for: Rust stains on porcelain or enamel sinks and tubs
How to use: Dip lemon into borax and scrub surface; rinse. (Not safe for marble or granite.)
Grease Cleaner
• 1/2 cup sudsy ammonia mixed with enough water to fill a one-gallon container. (Sudsy ammonia, which has detergent in it, helps remove tough grime.)
Great for: Oven hoods, grills
How to use: Dip sponge or mop in solution and wipe over surface, then rinse area with clear water.