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Post by cyn on Dec 19, 2014 10:26:21 GMT -5
I'm getting great tips from everyone (thanks!) in other threads, but I thought I should start a new one, to specifically address the actual cleaning solutions they use. My problem is that I'm very picky with odours, and don't like the smell of most things out there. I have a bottle of bleach that's not even good anymore, because it's so old. Although I hated using bleach on anything anyway, ha. But it does work, I just avoid it.
I also have a big jug of Vim Oxy-Gel that I bought before I moved into my last place, rotfl in 2001! But that smell makes me nauseous too. What I'd like to do is find a scent that I really like, and somehow add this to some mystery solution so that I can work for hours on end (as if!) without feeling sick from the solution.
So, what I'm thinking of doing is mixing up some essential oil with hot water. Like peppermint, grapefruit, or cinnamon - something pleasant. And tackle the dusty buildup with that. Will this work? I have a monster mess on my hands, so it's years worth of dust/dirt/dog slobber. I need it to work, not just smear it around. Any suggestions?
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Post by Script on Dec 19, 2014 10:39:36 GMT -5
I use non-chlorine bleach a lot. No smell at all. Miss Ornella cleaning lady uses a lot of just regular dishwashing liquid.
I used to use a lot of plain baking soda. But found It hard to rinse.
Have you thought of going to a health food type store? Most of their product have no artificial odours at all
Good luck
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Post by cyn on Dec 19, 2014 10:45:39 GMT -5
Script, no I didn't even think of that! Duh! Thank you so much for suggesting a health food store, I'm sure they'd have something that doesn't reek of either an overpowering fake smell, or even that terrible chemical stench that sometimes get marketed as "scent free" ewwwww. Thanks!
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Post by dellaa on Dec 19, 2014 10:55:52 GMT -5
Nothing that I have is smell free. Mostly I use vinegar, a diluted solution of ammonia, and soap (not all at the same time, different applications.) Really I think plain old soap might be your best bet, it's not easy but not smelly. You could check out this site www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/ she has some homemade cleaning recipes that might work for you.
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Post by cyn on Dec 19, 2014 11:14:40 GMT -5
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Post by immaculata on Dec 19, 2014 11:40:30 GMT -5
Oh gosh, good question. I use baking soda and a damp cloth to scrub the sink and the bathroom fittings, and to scrub the kitchen floor. Vinegar mixed with water to clean mirrors and glass. Other than those, I use regular stuff that smells not too strong. I'd love a recipe for a spray disinfectant to clean kitchen counters etc. that smelled okay, if anyone has one.
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Post by misssue on Dec 19, 2014 12:23:06 GMT -5
I started making my own Laundry Detergent, with Yardley Oatmeal Almond soap, Borax, washing soda, and small amount of Oxy Clean. I grate the soap, and is powdered. I held off all these years making my own, and sorry I did not make it sooner. I am very pleased with it. I was a Tide gal, and then Aldis store brand which is rumored to be made by Tide... It has no other perfumes, and if you want to make it with Dove Unscented, can have no odor. The main reason I did it, to save money!
I have posted before, I like Simple Green to clean with. They claim to be a non toxic cleaner and I like the smell.
If you want to make a nicely scented vinegar cleaner, just put your orange or any citrus peels in a jar with white vinegar. Let it steep and then use it.
I use vinegar and baking soda in my drains, and my garbage disposal. I am careful what I put down my drains and pipe, partially because I have a septic tank. I also have all copper pipes which is great, and I want to avoid clogs and not pay plumbers bills!
I use plain white vinegar to clean my coffee makers. Or my electric stainless tea kettle.
Less is more, let cleaners work a bit, not spray on and wipe right off in a few seconds.
I have all kinds of cleaners, I have no qualms about using something you need to get a job done, yet I try and not go too caustic. In my furniture business, have gone to an orange type water solvable stripper.
I also like plain Comet cleaner. You can use to clean many things. I also use bleach poured in my toilets, let it sit over night, but I use that sparingly also, about once a month.
More than you wanted to know.. but I am on a roll this morning!
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Post by cyn on Dec 19, 2014 13:54:35 GMT -5
More than you wanted to know.. but I am on a roll this morning! Au contraire - you can't tell me enough! I have so much to learn, and I appreciate the fact that you're septic-sensitive too. Please tell me more! Today, I used a soap scum remover on the glass shower door/walls and a nicely-scented body wash (yup) to scrub down the plastic walls. It worked really well, and the smell didn't force me to abandon the project before it was done. So it's now the cleanest it's ever been. I'm quite happy. I also used a 'magic eraser' that I'd found in my kitchen heap. I don't remember buying it. But it did a good job on the kitchen sink - which annoyed me, because I scrub the sink with dish detergent and a scrubby every day, so why was it dirty?! The eraser got little spots off the bathroom linoleum floor that no other cleaner ever did - not even my steamer. It was good on the bathtub grime too. Unfortunately, I killed the eraser in a matter of minutes. It was black, and falling apart. I guess that's another thing for 'later' when my home isn't so grubby.
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Post by larataylor on Dec 19, 2014 14:28:30 GMT -5
I clean for a somewhat squalorous friend who is allergic to everything. I scrubbed her terrible bath/shower with lemons cut in half and baking soda or Bon Ami, I forget which now. But fresh lemons seem fairly miraculous to me now.
I make my laundry soap from one bar of Fels Naptha soap, 2 cups washing soda, and 2 cups borax. I do up a batch in the food processor, which makes it pretty quick. Often I'll do two or three batches until I run out of an ingredient. Sometimes I add baking soda to it, and Oxyclean would be a plus.
I hate hate hate the idea of buying something, not liking it, and having to dispose of the remainder somehow. So I try to stay with simple things that have multiple uses, like vinegar and dish soap. Don Aslett insists that vinegar is NOT a cleaning chemical … but it often does the job for me. He recommends getting your cleaning chemicals from a janitorial supply store.
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Post by cyn on Dec 19, 2014 14:35:03 GMT -5
I actually buy my heavy-duty toilet cleaner from the janitorial supply store, but I'm very wary to use anything that's a commercial grade because I know it's going to pack a wallop - and I don't want to upset the balance in my septic. Even when I used the bleach last week, I put down some plastic wrap over the drain, weighed it down, and circled the area with tons of paper towel, to keep most of it from going down the drain. I really like the idea of scrubbing with lemons! Mmmmm!
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Post by misssue on Dec 19, 2014 15:26:18 GMT -5
I bought a lot of my cleaning things from janitorial stores in gallon bottles for years, now you can get the same from Sams Club or Home Depot. I am a lot older than some of you and cleaning for years. I say on my grave marker, it might say there was not a stain she could not get out! Don Ashlett owned a cleaning service, he might be a bit outdated for chemicals as people are concerned about caustic and toxic more than ever. He has some good ideas, I have his clutter book!
I do buy a gallon of disinfectant type cleaner, that is a germicide that kills viruses. You can read the labels and it will say all it kills! Or for hospital use!
My understanding is that vinegar is used for some hospital and commercial use, but like many commercial products, is a higher concentration then we can buy as consumers. My BF said they use it to clean dialysis equipment, and I am sure they use a disinfectant also. Vinegar is an acetic acid, mixed with water, so be sure and rinse anything that you use it for! It can etch some things, like metal or a stainless steel fixtures.
I would not use real lemons, as they are too expensive! GOOD job Lara! But I do get a bottle of cheap lemon juice at The Dollar Tree here! I recently bought the faux Mr Clean Magic Eraser, 2 to a box at D Tree also. I have tumbled limestone walk in shower, and had iron deposits and soap scum in some spots, and those sponges work good on that. I try and do a wall when I am in the shower, before.. is not that a picture to consider, but it works!Read the box, do not use it on a faucet! I do not buy much of Dollar Trees cleaning things, but get stainless steel scubbies there, and the green faux 3m flat sponges. I did get a small tub of their oxy clean, some claim that it is just as good as the real deal, we will see. A tub of the real, lasts me about 5 years! I buy dish brushes there, and pasta...24 ounces for 1.00.
Less is more,and a hint is to always use water or something wet to use a stainless steel, scubbie or a razor blade. Anything like that, a paint scraper too. If you do not might will scratch or damage some surfaces. Use a razor blade on glass to get paint off, WET it! I think a lot of cleaning, just like your floor Cyn, needs some friction or a b brush. Good job on that shower..
I love Fels Naptha for stains! Many people use it in the laundry soap. I tried the Yardley ( at Dollar Tree) because my laundry is not that dirty, no kids etc. That is what a lot of people use for make their own laundry. I use it in bar form to pre treat laundry. Pre Husband, I was with someone else, and his mother, I call my almost mother in law, a full time licensed anesthesiologist taught me many great things, and she used Fels Naptha for all kinds of things! She said if you think you got exposed to poison oak or ivy use that to wash! I was in college then, and she would do things like bake all our cookies for a cookie exchange, cause I was after all busy in college! Like she was not on call all the time. Her son, an only child and she loved having me in her life, and she kept a spotless house! She loved the brown original Listerine too, she said you could wash your hands in and do surgery! I learned from and emulated her. I think of her often, especially around the holidays! She had nice traditions and I mixed some in with my own. He was a nice guy and I was with him 4 years, and left him to marry my H! As you go through life, you are a sum of a lot experiences.. and I have lived a few lives!
My other go to stain removers for laundry, is GOOP. To clean hands, mechanics use it, anyone that works with their hands uses it. Incredible. I swear by it. One of my friends found out about it, and that was 20 years ago and using it ever since. The theory is grease pulls grease out, and if you have ever had a tomato stain, sauce or pizza type stain, it will get it out. You rub it on the grease stain, and let it sit 15-20 minutes and then wash item. GONE! I help it a bit, rub it in well. It sometimes will ever get those grease shadow stains out of some clothing, the ones that you take out of the dryer and think OH NO, my nice shirt. Ex H, probably one of the tidiest people on earth, never spilled ( I can not say the same) and called me one day from his office, and said I just flopped a pizza slice on my new Lands End khaki pants.. He wanted me to order him another pair, or go and get him a pair at the Inlet. I said I can get that out.. and I did. His office, every woman there, went out and bought GOOP after that.. that is where I can get most stains out came from.
Try and get your spouse or kids, and I need to talk to my BF, to use less products too, like in the shower. Part of why I have soap scum! I swear in a month he went through a whole giant container of Oil of Olay body soap! Or gets it all over the walls! I have a hand held shower system on a sliding thing and he could rinse the walls down. He does on my direction,wipe down the glass door that is an 1/2 thick with a stainless steel handle a walk in seamless and no metal trim, the most expensive door I will ever own. My ex and I gutted that shower, he did the work, I did the design and supervised the install.. ( no one thought we would divorce, we redid and remodeled well together, so that is myth) I also have a water softener that helps too. MOST people use way too much product, laundry soap and dishwasher soap too. Years ago my plumber told me, use half what they say.. or experiment until you get good results with less. Good advice.
I fixed my Keurig today.. I took the bottom off and took the hose parts and the valve, out and the and soaked in vinegar, upside down in my sink. It was not making a full cup of coffee. Vinegar! It was a gift, and when I worked I got another one with the cup holder missing for free.. The good side of being a hoarder. I am not getting that one out, until this one dies. And yes I fill my own cups for the Keurig or buy cheap at Costco! Can ya all tell I have a few more cups than normal.. I talk as fast as I type.
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Post by misssue on Dec 19, 2014 15:33:44 GMT -5
PS.. if you have a septic tank, try not to do too many consequent loads of laundry one right after another. Or run the dishwasher, take a shower and do a lot of loads. When we bought this house 22 years ago, we went and took a free class from the Dept of Natural Resources, and learned a few things about maintaining it. Now you can google it! You want to keep the water ratio a certain way, so it does not become for lack of a term water logged or over filled. With just two of us here always not a big problem. I do watch the bleach/ chemicals though.. and make sure I do not buy ultra plush TP or put things down the drains or the tanks. I have a garbage disposal, but do not put anything down it, other than whatever is from hand washing dishes. I spend the money on Dawn dishsoap, works best to cut grease. Some here, and it is not code, run their grey water out in the lawn, wash machines usually.. I wish, we had it fixed when we bought the house. I wish not.. I have 2 acres.
AND get the tank pumped. For me I can go 3 years, but most people can not go that long. A friend from work, divorced like me, did not get it pumped ever and it backed up in her basement. OMG! Not to mention the cost to get a new septic tank and field, if you even have room on your lot.. 15-20,000 dollars. Some people do not know you have to get it pumped out!
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Post by shosha on Dec 19, 2014 16:19:49 GMT -5
I also used a 'magic eraser' that I'd found in my kitchen heap. I don't remember buying it. But it did a good job on the kitchen sink - which annoyed me, because I scrub the sink with dish detergent and a scrubby every day, so why was it dirty?! The eraser got little spots off the bathroom linoleum floor that no other cleaner ever did - not even my steamer. It was good on the bathtub grime too. Unfortunately, I killed the eraser in a matter of minutes. It was black, and falling apart. I guess that's another thing for 'later' when my home isn't so grubby. If it makes you feel better - I used one of those magic eraser things to clean out the cupboard my dishes live in - mostly there was some accumulated slightly greasy dust, but also a soy sauce bottle had dripped and it had spread to form rings around the herb jars that were kept in there because their real home is not so convenient for the stove - and I had to chuck it after. It was grey rather than black, but definitely not salvageable. Maybe see them as a bit of an investment to deal with the really tricky jobs now, then get some microfibre cloths or something for maintenance? I've got a pack of the bathroom ones because I'm quite behind with the bath (it doesn't usually get too bad but where I'm not well), need to try and get to that on Monday.
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Post by dtesposito on Dec 19, 2014 20:31:22 GMT -5
Cyn, the magic erasers always disintegrate as you use them. And as someone on this board reminded us several months back, magic erasers work by sanding off the stain, so when you have a delicate surface, or a painted surface, you should use them sparingly (or at least be aware of what's happening--in my place, everything is in bad shape already so I don't mind sanding away layers if it'll take stains away!)
I don't make my own cleaners, but when it comes to spray cleaners, I find a scent in the store that I like (I'm very particular about smells--a bad smelling cleaner, shampoo, lotion, etc. distracts me so much I can't deal with it) and I mix about a quarter to a half a cup of cleaner into a spray bottle of water. It works fine--as people here have been saying, you spray it on and let it work--I never use full-strength spray cleaner. It saves money, plus dilutes the smell somewhat if you don't want a strong scent.
Diane
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Post by Unswamping on Dec 19, 2014 22:56:15 GMT -5
Cyn, i love dollar tree. I dont buy their cleaning products. I stock up on sponges, the regular kind and they sell packages of yellow ones with green scrubbers attached. I love those. There are about ten in a bag for a buck. The green scrubber isnt firmly attached and i do consider them to be one time use but they can handle a good amount of gunk. Cheapo toothbrushes, scrub brushes, dishwashing brush (i use for cleaning toilet bowl-best thing ive found to get under the rim). String mops for cleaning really bad floors. Steel wool from hardware section used to plug areas that pests might use to come in the house (dont use it for cleaning, it scratches surfaces which makes cleaning down the road harder as well as being unsightly). Squeegee for cleaning the shower walls after showering, helps cut down on buildup. Paint scrapers, two in a pack for cleaning paint etc off of glass. Vegetable oil for removing adhesive. Lemon juice for cleaning. Pumice stone from foot care aisle for serious scrubbing and toilet bowl.
Like you im septic sensitive and chemical/fragrance sensitive. I had a septic system and well water. Anything that went into septic system was eventually going to wind up in my drinking water. So i dont use chlorine bleach for anything. I will use oxyclean in the laundry. I use alot of vinegar, baking soda, bon ami something. I use method products, mostly the pink grapefruit dish soap and all purpose cleaner. Also their floor products. Target carries them as well as home depot and lowes. If youre near a target, they carry some nice natural cleaners and sometimes they have testers so you can get an idea of the smell. I have also opened and sniffed bottles in target to get an idea of the smell. (Dont stick your nose right up to the bottle, a couple of inches away should give you a good idea) My store is fine with that, i do it after buying lemon verbena cleaner and it was awful. The method clementine is nice too. The dish detergent is concentrated so its pretty strong.
Fresh lemons are great. I do find them expensive. But if they start to go bad and arent "eatable", they are still perfect for cleaning. So if you can find them on clearance at the supermarket when they are past their prime, usually with the reduced items sections, you can also ask the produce person if they have any. Lemon juice also works great, just remember that it can bleach things.
I think this thread is a great idea.
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