Poor But Clean

In my ever-widening quest for all that is homemade, I have been experimenting with homemade cleaners. And today, I bring you an all-purpose jobby that's, well, just fantastic (that's a hint, kids). 


Thanks to the power of the internet (add dramatic music and and thunder--yeah, thunder is a good effect--here), I tracked down the price of comparable products so you could have a basic idea of savings.


One bottle of Fantastik cleaner is on average $3.25. A bottle of 7th Generation All-Purpose Cleaner is around $4.99. That's for 32 oz. Now, take that money to Target or Walmart  and buy, instead:

1 plastic spray bottle
ammonia
rubbing alcohol
lemon juice
dishwashing liquid

You now how enough cleaner to make at least 6 times that amount of cleaner (more so if you get a big bottle of alcohol....everyone should have a big bottle of alcohol)

....And here's how to do it:

In a bucket or plastic container you don't plan to ever eat out of, mix together

3 cups of water
1 tsp dishwashing liquid
1 tsp lemon juice
1/3 cup rubbing alcohol
1 tsp ammonia




Unless you have a set of measuring cups you only use for chemicals (and who here doesn't?), use only a glass measuring cup to avoid, well, you know, poisoning your family and self later (some would say I'm being a little over-protective here, I know, I know, what doesn't kill you and all that....)
Stir your mixture with a metal spoon as well. I also keep a plastic funnel set aside for just this sort of chemical fun--they usually come in a stacking set anyways.

Pour the mixture into a plastic spray bottle and label. Sometimes, I also label when I made the cleaner so when it's empty I can gage how long it took to use it all up (because I get off on that kind of geekiness, ok?)