I Make My Own Bubbles in the Bath

Tweenie’s Greenies

Week 1: Household Cleaners

Bubbles in the bathroom that is! 🙂 This is one of those rooms in the house that I had several items that ultimately all did the same job. They all cleaned. I had a couple “Industrial Strength” cleaners that had such horrible fumes that I had to open the windows and turn on the bathroom fan. The worse the fumes, the better it must work was my theory. Oh how untrue. The stinkest variety worked just as well as the more gentle fare.

The bathroom is one of those rooms that can really gross me out if it’s dirty. So, I might just have to stick with a store bought variety that’s nontoxic and environmentally friendly. However, if you want to save more cash and make your own cleaners for your bathroom here are some good tips. And by the way, my mother-in-law swears by baking soda for the bathroom and laundry. She is the queen of stain removal on any surface, therefore, her endorsement guarantees success. Just don’t complain on my blog if it doesn’t. I will give you her email for complaints. I am sure she will love me even more than she does now for that! (note the sarcasm, please)

Bathtub/Shower Tiles: Rub in baking soda with a damp sponge and rinse. Or wipe with vinegar first and follow with baking soda or salt as a scouring agent. Safe for Grout too. And if the kids interrupt you in the process, no harm is done if it sits on there for hours. For really stubborn stains, use a toothbrush with baking soda, lemon, and salt.

Marble Tiles: I have non of these in my very modest home, but if you do. DO NOT USE VINEGAR on them. Wipe them down with hand dishwashing liquid and a little warm water. Add a little baking soda for tough stains.

Fixtures: Clean fixtures with a little glass cleaner and a microfiber cloth. Spray and wipe. Just 2 steps to a beautiful shine!

Toilets: First of all, did you know that your toilet is typically cleaner than your kitchen sink (for bacteria counts)? So get over it and get your hands in there! You touch your sink don’t you? Anything that turns your toilet water colors is bad for your health and the water supply! If you regularly wash your toilet with white vinegar, baking soda, and a little lemon juice (combine in toilet bowl and scrub. Wait 1/2 hour before flushing), it will be clean, odorless, and disinfected. Plus, I bet if you leave some lemons floating in the toilet it will be more aesthetically pleasing as well.

Air Fresheners: In a small spray bottle (6-8 oz), add 2 drops of rosemary, 4 drops lemon, and three drops of clove essential oils,. Fill to the top of container with distilled water and shake. This will disinfect the air. Also try cinnamon, clove, lemongrass, and patchouli. For just one essential oil. Add 6 drops of that oil, fill the rest with distilled water.

Avoid Drain Clogs: Run one cup of vinegar down the drain once a week to minimize problem. Use baking soda to deodorize. Or try this recipe: pour 1/2 cup baking soda, followed by 1/2 cup vinegar with a pinch of salt down the drain once a week.

Mirrors: Mix equal parts of vinegar and water. Spray on-wipe off

Vinegar is the King of Cleaning!! Long live vinegar! Remember the vinegar smell is gone when the surface dries but you can add essential oils if you would like.