First of all, the scent of vinegar is getting old very quickly. Poor J swore he'd do laundry for a week if I promised not to use vinegar in household cleaning anymore. Consequently, I've been trying to use some other recipes and products.
Wipex Natural Wipes: These are the organic version of the disposable kitchen wipes where you just pull one out and clean and you're done. I was very disappointed with them, to be honest. They were $4.49/cannister of 30, and came in three types: glass cleaner (lavendar and vinegar); all purpose (rosemary); and furniture polish (orange oil). The wipes are flimsy and don't go very far. They were somewhat dry--not moist enough to do much good. The glass cleaner one left a film on my stove and left spots on my bathroom mirror. I have half a mind to return them!
Home-Recipe Wipes Alternative: I have a large package of unscented, organic baby wipes (count: 230). I divided them into baggies and added a few drops of essential oil to each one. They are less-flimsy, and moister. When they feel a bit dry I just add 1/8 C water to the baggie. They smell wonderful and are infinitely less-expensive than Wipex. (230 count for $4.99, and a few drops of essential oil for each.) This is one of my favorite home-recipe ideas... I have one baggie in each bathroom, one in the kitchen, and one in the parrot room. So easy to keep everything wiped down!
Earth Friendly Product's Ultra Dishmate: The bottle states, "Contains no phosphates dyes or perfumes, but is made of natural coconut, almond, and cherry oils." I got the almond scent and it's wonderful. I use it as a general cleaner everywhere--bathroom, parrot room, kitchen, floors, patio furniture, dishes, cages... Pour some in a bucket, fill with hot water, and I 'm good to go! My only complaint with it is on the parrot stuff, I just don't feel like it removes the bacteria-odor very well. The almond scent is so lovely however and the kitchen and bathroom smell very fresh and fragrant when I'm done. I think the cost was about $3.49 and it has lasted a full month with frequent general use.
Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds: I bought this b/c I ran out of Dishmate and wanted to try something new--something that would hopefully work well in the parrot room as well. It was $9.95 for a bottle, but this is ultra-concentrated so it's supposed to go a long way. It is cruelty free and seems very environmentally conscious. It has no added dyes or fragrances, but contains a mild scent from added fir and pine essential oils. I've been using it for a few weeks now and still like it a lot. The pine smell is very subtle, but reminds me of log cabin living. It seems to be a bit stronger-acting than the Ultra Dishmate. It also seems to be a better deodorizer than the Ultra Dishmate.
Vinegar: Vinegar is amazing. Vinegar smells awful. I only use it for a few things now: laundry (doesn't smell), drains, and carpet stains. It's amazing on all three. It's about $1.49 at Wal-Mart/gallon, so this is a great addition to my cleaning kit. Oh, to be noted--it does NOT clean algae off of the patio.
Baking Soda: Another super home-recipe ingredient, baking soda is almost a staple here. When it comes to kitchens and bathrooms, I use it to clean the sinks, the toilet, and the bathtub. I also add it to my pail with the dishsoap for wiping down the counters and washing the floor. It works very well in these capacities.
Ethanol Alcohol: I have a spray bottle with 3/4 ethanol and 1/4 water. This works great as a glass-cleaner substitute and doesn't smell like vinegar. I use it on the stove and the mirrors!
Wipex Natural Wipes: These are the organic version of the disposable kitchen wipes where you just pull one out and clean and you're done. I was very disappointed with them, to be honest. They were $4.49/cannister of 30, and came in three types: glass cleaner (lavendar and vinegar); all purpose (rosemary); and furniture polish (orange oil). The wipes are flimsy and don't go very far. They were somewhat dry--not moist enough to do much good. The glass cleaner one left a film on my stove and left spots on my bathroom mirror. I have half a mind to return them!
Home-Recipe Wipes Alternative: I have a large package of unscented, organic baby wipes (count: 230). I divided them into baggies and added a few drops of essential oil to each one. They are less-flimsy, and moister. When they feel a bit dry I just add 1/8 C water to the baggie. They smell wonderful and are infinitely less-expensive than Wipex. (230 count for $4.99, and a few drops of essential oil for each.) This is one of my favorite home-recipe ideas... I have one baggie in each bathroom, one in the kitchen, and one in the parrot room. So easy to keep everything wiped down!
Earth Friendly Product's Ultra Dishmate: The bottle states, "Contains no phosphates dyes or perfumes, but is made of natural coconut, almond, and cherry oils." I got the almond scent and it's wonderful. I use it as a general cleaner everywhere--bathroom, parrot room, kitchen, floors, patio furniture, dishes, cages... Pour some in a bucket, fill with hot water, and I 'm good to go! My only complaint with it is on the parrot stuff, I just don't feel like it removes the bacteria-odor very well. The almond scent is so lovely however and the kitchen and bathroom smell very fresh and fragrant when I'm done. I think the cost was about $3.49 and it has lasted a full month with frequent general use.
Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds: I bought this b/c I ran out of Dishmate and wanted to try something new--something that would hopefully work well in the parrot room as well. It was $9.95 for a bottle, but this is ultra-concentrated so it's supposed to go a long way. It is cruelty free and seems very environmentally conscious. It has no added dyes or fragrances, but contains a mild scent from added fir and pine essential oils. I've been using it for a few weeks now and still like it a lot. The pine smell is very subtle, but reminds me of log cabin living. It seems to be a bit stronger-acting than the Ultra Dishmate. It also seems to be a better deodorizer than the Ultra Dishmate.
Vinegar: Vinegar is amazing. Vinegar smells awful. I only use it for a few things now: laundry (doesn't smell), drains, and carpet stains. It's amazing on all three. It's about $1.49 at Wal-Mart/gallon, so this is a great addition to my cleaning kit. Oh, to be noted--it does NOT clean algae off of the patio.
Baking Soda: Another super home-recipe ingredient, baking soda is almost a staple here. When it comes to kitchens and bathrooms, I use it to clean the sinks, the toilet, and the bathtub. I also add it to my pail with the dishsoap for wiping down the counters and washing the floor. It works very well in these capacities.
Ethanol Alcohol: I have a spray bottle with 3/4 ethanol and 1/4 water. This works great as a glass-cleaner substitute and doesn't smell like vinegar. I use it on the stove and the mirrors!
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