DIY Household & Garden Products

Miller's spray bottleI’m just getting started here, more coming soon! Garden products are at the bottom. You can use any spray bottles that you either recycle or buy at Walmart, Ace or where ever. I’ve had bad luck with cheap bottles and my absolute favorite is this one to the right. It’s made by Miller Manufacturing, comes in a variety of colors, holds 32 oz., is extremely durable and the spray is adjustable. I bought this one at a local feed store, but they are also on Amazon.

NOTE: THE RECIPES BELOW ARE GENERALLY FOR 16 OZ SPRAY BOTTLES, SO ADJUST THE RECIPE IF YOU USE BOTTLES OF DIFFERENT SIZES.

DIY spot cleaner/general cleaner – Safe for wood floors:

  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  • about 1/2 tsp dish soap
  • fill sprayer the rest of the way with water

I’ve been using this to clean my floors for a few years and it works great! I sometimes have to let it sit for a while to get dried up specks off the floor, but this cleaner always wins. I also use it to clean cabinets, doors, the microwave, stove top, etc. DO NOT use on granite or any stone counters or tiles, the vinegar could degrade the surface. Also, if you need a little extra oomph for tough spots, grapefruit seed extract (a thick liquid, can be bought at Wholefoods and elsewhere) will help dissolve protein-related dirt. The extract is also supposed to be antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal.

DIY Floor cleaner/wash:

  • A bucket of water
  • vinegar
  • a little dish soap

Not much to this recipe: fill a bucket with hot water, add a little soap and some white vinegar (maybe 1/2 cup to a gallon) and mop away.

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DIY granite countertop or tile cleaner:

  • 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol
  • about 1/2 tsp dish soap
  • about 1/2 tsp or more lavender* (or other preferred) essential oil
  • fill the rest of the way with water

You’ll have to shake this every time you use it because of the oil. The alcohol kills germs, the soap loosens gunk, the lavender makes it smell great, kills germs and adds a little shine to your counters.

*Antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal. The word lavender comes from the root lavare, meaning “to wash.”

DIY Glass/Window Cleaner: I’ve been using this for YEARS. It works great, it doesn’t choke me when I spray it and it’s cheap!

  • 1/4 c rubbing alcohol
  • 1/4 c white vinegar
  • 1 TB cornstarch (can be eliminated if you get streaks)
  • fill the rest of the way with water.

I think the cornstarch works as a polishing agent, but regardless, this stuff works. Some people say to use newspaper to clean windows. I’ve tried it, not sure it did anything better than paper towel or rags.

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DIY Daily Shower SprayFind the actual  recipe here. This is a maintenance spray to keep ceramic tiles, glass and faucets from film buildup. Note that you should  not spray this on stone tiles as the vinegar could etch the surface.

DIY Shower Cleaner – This has only two ingredients, vinegar and blue Dawn. Be forewarned about Dawn’s questionable ingredients. Other “green” dish liquids can be substituted, but nothing cuts through dirt and oils like Dawn.

  • 12 oz white vinegar (heated, not boiled)
  • 10 oz. Blue Dawn

Put the vinegar in a plastic sprayer and add the Dawn. Shake gently to mix. Again, vinegar can etch stone, but for ceramic sinks, tubs and showers, this stuff is magical.

DIY LAWN AND GARDEN PRODUCTS

DIY Garden Pest Spray

DIY Plant Mite Spray

DIY Yard Tonic: More details about this recipe and how to use it can be found in my Pet Safe Lawn Fertilizer post here. A lot of these ingredients can be bought at dollar stores!

  • 1 cup Epsom Salts
  • 1 cup Listerine-type mouthwash
  • 1 cup liquid dish soap (not antibacterial, as plain and simple as possible)
  • 1 cup ammonia
  • 1 bottle of cheap beer
  • 1 can of sugary soda

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