Frugal Friday - Make It, Don't Buy It

Other than my recent (so good of a deal I almost stole it) purchase of organic cleaners at the Babies R Us store closing, I don't purchase cleaners.  I have many reasons.  My largest?  I'm cheap!

We recently bought some bananas that harbored fruit flies... those fruit flies don't go down without a fight, and I was more than willing to fight back... but not with harsh chemicals.  You see, my kids eat on those counters. And I do mean eat on. Yes, yes, I give them plates, but often the food doesn't stay on them.

So, after taking some hefty drinks of wine, which is always good before you go on a bug hunt, I left the open bottle sitting on the counter overnight.  The flies flew in, got trapped and we were done with them.  Problem solved, without the use of anything that would harm my kids.

Most of my other recipes require a bit of prep work and a lot less drinking.  Sorry...

You already know I make my own laundry detergent and often use lemons to scrub and shine my sink, here are a few of the other things that keep my house clean:

Super Scrubber
1 part Borax
1 part baking soda

Use this recipe to get the soap scum off your bathtub or scrub your stove top.

Dishwasher Detergent in a Pinch
2 parts baking soda
1 part dish soap

This isn't something to use all the time, but it's great when you run out.  If you use this for too long, a film will build and it's pretty hard to get off.  Put some vinegar in your rinse cycle each time you add this.

Vinegar Window Cleaner
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 gallon warm water

I actually use this as my all purpose cleaner, not just for windows.  I also use it to mop my floors.  At first I was scared that the smell would linger, but it's actually a great deodorizer and the vinegar smell leaves as soon as the cleaner dries.

I like that the cleaner I use to clean my floors and surfaces consists of things that my kids could (and do) eat.  That's important to me!  It also happens to be really good for the environment, and super cheap... all of these things make me smile!

**For those of you who follow me on Facebook, you'll be happy to know that my Super Scrubber mixture easily removed the ink that Holden scribbled all over the back on my front door.  Score one for this (cheap, frugal, green) mama!

Find more great ideas for frugality at www.lifeasmom.com.