Penny Pinching- household cleaners part 2

What cleaning products do I use? What products should you actually try to make with friends? Glad you asked! Here are the things I buy, the products in blue I buy at Costco.  They either have the best price or the same low price as Walmart locally.

Laundry: Tide pods, I like to live dangerously 😉 and Shout stain spray.

Dishes: Cascade

Floors: Shark Steam mop & essential oils, broom and dustpan 

Walls: Hot water and Dawn (an occasional Magic Eraser)

Windows: Vinegar or Windex

Toilet: Dawn, toilet brush, pumice. Dawn, hot water and essential oils on the outside of the toilet.

Tub: Dish sponge, Dawn, Bar Keepers Friend (I scrub while I'm in the shower😂🤣😂)

Dusting: Warm water and a rag

Try to buy things that are reusable.  It seems obvious but I've started to train myself to think "Is there a reusable option?" before I purchase cleaning items.  I would also like to mention that although I watch my budget and try to purchase things that can be reused, I don't drive myself crazy.  I also don't drive my husband crazy...very often!  If your husband loves the smell of Pine-sol, use it.  If you've tried to make homemade laundry soap and it was a disaster over and over again, STOP!  I do not buy paper towels or napkins, we use cloth, but I sure do buy paper plates and even cups sometimes.  Do what works for your family. Okay, now that I've gotten that out of the way here is a laundry soap recipe that more than one of my friends use and adore!

*Here is a tried and true laundry soap recipe*

Recipe

1 cup borax
1 cup washing Soda
1 cup  liquid castile soap
10-15 drops essential oil (optional But suggested)
2 capfuls Thieves house hold cleaner
17 cups water

Instructions
1. In a large saucepan, bring 6 cups of water to a slight boil. Once the water begins to boil, turn off the burner and add the Borax and Washing soda. Stir to dissolve.
2. In a large bucket or pan combine the remaining 11 cups of room-temperature water and 1 cup Dr Bonner’s liquid soap
3. Add 12 drops Essential Oil
4. Pour the hot Borax mixture from the saucepan into the bucket.
5. Add 2 capfuls of thieves house hold cleaner.
6. Stir the mixture together.
7. Pour your mixture into desired storage container.
9. As the soap sits, the mixture may form into a gel. There may also be liquid and gel separation, simply stir or shake. This is normal. I use 1/8-1/4 a cup of soap per load of laundry. For stains, I use a small amount of soap directly on the stain. Or a few spays of thieves cleaner concentrate.