Home-made Household Cleaner

House Doctor | Gary Dymski

October 19, 2000

Q. In your Aug. 24 column entitled "Housecleaning -- Done From Scratch" you wrote about making and using our own household cleaners using products from around the house.

I currently use a bleach-based commercial cleaner and am sure you could give me a recipe for this product.

Right now, I mix 2 ounces of bleach, 30 ounces of water and 3 squirts of dishwashing soap and put it in a spray bottle. I think I am missing something. The price for a small bottle of this commercial product is ridiculous.

-Nettie Davis, Saint James

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A. Quite frankly, your recipe sounds pretty good. You might be missing a neat smell of some kind. Why not add a drop or two of an essential oil, such as lemon or orange? Also, experiment with the recipe some. Use a little less water, one more squirt of dishwashing soap or just a little more bleach.

I'd be careful, however, about any drastic experiments or mixing anything from scratch if you don't have a proven recipe. Unwanted chemical reactions can occur when household products are mixed without knowledge. Never, for example, mix ammonia and chlorine bleach.

I've recommended several books about making your own cleaning products, and every time I write a column about using common products to clean or fight insects, I get a tremendous amount of mail. If you have a proven homemade cleaner or insect repellent, I'd like to hear about it by mail or e-mail. If I find it works as well as you say, I'd be glad to share it with readers.

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