Household Product Recipes – Worth the Savings?

In these lean times many people have cut back on their spending. Some in very unique ways. I personally have always been quite frugal, however, upon scouring the Internet I have found that I am not as innovative when it comes to penny-pinching as I thought. There are women who are masters at stretching their dollars. The most intriguing to me has been the household Item recipes that they use. There are tons of them out there! Seriously I didn’t know it was possible to make some of this stuff. My first discoveries were Homemade Laundry detergent and Baby Wipes; you can read the post I did on them here. My article on homemade  pot and dish stain remover, a miracle worker, can be found here.

I am definitely in elementary school when it comes to homemaking, but venturing into homemade household products may get me a PhD.

My only apprehension in taking this homemaking course is the cost-benefits.

Do you really save money making your own products?

I live in NYC, where everything is expensive, but due to my husband’s diligence he usually finds our household stuff at a severe bargain. How?

He reads the circular to the drug stores and grocery stores on Saturday night and wakes up early on Sunday to hit the bargains.

By the time I wake up he has already brought home bags of groceries and products. Yup, he buys the household stuff, not me. That may surprise many who think I am a domestic goddess, but actually I hate shopping in the city and would never get up early enough to get the deals before they were sold out. So, my wonderful hubby does it all. The good thing about it is that it takes the stress off of me. The bad thing is that he will buy man products  like that that super hard toilet paper that feels like sand paper on your behind (Scotts).

I guess that is the trade-off for this simple luxury. Now my question is since he does the work for me and he is very budget conscious already, will I really be enriching our lives by making this stuff myself? I’m not sure. I am excited about graduating to the next level of being a domestinista and having a “Then Comes Wife” line of household products just for us, but I really need to make sure it makes sense. Albeit I think the overall experience would enrich me personally and it would be fun to try them all out – will this really work for our little family?

What do you think?

Household Recipes I Want to Try:

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All-Purpose Spray Cleaner

• 1 pint rubbing alcohol

• 1 tablespoon dish-washing detergent

• 1 tablespoon household ammonia

• 1 tablespoon vinegar

Mix in a gallon jug. Fill jug with warm water and shake. You can put this in a spray bottle and use as you would Windex. Great for cleaning windows, chrome and bath fixtures.

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Citrus Floor Cleaner

• 1 gallon hot water

• 2 tablespoons liquid soap

• 15 drops orange essential oil

• 8 drops lemon essential oil or 1/4 cup lemon juice

Mix together and wash floors.

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Carpet Deodorizer

• 2 cups cornmeal

• 1 cup borax

Mix well. Sprinkle on carpet. Let it set at least 15 minutes, then vacuum. Repeat if necessary.

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Dishwasher Soap

• 1 part borax

• 1 part baking soda

Mix thoroughly, and store in an airtight container.

To use: Add 2 tablespoons per load. Increase proportion of soda for hard water. Use vinegar in the rinse cycle.

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Floor Polish

• 1/4 cup shredded paraffin wax

• 2 quarts mineral oil

Boil water in a double boiler with the top empty. Turn off heat and remove double boiler to a heatproof surface. Place paraffin and mineral oil in the top. Stir until paraffin melts into the oil. Store tightly sealed. To use, apply a small amount of polish to a small section of floor, rubbing it in well. Then buff the floor with a clean cloth to remove excess oil.

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Oven Cleaner

• 1 cup ammonia

• 2 cups boiling water

• 1/2 cup baking soda

• 1 cup white vinegar

Heat oven to 200 degrees F. Leave oven on for 15 minutes; turn off and leave the door closed.

Fill a shallow baking pan with ammonia and place on the top shelf of the oven. Fill another pan with 2 cups boiling water and place on the bottom shelf. Close oven and leave pans in for at least 2 hours or overnight. Remove ammonia and make a paste of ammonia, baking soda and vinegar. Spread paste on oven surfaces, leave on for 15 minutes, and then scrub off with a sponge or steel wool.

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Vanilla Room Spray

• 1 (4 ounce) clean spray bottle with a fine mist setting

• 1 1/2 ounces distilled water

• 1 1/2 ounces clear vanilla extract

Fill the spray bottle with vanilla extract and distilled water.
Let the bottle sit for one day before use.
Shake the bottle prior to each use. Mist lightly in the room. Be careful not to allow the air freshener mist to fall onto furniture or into open beverages.

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