I've come to the conclusion that you can make pretty much anything you can buy from the store. This is especially true with cleaning products. In the past I have shared my recipes for laundry detergent and dishwasher detergent, today I'm going to share my recipe for bleach. We usually have a jug of bleach under the kitchen sink at all times but truthfully I don't really like to use it. Not only is chlorine bleach a super harsh chemical but the fumes really bother me too. I showed you how to reverse tie dye with bleach in the past so yes, I do use bleach occasionally but when it comes to cleaning I prefer my own homemade version better.
Ingredients:
1 cup hydrogen perioxide
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
15 cups of water
Mix together and store in a large jug. I pour mine into a smaller bottles for convenience. Since the peroxide will oxidize and eventually loose strength it's best to use the homemade bleach within a month.
This bleach is great for cleaning bathrooms.
Do you have any favorite homemade cleaning recipes?
This sounds like a good one, I'll have to try it!
ReplyDeleteI haven't found that this works too well...any tips or tricks?
ReplyDeleteGlad I found this. Thank you for the recipe and I will be adding this to my recipe book to pass down to my daughters when they are old enough to be on their own.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great idea. Are you using the hydrogen peroxide you get at the dollar store or pharmacy, that's 3% ? We have some super heavy duty stuff (its highly explosive.It's 30% I think - agricultural use usually) but I was thinking that'd be overkill - but diluted 15:1, I'm not sure. Thanks
ReplyDeleteBe careful of that 30%! My dad puts it in his water (about 10 drops a day). My little girl got the 4oz bottle when she was 1 and drank the whole thing! Lucky I caught her as soon as it happened and we knew what to do. Long story short, after pumping her stomach and spending a week in Children's hospital without being able to eat or drink anything she was fine.
DeleteHi Pam, yes, you want to use the 3% strength peroxide. I know nothing about the heavy duty stuff so proceed with caution if you go that route I would just stick the the cheapo stuff from the grocery store! happy cleaning!
ReplyDeleteHello. I just wanted to let you know that if you are going to use peroxide, you have to keep it in a dark bottle. The light will break down its compounds and it will not work. That is why it is sold in dark brown bottles. I was able to find dark bottles at my local dollar store. They were in the health and beauty section. Thank you for sharing your cleaning recipe with us and I hope my imput helps. :)
ReplyDeleteCan't find a dark bottle? Paint the outside of a clear one, or, wrap it with duct tape.
DeleteThank you so much for sharing! I have read that the peroxide actually breaks down within hours, but I never knew why. That made me skeptical about trying this. Now that I know about the dark bottle, I'll give this a try.
DeleteIs the lemon just for scent?
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa, Lemon has antibacterial properties in addition to smelling great. The main star of this cleaning recipe is the peroxide.
DeleteCould I use lemon essential oil? If so, how many drops would you recommend for your recipe?
DeleteI will have to try this! I wonder if it will work in a spray bottle - I have tried regular bleach (diluted with water) in a spray bottle for my bathroom, but the bleach ruins the rubber in the spray mechanism and it won't work after a while. :-(
ReplyDeleteMy favorite homemade cleaning recipe is homemade fabric softener
Hi Holly, I've had the same experience with regular bleach ruining a spray bottle. I haven't had this happen with the homemade bleach but I use a smaller bottle because of this and only make small batches at a time.
DeleteHolly, I checked out your recipe for the fabric softener. I am wondering if it can be used in an HE washer? If it can, that would be wonderful, and I would absolutely give it a try.
DeleteHolly don't spray the bleach it's dangerous when inhaled. I guess it's good that it didn't work.
DeleteI just stole a squirt top from a generic cleaning bottle and stuck it on my dark brown hydrogen peroxide bottle and there you go! The added lemon juice would be nice though.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea! This is on my to do list, using the peroxide bottle to contain it all!
DeleteSmart!
DeleteI had no idea you could make your own bleach - thank you! I've got this linked to my household cleaners post too today, your recipe is a keeper!
ReplyDeleteI just made this and it worked great for cleaning the bathroom. I'm going to try it on the kitchen sink next. Thanks for the great homemade cleaning recipe. I have to get the peroxide from the pharmacy here in Norway!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea, will definitely try this.
ReplyDeleteI don't usually like keeping bleach in the house, but my cleaner loves it. So maybe I'll make this for her instead.
I just wanted to let you know I featured you on Blissful and Domestic today.
ReplyDeleteStop by and grab a button:>
http://blissfulanddomestic.blogspot.com/2012/03/14-homemade-tips-and-tricks.html
Does this really work? This will certainly be amazing if it does. I got kids at home and sometimes it is so fearsome to use so many chemical products for every different area. I will really have this a try. I hope it works.
ReplyDeleteI have an old ceramic sink and I haven't found any natural remedy that cleans the stains like 1/2 bleach and 1/2 water. I scrub with baking soda and other things I've read but just don't get the clean look. Any suggestions?
ReplyDeletehas anyone tried this in the laundry? spray on stains or added to the cycle? i make my own laundry detergent but love to have an extra boost for the whites to keep them bright. thanks!
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know if this is safe to use if you have a septic system ?
ReplyDeleteI woukd think it's probably not any different than using bleach in a septic system ;-)
DeleteWow, it's a easy idea for homemade bleach! I would like to make it.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know if it works on mold?
ReplyDeleteIwas wondering about all the home made laundry recipes can be used in my new High efficiency washer. Would hate to damage it.
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried it. My washing machine is pretty old school. If anyone knows please let us know!
DeleteNo issues here using homemade laundry soap with an HE machine. I use the powder recipe (Fels Naptha, washing soda, and borax -- and only put in 1T for a regular load) with vinegar for the fabric softener. I think the only thing you would need to be careful of is a recipe that would use regular soap in it that would create too many suds.
DeleteHow would it do for a bathroom that smelled like urin? Would this mixture help take that smell out ? I clean for a church and their boys bathrooms smells aweful. Or is there anything else i should do to get rid of that odor?
ReplyDeleteI wash the bathroom floors with a combo of water and vinegar... seems to get the boys bathroom stink out (of course, I only have 2 boys). I also put some lavender essential oil in to make it smell really nice while I'm mopping. I also put it in a bottle for spray cleaning the exterior of the toilet.
DeleteI'm looking forward to trying this! But for the bathroom floors, or anywhere else there is tile, don't use anything acidic, it will ruin the finish.
ReplyDeleteThe recipe and photo have different amounts of lemon.....?
ReplyDelete