Homemade Toilet Bowl Cleaner

I found this recipe online and I love it. To clean your toilet bowl, pour in 1/4 cup of baking soda and then drizzle vinegar on top. Let it sit for 30 minutes and then clean with a toilet brush.

For stains in the bowl, add about 3 or 4 Tbsp. of Borax just before you use the toilet brush. My upstairs toilet gets stains because it's the "kid's bathroom" and they tend not to flush as often as they should. I felt like the stains came right off into the water when I added the Borax.

The other reason I love this recipe (yes, it's environmentally friendly but that's not it) is because my kids feel like they're doing some sort of fun science experiment watching the water bubble and foam when they add the vinegar and then again when they add the Borax. They think it's awesome and it helps make cleaning fun!

Let me know if you try it and like it.

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

I read a recipe recently for homemade dishwasher detergent. You mix equal parts Borax and Arm and Hammer Washing Soda. You add 2 Tbsp of this mixture to your dishwasher.

Vinegar can be put in the rinse-aid compartment instead of a store bought rinse-aid like Jet Dry.

I read another recipe that said you could use equal parts Borax, Washing Soda and water to make a liquid detergent for your dishwasher.

The verdict: I made the powdered option this week when we ran out of dishwasher detergent and I didn't want to go to the store to buy more. I also put the vinegar in as a rinse-aid. I felt the vinegar worked well but the detergent was just so-so. My dishes really weren't as clean as usual.

The good thing, however, is that if I ever run out again and don't want to go to the store to buy more, or it's the end of the monthly budget and I don't want to spend on more - I have another option. I do have the ingredients on hand to make this (they are the same ingredients that went into the homemade laundry soap). I should also mention that my dishwasher is really, really old. I have a friend who tried the homemade liquid variety in her 4 month old dishwasher and loved it. So, that could be what I'm lacking. You can also add a drop of lemon or orange essential oil to add a fresh scent.

I'm curious to hear if anyone else tries this and likes it.