Homemade Cleaners: Quick-and-Easy, Toxin-Free Recipes t… (2024)

I used to use a lot of chemical cleaners to get my shirts clean, including an ancient chinese secret detergent. It's a water softener that improves the stain removal ability of laundry detergent. But I was still concerned that my excessive abuse was polluting the environment. So I recently tried to make my own cleaner to clean my clothes as well as my bedroom. This book was very useful and it provided me with a way to make a non-toxic cleaner.

Lately I've been doing a lot of reading (a lot) to find the best way to take care of my home economically and in a more healthy manner. This is by far the best book I've read so far. The science is written in a way that's easy to understand, but its also kept short and to the point so that you aren't ready to poke your own eyes out because of the tedium. There are other books that don't include the "whys" and "wherefores" which is less than helpful, but then there are those books that simply repeat the same things over and over just to fill the pages. This item is a keeper and will definitely be finding its way to my bookshelf.

Provides quick and toxic free recipes to get off the dependance of chemicals. I always refer to this book, if I am wanting to try something new for cleaning my house. This book has helped my house to be a safe haven for my family, away from chemicals that we come in contact with everyday. Technically, I'm never finished with this book!

If you didn't know this already, the capitalists are lying to you. You can clean at least 95% of your house with vinegar and water.

This is a great resource for anyone interested in a toxic-free, environmentally-friendly lifestyle. They have tons of recipes for all your basic cleaning supplies, science-based explanations for how they work, and even alternatives for cleaning accessories like brushes, sponges, and wipes. I just tried the basic all-purpose spray (literally just vinegar and water) and my kitchen is just as sparkly clean as it was when I used the chemical stuff from the store. (A warning, though: you will get a sudden craving for vinegar and salt chips. Lol)

My only criticism is that they don't have recipes for handmade soap. At first I didn't mind, because the authors aren't homesteaders; it's fairly clear that they're more comfortable just buying vinegar from Target than making it themselves, for instance. But then came the chapter on healthy yards and gardens, which didn't even have a weed killer recipe; it was just organic tips for lawn and garden care. They're good tips, but how is that more appropriate for a book called "Homemade Cleaners" than a recipe for one of the most basic cleaning products in the house? So I took away a star in my final rating.

Apart from that, I highly recommend it. Be warned that the authors LOVE their essential oils; if you're like me and still aren't a convert to them, I don't think you absolutely need them (plus, they include easy recipes to make your own extracts, which aren't the same thing but might be a more economical way to scent the vinegar recipes).

This book is written very well. Great book!!! Excellent
Apart from my own business, I have more interest in reading books, especially about recipes. But also I like my work. I have the business of Wool Dryer Balls and essential oil that are used for clothes. My products are reusable, recycled and biodegradable, and made from natural ingredients. Please have a look at https://www.dimbull.com and feel free to share your opinion...

Very useful information.

It was fun to read, but I was lazy and didn't want to actually do it.

I've enjoyed Homemade Cleaners by Mandy O'Brien (biologist and mother) and Dionna Ford (lawyer and mother). This book is a gratifying, educational read, as well as a comprehensive guide for creating "quick-and-easy, toxic-free recipes" of cleansers, detergents, disinfectants, air fresheners, pesticides, and more (both indoors and outdoors). The authors begin by explaining what commercial labels really mean and how most products on store shelves are hazardous to our health. They take a potentially overwhelming subject and simplify it for common understanding and implementation. Their basic list of ingredients is either already on hand or easily acquired. Though I don't intend to keep vodka on hand, they easily explain its non-ingested use: for when ethanol alcohol is needed as a "carrier base to evaporate quickly." The authors also incorporate essential oils into their homemade products, explain why they use them, and encourage the reader to decide whether or not to utilize them. Homemade Cleaners is well organized by subject under the Table of Contents and the Index. It is very easy to look up recipes for everything. At least, I have not yet found a single recipe that has not been discussed, and I was pleasantly surprised to find many things for which I had not thought to search. This book was a welcome gift from Ulysses Press as a bonus for my membership on Goodreads.com.

Making your own household cleaners is all the rage right now and rightfully so. The benefits include protecting the environment, your family’s health from harsh chemicals, and financial savings. I have definitely hopped on this band wagon! All across the internet are recipes for every type of cleaner imaginable. I have been faithfully copying, pasting, and saving the recipes in my documents. And there they sit, to be edited, re-fonted and printed to put in a special binder. You guessed it I haven’t done it yet. The thought of all that work stops me cold. I was excited to see this book! Now I have all the recipes in one book and easy to access!
They have thought of everything you can imagine and some you haven’t! The recipes cover every room in the house, laundry, yard, outdoors, and more. I was impressed with how few ingredients you need to mix so many different cleaners and most you will have on hand or can easily find. A great book!
I received this book free from Ulysses Press Publishers in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I have stated are my own.

First off, I should say I won this in a Goodreads giveaway. I absolutely loved this book. Plenty of ideas and recipes for homemade products. So far, I've made a homemade bathroom deodorizer and a bathroom sink cleaner. Both worked perfectly and I couldn't be happier. Can't wait to try some more. I highly recommend this book.

I am trying to switch from toxic cleaners to homemade ones for simplicity and budget reasons. This books is a good starting place for recipes and tips to get started. I received this book through Goodreads Giveaways.

Lots of great tips on the environment, as well as some good easy, green, inexpensive cleaners.

FANTASTIC! Not just recipes but explanations.

Excellent book with easy to make, Eco-friendly recipes for any household cleaning job.