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I changed the recipe slightly since the original called for combining Dish Detergent with Bleach and that is a big No-No. For some reason, many Dish Detergents contain Ammonia, and combining Bleach with Ammonia can literally kill you with a toxic fume. YIKES!
It's best to stick with chemicals that you know are OK to combine, like Laundry Detergent and Bleach. Those are made to go together in the washing machine!
Fake Clorox Cleanup
1 Empty and Rinsed-Out Bottle of Clorox Cleanup/Empty Plastic Spray Bottle
1/4 Cup Bleach
1 Teaspoon Laundry Detergent
Fill the rest of the bottle with Water and Shake!
Just like my other Fake Cleaners, this one is mostly water, too. Doesn't it just make you crazy that we are all paying too much money for what is mostly water?
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The Fake-It Yourself Breakdown:
Fake Clorox Cleanup (Bleach, $1.00/Gallon, Laundry Detergent, negligible)
Total Fake-It Cost: $0.02/Bottle
Compare to Real Clorox Cleanup: $4.99
Total Fake-It Savings: $4.97
*Just For Fun: 64 Bottles of Fake Clorox Cleanup: $1.00,
64 Bottles of Real Clorox Cleanup: $319.36,
Total Savings: $318.36 Wow! Isn't that incredible?
Linking Up at Tip Junkie, Today's Creative Blog, The Frugal Girls, and these other Great Parties!
oh my gosh I did try your fabreeze alternative now I have 3 bottles of different scents.
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Did you use the powder or the liquid?? thanks, Carmen
ReplyDeletelaundry detergent oops.. sorry
ReplyDeleteI used liquid detergent, but I honestly can't see why powdered detergent wouldn't work as well! Just make sure it's well shaken :)
ReplyDeletedoes it work just fine? I find the idea of laundry detergent on my kitchen counters odd, but that's just silly, I guess. :-\
ReplyDeleteThx much again, every dollar or two does add up over time ~ really enjoying your posts:)
ReplyDeleteIts pretty amazing the markup for name brand products! Its absolutely insane!
ReplyDeleteIs this concentration strong enough to kill viruses etc?
ReplyDeleteYes, it is more than sufficient for sanitizing. A 10% solution of bleach to water is a standard sanitizer, and 4 or 5 drops to a sinkfull of water can be used at home to sanitize dishes after hand washing. If you can actually smell the bleach, there is too much, which is actually counterproductive since it will damage surfaces, giving germs microscopic crevices to grow in!
DeleteA bleach in water mixture made at home tends to break down though after 24 hours and should be replaced. So I'd mix up a smaller amount that can be dumped at the end of the day. This is standard food service training.
DeleteYou would be suprised how we are taken from products that the real cleaning ingredients are either bleach or vinager . I even stopped buying hand cleaner for my garage because dawn dish detergent works just as good. I use vinager now in my carpet cleaner. Itis a good spot remover
DeleteFor information about disinfecting with bleach, visit this site: http://www.ehow.com/about_5390422_concentration-bleach-kill-mold.html
ReplyDeleteCheers!
Thank you so much! I've pinned your recipe so I can find it again!
ReplyDeletexoxo
Joy
I'm gonna have to try this. I love saving money on cleaning products, they cost so much! Thanks for stopping by and commenting on Working on joy..
ReplyDeleteThe page I got from the State of Oregon on sanitizing in a day care says 1/4 cup bleach in 1 quart of water makes a solution that has 800ppm, and can sanitize diaper changing areas, toilets, floors, and handwashing sinks. That does mean that you have to clean the area first, then get it wet and keep it wet for at least 15 minutes, then let it dry for 6-8 hours. Thank you for the recipe. I might just add the detergent to my sanitizing solution bottle.
ReplyDeletethe only problem I see with this is as a former preschool teacher we also use bleach water to disinfect changing tables and everything else too but we were always told by the Health Dept. that to sanitize properly it need to be made fresh every day, the bleach does not stay effective, so wouldn't you need to make new everyday if you were using it to sanitize
ReplyDeleteI am a preschool teacher and was told the same thing!!!!!!!
Deletei had the same experience working at a head start. we had to make new sanitizers daily and sign-off that we had. Hey, but for 2 cent per bottle that's no biggie! I could just make smaller bottles and only when I was going to be sanitizing.
ReplyDeleteI'm just wondering... If you had to make a new batch of bleach water everyday... Then how can Clorox Clean Up not loose it's effectiveness, sitting on the shelf at the store, before you even get it home??? Hmmm... I'm starting wonder if the Clorox Clean Up has been working in my house all these years! LOL! I've done a couple of posts about DIY cleaners, and the last was for DIY dishwasher packets, so I will have to give this a try! Thanks for sharing!! :D
ReplyDeleteStephanie @ Ladywiththeredrocker.wordpress.com
Bleach is terrible stuff. You should try whitening with lemon juice and disinfecting with vinegar.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this. I use Clorox Clean-up every day and am glad to find a recipe to save sooooo much money!
ReplyDeleteLove the Break Down. Making your own stuff is self satisfing, but when I actually see the numbers, its the icing on the cake.
ReplyDeleteGreat! Im gonna try. I have a book with lots of homemade cleaning recipes. I just read a new one the other day to clean soap scum off shower doors. Hear 1/2 cup Dawn liquid in microwave. Separately mix 1/2 cup Dawn vinegar (just till warm). Mix together in spray coffee bottle, shake. After shower, spray doors with mix, wait a few minutes, tub with dry cloth, rinse with hot shower & dry again. May want to do about once a week. Works great!
ReplyDeleteFrom what I understand, if left opened to the air bleach will become inert or harmless as it will break down to water and salt so in sealed bottles this is prevented.
ReplyDeleteI would guess that the reason that Clorox Cleanup stays good is that either it is not chlorine bleach or it has something added to it to keep its effectiveness. I say it might not be chlorine bleach because, despite the smell, it works wonders on getting stains out of colored clothing. I heard this from various people that worked in retail & used it on their work khakis to remove stains. I was shocked & amazed that it worked! I don't know why it doesn't bleach them because it sure does stink like bleach, doesn't it? I'd be interested to find out what the company has to say about how it can stay effective if it is indeed bleach.
ReplyDeleteIt bleaches, I have ruined more than a few shirts with the stuff.
DeleteAnother reason to make a fresh batch as-needed...bleach in spray bottles will ruin/break the springs in the squeeze triggers in as quick as 1-2 weeks. It's not frugal anymore when you have to scrouge for and buy empty spray bottles constantly. When I put bleach in a spray bottle I don't want ruined, I empty after each use, rinse the trigger and squirt through clean water until rinsed off well.
ReplyDeleteI think I have fallen in love!
ReplyDeleteShut up!!! I am very impressed with this! I just started cleaning houses & this will save a TON of $$!!! Thank you!!!
ReplyDeleteHow much is a TON of $?
DeleteRead the label on the bleach bottle, some bleach is for disinfecting, some is for deodorizing.
ReplyDeleteBleach loses it's disinfecting effectiveness when exposed to light, that is why all bleach or products containing bleach are stored in opaque white bottles. You also need to be careful of where you store you bleach because heat also will destroy the disinfecting properties of bleach. Since Heather re-used the old opaque clorox spray bottle the shelf life of her product, if kept away from heat, is going to be much longer than a day. Also, according to an old chem prof, any cleaning solution that is made with bleach and is exposed to air and light (soapy bleach water for mopping the floors for example) is no longer effective for sanitizing purposes after 15-20 minutes. Bleach can always whiten, it just doesn't always disinfect!
ReplyDeleteI just found your blog on Pinterest, and it's great! I'm always in to saving money,and with little kids in the house, I love trying to make my own stuff so that I know exactly what's really going on around the house. Do you ever try to make "fake-its" without chemicals? I just recently learned that dish soap and vinegar will do the same thing as Clorox clean up.
ReplyDeleteWhen I bought the cheap off-brand Clean-Up, the spray trigger would clog. I am guessing because it was cheap. Does anybody know where we can get quality spray triggers/bottles for cheap, or should I just buy the Clorox Clean-Up bottle once and re-use with the homemade version? THANK YOU SO MUCH for the tips!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeletebuy the Clorox bottle and re-use it. It will hold up to the bleach better.
Deletebuy the Clorox bottle and re-use it. It will hold up to the bleach better.
DeleteI just found you via Pinterest - amazing. Making this tonight!
ReplyDeletethank you so much! I just tried Clorox Cleanup the other day, noticed on the label that the main ingredient was just bleach and was going to figure out the ratio of bleach to water to make my own. You did it for me! Thanks so much :)
ReplyDeleteActually, I'm unaware of any dish soaps that contain ammonia. Plus, laundry detergent is much worse for your skin than dish soap. It destroys my skin. (Not that I would be spraying it on my skin).
ReplyDeleteHow many ounces are the windex and clorox bottles if I were to get empty bottles at the dollar store? AND can you use color safe bleach? I always lean against the counters after or during when I wipe it and have plenty of pants with a bleach line on them because of it. UGH. heath8vb@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteCant wait to try the clorox clean-up make it yourself version. I've been making my own dishwasher detergent for a while. And vinegar for the rinse agent
ReplyDeleteI made the fake Clorox clean up, and after about 2 weeks it no long smells like bleach or detergent. It has taken on a sour or spoiled smell.
ReplyDeleteI use hydrogen peroxide in my homemade cleaners.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sixwise.com/Newsletters/2010/October/27/Hydrogen-Peroxide-vs-Bleach-Better-Cleaner.htm
Walmart's garden center, or Lowes...Home Depot, have better spray bottles. Just clean them once a week and rinse well. Set to dry. I have a few for garden spraying that I have had for several years. They are pretty cheap and you can write the name of your cleaner with a Sharpie on the outside..Don't forget the recipe...saves time!!
ReplyDeleteI have four sons. They clean their bath once a week with 1/4 cup bleech and water in a bucket.Bought some store brand HEB all purpose cleaner.that is what it was bleach and water. It faded all my cleaning towels.
ReplyDeleteWow! I will use all these Fake products & save loads of money. Something most of us sure need to do in today's economy.....thanks!!
ReplyDeleteOk. So has anybody tried this yet??? I have...and it will NOT get my white sinks clean like the real stuff. I have added more bleach and more laundry detergent to the mixture to try and get something that will the stains out of my white sinks.
ReplyDeleteAny suggestions?? I'm all for saving money, but I also want it to work.