Here’s a tip list of over a dozen natural cleaning recipes I compiled from an article published in the first issue of Martha Stewart’s magazine (Martha Stewart Living, Winter 1990).

I went through a slight obsession years ago to own each and every Martha Stewart Living magazine, this picture is a scan of my copy of Martha’s premiere issue (you can see the top of the title is a bit faded)–I consider Martha as the original “DIYer”!

I also referenced a few recipes that were previously published on Tipnut for more cleaning recipe options.

Homekeeping - A Natural Shine To Cleaning

To Disinfect: These two recipes work well on bathroom and kitchen surfaces

1. 1/2 cup of borax dissolved in one gallon of hot water
2. 2 cups of boiling water poured over 2 cups of fresh thyme (an antiseptic herb); steep for ten minutes; strain & cool. Store in plastic spray bottles.

See also Homemade Herbal Cleaner Recipes.

All Purpose Scouring Powder:

1. Grind dried petals or fragrant herbs and mix with baking soda.

Also check out this Homemade Softscrub Cleaner Recipe.

Metal Cleaners:

1. Silver: Use toothpaste
2. Brass: Use equal parts salt and flour, add a touch of vinegar to make paste. Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, and ketchup also work. Let sit before wiping dry.
3. Copper: Use a paste of lemon juice and salt.

Floor Cleaning Recipes:

1. All Purpose Floor Cleaner: 1 cup of vinegar in a pail of water
2. For greasy floors: 1/4 cup washing soda and 1 TBS vegetable oil based soap to every two gallons of hot water
3. Polish linoleum floors with club soda
4. Clean & Deodorize Carpets: Mix two parts cornmeal with one part borax. Sprinkle generously over carpet, allow to sit for one hour then vacuum

More Carpet Cleaners & Tips: Homemade Herbal Carpet Freshener Recipe and Tips For Floor Cleaners, Spots & Scuffs.

Windows & Mirrors: Store these solutions in spray bottles.

1. One part vinegar added to four parts water
2. One cup cold strong black tea with 3 TBS of vinegar

Here are More Homemade Window Cleaner Recipes To Try.

Oven Cleaner:

1. A paste of baking soda and hot water or sprinkle the soda on a damp sponge and wipe.

Water Spots On Furniture (Removal Tips): Also see this handy trick as well as more table stain removers here.

1. Massage white toothpaste on the spot, let dry, and buff with a clean cloth.
2. Scratch or Stains: Rub the meat of a walnut into the scratch.

You might like this Homemade Citrus Vinegar Cleaner too.

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