Green, eco-friendly countertop spray?

[gatorsmom]

I just recently bought a cute counter top dishsoap/countertop spray/handsoap holder at Target with Caldrea products in it. I love the holder they are in as it matches some other kitchen products i have sitting out. But I find the scents in the Caldrea products too strong and irritating to my nose. So, I'd like to reuse the countertop spray bottle now that the spray is gone, but I dont' know what to put in there. I thought of putting a vinegar/water mix, but DH has said he hates the vinegar smell and really didn't want that in there. I spray the counter tops all the time and this house we are renting has a ton of countertop space. So, the smell would permeate half the house!

Any other suggestions?

[MolieMuts]

I have been getting the Seventh Generation sprays at ToysRUs on sale. I am not sure how much it was, but no more than regular sprays at the grocery store. They have an unscented one.
I just bought some of those Caldrea products from Target on 75% clearance and I love the smell of the Citron Ginger hand soap. It is very strong, but I don't have any sensitivities to smells.

[jvs195]

I use the recipes in this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Clean-House-Planet-Karen-Logan/dp/0671535951/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1294246396&sr=8-1

Most of the mixes involve distilled water + soap (I use Dr. Bronner's - you can use peppermint scented or none) and then some have vinegar (smell dissapates quickly), Essential Oils (if you want a scent), Tea Tree Oil (a disinfectant)

I also like the Shaklee products (no smell at all and last forever). I bought a bottle of the drops and just mix with water.

[o_mom]

We use the 'All-Surface Spray' recipe from Green Up Your Clean Up.

2 tsp Borax
1/4 tsp castile soap
16 oz water

Get whatever scent of Dr. Bronners you like - I use the tea tree oil one for this, but they have a bunch of others or even unscented if you want.

[gatorsmom]

I just bought some of those Caldrea products from Target on 75% clearance and I love the smell of the Citron Ginger hand soap. It is very strong, but I don't have any sensitivities to smells.

I like the initial smell of the Citron Ginger when it's first sprayed. But the scent lingers and becomes very citron-y. It's just too much for me. I might have to look for the 7th Genertion spray. I love their products.


I use the recipes in this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Clean-House-Planet-Karen-Logan/dp/0671535951/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1294246396&sr=8-1



I have this book but left it at our other house, unfortunately. Do you mind telling me what the amounts are for the recipe using the Dr. Bronners? I use that at home all the time so have plenty of it.

[gatorsmom]

We use the 'All-Surface Spray' recipe from Clean House Clean Planet.

2 tsp Borax
1/4 tsp castile soap
16 oz water

Get whatever scent of Dr. Bronners you like - I use the tea tree oil one for this, but they have a bunch of others or even unscented if you want.

Oh, I just posted asking for this! Thank you, I have all those things here on hand at home! :boogie:

[mezzona]

I use lavender Castile soap and water in a spray bottle. The lavender essential oil has antiseptic properties or something. Or I use a drop of dishwashing liquid on a sponge, wet and squeeze. Wash the counters, then dry with a towel. You can also sub alcohol (vodka etc) for vinegar to disinfect.

[hellokitty]

I rotate sprays. Sometimes I just use a vinegar/water spray, other times I use charlie's soap's multipurpose cleaner, it cuts through grease wonderfully.

[TwinFoxes]

I like the spray, I think it's called "Cleanliness is Next To", from Trader Joe's.

[egoldber]

:yeahthat:

I love that stuff. I know I could make something cheaper, but that stuff is fabulous.

[gatorsmom]

I use lavender Castile soap and water in a spray bottle. The lavender essential oil has antiseptic properties or something. Or I use a drop of dishwashing liquid on a sponge, wet and squeeze. Wash the counters, then dry with a towel. You can also sub alcohol (vodka etc) for vinegar to disinfect.

I've wondered about subbing alcohol as a disinfectant. Do you mix it with water? What are the ratios? Can it be left sitting for a few weeks in a plastic spray bottle?

[mezzona]

I've wondered about subbing alcohol as a disinfectant. Do you mix it with water? What are the ratios? Can it be left sitting for a few weeks in a plastic spray bottle?

Ratio is 1:1 with water. Shelf life is indefinite.

[gatorsmom]

Ratio is 1:1 with water. Shelf life is indefinite.

Fantastic! Thank you for this! I was recently in a bind. Greenbean pooped diarhea in his and Sisi's bathwater. I didn't have any bleach on hand to disinfect the water (which, of course, was full of bath toys). I took the kids out, filled the tub with vinegar and swished it around for quiet a while, and prayed for the best. I wish I had thought about alcohol!!! (btw, no one got sick from it).

[kochh2]

I also LOVE my microfiber cloths, and try to use them with water unless i know there is a major risk involved. That being said, when i do work with raw meat or something risky,i tend to use a few drops of bleach on the area. I also have a parsley spray that is TDF!!! I love it!!:heartbeat:

[MommyAllison]

I use Merlin's Magic from the CHCP book - recipe is

16oz water
3 Tbsp castille soap
25-30 drops tea tree oil

[wendibird22]

I use Merlin's Magic from the CHCP book - recipe is

16oz water
3 Tbsp castille soap
25-30 drops tea tree oil
:yeahthat:

I use this for most multipurpose cleaning. DH isn't convinced that it cleans and disinfects well so we also have a bottle of Method multipurpose cleaner in the kitchen. I'm not a fan of the smell but I'm getting used to it.