This gets my vote for the most useful article on this week's Dollar Stretcher. Some of you have asked about making your own cleaners for various things and this article has some good "recipes"  that will do the job and save you money. 

Do you have any recipes to add to those?  

Hi --- I do not see a link or an article to read. Is one available? I have many home cleaning recipes, but do not want to duplicate.

Well, duh.... the link: http://www.stretcher.com/stories/01/011001d.cfm 

Sorry 'bout that.  

Well, we could have played hide and go seek with the article.

The first mix is one I would avoid as I have cut the use of ammonia from my home for health reasons. 

I use the furniture polish mixture for the items we have that are real wood. It looks great but takes some work since I tackle it as one might with waxing a wood floor with rubbing in the oil then buffing with a different cloth.

What can I add?

This one is so cheap and easy...for dusting any type of surface (shelves, books,knick knacks, the TV even) use a towel to just wipe the surface. I have found this works better than a feather duster as the dust clings to the terrycloth and it doesn't send as much dust puffing up to settle back down.

My bathroom cleaning solution:  1 tsp. Borax, 1/2 tsp. dish liquid, 1/4 cup vinegar, 2 cups hot water

My kitchen cleaning solution: 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons borax, 1/2 teaspoon liquid soap, 2 cups hot water

Brandy:

Well, we could have played hide and go seek with the article.

That sounds like fun.  

I have an all purpose cleaner that I use to clean the stove, woodwork and my glasses, among other things. It's a quarter cup of ammonia, a tablespoon of dish soap and three cups of water. I keep it in a spray bottle. I don't mind using ammonia, but I have no small children or pets around. One does need ventilation when using it, though.  

Pat:

but I have no small children or pets around.

I don't have the pets currently but I do have a husband and children with asthma and allergies. When i began learning more about these things and how to prevent flare ups/attacks, I changed a lot about how we lived and what we used. It was a gradual change and I still seek to learn more about it and new ways to do things.

 Most of the things that bother me are commercial products, and it's usually the scent. I try avoid anything with artificial scent to it, which covers a lot of things. Commercial cleaners also can cause problems in ways we're not aware of until it's too late. 

I can understand avoiding ammonia, though. It's strong, even in small doses. 

Pat:

 Most of the things that bother me are commercial products

Chemicals, synthetic fragrances and some natural scents set my family off. They don't handle bleach or ammonia well. I use bleach but only in small quantities and only very rarely when I need a stronger cleaning or disinfecting agent.

 That sure limits the products you can use. I'm glad for baking soda and vinegar. I use them quite a bit. 

I found this recipe in The Complete Tightwad Gazette and it works great as a stain remover for laundry.

1/2 cup ammonia

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup Wisk

1/2 cup water