Homemade All Purpose Cleaner

Now, my next post was going to be about how I save on commercial cleaning products, and I will post that in a few days, but something happened yesterday that lead me to write this post. I have found a recipe for a great all purpose cleaner, one that I really, really like and has now been thoroughly tested!

A while ago I got a nice big jug of Dr. Bronner's Pure-Castile Soap in Peppermint for about 18$ at Superstore. I bought it because I had seen the same soap in the showers at a trendy yoga studio here in town and thought that it must be awesome (though I had not actually tried it). It uses all organic and fair-trade ingredients, yadda yadda yadda.... I bought it. However, when I came home and actually used it in the shower, it was, um.... refreshing... a little too refreshing... on my lady bits.... I'm sure you get what I mean. Henceforth, it has sat in my shower virtually unused. (I was a nice wife and warned my hubby about its "refreshing" qualities before he was tempted to try it).

Then I was reading a book about cleaning that I had checked out of the library that specifically mentioned the use of Peppermint-Castile soap in homemade cleaning products and bug spray. Bonus! I mixed up a batch and tweaked it a bit, here is what I put in an empty spray bottle:

1 cup white Vinegar
2-3 TBSP Peppermint-Castile soap
20 drops Tea Tree Oil
Fill up with warm water.

I just shake it up and use it, and it works great! How do I know it works great? Well.... yesterday when I went in to wake up little bean, I discovered that she had taken off her diaper at some point in the night.... Ya... Granted, she had not pooped, so it could have been sooooooo much worse! but she had curled up in the corner and peed so much that it went down the side of the mattress, onto the crib, and then pooled on the carpet below. I have no idea how so much pee came from such a tiny body, at least I know I keep her well hydrated!

Needless to say, the cleaner was thoroughly tested yesterday. Not only did it get everything clean, but it deodorized the carpet as well! I was a happy Mama! Works well on kitchen and bathroom counters as well, but the fact that it completely got rid of the pee smell out of the carpet is what really impressed me the most.
Happy cleaning everyone, here's hoping that you don't have to clean up what I did yesterday!