It's time for another DIY post folks!
Now when I say "cream cleaner" I mean the household cleaner. Not a creamy facial cleanser like I've also seen come under the same name. Just to save any confusion!
This recipe has ingredients that you'll probably mostly have at home, or can pick up for a low price at your local supermarket. I bought the baking soda and washing soda powder at the commissary on base, and then the castile soap you see in the picture I got free through doing surveys online.
I used to use cream cleaners to clean the bathroom and shower with when I was still in the UK, and it just works wonders for cutting through grime and making surfaces shiny again. However, it doesn't seem to be as popular in the states as it is back in England (aside from maybe soft scrub which I think is similar). Finding a DIY recipe for one, or even an environmentally friendly shop bought cream cleaner has proven difficult. The closest I've come across is the one by Mrs Meyers, which the reviews are quite popular for.
But why buy one when you can make an effective version of it with things you have in your home?
Famous last words.
Read on to see how my experiment turned out...
What you'll need
- A clean empty squeezy container, such as a mayonnaise or washing up liquid bottle.
- A bowl to combine ingredients.
- A hand mixer or blender.
- Baking soda: 1/4 cup
- Washing soda powder: 1/4 cup
- Washing up liquid or liquid Castile soap: 1/8 cup
- Purified, filtered and/or cooled boiled water: enough to make a smooth, liquid consistency.
How to put it all together
1. Sieve baking soda and washing soda powder into a bowl and set aside any bits that don't go through the sieve. Then combine both together with a spoon.
2. Pour in washing up liquid or liquid castile soap (whatever you're using) and mix until combined.
3. Add some water to the mixture and stir until it just combines.
4. If you're using a counter top blender, transfer this mixture to it now. If using a stick blender you can just leave the ingredients in the bowl.
5. Mix the ingredients with the blender you are using on the lowest setting. Add additional water as needed until it reaches the consistency you desire. Just use the blender until everything has just combined, not for longer! I'll explain why further down.
6. Pour mixture into the squeezy bottle and fasten on the lid.
7. Squirt, scrub, rinse well and enjoy the cleaning results!
My experience
So I've given this recipe a couple of goes as the first time I tried it, I didn't sieve the ingredients and I didn't use a blender.
Now let me tell you friends. It didn't turn out well.
I was left with a watery, lumpy mess that made cleaning harder not easier! Definitely not how I wanted the cream cleaner to be (see below).
On the second occasion, I used a much larger amount of the baking soda and washing soda than I should have. Try 1 cup of each. When I came to mix it in the blender, I found I needed to add more and more water to get the consistency I wanted. I also ran the blender for longer than I probably should have. Doing both of these things together equaled a whole large blender full of the stuff, and with a consistency resembling whipped egg whites!
Not cool.
However, It turned out to be so smooth that it was worth the hassle (and the mess!) of making it.
Check it out on my favourite sponge in this picture!
Ben and I laughed together about it though when I told him the story via Skype that evening! Making memories even when we're apart.
Anyhow, I reduced the amount of ingredients to the level used in this particular recipe that I'm sharing with you now. I'm also leaving a few tips below for you to follow based on my experiences.
Tips
- Don't omit the sieving step! It's important in order to get rid of any hard clumps.
- Make sure you use the blender to mix until JUST combined. Otherwise you'll end up with a fluffy egg white looking concoction like I did!
- There may well be some left over mixture depending on how much water you used. If that's the case, then decant into another container or use it to clean any sinks, showers or baths that may need a scrub. I definitely needed to do both of these on the second occasion!
- The mixture will separate once it's left sitting. That's normal. Just give it a quick shake before using.
Cleaning results in photos
Check out the before, during and after photos of cleaning with the cream cleaner in the slideshow below.
That's it for today. I hope you enjoyed my latest DIY post and have fun trying it out! Hopefully you'll have less mishaps than I did using my tips.
Let me know below if you try this yourself or if you know of an even better recipe!
Take care for now,
Kathryn.