Despite the fact that new “miracle” cleaning solutions show up every couple of years, the basic fundaments of household scrubbing remain unchanged. Even better, they’re cheap, often available in bulk at your local hardware store. We’ve assembled the basic chemicals, along with a few suggested supplies, that will get you ready to clean almost anything without dropping a lot of money on name brands and labels.

First, a word of basic chemistry caution: Mixing cleaning chemicals wily-nily may cause all sorts of unwanted fumes, such as the mid-grade nerve gas “chloramine,” the product of ammonia mixed with bleach. Don’t mix your acids with your bases, or anything with anything else if you haven’t done your research, no matter how awesome it smells.

Basic Chemicals

• Borax - Good ol’ sodium borate, or Borax, is a salt of boric acid, commonly found in a white powder that dissolves in water. It’s relatively safe (some countries use it as a food additive), but like everything else we’ll talk about here, don’t go sticking it in your mouth.

• White Vinegar - Available in gallon jugs on the cheap, vinegar is a lovely liquid that is basically just acetic acid diluted in water. Ironically the funky-smelling juice is great for removing odors.

• Baking Soda - Sodium bicarbonate isn’t just for bread. It’s also handy for sucking up odors (although not when just left sitting, such as in a fridge). Mixing baking soda into a paste can make a nice scrub. (And it’s good for your stomach if you need a quick antacid.)

• Bleach - God’s own cleaner. Get it by the gallon.

• Dish soap - Get the cheapest, largest bottle of liquid soap you can find. I like the stuff that smells like grapefruit.

Earth Easy’s excellent selection of homemade non-toxic cleaning products has other, more task-specific options. You might also get ammonia, but I find I use vinegar for most tasks for which ammonia would be useful.

Basic Supplies

• ‘Round’ Steel Wool - Unlike the finer, spun steel wool, this stuff is more gentle on surfaces and won’t rust like regular, “bale” steel wool. It’s great for scrubbing dishes, pots/pans, stoves, ovens… damn near anything with crust on it. Just be careful not to scrub off any enamel or finishes, because it will scratch or chip it eventually. And never, ever use it on pans with nonstick coatings!

You can usually buy these suckers by the bag.

• Sponges with a “Scotch Pad” Scrubbing Side - You don’t have to get the name brands. In fact, as long as they seem sturdy enough to hold up to a good cleaning jag, get the cheapest ones you can afford. Sponges are havens of grime and disease and should usually be tossed out when you’re done with ‘em. (Or pop wet ones in the microwave for a couple of minutes to sterilize, emphasis on the “wet” if you want to avoid a fire.)

• Empty Spray Bottles - You’re going to be making your own cleaning sprays, but start out with a clean, new one to avoid strange chemistry mishaps from lingering puddles of previous cleaners. Note: bleach-based mixtures will, over time, corrode the rubber seals in the sprayer and it will stop working.

• Viva paper towels - Any paper towel will do, I guess, but Viva is one name brand that’s actually worth the slight premium. You can use them more than once and for everything.

• Rubber dishwashing gloves - For safety. Even though our chemicals are on the safe side, you don’t want your hands sitting in this stuff for long. Of course, you can ignore this advice to gain a manly patina of flaking, chapped skin.

Making Your Own Scrub Juices

We didn’t come up with all these on our own. We’ve excerpted our favorite and most commonly used concoctions from a variety of sources.

• “Easy Scrub”

3/4 cup baking soda 1/4 cup borax dishwashing liquid

Combine the baking soda and borax. Mix in enough dishwashing liquid to make a smooth paste. If you prefer a pleasant smell, add 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice to the paste.

via Almanac.com

• Window Cleaner

1/2 tsp liquid soap (detergent) 3 Tbsp. Vinegar 2 cups water 1 drop blue food coloring (optional)

Blend well and store in spray bottle.

via Stretcher.com

• General Purpose Cleaner

1 teaspoon borax 1/2 teaspoon washing soda 2 teaspoons vinegar 1/4 teaspoon dishwashing liquid 2 cups hot water

Combine all the ingredients. If you don’t have washing soda (generally found in the laundry section of supermarkets), use 1 teaspoon baking soda instead. For a more pleasant smell, use lemon juice instead of vinegar. Be sure to label the bottle accordingly.

via Almanac.com

• Spray-and-Leave Cleaner

1 tablespoon bleach
1 quart water

Simple but effective stuff, but not to be used on any surface that might be corroded by bleach. (Especially aluminum, I am disappointed to tell you.) Great stuff for cutting boards, countertops, and the like. Just spray on and let evaporate.

• Clorox Clean-Up Clone

Use the above recipe, but add a tablespoon of liquid dish soap. This might be the most commonly used solution in our house.

• Silver Cleaner

Aluminum foil
Baking soda
Salt
Very hot water (can be boiling if you like)

Combine the above ingredients in a clean kitchen sink. Put your tarnished silver and silver-plated items into the sink and let set for a few minutes. Watch as the tarnish disappears from the silverware and reappears on the foil. This is a natural chemical reaction, and a great way to teach the kids some science!

via 123Tips.net

• Toilet Bowl Cleaner

1 cup of vinegar left in the bowl overnight.

You’ll still need to scrub it, but hey, that’s what your ex-girlfriend’s clothes are for.

• Tile Cleaner

Baking soda in water to form a paste. Ponder the poor design of the elbow.

• Wood Polish

1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup lemon juice

Pour oil and lemon juice into a squirt bottle or jar. Stir to combine. To use, dip dust cloth or rag into oil, blot the oil by folding the cloth together, and then dust your furniture. Leaves a beautiful finish!

We haven’t actually used this one, but I am intrigued.

via Stretcher.com

• Mop Water

Per gallon of scalding water:
2 tablespoons bleach
2 tablespoons liquid dish soap

Of course, any time you use soap on a floor, you’ll need to do a second pass of hot water with no soap to prevent scum.