I use cleaning product I make myself. I make enough lye soap to last a year, using it for all washing, from body and dishes to walls and clothing.

Use the recipe on the lye can. Be sure you follow it to the letter. You are dealing with caustic soda. It will eat plastic and aluminum, and will erode the finish off the newer granite pans. When mixed with water it gets very, very hot and will shatter glass.

I dissolve shaved lye soap in hot water. To one gallon of this liquid soap I add one small bottle of dishwashing liquid detergent (Palmolive). If you like it to be lemony, add a few drops of lemon oil. Want it colored? Add a few drops of green food coloring. I store this in a gallon jug and refill my bottle as needed.

For wall washing
1/4 cup baking soda
1 cup clear ammonia
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 gallon hot water

I have used this for many years. It will clean the dirtiest of dirt, except for built-up grease. It doesn't sound like it would do anything, but try it once and you will use it always.

Remember: Never mix bleach and ammonia. And label your batches of these cleaning supplies.

Window cleaner
2 tablespoons ammonia
1 teaspoon dish detergent
1 pint rubbing alcohol
4 drops blue food coloring (optional)
1 gallon hot water

If you don't want to go to all that hassle, vinegar or ammonia in water will do. I don't think you can beat the ammonia. Dry with newspapers and your windows will shine.

Woodwork
1/2 cup liquid lye soap
1 gallon hot water

Homemade lye soap seems to adapt to the older woodwork in some homes, as well as old furniture. Wash, rinse, and let dry. Don't ever soak wood.

Rugs and upholstery
1 bar Ivory soap
1 quart hot water
Sponge

Work the soap and water in with a sponge, just like you do with the name brand rug and upholstery shampoos. Grandma's Persian rugs were always cleaned this way.

Drawers/closets
For musty trunks, drawers and closets, a bunch of fresh mint placed in a nylon knee hose, hung to dry and left in place will do wonders. If you have no mint, wash with vinegar or baking soda.

Gas ovens
Pour ammonia into a bowl. Soak a cleaning rag well and go over the inside of the oven. Shut the door and wait until morning to finish. The ammonia fumes and pilot light will do the work for you. Just wipe with clean water and most everything will come off.

Refrigerator/deep freeze
I turn it off the night before and get things melting. Remove the food into a wash tub lined with crumpled newspaper and cover it with a blanket. As I remove the food I check the dates, and put all the old stuff on the bottom shelves. I use baking soda water to clean my freezer and refrigerator. The refrigerator gets this treatment once a month.

Water pipes
Yes, I clean my pipes. This takes at least 24 hours, so it's best done when you go on vacation. When you're ready to go and the family is in the car, pour one cup of white vinegar into each drain. Go on your trip and forget about it.

When you return, turn on the hot water and rinse out the drains.

**You also need to feed your septic system. Mix one package of dry yeast in one cup of warm sugar water. Stir and pour in drain. If you are a bread baker, once a year will suffice, as you feed the septic tank each time you wash up after making bread. I have followed this procedure for 30 years. I have only called a plumber once and that was to replace a sink drain trap.

Now your housecleaning is done. If you have tired muscles from all that work, try some soothing rosemary water. Simmer a bit of rosemary, covered, in one cup of water for about 10 minutes. Strain, cool, and add one cup of cider vinegar. Keep it in a glass bottle in the cupboard and you can bathe those tired muscles over and over.

Now brew up some nice herbal tea and relax, while figuring out how much you saved by using your homestead cleaning supplies that didn't hurt the environment.