Oh, How I love DIY All-Purpose Lemon Cleaner!

 DIY All Purpose Cleaner

After a lapse in my routine, and exposure to commercial cleaners for 3 months, I am falling in love with natural cleaners all over again!  Oh, how I missed the sweet fresh smells- the aroma of essential oils- and the nontoxic clean!!!!!!! It just does not compare- really!  

Today was a shining example-  the task of cleaning the stove top and mainly the oven. I hate cleaning an oven- sorry no excuses - just stating a fact- I hate cleaning ovens. Awkward and the worst tough grease ever. People I know scream, "Easy Off!"  I respond with a resounding, "Noooooooo!"
 A former employer of mine would spray it without care- noxious fumes a flying! It was horrible- I won't go that route. Ever.

I made a batch of fresh DIY All Purpose Cleanser, and while the formula was still hot in temp I turned right around and sprayed down my oven! The worst thing that happened in my house is my husband asking-"Did you peel an orange?" (I'd added orange essential oil to this particular mix as well as lemon essential oil.) The result? My oven is shining! and I finished with ease in less than a half hour- that's with complete wipedown inside and out.

The best part- I saved a small fortune making a very effective cleanser, using basic safe ingredients already in the house.  I do not have a headache from fumes, my family isn't running from the house because of the horrible cleaners smell,  no one was exposed unnecessarily to toxic ingredients, and it's clean! So clean I want to bake! I am heading for the store now- Haha!  

All Purpose DIY Lemon Cleaner 

1 tsp washing soda
2 tsp Borax
1/2 tsp liquid soap (Castile soap or dish soap)
2 c hot water
10-20 drops lemon essential oil
pour into recycled spray bottle, cap and shake until dissolved. spray on surface and wipe away!* Works wonders on stoves, and counter tops!

Knowing I was cleaning the oven I added about 5 drops orange essential oil- just because it smelled so good. I was wanting the citrus smell! LOL

I have posted this mix before- I am just resinging the praises due to our personal lapse. You can find my original post at this recipe here: DIY All Purpose Cleaner





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DIY Glass Cleaner

DIY Glass Cleaner   

The blue stuff.... ugh....
millions of gallons of the blue stuff are sold daily- all just because the mass market media says it's what you should use to clean your windows. But.... do you HAVE to use the blue stuff?
NO.
Did you know the blue stuff contains: Ammonia, 2 Hexoxyethanol, Ammonium Hydroxide, Mirapol Surf S-210, Viden EGM, Sodium C14-17 Sec-Alkyl Sulfonat, and Synthetic Fragrances.

Not green. Not safe. More like a toxic concoction of mess.
Don't know what some of these are? Neither does your body, or the earth, or your pets, or your family. Like I have explained before in posts- if an ingredient listed on an item is non-pronounceable, non-recognizable to you- it most likely is non recognizable to your body! Toxic chemicals, when sprayed, go into the air you breathe, and soak into your skin on your hands that you touch. They are either inhaled or soaked in, and are dangerous either way to your health. They leave a toxic chem-trail behind that can affect you.

Many things clean glass.
Many things clean glass well: and are safe, effective, non-toxic, and GREEN.

Like what might you ask?  I'll address the 2 most common, that you most likely already have on your shelves: Hydrogen peroxide, and or - Vinegar.

Hydrogen Peroxide -

Did you know the nozzle to a standard spray mist bottle will fit directly onto a peroxide bottle? So perfectly convenient-  no mess no fuss?

Hydrogen peroxide as a glass cleaner?
Oh yes! And much more!
Hydrogen peroxide is cheap! And not only does it save money, it is Antibacterial, Antifungal, Kills mold, Kills mildew. It is a natural  disinfectant!!!!! Kills house hold germs and prevents spreading of germs due to common colds and flu!  My first grab if someone has been sick.

You can clean far more than your windows with it!
You can clean glass, counter tops, sinks, and other hard surfaces. Use the three percent solution undiluted in a spray bottle and spray it on the surface to be cleaned. Allow it to stand for several minutes and then wipe it off.
Hard surfaces that can be cleaned with hydrogen peroxide are: counter tops, stove tops, appliances, mirrors, windows, showers, shower doors. bathtubs, sinks, toilets, garbage cans, walls, door frames, door knobs, etc etc.

My favorite use for a bottle of peroxide is in the kitchen. It is the perfect disinfectant for my cutting boards! Wash the cutting board off in the sink. Then Spray on Hydrogen Peroxide, wait 10 minutes, and wipe away. This eliminates all bacteria from meats & raw foods and disinfects your cutting board! No cross contamination! Yay!

Vinegar

White Vinegar is incredible.
For DIY Glass Cleaner:  A 50/50 solution of water and vinegar in a spray bottle is all you need for glass cleaning! Spray on, wipe dry. It works! No streaks! Removes dirt, finger prints, and other grime that can build up. All natural, no toxins.
If gunk is built up on the glass surface you can apply vinegar undiluted and remove nearly anything. (An example for me was the bird poop that was graciously left on my car window the other day- by the time I got to it, it was dry and permanently stuck on....ugh...until that is I applied the vinegar! Yay! Gone in seconds!)

Vinegar is the best household cleaner! It cleans, disinfects, is anti fungal, antibacterial, eliminates mold and mildew, kills most household germs, and it's cheap! Making it extremely frugal for house cleaning!

Make Homemade Wipes with vinegar- these will clean your glass, windows, tubs tiles, counter tops, stove tops sinks, walls, doors. door knobs, shower- (oh! in the shower! get rid of mold and mildew with vinegar too!)


You can mop with vinegar solution as well! Shine those tile or linoleum floors! Safe and effective!


Here is my mirror after vinegar- see no streaks! Just clean clear shine. Yay!







Between these 2 cleaners- you can nearly clean your entire house! Frugal, and very GREEN cleaning!





Shared with, and you may also like the DIY Links on:

Make Your Own Monday Link Up

Homestead Barn Hop #115

Frugal Days Sustainable Ways #77








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Brilliant!!!! DIY Natural Homemade Wipes

DIY Natural- Homemade Wipes

I do not jump...
Simply put.
"Jump!" is not in my vocabulary. Seriously...whew-  It takes a whole lot to make me jump! And I rarely find anything on the internet while doing my research that makes me jump.

BUT!!!!!
Leave it to my cyber green mentors at DIY Natural .com - Matt and Betsy Jabs- to get me off my bum and actually JUMP!
And I did... I was so excited!  (I'm becoming such a crunchy geek-haha!)
!jump! Yay!
 I jumped up, left the computer on the blog page, and grabbed what I needed and made it -without thinking twice!

Homemade Wipes! Disinfecting wipes to clean everything! To replace disposable cleaning wipes- to replace costly, constantly needed disposable cleaning wipes with green reusable, disinfecting all natural wipes!!!!

Why didn't I think of that!? Oh, I wish I had thought of that! Oh, wow!!!!! Amazing!!!!!!!Yay!!!!

 DIY Natural just posted an answer- completely green, reusable, and awesome!!!!!!

Homemade Wipes

Get excited, jump up, and go over to their site and read how to make your own!

It works! And the whole kitchen smells clean! ( I'm going to make another for the bathroom! Perfect for wiping down the tile, the sink! the shelves! Yay!!) I just tossed the rags in the laundry when I was done! So easy!
If  I am writing a review; I'd have to honestly say- this should be every person's first step in green cleaning!

So easy! A+ idea! A+ blog post!  Go!

Go now! and celebrate!
http://www.diynatural.com/homemade-wipes/


Thank You so much, Betsy Jabs!!!!! You rock!

DIY (Fake Comet) Cleaner

"Honey! Where's the comet?!"

My Hubby had to do some clean up last night... I handed him my DIY cleaner - fake comet version- he glanced and didn't say a word. The look was enough- a kind of  'well, if I have to'...a glare that says it all. I left with a grin. :D...no worries!

He later told me it worked fine! By his standards, that's a huge compliment. I knew it would- I'd already used it for a while! But for him- it was new. LOL
It's simple to make-

DIY (Fake Comet) Cleaner

I reused/re-purposed a shaker  bottle and added to it
1 part baking soda
1 part borax
1 part salt
1 part washing soda

and I shook it to mix.
Sprinkle it on what you have to scrub just like you do comet. Take a damp sponge or scrubber, and watch the stains go away. Rinse well.
 Works wonders on the tub and toilet! Love it! Whitens, brightens, grime is gone, cuts grease and residue, without bleach alternatives and extra chemicals.
 No noxious smell. The baking soda naturally deodorizes, borax and washing soda cut grease and residues and whitens, and the salt acts as abrasive- it's a win win.
 That's it. Done. Can't get much simpler. DIY. Effective. Frugal. Green cleaning. No noxious smells. Just clean.
Yay! 

This post is also shared in: (And You might also like what you find on:)

Homestead Barn Hop #114 

Frugal Days Sustainable Ways #73











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DIY Homemade Dish Soap

DIY Homemade Dish Soap

Dish soap is so cheap, and so easy to grab, and just too easy...why would I replace dish soap?

Many reasons, actually.
It touches your skin- one of your most important organs on your body.
It touches the dishes you cook and eat off of.
It goes down the drain and flows back through the system, eventually retouching the earth we come from and live off of.
All Three very good reasons to consider using a product with far less toxic chemicals in it. Think green.
Green cleaning is so easy, it is even cost effective if your are on a tight budget.  It is also so much better for your family in the long run!

To make Homemade Dish Soap

you need a mixing bowl, a small sauce pan to boil water in, a grater and a whisk.
2 cups water
1 tbsp. borax
1 tbsp. grated Castile soap bar. (I use Kirk's Castile Original, but any Castile bar will work. Dr. Bronner's Citrus is excellent!) 
Essential oils (lemon is my favorite- but you can also use tea tree oil for antibacterial, or any combination you prefer! Lemon and Lavender is wonderful! So is orange and lemon for a bright energetic citrus smell of fresh and clean!)

Boil the 2 cups of water in sauce pan.
In bowl combine both the borax and grated bar soap
pour boiling water over the soap mixture and whisk until the soap dissolves.
Now let it rest. As it cools it will gel up.
Let it completely cool for a couple hours. 4-6 actually depending on your house's temp.
Add essential oils, if you choose to,  at the very last step.
Pour into recycled/ reused dish soap bottle and use as you normally would for dishes.

Note: This is not intended for dishwashers-just in the sink dish-washing.