Showing posts with label household tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label household tips. Show all posts

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Good Smells for the Home - Quick and Easy

Good Smells for the Home - Quick and Easy

Today I checked the orange tree in our backyard; pulled the most ripe citrus I could find. Better now than tomorrow, I figured. Because our local weather is predicting a Hard Frost warning tonight, 31 degrees F.
Snow is coming Friday and Saturday.
On my orange tree, I fear some of the top fruit I didn't get today could be bit; but there wasn't much time.
I might have to brave the ladder tomorrow and see what I can salvage.

Today, however, I was after the ripest sweet treats! Oranges are fantastic fruit for the cold weather- to ward off sniffles -and one of the best grab and go treats I can offer the family! 


Bringing in the oranges today sparked an old favorite whim- the smell of fresh orange and cinnamon! But I personally do not do well with commercial potpourri that is soaked in chemicals and heavy on perfumes. I prefer to go natural, and it is so easy to do! Also a huge money saver! Frugal Home Recipe ! Makes the whole house smell great!

Stovetop Potpourri
On the back of the stove, I cut up 2 oranges, and added water to fill the pan and 2+ cinnamon sticks- and set it to simmer. You can use ground cinnamon as well! The wonderful smell soon came from the kitchen! Inspiring! Inviting!  Wonderful! Yay! A Fall favorite anyone can do!
 It Took less than 2 minutes and I had simmering potpourri for the rest of the day! So easy!  Made the house smell fantastic! Loved it!
(Note: simmer the potpourri mixture, and check the water off and on all day, It will run out! Don't forget to check. Simply add more water if you need. Be sure to turn off if you leave, or head to bed!)

It can be done with any citrus! Oranges, Lemons, Limes!  And different spices! Anise, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, cinnamon! or Mint! Whatever combo strikes the inspiration in you! Even just the smell of simmering cinnamon can be a welcoming change! Try apples! Ahhhhh! Fantastic! Aromatic and romantic! and best yet- all natural.

Hope you might try it! But be careful! You might end up absolutely LOVING it!.


You might like the tips shared at:
Frugal Days Sustainable Ways #100





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( Disclaimer, the links above are affiliate links. Affiliate Links in no way affect your end price, there is no increase for you. But, they do help to support the cost of the blog. Thank you.)

Sunday, November 10, 2013

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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Wednesday, May 22, 2013

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


http://www.yourthrivingfamily.com/








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Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Going Nuts! for Coconut Oil!

Coconut Oil for cooking

oh wow- do I love coconut oil!!! Such an awesome wonderful surprise! I cannot sing it's praises enough!

 As a child and teen learning how to cook in the 80's, the new surge of bad, fake and over processed oils was dominating the market. Suddenly media went nuts over highly refined vegetable and Canola oils and margarine -all the products that made the big name businesses lots of money and never were really good for us anyway. 
I wish I had known then...what I know now! How many times have you said that?

I am still learning the benefits of coconut oil. It's crazy good for so many things, it's astounding! 
For cooking alone, it enhances flavor of foods! It doesn't chemically breakdown in the heat of the skillet as fast as other oils (heat stable), it doesn't hurt your body with bad fats, and it's super healthy.  Organic, unrefined cold-pressed coconut oil is higher in antioxidants than any other oil. It is known to boost metabolism, and helps provide greater energy which can lead to weight loss. It is known and proven to boost the body's immune system!

Coconut oil benefits include the fact that it's anti-bacterial, anti fungal, anti-microbial (which means it helps to fight infections)! It's anti inflammatory! It improves thyroid function! It helps with absorption of vitamins so your body takes in more of what it needs, particularly calcium and magnesium-- that means it's awesome for bone support! And new studies indicate it can help Alzheimer's stop symptoms! ( I loved learning this!!) 

There is so much more! You can cook with it just like you did all the other vegetable oils, and get all the added benefits you never got with them! And it tastes soooo awesome! You really do not get a heavy taste of coconut, at first there is a hint- but as it cooks with the food it seems to just enhance flavor of what you are cooking, not dominate it. You can fry, add to baked items, any recipe that calls for vegetable oil- you can use coconut oil!

I personally use either Coconut oil or Extra Virgin olive oil now for all my cooking. Olive oil for light cooking, coconut oil for rich flavors or to add flavor to more bland foods.  I will not buy anymore over processed vegetable oil, or canola oil ever again. It's a choice I feel very good about- a healthier choice for my family. The benefits are listed in the hundreds! At this time, I cannot begin to list them all, and I have not even touched on what it can do for your skin and beauty routine!  Do not be afraid to research the benefits! It is well worth it!




You can find Coconut oil sometimes at the grocery store in the organic section, at Whole Foods, Trader Joes, and Health Food stores. You can purchase it online at  Amazon, and Tropical Traditions




you can also find it here:


Mountain Rose Herbs. A Herbs, Health and Harmony C

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Bar Soap in the Bathroom

Bar Soap in the Bathroom


Going green isn't always easy.
In changing our household to a greener and less toxic environment, I'm using small baby steps. It has been a wonderful challenge for me.

I know the reasons I want to make a change- I've been doing the initial research and I have read the amount of chemicals used in commercial body products. So for me alone, the change is simple. To change the whole family can be a different issue.

Some steps have been met with resistance from my family members who adore certain favorite products. In particular, convincing my hubby to try new items is not always easy. He has used certain items, like say Lever bar soap, for so long he was convinced that's the only one he'd like. Coming home from work, that's what he wanted waiting in the shower. Period. Done.

Until one day, I just missed the fact he was out. Actually, I didn't do it on purpose. I'd already made a switch to Castile soaps for myself, but I missed restocking his. He had to try mine.

Now, changing bar soaps is NOT one of the problems. Yay! Kirk's Original Castile Soap won him over. It rinsed off easily, he felt squeaky clean, and it worked on it's own accord to convince him. I did nothing, except forget an item on the list. Yay!!

One fantastic change to improve everyone’s health and move to greener household is as simple as switching from Name brand bar soaps to Castile soaps. There are a huge variety of fabulous smelling natural soap bars out there that do the same work on your skin as the Name Brands, without exposing your skin to synthetic toxic chemicals and unnecessary animal fats. A few examples are: Kirks Castile Soaps, or Dr. Bronner's, or Dr. Wood's Castile Soaps. Plus there are many others not containing the extra chemicals, dyes, and fake fragrances.





Castile soaps obey the golden rule for your skin: If you do not recognize an ingredient, your body cannot recognize it either. They are made of 100% vegetable oils, and are vegan approved. You can even find Baby soaps in fragrance free varieties, perfect for the little ones in your life! Mild, gentle, and no toxins!

Castile soaps… Try this simple switch. Your skin will thank you; your body will thank you; and your family will be happier and healthier!





Our favorites are Kirk's Original Castile, and Dr. Bronner's Citrus Bar!



Monday, April 8, 2013

Cleaning tip: Kitchen Range Hood.



Ever had trouble deep cleaning the kitchen range hood? The old grease just laughs and stays no matter what you use? I found a secret… Oil. …Yup- oil!  Oil cleans up oil. Sounds crazy- but try it, dampen a cloth or the corner of your scrub sponge with a small amount of cooking oil, and coat a small test spot with oil… then walk away. Take a minute- let soak in and do it’s thing.  Just a few minutes, then test the spot, rub in small circles… you do have to rub- but you WILL see it move! The Oil dissolves/combines with the old caked-on greasy mess and then all of it (old and new) wipes away …. 

Amazing. Try the whole top of the hood. Soak it first, rub. Rinse the sponge in hot water in between. Re-dampen with fresh dot of oil.   After you’ve got off the old layer with the oil, Try the DIY  All-Purpose Cleaner to finish the hood off. Polish it to a shine without sticky greasy feel! No oil residue now. Clean hood, and smells lemon fresh!
 




Monday's "Find the House" Routine

"Find the House" 

... it's Monday. Even for me, this is a MONDAY!

After a weekend of everyone home, friends over, BBQ's, game time- what ever has occured... Monday is the time for me to "find the house". I try to take the weekends off too!  Doesn't work 100% of the time, but my normal cleaning routines are definitely disrupted! There's just something about getting the week started that can be a chore even for a SAHM like me. I am not certain about everyone, but the weekends are break time. Enjoying the family or friends and movies, outdoors, games, BBQ's, gardening,etc. Anything but cleaning the house!
And no matter what the reason- Mondays always seem to come back around. Haha!

Mondays, for my schedule, are usually filled with just trying to find my house after Hubby and the teens have relaxed all weekend too!

I used to be overwhelmed by it, until I discovered small baby steps go a long way.  Some of the simplist steps can make Monday a joy rather than a chore! My goal, as I say to my husband, is to "find the house" on Monday- not make it perfect pristine! Some may argue with me- but I consider it a step in the week- not a mountain to climb in one stretch! With Homeschooling my two boys, blogging, and writing; Baby steps are manageable and feel good at the end of each day.  They actually allow me to smile, rather than have a grudge against the day. So much nicer!  And the best part is having the smile when everyone else is a grump. They think I'm weird, but what's new. I can relax feeling accomplished tonight, and sleep well.
So, my baby steps are the a SD system I discovered by accident- I am a list maker, and when I'd write my liwt of things I wanted done in the day- I noticed quick I titled everything by S's or D's. LOL Just me- but here's how it kind of breaks down:

SD-DS,  break, SD- DS, break SD-DS!   Yay! 
What in the world does that mean? Okay:
__________
1. SD=Sheets/Dirty: This is laundry. In a nutshell. I start my day, everyday, by making the beds. On Monday mornings that means the full bed, I pull the sheets and pillowcases etc and get them to the laundry pile. Dirty: I have a dirty laundry basket in each bathroom that my boys and DH know to use- so I am never searching for dirty laundry. My simple house rule is: If it's not in the basket, it doesn't get washed. (They know full and well- there are no exceptions. It really Didn't take them long to figure that one out instead of arguing. If they didn't make it in time, they had to wash it themselves.) The major exception to this is the simple fact I have teens now, not little ones. When they were small I'd make a point of showing them, "Look dirty clothes go in the laundry basket". As they grew older and I'd slowly find less and less on the floor- they showed me when they were ready for it to be a golden rule by their actions of maturity. It worked, and it's been our rule for many years.
Sorry! Got sidetracked - so our beds are made, sheets and dirty laundry collected now-the key of "D" - dirty is start the laundry- I always have a load going before I sit down for coffee.

I hate nothing more than loads and loads of laundry piling up becoming a monster chore- this knocks the feet right out from under the potential monster chore and just get's it started. The hardest part of any chore is the start!

DS= Dump/Swipe: This is Trash and Bathrooms. DUMP: that's easy - all Trash- I gather all bags lining my trash cans in the entire house and take them all the way out to the trash. Easy, done, and gone! no questions- gone- outta here!  Hint: I keep an extra bag in the bottom of each can to replace the taken one- it's easy and right where I need it.   Swipe:  I walk in the bathroom, pour small amount of baking soda into sink and toilet and grab the toilet brush and swipe it clean. Then I take my scrub sponge (always have one under the sink) and swipe the sink clean. (Hint! A Mr. Clean magic eraser works wonders here!)  After rinsing, I swipe down the counter and check for any major disasters to swipe. Usually it's not too bad.  (Remember- Monday is "Find the House Day - my goal is to get it to a manageable spot- heavy cleaning happens in spurts during the rest of the week.)

NOW I take a break! House already is starting to come together! Coffee or glass of lemon water!
Before I start back in I run to the laundry, start next load, and get the dryer going.

2. SD=Soak/ Dishes: Whether you have a dishwasher, or do them by hand- this means Dishes. Stack and swish (rinse them) and get them in the dishwasher and turn it on; or stack, soak and wash those dishes to drying. Nothing feels better to a Mom who needs to be in control of her house than a clean and shining sink! If you really think about it- it does not take that long to do, it is usually more of a grudge chore if they have sat too long and piled up. Get it done. Drain the sink. I always pour a dab of baking soda in the bottom, and as an added bonus, I drop a few drops of lemon juice on it to paste up and I swipe the sink shiny- smells fantastic as I'm doing it and benefits the drain as well- no lingering smells.

DS=Dust/ Sweep (or Swiffer). Let's get up the sneezes! Grab your swiffer, or your cloth and polish, and Dust the important areas! Living room, tables , desks, entertainment center, whatever- just dust! get it gone! That's all you are doing right this minute- just dust!
 Sweep= All floors in whole house that are hard - linoleum, tile, wood- usually entry, kitchen and bathrooms.  Whether I sweep or swiffer -I judge this by the day- if it's been an outdoor weekend and a lot of yard got trudged into my house- like dirt, mud, lawn, grass- I sweep AND swiffer.  I have a lot of hard wood floors in my house and I can see a film easily if the dust dirt has accumulated- I do both. Either way- the floor looks better after this! :) Yay!


NOW I take a break! The House REALLY is starting to come together! And starting to Shine! Hmmmm smell... YAY! Almost there! And it's still morning!
Before I start back in I run to the laundry, start next load and get the dryer going.

3. SD= Square up! This, simply, is Finshing the laundry. S=Square up means folding - pulling from the dryer and folding. square corners, and with this I never ever put clean laundry back into dirty hamper- I take it straight to the room it belongs to- the boys clothes gets stacked at the foot of their beds for them to put away. I put away my own in my room of course- but everyone's clean squared up laundry is in the right room and looks good. Squared away- under control. And D= Dinner- What's for dinner tonight? If you menu plan, take time to look at what you have and design the list for the week. If you don't , decide at least what's for tonight and either pull it to thaw if frozen, or start what needs to happen if it's a slow cook meal. Like, for example: Stick a roast in the slow cooker- and get it going. (I love slow cooker meals on a Monday! Awesome set and forget it for a while slow cooker meals are wonderful on the one day of the week that might feel more hectic or crazy- they usually end up being a comfort food meal everyone enjoys!)

 DS=Dents/ Smell:   Dents or  i.e. Vacuum marks. My son noticed them when he was little, and I had to agree. Early on when my boys were little I cleaned the church we went to. My son pointed out one day, "When you see the dents you know it's clean!" and I had to agree. I vacuum purposely backwards in each room, always ending at the door, just because of this now. I want to see the "dents". I want my family, or visitors, to walk in to the fresh room and realize no one has walked in since it was cleaned. It's a nice thing ...subtle, but true.   
Smell- This is a joy, smell. Your house will already smell better by now- no trash, no old dishes, no teenage dirty socks, etc. But if there is anything remaining- for example- the cat box, do it now. Smells be gone! LOL Whatever they are! Finish off with lighting a candle, or getting your aromatherapy diffuser going, or set some cinnamon and orange peels in a pot on the stove to simmer- create the smell, and enjoy-


4. YAY! You "found your house!" Smile! :)
       Smile :D     -Done :)  Yay!

This may not seem like a "frugal" routine, but once you get the hang of it it is a wonderful time saver for the week- getting a grip on the house, and finding what is manageable for you, allows you to schedule more and not have monster grudge pileups of laundry or dishes that make it harder for you later. 
Hope this helps!




Friday, April 5, 2013

Static! Eliminate Dryer Sheets!

Static! UGH!!!!

  Do you hate static from the dryer? I certainly do! I seem to always live in areas prone to static! UGH! Haha! :)
I have an aversion to dryer sheets. The smell alone from the chemical scents of commercial dryer sheets drives my allergies batty! The chemicals alone are what I am trying to avoid anyway, as I learn more about green cleaning. There are a few easy easy remedies that do not cost much at all! (Yay! Green and Frugal! Double bonus!)

1.  First, and foremost, to address the static alone- use aluminum foil. I take a square of my kitchen foil, loosely ball it in my hand and throw it in to the dryer with my wet clothes. When the load is finished, (I have never had anything from it come off on the clothes) and it removes the static build up. The balls are always in a tightly compacted ball when they come out- but it works! No noxious smell, no chemical residue, no STATIC!!!!!!! Win win! Easy, simple, frugal, and green. Yay!




 2. The second remedy is Vinegar. To add 1/2 cup white vinegar to your rinse cycle. It acts like a fabric softener. The best part is: it does it naturally, and the smell of vinegar evaporates off. Wonderful!  Your clothes come out softer, and you have done it naturally! Safer for environment - no toxic waste water, and better for your family and budget! Yay!






My Mix Laundry Soap



My Mix Laundry Soap. Yay!!
  Okay, it’s not homemade in the sense I got lye soap, a cauldron and bubbled and burbled my own concoction- haha!  but it’s my MIX, and it’s really good, lasts longer, and is a fraction of the cost of name brand laundry soaps! It’s more natural in ingredients than most name brands, and less offensive on the perfumey chemical trail. Plus, I do not have any allergic reaction to it! YAY!

  I have found I can make: 1 trip to the grocery store, spend about $39, use up about an hour of prep and mixing, and in the end, have an effective, and extremely good smelling laundry soap that is amazingly only a fraction of the cost of my old store bought brand.


You will need:

Ingredients:
1 (4 lb) 20 Mule Team Borax
3 (1lb) boxes of Baking soda  (for homemade Washing soda***) or 1(3 lb) Box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (***make your own, as I  did; directions at the end- by using 3 boxes of Baking Soda)
1 (3 lb) Container of OxyClean
2 (14 oz) Bars of Zote Soap
4 (1 lb) Boxes of Baking Soda
3 (28 oz) Bottle of Purex Crystals Fabric Softener (100% optional!) There are 3 scents offered by Purex Crystals, use whichever one you prefer- or leave this out to eliminate the fragrance altogether.

Supplies: 1 large bucket, clean, dry inside, with lid; 1 cheese grater and old mixing bowl, wood spoon, and 1baking sheet if making washing soda.


Step 1
 Grate the soap! Grate into a large mixing bowl. The grated Zote soap dissolves just fine, even in cold water;  but,  the finer the pieces- the faster it dissolves, so using a small grater is best. When you finish grating, the hardest part is over – now it’s just time to mix.
 
Step 2: Mix in the bucket!
I used a large bucket and poured the ingredients in segments. I took a small amount of each and layered it on top of each other, then I grabbed a large wood mixing spoon, and mixed it together each time.  My husband helped with this, I poured -while he mixed. We do this outside on the back porch, as it does pouf clouds of powder easily as you pour and mix. Go slow and less pouf will occur.  Pouring it in in segments just made it easier to completely mix.


To USE: 
 You only need 1-2 Tablespoons per load depending on the size! I just recycled/reused the Oxy Clean container. I had it available after all was poured in,  and it's so easy to refill as needed!   I just scoop my mixture right back into the now empty tub, and wahh-lahh, my detergent has a perfect container! YAY!!!! The Oxy clean scoop says 1,2,3,4, right on the side! Perfect to sit on your laundry room shelf! I have found the scoop filled to the line 2 is enough for my large capacity load! The Purex crystal bottles work great, too, especially if you are sharing! 

Note: because this laundry mix is low suds, it IS safe for HE washers.

Try to keep the remaining bucket mixture in a dry/cool location. To store the remaining mix,   I recycled one of my husband's 5 gal buckets from the garage, cleaned it out, and now store the remaining laundry soap in it! Sits perfect in the dry storage area in the garage, ready for refills.
 
  As with  most of these DIY posts, I am not the originator. Although all words & pictures are mine, the original recipe and concept was not.  I originally found this DIY Laundry Soap mix recipe by author Jen, from DIY Diaries. On this site: http://www.howdoesshe.com/cheaper-and-better-diy-laundry-detergent/
.


**Washing Soda
The original recipe I found for this detergent, called for Super Washing Soda- and I couldn’t find it in the area I live in. :( Ugh. However, I did some more research and found you can actually make Washing Soda- DIY -at home, on your own.

It turns out Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda is Sodium Carbonate.which you can easily change from Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda) using one key item- HEAT. The heat evaporates off the "Bi" of bicarbonate creating Sodium Carbonate.
 
So, Heat your oven up to 400-475° F. Pour the 4 boxes of Baking soda onto cooking sheets and bake for at least 1 hour. Each time you check it, stir it a bit to ensure all is changing. When I did, I noticed a "poof" of what appeared to be steam rising off the baking soda. After one hour, the “steam” was gone. (The ‘poof like steam’ is the water and carbon dioxide evaporating off)

Take it out of the oven, and let it completely cool. Once cooled, it’s ready to use in the laundry mix. (Note: Although Baking Soda is naturally safe to eat- sodium carbonate (Washing Soda) is NOT safe to consume- so take care in the kitchen to not spill, or wipe away from any surfaces that might touch your food later. And clearly label any jars or canisters you use when storing it. It's a fantastic cleaner! Just don't store it beside your regular baking soda.)

When making my laundry soap, I set the baking soda in the oven first, then went outside and started grating the Zote Soap. By the time I finished grating, dealing with the kids, taking a bathroom break, etc… about an hour was over, and all I had to do was let it cool while I gathered the supplies, bucket, and prepared to mix.

Done! Homemade laundry soap that cleans bright, doesn’t fade my colors, and smells fantastic! All for $39. For me this recipe lasts about 7-8 months- sometimes longer. Saving me mega amounts on my budget.  (Well over $100!) Super frugal, super smart and great results! It is worth the time taken once every 7-8 months.








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Disclaimer: Affiliate Links in no way affect your end price, there is no increase for you. But, they do help to support the cost of the blog. Thank you.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

DIY All Purpose Cleaner

DIY All-Purpose Cleaner


I got left with a mess when my boys decided to cook, so I am using my homemade all purpose cleaner to wipe it away! This stuff is fantastic and smells too good! I am such a fan of lemon essential oil, not only does it smell bright and full of energy, I understand it's anti bacterial too! It is now a vital part of my cleaning!

I was left with this:



Before
I used my DIY all-purpose cleaner, and now I am cooking on this! Nice! (Starting a small batch of applesauce and using the peelings to make pectin for jelly later, ;) Yay! )
After: 


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!

No extra chemicals, no noxious fumes, works fantastic and leaves my kitchen or whatever I clean smelling lemon fresh! I do not recommend it on painted surfaces as washing soda can remove paint- however, works like a charm on my kitchen counters, stove, oven, sink,  dishwasher and refrigerator surfaces, and in the bathroom sinks, tub and toilet! Great stuff and so easy to make! One batch cleans the house plus some!





Notes:
*Use a marker and be sure to CLEARLY label your bottle.  Do not swallow or leave within reach of little ones.Although this is safer than most commercial brands with no fumes involved, borax and washing soda are not edible items and still pose a danger to young ones.
** Use at your own risk. Recipe for DIY cleaner can be found on various internet DIY sites as a greener alternate to industrial strength cleaners. I do not claim sole ownership of recipe, or any rights there of. I am Simply sharing a useful recipe that can help others turn to greener clean.









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Disclaimer: Affiliate Links in no way affect your end price, there is no increase for you. But, they do help to support the cost of the blog. Thank you.