Cleaning Recipes

Here are the basic ingredients I use to make all my cleaners. (I also use lemon, but it is optional) All these ingredients are inexpensive and eco-friendly. The washing soda may be the only one that is more difficult to find. I get mine at Ace Hardware, but other hardware and drug stores also carry the product.




Laundry Detergent:
(many detergent recipes use the same ingredients, but with different amounts and ratios to water....find what works best for your laundry)

1/2 Cup Borax
1/2 Cup Washing Soda
1 Bar Soap grated with a cheese grater (I use FelsNaptha laundry bar)
1-2 Gallons of water

Boil Water and add grated soap. After soap is melted, add borax and washing soda. Stir until dissolved. Pour liquid into bucket or container and let cool for 24 hours. Finished product will be lumpy-liquid. Shake before each use. Use 1/2 cup per load.
Depending on your water (hard or soft) and your laundry needs, you may need to use anywhere from 1-2 gallons of water. Less water will result in a more concentrated detergent that requires less detergent per load.
This website has helpful tips when making your soap: http://tipnut.com/10-homemade-laundry-soap-detergent-recipes/

All-Purpose Cleaner

This makes about 2 cups of formula, and it works really well cleaning dirt and grime.

•1/2 teaspoon baking soda or washing soda
•2 teaspoons borax
•1/2 teaspoon liquid soap or detergent
•2 cups hot water

Combine all the ingredients and the water into a spray bottle. Shake well. The washing soda or baking soda makes this formula a great grease cutter.

All-Purpose Cleaner

• 2 cups Vinegar
• 1 tsp Washing Soda or Baking Soda
• 2 tsp Borax
• 5 cups Water
• Squirt of Lemon

Floor Cleaner

• 1/4 c Dish Soap
• 2 c Vinegar
• 1/4 c Lemon Juice (optional)
• 6 c Water

This doesn't leave a residue and creates a nice shine. It also doesn't take much effort to cut through the grease.

For Toilets and Sinks
Salt and Baking Soda are wonderful for sinks and toilets. As you clean, it also deodorizes.

For Tough Stains in the Tub
Cut one lemon in half, sprinkle with salt, and use this to scrub. The salt acts as an abrasive, and the lemon cuts through scum.

Carpet Deodorizer

• 1 Cup Baking Soda
• 10 Drops Essential Oil (optional)

Mix together and sprinkle on carpet. Leave for 1 hour, then vacuum up.
I have not purchased commercial cleaners for quite some time, and it has saved me hundreds of dollars. I also love that my surfaces are safe for my children and pets.
Stay tuned next Wednesday when I will be featuring bread recipes and freezer meal recipes!

Neighbor Gift Poem

Remember this post about making scour pads for dishes?? If you pair it with a dish towel, here's a great little poem you can use as a neighbor/teacher gift:

This Christmas you deserve the very best-

a present unlike all the rest.

I considered a new car or exotic cruise,

but decided on something you could really USE.

Finally I found a gift you would admire:

I hope you enjoy your new washer and dryer!

Inexpensive Gift Idea and Tutorial

Dish scrubbies are incredibly useful and so easy to make! Unlike sponges, they do not harbor bacteria. When you are done scrubbing your dishes, give it a once over, or just pop it in the dishwasher. These work great on counter tops and stoves too!

My grandmother gives them to neighbors as gifts every year, and they are all so excited to receive them. I think if she ever stopped doing it, she'd have a stampede at her door.
Materials Needed:
Nylon netting
Scissors
Large Crochet Hook
First, cut the nylon into a long strip. I make my strip a little over an inch. This does not need to be exactly measured. When I'm cutting my strip, and I get to a corner, I just turn and keep on cutting.

Next, chain 4 and connect into a circle. After that, just single crochet in the circle until you get the desired size. When working the middle, you'll need to put 3 single crochets in each spot. Around the outside, you can cut back to 2. Basically just put enough stitches in to make it lay flat.

And voila! An incredibly useful item for dirt cheap! These take me about 10-20 minutes each to make, but a good project to do while watching wonderful Christmas movies.

If you want, you can attach them to a little thing of dish soap and attach a clever poem. Any ideas on the clever poem part?

I'm retarded, so here's a cool trick!

I really need to get into this new blogging thing. I was running errands around Provo today- trips to areas with stores are a big deal when you live in Millard County- and I totally spaced that it was my day to post.

SO... no jewelry/accessory post this week, but I do have a very handy tip for you. And I promise this works. My mom did daycare for years with off white carpet and she never had stains on her carpet (until my little brother tipped over a gallon of blue paint and swam on it in the living room when he was a baby)!

If your kids, husband, or heaven forbid, you spill a drink on the carpet, whatever you do, DON'T try to soak it up with a rag (other than water of course). Once you push it down into the pad it is set for life. Instead, take a container of normal table salt and pour it on the wet spot. When I say container, I mean it! It may take the whole thing. You have to keep pouring until no more wet stuff seeps up through the salt. Then, and this is the difficult part if you have little kids, let it sit there as undisturbed as possible until it dries. Once it is dry (I try to let it sit for a full 24 hours) all you have to do is vacuum it up, and TA-DA! It's gone! I swear it works- cool-aid, rootbeer, tampico, the options are endless. The only exception is something like grape juice that stains on contact. I can't help you there.

You'll all have to try it next time you have a spill and let me know what you think. I seriously think this little tidbit is knowledge that all moms should just be born with, but alas it's not- so spread the word!!!