Tried and True - I have used it for a year

Last year I participated in the 31 Days challenge over at The Nester.  I had a lot of fun gathering information for everyone and I even tried a few things myself.  But I have to admit there is only one thing that I tried myself last year that I am still using today.

Can you guess which one it might be?

If you have read the series you will see that there are a lot of neat DIY 'recipes' posted and billions more online for you to find but I wanted to update you on the one thing I use and will never stop using.  It's the DIY Dryer Sheets Method 1.  I went to the local thrift store and bought a couple of baby receiving blankets and cut them up to use as my dryer sheets.

We have only purchased ONE bottle of Fabric Softener in a year and we still have lots left.  I personally use one home made sheet for 20 washes and then re-soak and use again.  The only thing we found to be a negative was that when my son would do laundry, he would always take my dryer sheet home with him, and we would never see it again lol.  So now we don't let him use them LOL .  See only one negative and I fixed it.

Here is my latest load with the dryer sheet.  It looks dirty but remember that it is used about 20 times and then washed and we do the whole process over again.

Have any of you tried this?  If so what did you think and are you still using it?  It saves us  tons of money each year.  If you have not tried this yet, please do, it really does work, we never have static cling and like I said we do use each 'sheet' approximately 20 times before moving onto the next one.  

Shampoo and Conditioner

Today is the last day of Homemade Solutions.  I have had a lot of fun and I hope that you all enjoy these recipes and learn to make things for your home that you know all the ingredients of to help purify our lives of unknown ingredients all around our home.

So back today… today I will be offering a couple ideas for homemade shampoo and conditioners.

Shampoo:

I have found that a lot of people online are using a baking soda shampoo.  Due be aware that people say it does take your hair a while to get used to the change but eventually it is said to work and you only need to wash a couple times a week.

1 tbsp. baking soda

1 cup warm water

Mix both ingredients well and shampoo your hair.

Next shampoo recipe:

1 cup pure liquid castile soap

1 cup green tea (brewed for 30 minutes)

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. honey

Use as is.

Conditioner:

This is another recipe that many are using.  It consists of an ingredient we all can find in our supermarkets.  It is said to also aid with tangles.

Dilute 1 tbsp. of apple cider vinegar to a cup of water. 

We even have shampoo and conditioner combos we can make:

1/2 cup Organic castile soap (liquid)

1 tbsp. Apple cider vinegar

3/4 tbsp. Tea tree oil, Vitamin E oil, Olive oil (chose either a combination or just one)

Drops of essential oils: lavender, eucalyptus, etc. (optional)

1/8 cup of water

1 container

Combine ingredients together.  Rub thoroughly into hair to activate suds and then scrub scalp.  This shampoo/conditioner combination is more liquid than standard hair products.  You could use this in a spray bottle to apply if you would like.

To know if this is working properly, your hair will more oiled.  This is a good option for those with dandruff.

Another Conditioner:

2.5 cups hot water

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 sprig of rosemary

1 bag of your favorite herbal tea for fragrance

Place the water in a container of your choice.  Then, add the rest of the ingredients.  Let the mix sit for 30 minutes.  Use about 3/4 cup of the rinse each time you condition, shaking bottle prior to use.

Another recipe for 2 in 1:

Blend one fresh peeled lemon with one peeled cucumber in the blender and pour out into a jug.  Mix into your hair, massaging well, and rinse thoroughly.

Cucumber: conditioner agent

• For dry hair add more cucumber

Lemon: Cleansing agent

• For oily hair add more lemon

(it can be difficult to wash it out properly.  The tiny flakes of lemon can get stuck in your hair)

Have you ever tried to make homemade shampoo and conditioner?  Do you have a favorite or new recipe?  Please let us know what you think of these.

Thanks for stopping by,

Kylara

Disappearing Water Rings

I am sure  most of us have come across this problem in their lifetime.  My mother is very OCD with cleaning and as a child I didn't really think before I did things and I know that I have left rings in my wake.  But it doesn't mean that the furniture piece is ruined.

First thing you need to do is determine if the furniture piece is an antique.  If it is, please call an antique specialist.  Also call if the water rings have turned from white to black.

There are a multitude of suggestions online on methods to clean this nasty stain off our furniture but the most popular and successful methods is the following.

First go grab your iron and a clean cloth.  Place the cloth upon the stain and once your iron is heated (low heat, no steam setting) place the iron on your cloth for a few seconds.  Be careful to not let any of the heated surface of your iron to touch the wood directly.  The low heat will warm the finish on the furniture to release the moisture into the towel. 

Be sure to check the progress of the water ring removal and repeat the ironing process until the mark has disappeared.  Finish by polishing and buffing the wood furniture as normal.

This method is by far the most popular and the most successfully used.  I hope that you will be able to use this tip in the future.   Have you tried to remove water rings on your furniture before?  What method did you use?  Have you tried the above tip before, if so please let us know how it worked.

Unclog your home..the cheap way

I'm sure you have all had your drains clogged at some point.  If you go to the grocery store to get a product to help you clean your drains, you will notice that 1) they are quite expensive and 2) Each store bought drain cleaner  is full of strong chemicals some of which we have no knowledge of.  Commercial drain cleaners are among the most dangerous of household cleaners.

• They can be fatal if swallowed

• Can damage your skin such as burns to the outside of your body as well as tissues inside your body
• It can cause blindness if the product gets directly in your eyes
• They are very harmful to our environment
• Store bought solvent based cleaners can contaminate drinking water and damage septic systems

What if you are strapped for cash?  Well below you will find some information about homemade drain cleaners and you probably have the ingredients already in your pantry. 

When using home methods to clean our clogs, one method that people are using, I must warn you about.  You need to avoid cleaning your pipes by blowing a large amount of air through them to dislodge the clog.  This will most likely result in burst pipes so I warn you NOT to do this for any reason.

This homemade cleaner is very basic and easy to make and only consists of 3 ingredients.

1 cup of baking soda

1 cup of vinegar

Boiling water

     Toss in 1 cup of baking soda, and pour down a cup of vinegar, and put your stopper in the drain and let it sit for 30 minutes.  Remove stopper and pour a kettle of hot water on top.  Double the recipe amounts  and give it an hour then dump more kettles of boiling water (2-3 times) to completely clear out the gunk.

The following is a monthly preventative measure you can use to prevent a build up in your drains.

     Once a month you should do some easy maintenance on your drains by adding 1 part baking soda, 1 part salt and 1/4 part cream of tartar.    Doing monthly clears out any fat, grease and nastiness that buildup to help prevent clogs.

• Pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup of this mixture into the drain and dump a kettle full of boiling water down the drain

• Run hot water from the tap for a couple of minutes, and then turn to cool water and run a few more minutes

Hopefully this will help you save money in your home on drain products and plumbers.  Have you ever tried this on your drains?  If so did it clear your drains out well?  Do you prefer to use products that you know what all the ingredients are?

Carpet cleaning the homemade way...

I have 2 dogs at home, and there are times that they leave me tracks upon my carpets or furniture on wet days.  It doesn't happen as often anymore but when it does I just hate to use those strong smelling cleansers every time.  Although I personally like the smell of clean, but not a heavy scent.

Below you will find recipes for steam cleaning, spot removal and deodorizing formulas. 

Steam Cleaning Solutions

1. Combine equal parts of warm water with white distilled vinegar.  Add 1 tsp. of liquid castile soap and mix thoroughly.

2. Mix together 1/4 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup liquid homemade laundry soap or bought laundry soap, and 1 gallon of water and add to carpet cleaner.  

Spot Removal

1. You can use the exact same formula as 1. in the steam cleaning section but place it into a spray bottle.

2. For tough stains, create a paste of 1/4 cup borax, 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar and 1/4 cup salt.  Rub into the stain and leave until dry.  Vacuum it up when thoroughly dry.

3. Add 1 tsp. clear liquid dishwashing detergent to 1 cup of warm water.  Pour into a spray bottle and spray it on a damp rag and wipe stain.

Carpet Deodorizer

1. Sprinkle baking soda on the carpet and leave overnight, then vacuum it up the next morning.  Baking soda absorbs odor.

2. Mix 2 cups baking soda, 10 drops of favorite essential oil.  Sprinkle over carpet and let sit for 30-60 minutes.  Vacuum.

Hopefully you enjoy the recipes and your carpets are safe from future spills/messes .

Do you use homemade carpet products?  What are your favorite must have recipes?

Shine and Scrub… Bathroom Cleaners

Bathrooms are one of those rooms that I avoid.  With my disability it is super hard for me to get on the floor to clean them and things that are low.  But alas the bathrooms have to be cleaned regardless.   The one thing that I do love is the smell of 'clean'.  I enjoy Mr. clean, bleach, and lemon scented cleaners.  I want my home to smell that clean.

I have not tried the following recipe, but I will soon as I gather all of the ingredients.  But one thing I will be taking note of is if it still smells 'clean'

1/2 cup baking soda

1/2 cup washing soda

1/2 cup liquid castile soap

25 drops of tea tree essential oil

10 drops of lemon essential oil

10 drops of peppermint essential oil

2 tbsp. white vinegar which is optional (yes, another instance of the power of vinegar)

Mix the baking soda, washing soda, and liquid soap in a medium container until its pasty and mushy.  Add the essential oils and mix thoroughly.  If you choose to add the vinegar, be aware that the soda will make it fizz a little, so don’t worry.

To use:

• Scoop out a little on a sponge or cloth and scrub away

Here is another recipe

1/4 cup of baking soda

1/8 cup lemon juice

1/8 cup of fine sea salt

2 tbsp. liquid castile soap or dish washing soap (optional)

Enough white vinegar to make a paste

Mix ingredients together well and scrub away.  This is a one time use product, unless you wish to store the cleaner inside you fridge.  If the latter is the case then please feel free to increase the recipe amounts.

NOTE:  Please make sure to test the solution first in a small space to make sure it doesn't scuff your surface due to the sea salt.

Easy Peasy Bathroom Cleaner

12 ounces of white vinegar

12 ounces of liquid Dawn dishwasher detergent

Heat vinegar until hot and pour into a squirt bottle.  Add the dawn soap.  Place lid onto the bottle and gently shake.  Use cleaner, for tough soap scum build up, please spray the mixture on and allow it to site as long as overnight.  Then scrub and rinse.

Here is a very different version.

1 tsp. borax

2 cups hot boiled water

1/2 tsp. liquid dish washing soap

3 tbsp. white vinegar

15 drops of Lavender essential oil

10 drops Eucalyptus essential oil

5 drops of Tea Tree oil

Pour the water into a large glass pitcher with a spout.  Add the borax and stir until it is dissolved completely.  Let the mixture cool to room temperature and then pour it into a spray bottle.  Add the remaining ingredients.

To use:

• Spray onto bathroom surfaces, then wipe with clean cloth or sponge.
• Rinse

As a side note:

When you get up in the morning and get yourselves ready for the day, give your toilet a quick swish with the cleaner, and wipe down the horizontal surfaces with a cleaning wipe. 

This makes it easier to maintain, and also it polishes the room in case you have an unexpected visitor during the day.  It should only add tops 2 minutes to your morning schedule.

Have you used a homemade bathroom cleaner?  Do you prefer general bathroom cleaners or do you prefer to use cleaners specific to each area of your room such as a specific toilet cleaner, and a bathtub cleaner?  If you try these recipes out I would love for you to come back and let me know about your experience and which you prefer.

Thanks for stopping by,

Kylara

P.S.     I am finally all caught up with my posts.  LOL  It only took a week but I made it.

Caring for one of our precious appliances.. the washing machine

There are commercial cleaners now a days that will clean our washing machines.  I have used one and never noticed a difference, but that’s not to say it didn't do anything.

If you think about it, all the grime that comes off of our clothes has to go somewhere doesn't it?  If you are a visual person like me , you just got really grossed out LOL. 

But there is some things we can do to help our washing machines.

Here is how to clean your washing machine.

• Fill the washer with HOT water and add 1 quart of bleach (no detergent)

And let the machine agitate for a minute.  Then let the bleach sit in the machine for about one hour

• Allow the washer to run through the longest wash/spin cycle available.

• Immediately fill the washer with HOT water and then add 1 quart of white vinegar.  Let this agitate for a minute and again let it sit for an hour

By using both of these cleaners, you will rid your washing machine of bacteria, soap scum, and mineral deposits.  If you live in an area where you have hard water, this process should be done approximately ever three months.  Every single washer should be cleaned at least 2 times a year.

I hope this helps.  Let me know if you have used this or other homemade washing clean cleaners and how you liked it.   Isn't it amazing all the benefits of vinegar.  What an amazing cleaner….but kind of makes me worry about using it on my food LOL

Thanks for stopping by,

Kylara

No more spots!!!

Today's topic is about Jet Dry and rinsing your dishes.

I only have one alternative for you on this subject rather than purchasing one.  It is something most of us already have in our pantry.

I know a lot of you will probably be aware of this trick but just in case someone comes by and doesn't know I thought I would just make a short post about it.

The solution?

Yep your right!

VINEGAR  of the white variety.  Just fill your rinse agent container with vinegar.  No need to fill this daily as most dishwashers have an indicator to tell you when you need to fill up the reservoir.

Very cheap on the pocket book and it works amazingly.

Thanks for stopping by,

Kylara

Dazzling Dish Detergent Day

Unfortunately, dishes are one of those never-ending, monotonous chores that most of us hate.  Now a days, most homes have dishwashers.  The soaps for these are quite expensive, but most do not know there are options to buying dish detergent from stores.

Here is a great recipe, please note that I have not tried this myself yet.  I need to see where I can buy castile soap in my area.

Ingredients:

2 cups vegetable-based castile soap

1/2 cup water

3 drops of essential oil of your choice

Vinegar (for rinse)

A plastic bottle

Mix the first three ingredients in the bottle and shake well.   Using 2 tbsp. per load.  Use the vinegar in your rinse compartment.  Run dishwasher as normal.

You can adjust the amount of detergent by 1 tbsp. if you are not satisfied with the results.

****Remember to shake each time before using****

Another version

Ingredients:

• 1 cup baking soda
• 1/3 cup citric acid

• 1/3 cup coarse salt

• 10-15 drops of citrus essential oil  *orange, grapefruit, or lemon oils have great cleaning/antibacterial properties)
• Homemade Citrus Vinegar Cleaner

• Squeeze juice out of 6 grapefruits/8 oranges/12 limes or lemons

• Place leftover rinds into a glass jar

• Pour white vinegar over top of the rinds till they are all covered

• Place the lid on and let it sit for 2 weeks

• Remove rinds, strain liquid through a sieve, and store in glass jar.
• Use diluted 1:1 water to citrus vinegar in a spray bottle as a cleanser

Mix first 3 ingredients well in airtight container.  Add essential oil of your choice and mix again.  Fill your rinse aid compartment with undiluted citrus vinegar mixture.

Use 1 tbsp. detergent for average loads and 2 tbsp. detergent for extra greasy, dirty loads.

If you do use either of these recipes please let me know how they do for you.  Also if you have a different recipe or other tips please comment below.

Thanks for stopping by,

Kylara

To spray or not... LCD Cleaner

LCD's are very sensitive to everything and markup easily.  One of the first things I was told when I got my first is that I was to NEVER spray the screen with a glass cleaner because it is very easy to scratches.

Rather than buying into the expensive LCD Cleaner solutions available.  Below is the proper method and precautions before cleaning the surface.  This method should also be used to clean HDTV, projection TV, and Plasma's.

The days of just wiping the screen are over.  You must be very gentle and never put pressure directly on the screen, even with your hand. 

Find a soft cloth , preferably cotton or microfiber.  Do NOT use tissue paper, toilet paper, or bath towels/cloth as these will scratch your monitor as well.

Turn your screen off so you can see any marks on the surface.

You will need:	Distilled Water
	Vinegar

Dilute the vinegar with the distilled water at a ratio of 1 to 1.  Then spray solution onto your cloth.  Never spray any liquid or cleaner directly on your screen.  Wipe the screen in one direction from top to bottom.

How do you clean your screens?  Have you tried this solution or do you buy cleaners?  Do you know of any other tips our readers show know about?   Please leave me some comments below and let me know.

Thanks for stopping b y,

Kylara

Ewwwy.....Goooey.....Gone!!!!!

***This is a homemade mason jar I made myself.  Please do not save, alter or distribute my work without asking.  It is copyright to myself.***

Goo Gone has been a wild product that everyone has heard about or owned at one point.  I find that it is a product we need in our home.   Parents, pet owners, house  owners, crafters, carpenters… the list can go on and on with examples of people who should have this on hand.

I also love to create things at home instead of purchasing the expensive versions if it is easy to replicate.

The following recipes are suggestions, but all the research I did , it appeared all of the different oils listed below work just as well as the others.

Equal parts Coconut Oil/Vegetable Oil/Extra Virgin Olive Oil/Tea Tree Oil/Eucalyptus Oil and baking soda.  Some of the variations also included an essential oil for clean odor.

Stir together until paste is formed.  Then using a paper towel/cloth/fingers apply the paste to your object that has adhesive on it.  Work mixture into adhesive until it releases from the object, wash off with soap and warm water.

Another option I have heard about is using orange essential oil on its own, yet a very expensive method.  Another person suggested using WD-40.

Have you tried any of the above methods to remove your goo?  What do you recommend?

Ta Da...the Goo is Gone!

Thanks for stopping by,

Kylara

Tips for Cleaning Burnt Pots and Pans

Cooking pots and pans these days are expensive.  So you want to preserve them the best you can.  But even I have thrown something out because it was so caked on that I could no longer clean them.  I am hoping some of these ideas will help me and also you in taking care of our kitchen necessities.

I will be linking up to some tips I have found online for you.  Print these and place in your kitchens or household manuals so you have them when you need them.

Group Recipes

Apartment Therapy

Living On a Dime

Cookware Life Tips

Readers Digest

How do you clean your pots and pans?  Do you have a favorite tip or recipe?  Let us know if you have tried any of the above methods and how they worked for you.

Thanks for stopping by,

Kylara

Wax on, Wax Off...Furniture Polish

Hope you are all having an amazing Saturday.  I have always used pledge on my surfaces when I dust, I love the scent and the results.  But I knew there had to be a greener method so I went on a search to find you some recipes to help with your dusting/polishing.

Some of the benefits to using homemade polish are:

1. Inexpensive
2. Chemical-Free

3. No fragrance to irritate allergies

4. Environmentally-friendly

Tips:  Do not reuse spray bottles that have contained other chemicals.  Shake the bottle each use to recombine the ingredients.  Cheap olive oil works just as well as the more expensive grades.  Smaller batches can be made, if you prefer to use fresh polish each time you dust as long as you maintain the ratio in the recipe.

1. This is a pretty simple recipe.  Only 2 ingredients, so it will be quick to prepare. 

Combine equal parts white vinegar and lemon juice in a bowl or spray bottle.  Using a clean cloth rub a small amount of the polish onto your furniture.  Then wipe dry with clean dry cloth.

2. 1 cup of olive oil

1/2 cup of lemon juice

Combine olive oil and lemon juice.  Use as mentioned in method 1.

3. 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar (use white vinegar for light woods)

2 tbsp. jojoba oil (you can submit with olive oil, but jojoba has a longer shelf life)

3-5 drops of Lavender essential oil ( I would image you could use any scent of essential oil that you prefer.  I am definitely not a floral scent person, I much prefer baking smells LOL but that is just my preference)

Combine all ingredients in a jar and shake well to blend, dip the corner of your rag in the polish and rub into the wood furniture.  Please test a small section of the table first to make sure that it doesn't stain the wood.  After polishing, rub everything down with a clean dry rag to remove excess polish.

That is it for todays frugal homemade solutions.  If you try one of these recipes, I would love to hear back from you on what your opinions are with how these turn out. 

Do you use polish or just water to dust in your house and why? 

Thank you so much for stopping by,

Kylara

31 days of Homemade Solutions - Day 1

In this day and age, there are so many people jumping on the 'Green' bandwagon and for good reason.  Our world is fragile right now and we have to take steps to change how we live so we can cherish the world we live in.

I chose to bring you 31 days of Homemade Solutions that are made from scratch.  These are awesome 'recipes' to kick start your green living.  A lot of these solutions have been around for years.  I think that the world we live in now a days is all about convenience.  We buy foods that are preserved and prepared cause they are convenient and take less time.    We buy beauty products cause its an immediate gratification to just open a bottle and use it.  We all know that there is NEVER enough time in the day, for us to do everything we want to get accomplished.  But by taking a few extra minutes, you will probably get an even better result, it is good for the planet, and it is cheaper in the long run.

So to begin our great series we are going to talk about homemade cleaning wipes.  Wipes are always expensive, because of their convenience and a lot of people are willing to pay for that convenience.  But there are others who choose to make it themselves and others who need to budget and this is a great solution.  Whatever reason you have, these are easy and work great.

You will need the following ingredients.

1 cup water

1 cup vinegar

1 Good roll of Paper Towel

1 essential oil (this is up to each individual as to what oil you want, it is to simply mask the vinegar smell, something like lavender would work)

A few drops of dish soap

1 container (the container you use is up to you.  It could be an empty baby wipe container, it could be a Tupperware or plastic container with seal tight lid)

1. Using a serrated knife cut down the paper towel roll in half or to the size you need for your container.  Please measure what size you need in the container so you will be sure it will fit once cut.  The ends will be a bit messy but not to worry.

2. Pour the ingredients into the container you are using, adding a couple drops of the oil of your choosing and a few drops of the dish soap.

3. Gently mix the solution.

4. Now its time to remove the cardboard roll inside the paper towel, you may need to wiggle it a bit to get it started.

5. Place your precut towels into the solution and attach the lid tightly.  Turn the container over so that the towels in the middle will soak up some of the solution.

6. Once the towels are saturated turn it right side up and they are ready to use.

See how easy that was?  I know that at this moment with G without work for almost a year now we need these easy do it yourself solutions to help make ends meet.  I love the convenience of having cleaning wipes around.  It is so easy to grab and wipe down the counter in a jiffy, and they are safe for your kids to use to clean up after themselves too.

Have you ever made this?  If so did you do it this way or another way?  If you  made them differently please comment and let the readers know of other options.  I hope this works for you and if you choose to make these, feel free to stop on by and tell me what you think of them.

Thanks for stopping by,

Kylara

PS.  Below will be the links to the 31 Days whole series for you to easily read each post.

 Day 1 - Homemade Cleaning Wipes
 Day 2 - Homemade Dryer Sheets
 Day 3 - Homemade Facial Masks
 Day 4 - Homemade Air Fresheners
 Day 5 - Homemade Sand Dough
 Day 6 - Homemade Furniture Polish
 Day 7 - Homemade Hand Cream
 Day 8 - Cleaning Burnt Pots and Pans
 Day 9 - Homemade Body Spray
Day 10 - Homemade Make-up Remover
Day 11 - Homemade Modge Podge (Glossy and Matte)
Day 12 - Homemade Lotion Bars
Day 13 - Non Toxic/Edible Glitter
Day 14 - Goo Gone Recipe
Day 15 - LCD Screen Cleaner
Day 16 -Dish Detergent
Day 17 - Face Scrubs
Day 18 - Dishwasher Rinse Agent
Day 19 - Washing Machine Cleaner
Day 20 - Bathroom Cleaner
Day 21 - Foot Scrub
Day 22 - Contouring Bronzer
Day 23 - Carpet Cleaners
Day 24 - Various Bath Recipes
Day 25 - Hand Lotions
Day 26 - Bath Cookies
Day 27 - Cream Eyeshadow
Day 28 - Drain Cleaner
Day 29 - Fixing Water Rings on Wooden Furniture
Day 30 - Body Oils
Day 31 - Shampoo and Conditioner