10 Money Saving and Eco-Friendly Cleaning Tips That Cost Less Than $1.00 | Gardening Nude. Readers' Wise Tips for Using Borax. DIY Suds. Update: If using a HE washer, our readers have suggested throwing the mix directly into the wash load, rather than the soap dispenser. Please read through the comments for more Q&As, as you have all been so wonderful to share your experiences! And if you’re looking for even more information on our DIY suds, see our sudsy update to this post, right here.
The last time I purchased laundry soap, I threw a fit in the cleaning aisle and spent the drive home moaning over the high coast of detergent. I always knew I was thrifty, but even that took me by surprise. First mentioned here (whew, I was on a rant that day), I decided to heck with it all, and I went and did something about it. I kid you not, the steps are even easier than getting in your car, driving to the store, and buying the 3 ingredients.
While we could’ve left the mixture in the tupperware, I spruced up the display by using an on-hand Ball jar instead. Ooh, and here are some random mentionables. Lemon Sugar Hand Scrub {for Mom} {oil cleansing method} Ladies… this is the best thing i have ever done for my face. several different friends had told me about it some time ago, so once i finished my face wash {because thats how i do things. i can't bear to throw things away - if you can, i actually envy you...} i gave it a try. & am totally hooked. here is the thing, though. you may need to have a little patience. because there are different combinations & oils you can use depending on your skin type. so bear with me here... You can find castor oil at the pharmacy section in your grocery store. I didn't think to look there, so I ordered mine online here.
You can also use several different types of oils, too {see. this is where the experimenting comes in} such as: -olive oil -coconut oil -sunflower seed oil -jojoba oil really, i think you could at least start off with whatever you have. okay - but before i say anything else. you might be freaking out that i am telling you to use oil on your face! I'm still trying to figure out exactly what i like best. How to make your own deodorant. My weekend of celebrating with the folks was excellent. And sure enough, my mom (known to many of you as Grandma G) embarked on a DIY deodorant project. She came across someone selling homemade deodorant nearly a year ago, tried it out, and found that it actually kept stinkiness away better than store brands. Plus most popular brands of deodorant contain aluminum, so if you can avoid stuffing metal into your pores, that seems like a good idea. After using a few types of natural deodorants and figuring out which ingredients she prefers, Mum decided to make her own.
Here's the recipe we arrived at this weekend. Ingredients:1/4 cup baking soda ($1.19 for a box)1/4 cup arrowroot powder ($5.99 for 20 oz.)4 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil ($6.00 for 15 oz.)10 drops/shakes grapefruit essential oil ($9.99 for 0.5 oz.)A tin or jar with lid In a bowl, stir together dry ingredients, then add oils gradually until you like the consistency, mixing with a fork.
From Grandma G:"IT WORKS! Super Simple Homemade Air Freshener. Baking soda naturally absorbs odours, so why not take advantage of that to create simple, inexpensive air fresheners? Here's how: Use a hammer and and a nail to poke holes in the lid of a small canning jar. (The heart is a nice touch, but clearly not necessary) Fill the jar about 1/4 full with baking soda Add 6-8 drops of lavender essential oil Put lid on and place in any spot that could use some freshening.
I've made several, and I use them in my linen closet, under my kitchen sink (which is where the stinky garbage can is) and in the bathroom. This powder is also useful for removing odours from carpets and upholstery. You could, of course, substitute your favorite essential oil for the lavender. NOTE: As with any cleaning product (even the reasonably safe and friendly ones), keep out of reach of children and pets.
Coconut Honey Body Scrub. Coconut Honey Body Scrubby Carolyn Root ½ cup honey 1 cup sugar 2 Tablespoons virgin coconut oil Mix all of the above ingredients right before you’re ready to shower. Apply in circular motions after washing body. Rinse. I found coconut oil in the baking section of my store around the other oils (I've even heard you can find it in the pharmacy section). I had to really look though, and I’ve never seen coconut oil before I needed it! If 2 tablespoons seems like too much, you can leave it at one, but this oil is creamier than traditional oil, so it feels less "oily".
This left my skin feeling really smooth and soft. About the Author:Carolyn Root is the oldest daughter of Crystal Miller. You can visit Carolyn’s website, Simply Natural Skin here: Back to:Homestead CraftsHOME. Gardener's Soap. Thank you for visiting Little House in the Suburbs. Please subscribe and you'll get great simple living tips and how-to articles delivered to your inbox, for free! The theme for this month’s Giveaway is gardening. I wanted to include a homemade soap for the gardener and came up with this one. It’s handmilled from my base soap of olive, coconut and castor oils and superfatted with almond butter for a bit of extra conditioning. Gardener’s Soapmakes one huge 8+ oz. bar or two regular bars 8 oz. grated soap1 T. oatflour (whir oatmeal in blender or coffee grinder)1 tsp. almond butter (or other conditioning fat)1 tsp. essential oil (a blend of eucalyptus, citronella, catnip, cedarwood, et al.)
Melt the soap using your preferred method. It was like adding color to homemade playdough, but it all blended in eventually. Smush the soap-dough into the mold. Because gardening= LUUV. Fennel and Fern &124; Blog &124; Repelling aphids with lemon ... I love using home-spun potions in my garden. They’re cheaper than sprays from the garden centre, and they are normally far better for the ecosystem in the garden as well.
This cheeky little lemon spray will send the pesky aphids in your garden running for the hills. I picked this idea up from Tom Brown, the head gardener at Parham, who sprays all the plants in his potager with citrus juice and garlic. The citrus kills off aphids, while the garlic repels slugs, and discourages any aphids from crawling back again. Here’s how to make it: Ingredients 2 large lemons 3 cloves of garlic 1 tablespoon of crushed chillis 1.2 litres of boiling water 1. 2. 3. I tend to use natural insecticides like this as a last resort. I’m so glad that I’ve made this spray as the blackfly infestation on some of my broad bean plants was getting out of hand.
Bathtearecipes. Bath Tea Recipes Using bath teas are gaining popularity as a new relaxed bathing experience! The idea behind them is to combine certain herbs that can be simmered and steeped for about 15 minutes and then add these to your bath water. The herbs can be combined for relaxation, revitalization, calming herbs, etc. You put your herbs in a small bag, made from cheesecloth or they can even just be put right in the water and then strained through cheesecloth before being added to the bath tub.
The herbs should be boiled and then covered and left to steep for about 15 minutes. If you are real rushed for time you can put them in a coffee filter in your coffee maker and run water through them. They don’t get quite the steeping time but the aromatic effects would be very useful as well. Here are some recipes for bath teas that you can prepare and store in a container to use as often as you would like a nice refreshing bath. Herb Tea for Relaxation Soft and Relaxing Bath Tea Mix Back to: Welcome this is a farmhouse. Homemade Household Cleaners. Homemade Household Cleaners There is a lot of reasons why making your own household cleaners is a good idea.
I have read a lot of information on the dangers of common store bought cleaners. The list of dangers seems to encompass everything from breathing toxic fumes, the harmful effects of the cleaners on your skin to some cleaners being carcinogenic. Aside from the health concerns there is also a financial consideration. You can make many of your own household cleaners utilizing some very basic and common ingredients. There are some household cleaners that are basic simple recipes.
If you are wondering what this list of “basic ingredients” are, I will show you: Baking Soda Vinegar Rubbing Alcohol Washing Soda (can be found near laundry detergent in most stores) Borax (also near the laundry section) Mild Dish Detergent How do you use these ingredient to clean you house, you may be wondering? Floor Cleaners Homemade Floor Cleaner 1 cup white vinegar 1 gallon warm water Wood Floor Cleaner 2T vinegar.
Delightful country cookin: homemade air freshener. "Don't you get fresh with me, ya hear! " Oh, I love it when adults (especially grandparents) say that to little kids. What does it mean exactly? Does it mean we'd rather children get dirty with us? Haha...who knows? Today, I'm going to ask you to actually get fresh with me. This kitchen craft project is too fun and too easy not to try. I digress. I was roaming around on Tasty Kitchen one day when I came across a recipe for homemade air freshener. To make these little beauties, you first need a heat-proof jars (I found mine for $0.99 each at Michael's), food coloring colors of your choice, and essential oil.
Into each jar, drop a few drops (I repeat...a few...it doesn't take more than 2 or 3) of food coloring. Now for the fun part. Why salt? Get one cup of water boiling on the stove. Then, pour in the other cup of cold water and the salt, stirring until the salt is dissolved. Let these gel overnight, and then voila! To recap, here's the full ingredient list:
Cleaning Products. 10 Homemade Laundry Soap Detergent Recipes. Here is a nice stack of different recipes for making homemade laundry detergent that I’ve collected over the years. Do they work? Yes, I’ve had good luck with them. At the time I was using them, we had a relative who was in trade school living with us. Every day he was mechanic grease from head to toe–the clothes still cleaned up nice! Making your own is a discipline and it’s not for everyone, but it definitely saves money–sometimes just costing pennies a load! For the bar soaps required in the recipes, you could try Fels-Naptha, Ivory, Sunlight, Kirk’s Hardwater Castile, and Zote. Here are ten different recipes you can try, I’ve also added a very useful Frequently Asked Questions section at the bottom of the page. 1 quart Water (boiling) 2 cups Bar soap (grated) 2 cups Borax 2 cups Washing Soda Add finely grated bar soap to the boiling water and stir until soap is melted.
Hot water 1 cup Washing Soda 1/2 cup Borax 1 Soap bar Grate the bar and add to a large saucepan with hot water. Ugh! Homemade Toothpaste, Mouthwash & Teeth Whiteners. Here’s an assortment of ideas for making homemade toothpaste plus a couple tips for DIY teeth whiteners (those are found at the bottom of the page). If you’re looking for ways to save money or use more natural ingredients than most commercial products offer, there’s surely something here that will suit your needs. I’ve moved the mouthwash recipes to this page (just a couple so far). A Few Quick Tips: Cut open an empty (used) tube, clean out the inside then scoop mixture into it. First up, here’s a quick & easy paste to try: 1 tsp baking soda1/4 tsp hydrogen peroxide Directions: Mix together before using. I’ve listed a dozen different ideas below that I’ve handpicked from around the ‘net with each having something different to offer. Thriftysoaper.blogspot.ca The Best: Xylitol, salt, liquid glycerine and EO (such as cinnamon).
Simple (Video): 1/4 cup vegetable glycerin, 1/4 cup bicarb, 10 to 15 drops peppermint EO (food grade). youtube.com frugalgranola.com organicauthority.com kholistic.com Fruity.