Sarah Aguirre, About.com / gleaned from Grandma Rosie @ Homesteadblogger.com

BAKING SODA: Works as a mild abrasive, helping to gently scrub things that need to be scrubbed, but not scratched. Baking soda also works well to remove smelly odors, making it a prime candidate for a bathroom & kitchen cleaner. Baking soda also works to removes stains & can be used to help soften laundry.

BORAX: is a laundry booster that can be used in a few different ways around the house. Borax is actually a natural mineral, but can be an irritant on skin & shouldn't be ingested. Borax can be used as a stain remover & a substitute for bleach. Borax can also be used to repel insects, although care should be used around pets & small children.

CASTILE SOAP: is an oil based soap that can be used to clean almost anything in your home. Diluted liquid castile soap can be used as an all-purpose cleaner. Liquid castile soap is an excellent degreaser.

CORN STARCH: can be used as a starching solution for clothing. Cornstarch also absorbs oils & greases, making it a great help in the laundry room or for stains on countertops.

ESSENTIAL OILS: Essential oils help add a pleasing scent to homemade cleaning solutions. Be careful when using essential oils. A little goes a long way. There are people w/high sensitivities to essential oil fragrances.

LEMON & LEMON JUICE: can be great for scrubbing copper bottom pots. The juice works to clean & shine the pans. Lemon juice is a natural bleach, especially when combined w/the sun. Lemon juice is a natural degreaser which comes in handy w/dishes.

SALT: is an abrasive solution for scrubbing. Use salt to get rid of rust & mildew. Salt also works to help polish copper & silver.

TOOTH PASTE: works as a very mild abrasive, similar to soft scrubbing gel solutions. Toothpaste can be used to clean silver. It can also be used to remove stains on white clothing, tennis shoes & in many other places where a light scrubbing is needed.

VINEGAR: can be used as a fabric softener in the rinse cycle of your washing machine. Vinegar makes a great all-purpose cleaner. Mopping w/vinegar is an inexpensive way to keep your floors clean. Vinegar is a great stain remover. Vinegar carefully combined w/baking soda, makes a great foaming toilet cleaner.

HYDROGEN PEROXIDE: can be used as a disinfectant. It also is one of the most effective blood stain removers.

NOTE: ***With all of these ingredients, BE CAREFUL about mixing cleaners together. Use new clean bottles. Follow storage guidelines for cleaners. Rinse thoroughly & always follow instructions.

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Posted by bookworm50

Hi, I saw that you were using Far Above Rubies and Training our Daughters to be keepers of the home with your girls. I have the Far Above Rubies and have been using it some with my daughter. I was just interested in knowing if your daughters are interested in college or being a wife and mother. I know they can be both but my daughter is in tenth grade and she is interested in being a wife and mother and does have a young man that is interested in marrying her in the future. The world tends to push toward college and as a christian mother I tend to think the Lord wants something diffrent for young ladies. If you could help me clarify in my mind which direction is the right way to go that would be a big help. Thanks, Belinda

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