Posted in Make your own household cleaners
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Now don’t get me wrong, 409 is an awesome product. But if you have read my previous posts on the subject of making my own cleaners (you can read that by clickinghere) I really want to find something I can make myself. I have two easy & cheap recipes here.
The first one only requires two ingredients
The advantage to this recipe is that wiping down your countertops with this each night actually deters ants from coming around! The disadvantage I had was my hubby could just not stand the smell. This recipe is the one I use now all of the time and use the above to wipe down the countertops on occasion to deter the ants. I personally think this one works better on stains like Kool-aid & stuff, my buddy swears by the above recipe.
Now some people I know add some essential oils. That is great but my problem is I have not been able to find any stores around me that carry it. While I can order it online, by the time you add in shipping it is just not cost efficient for me to buy it. |
Posted in Make your own household cleaners
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I don’t know about in your house but cleaning the microwave is messy business. We have been blessed to get a super huge microwave when we were married. This thing is large enough to put a turkey in it; literally. Anyway, I am sure you go through the same thing I do. Put off cleaning it until it is just so disgusting that if someone came over you would be embarrassed beyond belief. Melted butter, bits of meat that exploded during reheating, left over chicken stock that boiled over, bits of green beans that took flight, are just a few of the items adorning our microwave at any given time. I spray the 409 and let it soak. Many times I forget about it and go do something else. I come back with something to heat up, open the door and moan. Now, I have to spray again and get it done. Then the 409 runs down the inside of the door and leaks a greasy mess on the counter and floor. I have to scrub hard to get the inside clean and I generally have to respray on average of 5 times.
I have two ways that are quick & easy. Take one of these two mixtures
Microwave the baking soda one for 5 min, the vinegar until it boils. No matter which method you use, let set for about a min. You should be able to simply wipe your microwave clean with a damp paper towel or sponge. If you have some stuck on food that has been there since Carter was President, you may have to repeat or scrub a little harder. |
Posted in Make your own household cleaners
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Do you have something with that sticky, yucky gunk left behind by a price label or maybe you found a great deal at a yard sale on some baking pans and some moron wrote the price on it with a wax pencil, or maybe you have been cutting up laminated stuff for school and you have that residue left on your scissors that make it hard to cut. I have a great cheap trick for you.
This actually comes from Wilton Industries. All of you cake decorators will recognize this company. They manufacture some of the best and the most items for the cake baking & decorating industry. I had a pan that a buddy picked up for me at a yard sale that the owner had written the price on it with a wax crayon. I didn’t want to damage the surface by scrubbing it so I contacted They suggested Lemon extract on a paper towel and wipe. It worked like a charm. I kid you not! As a matter of fact, it worked so well I tried it out in other places. It cleaned the gunk off my scissors, it took the gunk off a peanut butter jar that I needed for a science experiment. And it has a much better scent than the Goo Gone and really worked better. (I caution against using real lemon juice because it can ruin the nonstick finish on a baking pan) |
Posted in Make your own household cleaners
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For those of you blessed enough to have one of these, you know how expensive the detergent (even the store brand) can be. I have a recipe to make your own Cascade. Now I must caution you at this point. Sometimes homemade cleaners can cause damage to certain models. I do not see how this could because of the two ingredients however I felt the need to put in a disclaimer so no one can sue my butt off (not that you would get much anyway because I really do not have much) Check with your manufacturer.
Ok, legal stuff done. Also, your glasses will not be as sparkling as if you used the expensive stuff; but really, as long as they are clean I could really care less about impressing the Queen when she comes to dinner. Automatic dishwashing detergent 2 Tablespoons baking soda 2 Tablespoons Borax. (this is found in the same isle of the grocery store as Cheer or Tide. You will generally find this on the top or bottom shelves for about $2 for a large box) Mix & divide between the two wash cups in your machine
since posting: I have found that if you pour a little white vinegar (1/2 c or so) in the bottom of the machine during the rinse cycle that the dishes will come out sparkly. |
Posted in Make your own household cleaners
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Ok, now before anyone accuses me of being a tree hugger, I am not an extreme environmentalist. In other words, I believe we as humans are suppose to be here and that we are more important than a bug or fish or rat. I do believe that this world is a gift from God and while we are suppose to use it we are also instructed to care for it; but do you not normally take great care with a great gift.
I have decided to add a new category to my site; Make your own Household Cleaners . I wanted to learn how to make my own for three main reasons: 1) Safer for my kids. It suddenly occurred to me one day that every time I spray the table with 409 I have the kids move because I do not want them to inhale the chemicals. Now how much sense does that make? 2) Making your own can be a lot cheaper. The main ingredients are white vinegar (please no one tell the council man from TX so I will not be accused of being racist), baking soda & Borax (this is a powder laundry detergent found with the Tide & Cheer at the grocery stores) I will add more as I post things but this will get you going for $6. My requirement for this is that it has to start saving me money NOW, not in the long run. 3) These are soooo much better for the environment. Plus, you can save the spray containers; clean them out and reuse them. So in the coming months I will be posting different recipes for making your own cleaners from automatic dishwashing powder to 409 to Windex. I am testing them all first. Most of what I have come from these two books available from Amazon.com here and here. I, however found these at my local library along with a host of other books on the subject. But be forewarned, some of these type books go into how the trees and animals are so much more valuable than humans and the world would be so much better without us terrible people messing it up. OH, WILL NO ONE SAVE THE POOR SLUGS!!! WAAAAHHHHHH!!! Ok, sorry, a slight slip from sanity there. So try your library first or just keep checking back to see what I post. If there is something particular you need, email me and I will try to get it up. Understand, I am not going to post something until I have tested it out myself. Plus, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE if you have something better or cheaper post it in the comments. You will be helping others out. |
