DIY Carpet Deodorizer

If you have kids or pets your carpet, besides needing to be vacuumed, could probably use a little deodorizing as well. Instead of getting that brand from the store, you can make your own with just 2 ingredients.

I first put about 1 Cup of Baking Soda in a bowl.

Then added 15 - 20 drops of Eucalyptus Essential Oil, you can use any scent or you can skip the Essential Oil all together if you want. It will smell nice for a bit but the baking soda is what neutralizes and gets rid of the smell in your carpet.

With the Essential Oil added it can clump a bit in the beginning. I mashed it around with a fork.

I had a leftover, clean, seasoning bottle with holes on top that I used.

Done! Just sprinkle, wait 15 minutes, and vacuum.

~ B

A Lemon Fresh Clean Sink

I love the smell of lemon, especially in my kitchen. Turns out it's the main ingredient in a DIY recipe to clean your sink!

First I cut my lemon in half.

Next I sprinkled my salt on a plate.

I took my lemon and rubbed it, cut side down on the salt.

Then I just scrubbed away! 

Another DIY cleaner that saves me money! Once done cleaning, I rinsed my sink and tossed the lemon down the garbage disposal to clean that as well.

~ B

DIY Furniture Polish

Here is an easy recipe for making your own furniture polish with simple ingredients! Here is what you need:

* I would use only what is suggested for antique furniture. This worked well on my dining room table and chairs bought within the last few years.

Olive Oil, Vinegar, Lemon Essential Oil, a clean cloth and glass container.

Olive Oil shines and lubricates the wood, I used one cup.

As I've mentioned before, white vinegar is a great all purpose cleaner. This will draw dirt out of the wood. I added 1/4 cup of vinegar to the bowl with the olive oil.

I love me some Lemon Essential Oil. Both for the smell as well as the antiseptic & antibacterial qualities. I added about 15 drops to the mix.

Olive Oil does not make friends easily so I had to whisk the mixture around a bit before pouring it into a clean jar. You may need to give the glass a shake before your next use.

Dipped my cloth in the jar, a little goes a long way.

Polishes up well.

Making your own furniture polish is just one more way to save you money by using ingredients you already have in your house.

~ B

Easy DIY Foam Soap

I love foam soap. I was the gal who always went for that pitch at Bath & Bodyworks,  buy 3 get 2 free or whatever their scheme was. But foam soap is primarily water with a little soap thrown in there so there's no reason I can't just make my own. 

I re-used the container of a generic foam soap. There are fancy foam soap containers at Brookstone and those type of places but I can't justify spending the money when I had perfectly good containers already.

I first filled my (7.5 oz) container up with a little less than a cup of water.

Don't fill it all the way, you want to leave room for the other ingredients and let the foaming pump be able to do it's job. Basically a little over 3/4 full.

I used Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Castile Soap which I found at my local Trader Joe's. I have substituted dish soap before and it came out just as well so no need to run out if you do not have castile soap handy.

I added a heaping tablespoon of soap to the water in the container.

Glycerin is optional, I added 1 teaspoon just for moisturizing purposes. I don't always use it but had some handy.

Vegetable glycerin can be tough to find sometimes. I get mine online at Vita Cost.

Lastly, I added a few drops of my Essential Oil.

I went with peppermint since my castile soap was already that scent but next time will probably use lavender. Lemon or Sweet Orange are other essential oils that would work, especially if the soap is to be located in the kitchen.

Now instead of buying more and more soap when we run out, I just fill my leftover containers with water, a tablespoon of castile or dish soap and I'm done. Simple and frugal.

~ B

Quick Antibacterial Cleaning Spray

I have said it before and I'll say it again: It is amazing how much money you can save when you make your own cleaning products.  Most ingredients are already in your pantry. I use this cleaner to spray down my counter tops* & butcher block.

* Do not use on granite counter tops. While it won't hurt the granite, it could, over time, break down the seal that covers the granite. *

Needed:

Spray Bottle

1 Cup Water

1 Cup White Vinegar

20 Drops Lavender Essential Oil

 I get my spray bottles from whatever "Dollar Store" is nearby and I usually double the recipe because the spray bottles tend to be on the large side and frankly I am a freak about germs so I spray a lot of surfaces.

Vinegar has a long list of benefits & uses. It is 

safe for the environment and an excellent all purpose cleaner. Although the smell can appear potent at first, it dissipates quickly.

Besides smelling pleasant, lavender essential oil has antibacterial components. Although essential oils can get expensive, a little goes a long way and many, such as lavender and tea tree oil have cleaning as well as health benefits.

I was never a big essential oils person but I have really begun to notice how beneficial they can be. This site has some useful information regarding essential oils.

After adding all ingredients to the spray bottle, give it a couple shakes and you are done.

~ B

Make Your Own Glass Cleaner

Once I made laundry detergent and realized how easy it was to do and how much money it saved, I wanted to make more of my own cleaners. Making your own household cleaner(s) is easy to do, saves you money, (most ingredients you probably already have in your home), and helps you control -- or eliminate-- what toxins you allow in your home.

This recipe is for glass cleaner. It's many uses (faucets, mirrors, windows, etc.) make it an excellent return on investment.  To maximize your savings, I recommend using a microfiber cloth instead of paper towel. It can be re-used (just toss it in the wash) and reduces household trash.

Benefits: Costs less, safer, and environmentally friendly.

Needed

Spray Bottle (I get mine from the Dollar Store)

1 Cup Rubbing Alcohol

1 Cup Water

1 Tablespoon White Vinegar

Steps

Mix all ingredients in spray bottle, give a shake, you're done!

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Here are my bathroom faucet & medicine cabinet before:

Here they are after using the glass cleaner.

  

Adjust recipe amount proportionally as necessary to fit your needs.

Go green! Save money, reduce trash, and use less chemicals!

~ B

Make Your Own Laundry Detergent

Making your own laundry detergent is quick and simple, I wish I had started doing this years ago.

Needed:

Large bucket (I use a 5 gallon paint bucket)

Cheese grater

1 Cup Washing Soda

1/2 Cup Borax

1 Bar of Soap (any kind will do, I get whatever is on sale)

The washing soda & Borax can be found in your laundry detergent aisle, usually in the bottom shelf area.  Both should last you for an extended time before needing to buy more.

Steps:

 ~ Fill bucket with 3 gallons of water

~ Boil 4 Cups of Water

~ While waiting for the water to boil, grate the bar of soap.

~ Slowly add grated soap to the 4 cups of boiling water (if you add all the grated soap at once it will boil over).

~ Once the soap dissolves, add to the bucket containing the 3 gallons of water.

~ Next add the 1 Cup of washing soda & 1/2 Cup of Borax.

~ Finally, mix around around a little, cover with lid, and let sit for 48 hours before using. If you are in a bind and need detergent sooner, you can use it after 24 hours. It will be a bit "gloopy" but just as effective.

~ Use 1 Cup per load. Should yield about 52 loads ~

 Regardless of its consistency (liquid or gloopy), it will break down while washing and clean your clothes just fine. I have not bought laundry detergent in almost 3 years.

~ B