Homemade Laundry Recipe

1. Collect your 3 ingredients:

• 1 bar of Fels Naptha soap or Ivory soap
• 1 cup of borax
• 1 cup of washing soda (Can use 1/2 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup) washing soda
• optional: Use about 15 drops of Lavender and Grapefruit Essential Oils to give it a nice scent.

2. Hand grate your bar of soap. Grate as fine as possible.

3. Mix in 1 cup borax and 1cup washing soda.

To use the laundry soap you will want to use between 1-2 TBS per load.

Homemade Automatic Dishwasher Detergent

1 cup Borax
1 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup salt
4 packages of lemonade flavor, unsweetened kool aid mix (need the citric acid)

Mix the above four dry ingredients, store in a clean sealed container.

Use 1-2 tablespoons of powder to each dishwasher load depending on how dirty the dishes are.

I read that you can use as few as 2 kool aid packets with soft water, If you have hard water add more unsweetened lemonade flavor kool aid packets.

Also filled jet dry reservoir with white vinegar for the rinse cycle.

Liquid Dishwasher Detergent

Liquid Dishwasher Detergent

2 cups vegetable-based castile soap (such as Vermont Soap Organics or Dr. Bronner’s)

½ cup water

½ cup white vinegar

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

3 drops essential oil of your choice

Pour ingredients into a recycled plastic bottle with a squirt-top and shake until thoroughly incorporated. Before using, shake liquid well and measure out 2 tablespoons per load.

Natural Green Cleaners

Homemade Cleaners: How to Make all Natural Green Cleaners

Basic Ingredients Checklist
Baking Soda
Vinegar
Water
Lemon Juice
Ammonia
Salt
Borax
Vegetable or Olive Oil
Club Soda
Isopropyl Alcohol
Toothpaste
Spray Bottles

Tips Before You Get Started
 Mix in a well-ventilated area
 Label containers and store in a safe place
 Use containers with tight fitted lids
 Don't reuse old containers from other cleaners
 Don't mix bleach and ammonia. NEVER!
 Don't store in food containers
 Test an area before using any cleaner

Dusting
Re-use dryer sheets for dusting instead of the new Pledge or Swiffer cloths.

Linoleum Floor
Use club soda to clean

Fabric Softener
Add vinegar to the rinse cycle

Microwave Cleaner
Mix 2T baking soda or lemon juice and 1 cup water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for five minutes or until the liquid boils and condensation builds up inside the microwave. Wipe down.

Chrome Cleaner
Toothpaste is great for cleaning chrome.

Dishwasher Rinse
1 1/2 white vinegar added to the rinse compartment of your dishwasher

The following recipes are safe and non-toxic:
Wood Floor Cleaner
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Mix well

All-Purpose Cleaner
1 tsp. borax
1/2 Tsp. washing soda
2 Tbl. lemon juice
In a spray bottle, combine the ingredients with 1 cup of hot water and shake.

Furniture Polish
In a spray bottle mix 1 cup vegetable or olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
Shake well and apply a small amount to a cloth.

Vinegar Glass Cleaner
1/2 cup vinegar
1 gallon warm water

Vinegar Glass Cleaner
1 gallon water
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon liquid dish detergent
Shake to blend.

Vinegar Glass Cleaner
1/4 cup vinegar,
1/4 teaspoon liquid soap or detergent, and
2 cups of water in a spray bottle.
Combine in a spray bottle.
Shake to blend.

Vinegar Glass Cleaner
1 cup rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol
1 cup water
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Combine in a spray bottle.
Shake to blend.

Ammonia Glass Cleaner
To a gallon jug, add:
1 tsp dishwashing detergent (Dawn)
1 pint rubbing alcohol
1/2 cup ammonia
Top off the gallon with water

Ammonia Glass Cleaner
1/2 c. ammonia,
1/2 c. isopropyl rubbing alcohol
1/2 c. water.
Combine in a spray bottle.
Shake to blend.

Ammonia Glass Cleaner
2 parts ammonia
1 part rubbing alcohol
9 parts water

Multi-Purpose Deep Cleaner
1 cup household ammonia
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup baking soda
1 gallon warm water
Mix well

Generic Tilex (mix and use in a spray bottle)
1 part bleach
9 parts water
1 part Dawn Dish Soap (or brand with surfactants and NO ammonia)

Carpet Deodorizer
Fill a jar with baking soda. Add essential oil (your choice of fragrance and amount), one drop at a time. Stir so it doesn't clump. Sprinkle on carpet and leave for 10-20 minutes before vacuuming.

All Purpose Cleaners
These all purpose cleaners are convenient to use when placed in a spray bottle.
3 tsp liquid soap & one gallon water
1/4 cup vinegar & one gallon water
1/4 cup lemon juice & one gallon water
1/4 cup Borax & one gallon water

Disinfectant
1/4 cup Borax
1/2 gallon water
OR USE THIS RECIPE:
1 part bleach
9 parts water

Oven Cleaner
Sprinkle salt on spills immediately
Baking soda
Vinegar
Steel wool
Clean grease with rag and vinegar. Sprinkle salt on spills. Let it set for a few minutes, then scrape the spill and wash the area clean. For stubborn spots, use baking soda and steel wool.

Drain Cleaner
1/4 cup baking soda
1/2 cup vinegar
Pour baking soda, then vinegar down drain. Close drain until bubbling stops. Pour boiling water. If the clog remains, use a plunger or snake. If all else fails, take the elbow off the pipe.

Mildew & Lime Deposit Remover
1/2 cup white vinegar
Warm water
1/2 cup Borax
Dissolve borax in water, add vinegar. Make a fresh batch for each use.

Ant Killer (NOT child safe!! Use any poison to kill insects with caution!!!)
Powdered Sugar
Borax
Combine in equal parts and sprinkle in places where they crawl.
(I mix with a water to make a thick liquid and dip and paper towel or 2 and softly wring out. Then put in in a glass jar with nail holes in the lid. This way the ants can climb in and out but your kiddo can't.)


Microwave Cleaner
Place 2 small, medium lemons (cut in half)with a cup of water in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 5 minutes and remove bowl. Wipe out microwave. The same thing can be accomplished with equal parts water and white vinegar (but lemons smell better). If your microwave is encrusted with lots of food residue that is old, it won't be so easy the first time.

My favorite are the carpet deoderizer, microwave cleaner, and the drain cleaner. It's a wonderful example for kids on how science is useful in daily experiences.

Have good green fun!

P.S. I would like to include a warning to all.

Please remember NEVER mix Bleach and Ammonia. It creates chlorine gas which was used as a chemical weapon during World War I and later by Nazi Germany in World War II.

What happens to your respiratory system when you inhale chlorine gas is the gas tears into your nasal passages, trachea, and lungs by causing massive cellular damage. Obviously, chlorine gas causes a very painful death.

Great Gluten-Free Baking Mixes

Taken from Rachael Ray Mag;

Best Pancakes : Kinnikinnick Foods Pancake and Waffle Mix (kinnikinnick. com to find a store near you)

Best Muffin : Authentic Foods Blueberry Muffin Mix (authenticfoods.com to find a store near you)

Best Brownies : Gluten-free Pantry Chocolate Truffle Brownie Mix

Best Pizza Crust : Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix

Best Yellow Cake : The really Great Food Company Yellow Cake Mix (reallygreatfood.com to find a store near you)

Handy List Great baragin Web Sites

I found this list of great baragin Web sites from Better Homes and Garden

Coupons & discounts

couponmap.com
couponmom.com
ebates.com
entertainment.com
flit.com
groupon.com
livingsocial.com
redplum.com
restaurant.com
smartsource.com

Home furnishings

craigslist.com
entertainment.com
estatesales.net
etsy.com
nobetterdeal.com
onekingslane.com
shopgoodwill.com
smartsource.com
ugallery.com

Budget decorating

bhg.com

Garden tools

acehardware.com
amleo.com
fiskars.com
walmart.com

Picnic essentials

bungalow.com
lafreshgroup.com
origaudio.com
picnictrend.com
rei.com
shopkirdevries.com

Beauty basics

beautysteals.com
beautyticket.com
bigdiscount fragramces.com
eyeslipsface.com
fragrancenet.com
hautelook.com

Do One Thing at a Time

Look away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. - Hebrews 12:2

"The apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 4:6 to be anxious for nothing." - Joyce Meyer