We're back again Brothers, sisters, everybody sing Gonna bring the flavor, show you how

A few weeks ago Laura asked me to come talk at the Relief Society night about cleanliness. I had a lot of fun that night and had a lot of fun preparing for it.  I did a lot of research, like a lot. I actually spent one day reading and researching and preparing what I was going to say, that's all I did...all day. I went over to Laura's house that evening and she asked how my day was I told her it was good but didn't tell her I spent the whole day looking up cleaning stuff...I didn't want to seem like a total nerd. With all that time spent and research I told Remy I was going to print and frame it. He laughed and told me I should because he knew how much work went into it. Instead of framing it I decided that putting it on our blog was sufficient validation.  Some of it will repeat from previous blog entries, some of it I didn't end up saying, some stuff I did say that night wasn't in here, and there was some discussion. Also in the recipes I realized I completely forgot to add something for wood polishing/dusting can you tell we don't  have any real wood in our house.

I’m here to talk to you tonight a bit about homemade/natural cleaners. When Laura asked me to come speak about cleaning I was actually pretty excited about it. Now the 12 year old me never in a million years would have thought that the 24 year old me would be excited to talk about let alone enjoy cleaning. But here I am and I am excited. When talking about homemade cleaning product there really is something for everyone. Whether you want to save money, help the environment, get rid of unnecessary chemicals in your home, or did I mention save money?  

 I am sure many of you have your favorite products that you use faithfully every time you clean. I wasn’t any different. I had my tried and true products. Last year I decided that one of my goals was to switch one of our current cleaners to a more natural one. But I kept putting the goal off and actually wishing I never made it. We ran out of laundry detergent and I decided that it was time to finally complete the goal and decided that laundry detergent was THE ONE. I research what I needed and I decided IF super store had ALL the ingredients I would give it a go. Well lo and behold they had everything I needed. SO I grabbed the borax, washing soda, sunlight bar soap. I went home and grated the soap while watching a tv show. Once it was made, I used it the next day and was extremely impressed with the results! It was simple, CHEAPER, and better for the environment, I was hooked. I have since tried a few different homemade cleaners using simple ingredients.

One was liquid hand soap.  I love hand soap smells good but I don’t love the prices. We always did the cheaper and environmental friendly way of just refilling our bottle and thought that was as good as it was going to get. THEN I found a recipe to make your own liquid hand soap out of bar soap (so much cheaper). So that became my next project. After two failed attempts, which by the way don’t try dove it won’t work no matter what you try, I have cheap liquid hand soap. It is extremely simple basically you just grate a bar of your favorite soap you need a cup so some bar soap you use you will grate the entire bar and some you will have a little left over.  While you are grating you put 10 cups of water on the stove on a med-low temperature.  You then add the soap flakes to the water and add one tablespoon of glycerin.  I had a bit of a hard time finding it and some people won’t even know what you are talking about but I had the best luck at Walmart and Island Natruals. At Walmart it’s in the pharmacy section next to the natural supplements on the lowest shelf.  Once your ingredients are added you stir until the soap in dissolved and then take it off the heat. NOW this is the part that gets tricky. Depending on your soap you make have the consistency right off the bat but if you’re like me you will stare at it and wonder what you’ve done. Never fear there are some tricks I found to help. First let it set over night! Don’t try any of the tricks UNTIL the next day trust me.  IF the next day you find your soap is still too watery you can try a couple of things each time you try something let it sit overnight. First bring it to a rolling boil for a 2-3 minutes then let sit over night. Second  To thicken the soap, mix 3tbsp. table salt into 8oz hot water until dissolved, whisk the salt solution a little at a time into your runny soap mixture until desired thickness, (soap mixture does not have to be hot, can be room temp).  Once you’ve got the right consistency and start using it DON’T WORRY IF IT DOESN’T PRODUCE SUDS! The sudsing effect is actually added to all store bought cleansing beauty products. The great thing about this you could use it for washing your hand, as a body wash in the shower, and many women mention that a lot of face washes are much cheaper in bar form and then you can make your own liquid face wash!

I have also found some recipes of other cleaning products that I wish I had the chance to try before tonight but haven’t been able to. I look forward to making them. Although I haven’t made them I have read comments and reviews on them.

Homemade shout:

2/3 cups Dawn Dishwashing Liquid
2/3 cups ammonia
6 Tblsp baking soda
2 cups warm water
Mix everything together then use a funnel to pour into an old Shout bottle or other spray bottle.

Homemade dish soap:

2 cups Castile soap
6 tbsp water
2 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice

Remember it won’t produce as many suds as you’re used to but that’s doesn’t mean it’s not working!

Dishwasher detergent:

1 part borax

1 part washing soda

distilled white vinegar

Combine the powders in a bowl and mix well, breaking apart any clumps. Transfer to an airtight container to store. Use 1 tbsp of mixture per load. Fill your machine’s rinse indicator with white vinegar, for that extra sparkle.

I want to also talk a little bit about cleaning with vinegar. Many of you may already know the benefits of cleaning with it but for those of you who don’t. Vinegar is a safe, inexpensive, and effective cleaner that is easy on the environment. People choose this cleaning method to avoid exposing their families to the chemicals found in other types of cleaners. Vinegar can also be combined with other products, like baking soda, to expand its usefulness. When it comes to cleaning products, we’ve been programmed to connect strong fragrances and suds with effective cleaning. The problem is that commercial cleaning products contain synthetic fragrances that can cause strong allergic reactions and sensitivities and chemicals to produce suds.

Vinegar, throughout history, has been reputed to have strong antibacterial properties. One test by Good Housekeeping's microbiologist found that 5% vinegar is 90% effective against mold and 99.9% effective against bacteria (kills 99 percent of bacteria, 82 percent of mold, and 80 percent of germs (viruses). Paired with certain essential oils vinegar can replace most of your cleaning products.

There are tons and tons of essential oils out there that are amazing for cleaning. I am going to only touch on a couple but I encourage you to research them and find out more.

Essential Oils:

Lavender
has both anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties that will complement any natural cleaning formula. A few drops on a damp washcloth can be used in place of dryer sheets.

Pine
Pine is a very effective deodorizer, and has traditionally been used in floor cleaners. It has both anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. Careful handling of this strong essential oil is necessary, because it could cause skin irritation.

Eucalyptus

Instantly familiar, the woody and medicinal smell of eucalyptus can be a great addition to your cleaning. Teamed up with lavender, this fresh-smelling oil will boost your cleaning with anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-parasitic agents. When added to laundry detergent, it may kill dust mites in bedding.

The Usual Precautions for Cleaning with Essential Oils

• Extreme caution must be used when handling
  concentrated natural essential oils.

• Do not apply directly to your skin without investigating the use of carrier oils.

• Keep out of the reach of children and pets.

• As with any room spray, be careful around candle flames and open beverages.

• Do not take essential oils internally.

• Many internet sites and aromatherapy specialists can provide detailed information on usage and safety.

• Many essential oils, such as chamomile, clary sage, wintergreen, camphor, rose and pennyroyal, are dangerous for pregnant women. This is not the complete list, so please be sure you carefully investigate before purchasing and using essential oils during pregnancy.

• Label and store these mixtures as carefully as you would any other cleaning mixture. Although they are made from safe ingredients, they should be treated with caution.

• Always test your mixture on small, hidden areas of all surfaces and carpets to be certain there won’t be any damage or discoloration.

When you are first starting out there are some items that you will need to get started. The initial cost may be a bit more than you are usually spending but remember most of these recipes only use a little bit. Although you may be worried about your start up cost in the end you will be spending far less.

When you are mixing the solutions together make sure to use new bottles. As wonderful as it would be to recycle your old cleaning bottles there may be left over chemicals hiding in the plastic that could react to the new solution.  

Lavender Anti-Bacterial Spray
- 1 Cup water
- 20 drops lavender essential oil
All-Purpose Cleaner (Watch out for a reaction! It will bubble a lot.)
- 3 Tablespoons vinegar
- 1/2 Teaspoon washing soda
- 1/2 Teaspoon castile soap
- 2 Cups hot water
Grease Cutter (Note that if you have a good eye, I messed up the label on this one for my bottles.)
- 2 Cups water
- 1/4 Cup castile soap
- 10 drops lavender oil
Bath, Sink, Tile Cleaner (Again, watch out for some bubbling.)
NOTE: Ideally, mix this one in a SQUIRT bottle, not a SPRAY bottle. It’s pretty thick and almost a paste.
- 2/3 Cup baking soda
- 1/2 Cup castile soap
- 2 Tablespoons vinegar
- 1/2 Cup water
- A few drops of Tea Tree oil

Basic Vinegar Clean and Shine
Antibacterial Formula

Use this solution as you would any other store-bought antibacterial cleaner. It’s safe and saves a bundle!

• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1 cup water
• Five drops of liquid soap

Add mixture to a spray bottle and use for cleaning kitchen and bathroom surfaces such as appliances, mirrors, stainless steel sinks, laminate counter tops and tile. You can add a tablespoon of coarse salt directly on your sponge to act as an abrasive when using this formula on kitchen and bathroom sink fixtures. Vinegar can be irritating to the skin, so please use gloves. Important note about special counter surfaces such as granite: please do not use this mixture on stone surfaces, as acids can etch and damage the stone. Follow your particular manufacturer’s cleaning instructions.

Now there are many many recipes for each of the things I mentioned. You just have to do a quick google search to realize you have options. So feel free to do your own research and find a recipe that works for you and your family!  Think of these recipes as a start in the right direction.

If I still have time: Any questions?  Or does anyone already have some great tips for us?

Laundry

Homemade powdered laundry soap recipe
Ingredients:
1 bar Ivory Soap (or 2/3 bar Fels Naptha)
1/2 cup Borax
1/2 cup Washing Soda (found in the laundry aisle)
Grate 1 bar of Ivory soap (or other not strongly scented bar soap). Add 1/2 cup of borax. Add 1/2 cup washing soda. Mix together and store in air tight container. Use 1-2 tablespoons per load.

Both recipes are for a low-sudsing detergent and work especially well in high efficiency washing machines.
Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap Recipe
Ingredients:
1/3 bar Fels Naptha Soap ( Ivory and Zote will also work)
½ cup washing soda (found in the laundry section at most stores)
½ cup borax powder (the 20 Mule Team brand is a good choice)
2 gallons water
Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan. Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts. Add the washing soda (NOT baking soda) and the borax. Stir until it is dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into a 2-gallon bucket. Add soap mixture and stir. Add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. Let the soap sit for about 24 hours until it gels. Use a ½ cup detergent per load of laundry.

A little note: The detergent has a fairly strong scent right after you make it, but it fades quickly. After the clothes are washed, there is little, if any, scent on the clothes. If you’ve never tried a non-scented laundry detergent before, it might be hard for you to accept that the clothes are actually clean. They are, whether they smell like soap or not. But if it continues to bother you, you might want to try adding a liquid fabric softener to your wash or even adding your favorite essential oil to your preferred liquid laundry detergent recipe.

Homemade Shout

2/3 cups Dawn Dishwashing Liquid
2/3 cups ammonia
6 Tblsp baking soda
2 cups warm water
Mix everything together then use a funnel to pour into an old Shout bottle or other spray bottle.

Bathroom Cleaners

Toilet

Mix 1/4 cup baking soda and 1 cup vinegar, pour into basin and let it set for a few minutes. Scrub with brush and rinse. A mixture of borax (2 parts) and lemon juice (one part) will also work. (this is amazing by the way)

Tub, Sink, and Tile

NOTE: Ideally, mix this one in a SQUIRT bottle, not a SPRAY bottle. It’s pretty thick and almost a paste.
- 2/3 Cup baking soda
- 1/2 Cup castile soap
- 2 Tablespoons vinegar
- 1/2 Cup water
- A few drops of Tea Tree oil
Mirror and Window
1 cup White Vinegar
10-15 drops of Lemon Essential Oil
Water
Mix vinegar and water in spray bottle. Add essential oil, Shake and use.
Bathroom mold
Mold in bathroom tile grout is a common problem and can be a health concern. Mix one part hydrogen peroxide (3%) with two parts water in a spray bottle and spray on areas with mold. Wait at least one hour before rinsing or using shower.


Hand Soap

1 cup grated soap flakes

10 cups water

1 Tbsp glycerin

In a large pot, combine 1 cup soap flakes, 10 cups water, and 1 Tbs glycerin. Turn on medium-low heat and stir until the soap dissolves. This happens fast, about a minute or two. NOW this is the part that gets tricky. Depending on your soap you might have the consistency right off the bat but if you’re like me you will stare at it and wonder what you’ve done. Never fear there are some tricks I found to help. First let it set over night! Don’t try any of the tricks UNTIL the next day trust me.  IF the next day you find your soap is still too watery you can try a couple of things each time you try something let it sit overnight. First bring it to a rolling boil for a 2-3 minutes then let sit over night. Second  To thicken the soap, mix 3tbsp. table salt into 8oz hot water until dissolved, whisk the salt solution a little at a time into your runny soap mixture until desired thickness, (soap mixture does not have to be hot, can be room temp).

Kitchen Cleaners

Stove

1 cup baking soda

1/3 cup table salt

water

Spray entire oven with water.  Mix baking soda and salt and sprinkle over water.  Spray entire oven again with water and let sit overnight.  Use hot, soapy water and a sponge to wipe out oven.

Chopping block
 Rub a slice of lemon across a chopping block to disinfect the surface. For tougher stains, squeeze some of the lemon juice onto the spot and let sit for 10 minutes, then wipe.
Drain Cleaner
 For light drain cleaning, mix 1/2 cup salt in 4 liters water, heat (but not to a boil) and pour down the drain. For stronger cleaning, pour about 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain, then 1/2 cup vinegar. The resulting chemical reaction can break fatty acids down into soap and glycerine, allowing the clog to wash down the drain. After 15 minutes, pour in boiling water to clear residue. Caution: only use this method with metal plumbing. Plastic pipes can melt if excess boiling water is used. Also, do not use this method after trying a commercial drain opener--the vinegar can react with the drain opener to create dangerous fumes.
Dish soap

2 cups Castile soap
6 tbsp water
2 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice

Remember it won’t produce as many suds as you’re used to but that’s doesn’t mean it’s not working!

Dishwasher detergent

1 part borax

1 part washing soda

Distilled white vinegar

Combine the powders in a bowl and mix well, breaking apart any clumps. Transfer to an airtight container to store. Use 1 tbsp of mixture per load. Fill your machine’s rinse indicator with white vinegar, for that extra sparkle.

Floors, Anti-Bacterial, and All-Purpose Cleaners

Lavender Anti-Bacterial Spray
- 1 Cup water
- 20 drops lavender essential oil

Basic Vinegar Clean and Shine Antibacterial Formula

Use this solution as you would any other store-bought antibacterial cleaner. It’s safe and saves a bundle!

• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1 cup water
• Five drops of liquid soap

Add mixture to a spray bottle and use for cleaning kitchen and bathroom surfaces such as appliances, mirrors, stainless steel sinks, laminate counter tops and tile. You can add a tablespoon of coarse salt directly on your sponge to act as an abrasive when using this formula on kitchen and bathroom sink fixtures. Vinegar can be irritating to the skin, so please use gloves. Important note about special counter surfaces such as granite: please do not use this mixture on stone surfaces, as acids can etch and damage the stone. Follow your particular manufacturer’s cleaning instructions.

All-Purpose Cleaner (Watch out for a reaction! It will bubble a lot.)

- 3 Tablespoons vinegar
- 1/2 Teaspoon washing soda
- 1/2 Teaspoon castile soap
- 2 Cups hot water

Floor

1 cup white vinegar

1 gallon warm water 

Mix in your cleaning bucket and use this to clean vinyl type floors. 

Wood Floor Cleaner 

½ cup vinegar

1 gallon water 

The most important thing to keep in mind while cleaning wood floors is that they can not get overly wet.  When you use the above mixture, dip your sponge mop into the solution and squeeze until almost dry.  Then mop.  Never put the cleaner directly on the floor. Dry any streaked or wet area with a clean towel as you go along the floor. 

Give me a break, Give me a break

I'm having a really hard time right now. I don't really want to talk about it but I'm okay. I'm feeling really alone but at the same time I kind of want to be alone but then I don't...it's strange. I'll probably take a break from the blog for a bit it might not be too long but then again I'm not sure. Before I go I'll share one story.

We've been doing one Christmas activity a day this month and it's been fun. This past weekend we went to the Singing Christmas Tree here in town. It was really wonderful and I've been hearing people talk about it for a few years now so I'm glad we finally got to go.  I was describing the show for Remy and the final number the (male) Pastor gave a little message and sang. The Pastor sang and then a young woman took over and sang the rest of the song while the Pastor went back to directing the choir.  I leaned over and whispered "It's still the Pastor." We both busted up laughing and got some dirty looks, oh well :)

Bad girl bad girl whatcha gonna do whatcha gonna do when they come for you?

Tonight was our ward Christmas party and we asked mine and Remy's friend Jess if she's like to come with us. It was so nice that she was able to join us. We had a lovely dinner and the desserts looked wonderful but unfortunately I wasn't able to eat any of them (I only bring this up because it comes up later). Santa made an appearance and then we cleaned up.

I was able to drive Jess home and eventually find her house. We dropped her off and wished her well in her homework filled weekend. As we drove away I saw the big "M" of McDonalds in the distance. I decided that I really wanted a sundae after the day I had and I had to sit and watch everyone eat stuffing and desserts (and I had to watch everyone eat yummy yummy chocolate cake yesterday) so I "earned" a.k.a justified it. I pulled into the parking lot and was about to get into the drive-thru when I see police lights behind me.

First I just thought he wanted me to get out of the way, then I thought maybe it was someone else, then I realized it was me they were after.  I had to back up and was terrified I was going to back up into the cop car and then put it in park and rolled down the window.

He strolled up to the window and asked if I knew why he pulled me over. I was minutes away from bursting into tears when I replied with "I have absolutely no idea whatsoever." He  looked at me with slitted eyes and said "You have no idea?" "None." He was very stern and said "I need to see some id from both of you and registration." I was fumbling in my wallet and he asked us if we had been drinking tonight. I told him "No (Remy said "No sir" and he did NOT like that one bit. He said "Sir eh?") we don't drink EVER."  He looked at me with disbelief and said "Ever?" I said "Never...we're Mormon!" He asked us where we were coming from and I told him a dinner at our church! He asked us where our church was and what it was called, I told him. He said "So you weren't in cedar." "Nope" "And you didn't just leave the Esso gas station." "No I just came to McDonald's" He then left for a minute or so and then showed up on the other side to get Remy's id. The whole time I am freaking out.  He then comes on the other side to tell us that they made a mistake. They had gotten a call about a drunken driver that matched the description of our vehicle. He said he was sorry and told me just to breathe and then smiled before he left.

I was still so shook up I just sat there for a while, I even had a nice stress relief cry. I lived through my first time being pulled over but I certainly don't hope it ever happens again.

So what did you get pulled over for?

Come and roll your sleeves up So that we can pitch in Cleaning crud up in the kitchen

We were so poor Wednesday

As I mentioned Gary was so nice to let us move in with him. In the downstairs where we were there was two bedrooms (one for us, one for Gary), a living room, and bathroom (with no shower). So we ate out of cans and never showered for 6 months! No no no, the woman upstairs was so nice and let us come upstairs to shower and cook whenever we needed to. It was a great arrangement until...(there is always an until) she moved.

The next woman who moved in wasn't as generous. She knew our living situation and knew what she was getting into and didn't really care. We were not allowed to use the kitchen at all and could only shower when she wasn't home. Gary bought us a little oven (our casserole dish didn't even fit into) and a hot plate. It was interesting cooking that's for sure.

The other thing about not having a kitchen is you don't have sink to do dishes in. We got these plastic bins that we would fill in the bathroom sink and do our dishes, as you know from a previous post we didn't have that many, although they still needed to be done after every meal.  :)

When we moved into our next place it felt so good to have a kitchen, dinning room table, sinks, counter space, all of those things I've started to take for granted again.

I'm too sexy for my shirt

Fashion Friday

I've never really been into fashion. My clothes are always clean and I try to always look nice but fashion and style have never really been my thing, I'm much more into comfort (read: PJs). I don't think I'd ever qualify for that show on TLC, ya know the one where women wear sweaters with cat on them, so I guess what I'm saying is I'm more of a middle of the road kind of girl. My sister on the other hand was always into what was in and "hot".

There is a group of women are church that are so beautiful and fashionable. As I watched them at church I thought, I'd like to be more like them. For a while I spent far too much time picking out my clothes and worrying about what other people would think. I was getting stressed and a little sad. I joined this website to help me a little bit. I felt like I had no fashion sense. I started to create outfits on this website and people really liked them, like actually liked them.

It gave me the boost I needed to realize that I am okay, that while fashion is fun it doesn't define me, and people shouldn't want to be my friend because I dress well. I'm only 24 and isn't our 20s all about finding ourselves in fashion, make up, and all things girly.

So here's some outfits that I put together that are my favorite. (I realized that I pretty much love jeans/t-shirt/sweater combo)

 

And the knife ran away with the spoon

We were so poor Wednesday

After Gary found out about our living situation he couldn't believe it and offered us a room at his place. Our room would be bigger, our living quarters smaller, but the rent was considerably less a.k.a the right price. We moved in right away and found that we were um...lacking a few things. Remy and I had always had roommates who came with all the normal "living on your own" items. One of the items was silverware. Between the two of us we had  one knife, two forks, and two spoons. We had to do dishes after every meal but it's not like we had to share a fork during our meal or anything, I mean a knife yes but not a fork. To be honest we didn't think much of it.

When I went back to Michigan for a visit I told my grandma about it and laughed. My grandma could not believe it. She was going to send me back with a whole silverware set for 8 but changed her mind. She didn't want me to have to carry around all that silverware in my luggage. Instead she sent me back with some money for silverware even though I promised I would buy some silverware when I got home. She insisted. When I got home we went and bought some silverware

and then set up our silverware drawer.

I miss my grandma an awful lot. We have since gotten more silverware but I still think of her when I grab one of these forks.

Sick as a dog, what's your story

Tried It Tuesday

Remy and I have been really sick lately. We are never sick at the same time...like ever, actually Remy is never ever sick. It's almost like he walks around with this impenetrable immune shield. I've asked to borrow it, he won't share but lucky for me he takes really good care of me when I'm sick.

The thing about my calling is I'm around three year olds every week for two whole hours. As moms know, a lot can happen in two hours and sometimes you are so busy running around making sure that the kids don't blow themselves up that you forget how gross kids are.  Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do for the sake of keeping everyone happy and sometimes that means you get coughed, sneezed, or spit upon in the process. So we'll just say I've been sick a few times that coincidentally have happened right after a child in my class has been and that my immune system just kind of sucks.

Knowing that cold and flu season hits me hard I planned ahead this year. I found this great idea on the internet about freezing soup in muffins tins. The first thing we did was made some homemade chicken noodle soup.

After the soup was made I spooned it into each muffin cup?

 Then I cleaned out some of the stuff in the freezer that would be okay out for a couple of hours or at least in the frigerator (see what I did there Rem)

 I left it in there for a few hours and here what they look like:

 So I ran some warm water on the back and popped them out.  After I got them out I put them in a freezer bag and stuck them back in the freezer.

They have been such a life saver.  We usually do about 4 "pucks" per person and either heat it up in the microwave or a pot on the stove. Bam we have homemade soup for those night when only soup will do (and I am way too sick to make dinner).