New Homemade Laundry Detergent

This weekend I decided to try a new laundry detergent recipe. I like my current homemade laundry detergent just fine, but using that process I store two gallon jugs of laundry detergent (water already added) and use about 1 cup per load, so I feel like I go through it so fast. Plus I just can’t wrap my mind around the concept of storing detergent with so much water in it. There’s water in the washing machine! It just seems like a waste of time and space.

The main thing that has deterred me from so many homemade laundry detergent recipes is the need to grate and boil soap. The idea of grating a bar of soap on my box grater seems 1) like it would damage my box grater (it didn’t) and 2) like it would make a gigantic mess (turns out it’s only a moderate mess). But I decided to go for it after reading several blogs that swore it wouldn’t damage my grater. It is just soap after all; I don’t know what my paranoia was all about.

Step 1) the dreaded process of grating the soap. My game plan: place my box grater on top of a large paper plate and grate the Fels-Naptha soap using the larger grating holes and (hopefully) the plate will catch all the bits and then the plate would serve the dual purpose of allowing me to funnel the pieces into my storage jar. Quick shout out to my mom for donating the jar for me to use. She has no shortage of empty glass jars around the house (seriously – where do they come from?) and I have no shortage of uses for empty jars. It’s quite a symbiotic relationship.

Grating the soap was a success! I was also secretly scared that my weak little noodle arms wouldn’t be conducive to soap-grating but the soap turned out to be the texture of semi-hard cheese, like cheddar, and was a breeze to grate. There was a good bit of soap that did not obediently land on the paper plate, but instead was all over my coffee table, but I just scraped it off the side of the table and onto the plate with its brethren. Problem solved!

Next, I added the soap to a large mason jar along with 1 cup of borax and 1 cup of washing soda (both ingredients in my old recipe), closed up the jar and shook to combine. The ingredients do have a tendency to separate when the jar sits for a while, but just shake it up before using and you’re ready to go! 🙂 I of course had to do a load of laundry right then to try it out and it worked great – and smelled wonderful! The Fels-Naptha soap has a real “old-timey” clean smell going on. Perfect for someone like me who doesn’t like artificial scents. Note: I still use my homemade spot remover on any visible stains before throwing items in the wash.

Here’s the easy-to-read recipe:

– 1 bar Fels-Naptha soap, grated
– 1 cup borax
– 1 cup washing soda

Mix all ingredients together in an airtight container and store. Shake well before using. Use 1 tablespoon per load.

Using one tablespoon per load means you can do approximately 36 loads of laundry with this one jar! And the ingredients are super cheap and will make you many more jars in the future. Also, the washing soda and borax are both ingredients in my homemade dishwasher detergent so they do double-duty. 🙂

How to Clean a Yoga Mat

As I mentioned before my wonderful mom bought me a yoga mat and carrying case last weekend when I went to visit her. 🙂 She really is the best! It was such a nice surprise in the morning before her and I headed to yoga class together. Now I can look like a “professional” on my journey to becoming a yogi. When I got to class my bubble burst a little bit when I found my hands (and sometimes feet) slipping and sliding through my asanas. When I got the chance, I went to my trusty know-it-all Google to figure out the problem.

After a little research, I found that new yoga mats can be a little slick until the top layer is essentially “worn down” with use. But, I did find a few tips on how to clean your yoga mat and, in turn, speed along the “wearing down” process. I found posts that recommend cleaning your yoga mat after every practice, and some that said only once a week. Currently, I only go to class once a week (I’m going to start trying for twice) so I’m going to go with once a week for now.

Combine equal parts water and vinegar (I used white distilled vinegar – my favorite cleaning product – but I saw some recipes that used apple cider vinegar too) in a spray bottle. Mist your yoga mat, and allow to air dry before rolling back up for storage. It really is that easy! I have already noticed that my mat is a little easier to use, and I already use vinegar as a cleaning agent due to its anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-mold properties so I know it’ll be great for disinfecting my yoga mat as well! 🙂

How to Clean Your Dishwasher!

The other night when I was emptying the dishwasher, I noticed that my dishwasher was looking a little, well, disgusting. There was definitely a “not-clean” feeling going on with it. I think it has something to do with all the smoothie cups/mugs/etc. that I wash out on a weekly basis and smoothie bits do not clean up easy, let me tell you. Whatever the cause – it was time to clean the dishwasher!

Yes, that’s right, clean the thing that cleans things. It sort of reminds me of that episode of Friends where Monica used the handheld vacuum to vacuum the normal-sized vacuum and then makes the comment: “If only there were a smaller one to clean this one!” I did always feel a kinship with Monica.

So I made a plan to clean the dishwasher. A combination of vinegar and baking soda is my favorite way to clean most things so I thought it would work for this occasion – but I knew better than to put them both in the dishwasher at the same time. That would result in a flood of suds in my kitchen. Actually, I will still nervous about my approach of running two cycles – the first with vinegar and the second with baking soda – but it worked out! And it worked brilliantly! My dishwasher is sparkly clean now.

So step one, empty the dishwasher and remove any food debris or other items that may have accumulated around the drain. Place a large bowl (I used a glass mixing bowl) of vinegar (I used about 3 cups…I didn’t measure but that’s pretty close) on the bottom rack and run through a full cycle. When the cycle is over, remove the bowl and scatter a cup or so of baking soda in the bottom of the dishwasher, then close the door and immediately run it through a second full cycle. Voilà! Clean dishwasher! 🙂

Green Cleaning: Homemade Stain Remover!

So today was my first day at my new job, so of course I had to have a crisis while getting ready. I’m sort of a spaz – and from time to time my hands decide they just don’t want to cooperate with the rest of me. Well, this morning I was putting on mascara when I dropped the wand directly onto my brand new, never worn, white lace shirt that I had decided to wear to my first day of work. Ugh! My first thought was that I couldn’t believe I was going to have to buy a new shirt – but then I figured I’d give a little homemade spot remover a shot. As I mentioned in my post on homemade laundry detergent I haven’t had too much of an occasion to need spot remover but of course I no sooner wrote that – then the occasion arose.

I mixed together the following concoction from what I could remember from a mix of articles and blog posts:

Homemade Spot Remover

• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dawn dishwashing soap

I mixed the above together and dabbed the resulting liquid on the spot on my shirt with a clean, dry, paper towel. And hallelujah! It worked! I was seriously SO impressed. It can’t be that easy, can it? But here is the result:

I circled the approximate area of the stain – but I can’t be sure because I literally can’t see any mark any more! Now, this was a fresh stain so I don’t know if it would be as successful on one set-in but I’m sure going to try if I find one!

This recipe is definitely going in my rotation of green cleaners. I hope it works for you too! 🙂

30 Day Spring {Green} Cleaning Challenge!

channeling springtime…

Spring is almost here! Well, at least yesterday it felt like it was almost here. In typical Virginia-weather fashion it was cold and absolutely pouring in the morning, but bright and sunny and warm in the afternoon. But then this morning it’s cold and windy again. Spring isn’t quite here yet, despite what Mr. Groundhog led me to believe, so I figure I can possibly encourage Spring a little bit by starting my spring cleaning!

I’m sort of a neat freak to begin with. I have a permanent to-do list on my counter that I truly enjoy crossing things off from and adding to as needed. And, twice a year (so I guess it’s spring and fall cleaning in my house!), I love giving my apartment a thorough cleaning, as well as generally reorganizing my house and donating unnecessary items to a local charity (usually The Salvation Army). In fact, I think I may be the opposite of a hoarder because I obsessively go through an area of my house every month or so and donate a big bag of clothes, shoes, books, bags, etc. And somehow there never seems to be any less stuff in my house! 🙂

Seeing that I love lists so much – in addition to my home to-do list, I usually have a work to-do list on my desk and several lists of my fridge (grocery list, lists of foods that are in season, lists of dvds to buy, etc) – the idea of a list for spring cleaning really appealed to me. And even better, structuring the list so that you could cross off one item a day and be done spring cleaning in 30 days! Or, do two a day and be done in only 15! When I’m doing chores around the house, I like to watch TV and make myself get up every commercial to get one thing done. I’m sure some people would find this up-and-down annoying, but I find it keeps me active and I get a lot of things done without feeling like I spent an entire afternoon or evening cleaning. So this list sort of works in the same way 🙂 One accomplishment a day, and then before you know it you’re done! Let me know what you think!

Spring {Green} Cleaning 30 Day Challenge:

1. Dust ceiling fans, lamps, light fixtures and other high-up objects. A microfiber cloth damped with a little vinegar/water mixture works well for dusting.
2. Sweep along ceiling, especially in corners, to get rid of accumulated dust and/or cobwebs.
3. Dust all horizontal surfaces, such as bookshelves, counters, coffee tables, and baseboards. Don’t forget to dust the items on the shelves as well! 🙂
4. Dust all screens – TV, computer, etc with a microfiber cloth.
5. Spot clean the walls. A magic eraser works well for this, or you can use the all-purpose vinegar/water combination.
6. Wipe down fans and air vents with a microfiber cloth soaked in vinegar. This one was especially important for me – my circulating fan in my room was very gross!
7. Launder bed sheets, comforters, bed skirts, pillow cases, etc.
8. Clean your mattress. This is easiest to do while the bed linens are in the wash, so it’s easy to knock these two steps out at once! Sprinkle the mattress with baking soda (you can use baking soda mixed with 10-15 drops of the essential oil of your choice – but the essential oil is for scent only and is optional). Let the baking soda sit for an hour or two, then vacuum up with the hand vacuum or the brush attachment.
9. Vacuum furniture such as couches, chairs, ottomans, pet beds, etc.
10. Vacuum and/or launder curtains.
11. Take rugs and other mats outside to be shaken out. You can repeat the baking soda and oil mixture on these items if you’d like.
12. Vacuum the carpet thoroughly before replacing rugs. You can use that same baking soda and oil mixture as a carpet freshener before vacuuming instead of the chemicals you can buy at the store – yuck!
13. Sweep and mop/swiffer hardwood or tile/linoleum floors before replacing rugs. A combination of vinegar and water can be used as floor cleaning solution.
14. Spot-clean the carpet for any stains that you notice. You can make at-home carpet spot-cleaner with a combination of a few drops of blue dawn dish soap, a few tablespoons of vinegar and a few tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide. It works like magic! Just pour over the spot, and gently blot with a white cloth (old t-shirts work great!).
15. Clean the outside of kitchen cabinets, baseboards, and under the fridge/stove. Being a pet owner, these areas notoriously accumulate pet hair and dust. Not to mention pet toys and other small items that just pushed underneath.
16. Empty out your fridge and freezer and deep clean the shelves and sides. You can use the all-purpose vinegar/water spray. Check the expiration dates on your food and don’t replace any items that are questionable. This is also a great opportunity to re-organize the fridge/freezer so you can find everything again!
17. Empty out your pantry and wipe down the shelves – you’d be surprised the food particles and dust that can accumulate – but it’s a quick and easy fix! Just as with the fridge, check the expiration dates and general freshness of items before replacing them in the pantry.
18. Empty out and wipe down your silverware drawer – I have one of those plastic drawer organizers and surprisingly it gets dusty/dirty too.
19. Run a few handfuls of ice and a sliced up lemon down your garbage disposal with cool water. It cleans and freshens the disposal!
20. Give your bathrooms a deep clean.
21. Empty out your medicine cabinet and/or under the sink and check expiration dates and general freshness of items. Throw out anything questionable. Speaking of organizing under the sink, I bought a few metal shelves and they are absolutely wonderful! You can get them at the Container Store here.
22. Go through your make-up and throw out anything that you don’t use, or that you’ve had for more than a year. I’m notoriously bad about this and hoard unnecessary make-up for long periods of time. I feel so much better having condensed my make-up drawer and getting rid of all the ridiculous trendy things that I honestly do not use.
23. Wash windows inside and out with a mix of vinegar and water, and a microfiber cloth works great!
24. Go through your wardrobe and throw out or donate anything you don’t wear. I do this about 3 times a year, and my method is a little crazy. I literally dump out my dresser drawers or closet a section at a time, and things only go back in if I’ve worn them in the past year (or if they are special occasion items), and they only go back in the proper place. Everything else gets donated to the Salvation Army. I think this method was ingrained in me as a child when my mom would dump my dresser drawers on the floor when they weren’t organized properly (i.e. wouldn’t close). Thanks Mom!
25. Bring your summer clothes out of storage or to the front of your closet and move the winter items into storage or to the back – and vice versa in the fall!
26. Take your heavy wool coat to the dry cleaners before putting away – it’s pricey but only once a year.
27. Go through linen closets, the front entryway closet, other closets etc. for items that can be donated or old boxes that can be thrown away.
28. Check the batteries in your smoke alarm, alarm system, etc – it’s best to make sure everything’s working before they’re needed!
29. Don’t forget your pets (if you have any). Take this opportunity to take them in for a summer grooming, or for flea and tick treatment.
30. Sweep off your balcony or porch. If you’re anything like me, this area can get a little neglected during the winter months when you’re not spending as much time outside.

I hope this helps! You will definitely have one super-deep-cleaned house after these steps. For more green-cleaner recipes, visit my green-cleaning pinterest page at http://pinterest.com/jfox915/green-cleaning-freshening/.

Thank you for reading!

Green Cleaning: Homemade Dishwasher Soap

I’ve really fallen in love with making my own cleaning products. It’s just so easy and cheap, and most of all – green! You can clean everything in your house with just a few key ingredients – like vinegar, baking soda, rubbing alcohol, and a few essential oils. But more on that later 🙂 First up – homemade dishwasher detergent!

If you’re already making your own laundry soap – you already have two of the three ingredients needed to make soap for the dishwasher. The ingredients are: borax, washing soda, and (drumroll…) lemon koolaid! I was shocked when I saw the lemon kool aid ingredient, but when I mentioned it to my mom she says they used to use kool aid (known as ‘bug juice’) on the navy ships all the time to clean things. Sort of makes you re-think actually drinking the stuff, huh? Personally, I stopped drinking soda in high school and haven’t touched a sugary drink since. I stick to water and hot tea, occasionally drinking juice when I’m sick. So, needless to say, I wasn’t sure where to find kool aid packets in the super market. And of course I have to be stubborn about it and wander around until I find it, instead of asking someone who works there for help. After what felt like 2 trips down each aisle, I finally found them – the aisle even had ‘drink mixes’ on the sign. No idea how I missed it – but you know how that grocery store haze sets in. It’s the same haze that makes you forget the one item you came to the store for in the first place.

Back to the point – here is the ingredient line up for our homemade dishwasher detergent:

You can use any container you’d like – I personally went with a one quart sized mason jar donated to my craft projects by my mom. The final recipe makes just over 4 cups of detergent, so any container that will hold that amount (or you can halve the recipe very easily). In you container, mix together 2 cups of borax, 2 cups of washing soda and 2 packets of sugar-free lemon kool-aid. You’re done! Here’s the finished product:

Recipe:
– 2 cups borax
– 2 cups washing soda
– 2 packets sugar-free lemon kool-aid

Mix well and store. I use about two tablespoons in the detergent cup for a normal load, and put another tablespoon or so in that outer detergent cup if the dishes are especially dirty (from baked on food, or pasta sauce, something like that). So far it’s working great.

How does the homemade dish soap work for you? I’ve seen some other recipes out there – any you prefer?