Easy and Safe Homemade cleaners!

You'll be surprised by how many household cleaning products you have in your kitchen. Some of them, you probably didn't even know about!

When you think vinegar, you probably picture coloring easter eggs, or chomping down on a pickle. Hopefully after reading this, vinegar will be a thought to remind you of clean toilet bowls, sanitized countertops, clear windows and soft clothes. Paired with these other few ingredients, vinegar will do wonders for your home and your wallet.

Vinegar doesn't stand alone in the line of homemade household cleaners. Following it are Baking Soda, Borax and a wash rag.(:

Here are a few recipes and tips I use and I hope you can do the same.

I've shared the all-purpose cleaner I use.

  
    Bathroom cleaners-
Toilet bowl- Spray vinegar in toilet bowl. Scrub and flush!

Spray shower walls and curtain with vinegar to prevent mildew.

Clean soap build-up on faucets by mixin 1 part salt to 4 parts vinegar. Apply, scrub and rinse.

To remove soap and water stains, mix 1 1/2 cups baking soda with 1/2 cup liquid soap and 1/2 cup water. Mix well then add 2 Tbls vinegar. Put small amount on wash rag, scrub bathtub and sink .Rinse!

  For a cream cleaner to clean ceramic sinks and tubs, mix 1 3/4 cups baking soda with 2/3 liquid soap. Store in squeeze bottle.

   Kitchen cleaners-
To get rid of odors from sink drains- Pour 1 cup cinegar down drain. Let sit 1 hour before rinsing.

Un-clogg drains- pour 1/2 cup baking soda down drain then 1/2 cup vinegar. When bubbling stops, rinse with warm waer.

Clean Microwave-
Mix 1/2 cup water with 1/2 cup vinegar in small microwave safe bowl. Microwave until water boils.remove and wipe out microwave.

Remove odors in garbage can- sprinkle 1/2 cup baking soda in bottom of can before adding bag.

Get rid of the smell of burnt food in kitchen-Boil water with several tablespoons of vinegar.

Dish Washer Detergent- Mix 1 tablespoon baking soda with 1 tablespoon borax.
Carpet-

Remove odors from carpet- Mix 2 cups baking soda with a few drops of your favorite essential oil. Sprinkle on carpet. Let sit at least 1 hour. Vaccuum.

Carpet spills/stains- Absorb liquid from carpet with towel. Spray mixture of half water half vinegar onto stain/spill. Set 2 minutes. Blot with towel. Repeat if needed.

   Laundry-
Remove stains- Rub with vinegar. Wash.

Add 1/2 cup vinegar to rinse cycle. This soften clothes, brightens colors, decreases lint and freshens! (Your clothes will not smell like vinegar.)

I use borax and washing soda in the recipe for homemade laundry deterget I use. They are great cleaners and stain fighters!

    A few random household uses-

Remove stickers from places they aren't wanted- moisten sticker with vinegar. Let sit 10 minutes. Blot with sponge or towl. Repeat until sticker is gone.

Get rid of odor in a room-
place small bowl of vinegar in room over night. The smell will be gone!

Window cleaner-Equal parts water and white vinegar mix in a spray bottle. Spray on window and wipe away with newspaper or towel.

Hate the lingering smell of onions after chopping them for cooking? Wipe your hands with vinegar after chopping vegetables or fruits to get rid of the smell and aso stains from fruit!

I hope you can use these tips and recipes. They're so cheap and easy to use. Also, they won't leave you breathless from the smell of harsh chemicals.

I find a lot of my recipes from:
Diylife.com
Thenewhomemaker.com
Home.howstuffworks.com

They have great tips and ideas!(:

Easy Croutons Or Bread Crumbs

 

 

At the end of every loaf of bread I seem to always be left with  2 ends and sometimes even a few stale pieces.
 If I'm feeling lazy, I tend to throw them to my chickens for a treat, but if I have the time, I love to make croutons or bread crumbs depending on which I need. I love fresh croutons. They are so simple and yummy.

Here is what you'll need:
 Leftover bread (I used 31/2 slices)
 1 Tbls butter melted
 1 Tsp Italian seasoning
 1/2 Tsp garlic powder

**You can use whatever seasonings you want to alter the recipe to your liking. :)***

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Mix melted butter, Garlic powder and Italian Seasoning until combined.

Brush butter mixture onto front and back of bread slices. (* Don't Saturate with butter just brush on lightly*)

Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Stick in oven for about an hour or so. Turn them over once in between.

I tend to put them in the oven and fold laundry or get things ready for dinner. Once I start to smell Yummy Garlic aromas I know its about time for me to take them out. I usually just poke them a little and if they feel hard like a crouton their ready!

Remove them from the oven and let them cool for a minute or so.
If your making croutons, cut them in squares or break them up for a more rustic look (;
For bread crumbs, simply crumble them up.
 There you go! Croutons & bread crumbs.

Enjoy!

Homemade All Purpose Cleaner

 If you are like me, you love a clean house, but not necessarily the "clean" smell of bleach, I think you'll like to try this recipe I found for all purpose cleaner. It gets the job done without leaving a harsh smell and hurting your skin. Your probably have all the ingredients in your pantry already!

Here is what you will need.
1 cup water
3/4 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup alcohol
10 drops essential oil(optional.(any scent you like))
Spray bottle


Pour all ingredients into your spray bottle. Shake, and get to cleaning!

I love this cleaner. It does a great job with getting things clean and leaves a nice shine. If you want to use it as a mop cleaner for your floors, add a couple squirts of dish detergent. You can either pour about 1 cup into a mop bucket and add water, or spray directly on your floor and wipe up with a towel. (Test a small part of your floor before you do an entire area)

Vinegar is a natural disinfectant, so I know the germs will be gone. Another plus, it costs about $1.20 to make. ( that's because it costs $1 for a new bottle!) And all this time you had all purpose cleaner in your pantry and you didn't even know it. (:

**Be sure to clearly label all of your homemade cleaners and detergents**

Tilapia

 We finally took the plunge and bought Tilapia fingerlings to start our Tilapia colony! How cool will it be to go to the back yard and grab up a fish for dinner ? I can't wait.
They were so darn cheap we just couldn't pass it up. At $.35 each, there isn't a better deal out there. We bought 30.
 It's so cheap to feed them, and their is minimal upkeep . We have them in a 55 gallon barrel with a filter and aerator right now and we're hoping to have a pond for them by the time they are about 5 inches long.

Why grow your own Tilapia? For many reasons! First of all, they will be organic and free of the many hormones aquaculture farms use to choose the sex of the fish(they do this to make all of the fish males to prevent breeding and overpopulation). Also, it will be cheaper. We paid $10 for 30 tilapia. Some we will grow to eat and the rest will be our breeders for the future! That's a lot of savings considering it only costs $8 per month to feed them. Tilapia grow and reproduce so fast, we won't have to wait around for very long before being able to have a fresh fillet.They are ready to eat at just 5 months old! They breed at just 3 months old so we will always have a constant supply not only for us but for family and friends . I'm thrilled to be able to provide fish for my family without leaving my property!(: