Coop or Hutch Natural Cleaner

As I love and adore the Fresh Eggs Daily Blog I found this wonderful coop cleaning recipe on her blog.

I only had ONE small problem the other day... I needed to clean out our rabbit hutch from where our new bunnies decided to pee inside their nest - on the wood.
I couldn't wait a full month for the cleaner to be ready.

Hence I made a NOW batch omitting the vanilla and cinnamon and adding in all the goodness of the oranges.
I pulped them, squeezed them and even zested them so that every bit of orangeness was mixed into the vinegar.
I have a second batch made properly setting downstairs so I can clean the coop out in a month, but yesterday was shear desperation of getting the rabbit pee off of everything!

Ingredients for the proper mix

Four oranges (or six limes, four lemons or two grapefruit or a mix)

Two cinnamon sticks

Two vanilla beans 

 Bottle of white vinegar (or cheap vodka)

Two canning jars

Spray bottle

Due to the thick mix of desperation I ended up straining it into a large tin can I couldn't spray the rabbit hutch with it in a spray bottle but used a thick Ikea hand cleaning scrub brush to scrub the walls of the rabbit hutch.

Afterwards it smells amazing! No more nasty, vile pee smell (and with rabbits it gets STRONG smelling).

So really this recipe is great for many small animal areas and is fantastic for cleaning up strong smelling odors!

I can't wait to try to right mix on the chicken coop!

Improved H.E Laundry Soap

Powdered Laundry Soap

3 bars Fels Naptha - grate fine - scroll down for some great tips!
1 box (76 oz) Borax
1 box (55 oz) Washing Soda
2 C. Baking Soda
2 containers OxyClean (I of course use dye free ALL now also makes a Oxy soap which I adore!)
1-2 containers of Purex Fabric Softener Crystal (1 for large, 2 for small)

1 large container. I bought a 10 lb pet tub. This way it opens easily but has a better seal than most.

Mix all ingredients together and store in a cool dry place.

To use 2 Tbsp. per load. 1 Tbps for a small load.


To grate the Fels Naptha the easy way, cut the bar with a knife into smaller chunks and add to a food processor. Add a cup of washing soda, or borax or oxyclean and pulse until grated.
I only have a tiny processor so it took a bit to do all three bars.

Note: this makes almost 10 lbs of soap that is safe for any High Energy washer. (will work in regular as well)
The place I found this claimed that it lasts a family of four a full year and costs roughly 30.00.
I don't think it will last us a year. Instead I am banking on 6 months. However 6 months of laundry soap for 30.00 is still amazing!

*****UPDATE*****

4-11-14
I was down to my last 1 inch of soap so I went and made another full batch. Not only did it last 13 months in a house of 4 people (2 very dirty children) we still weren't all the way done!
I LOVED this soap!

Also I did the Fels Naptha differently this time and would highly recommend it. Using my processor I shredded all three blocks, then I poured it out into another bowl, added the large spinning blade, re-added the shredded and then chopped it up for a few minutes splitting the batch in half and using 1 cup of baking soda with each half. MUCH finer!

The price this time was closer to 35.00 dollars but for a great laundry soap that will last more than a year that is pennies per load! (we average 4-5 loads a week)

HandCream

Hand Cream

16 oz Baby Lotion

8 oz Vaseline

8 oz Vitamin E Cream

5-7 ml fragrance (your choice I choose Autumn Harvest)

Mix until it resembles frosting - my recipe is a double of the above.

it filled 19, 4 oz with at least 10 oz to spare

I made a big batch for a party I am hosting in a month and yes I have been prepping for this party for three months now.

Things like this though whether I have a big turn out or not are great - they can also be used for Christmas gifts as well as teacher/neighbor gifts.

Kapha 6 Spice

Kapha 6 Spice

2 parts dried ginger
2 parts black pepper
2 parts turmeric
1 part coriander
1 part cumin
1 part sweet paprika
1 part salt
1 part turbinado sugar/stevia
1 part dried mango powder**

Yes I know that the name is a misnomer, since there are more than 6 spice's in the spice mix. What can I say - its what its called!
* I used 2 tbsp. for the two parts and 1 tbsp. for the 1 part. Just to give you a jumping off point.
**Also this is a specialty store spice and I have not been able to find it locally yet - so for this first time I have omitted it, but am still searching for it.

This is an AFTER spice. As in After the food is cooked. This is not something that I will be putting on my husband or children's foods. Its for my Kapha/dosha. Its to help get my metabolism moving faster, burning more fat and out of its sluggish rut.

You can also add ~ mustard seeds, cayanne pepper, anise, basil, parsley, fennel & cinnamon. These are to change the taste and flavor if and when you get bored or to make it flow better with a dish. They all work with the Kapha system.

Home Made Face Cleanse

I would call it a face wash - save the fact that its not really washing, not in the usual sense that is. I found this on pinterest, titled The Oil Cleansing Method, her post is amazing and very detailed. Check it out.

For my first batch (seen above) I used

1 oz. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 oz. Castor Oil
5 drops of Tea Tree Oil

Gently rub it onto wet face. Next wet a wash cloth with HOT water (not boiling but as hot as you can stand it) wring and place on face - steaming your pores - until the cloth has reached room temp. (average 1 min)
Rinse cloth and gently remove oil.

Best ratio batches are

Normal skin 1-1 ratio of *EVOO & Castor Oil
Acne Prone Skin 1-3 ratio of *EVOO & Castor Oil
Drier Skin  1-3 ratio of Castor Oil to *EVOO

Other good oils for very oily skin are jojoba oil, grapeseed oil & flaxseed oil.
For very dry skin almond oil & evening primrose oil are good.

Add tea tree oil if you have issues with acne - or for your first batch to help your body transition without breaking out.

I have been using this for two days (early stages I know) my acne is clearing up and my skin is softer and healthier!
Already I love it!

As everyone is different you need to tweak your oils until you find the right combo - the one listed at the top is working well enough for me, but I will add any changes that I make back to this post!

9/27/12 ~ Update ~

 My face two days before I started using this

 Close up - trying to show all the many many tiny bumps 

Two weeks later

No oils that I can't wash away - no matter how many times I wash

No gunky feelings

No tiny thousands of dirt bumps on my face

Two weeks later

this is what the same patch of skin looks like!

I feel so much better!

I don't know about you - I however, am sold!

I will be using this for years to come!

***UPDATE***
3-22-15

I've been using this for 2 1/2 years now. Will never go back!
Any time I run out and put off making a new batch - reusing my old expensive face washes - my face immediately gets oily, greasy and bumpy!
This is the best stuff ever!
Not only does it make your skin feel clean and amazing but after a month of using it regularly you will notice you don't need to use it every night.
Instead I rinse my face with hot water, dry off and use the cleanse once to twice a week.
More during that "time of the month" for women.
I highly recommend this.
Cheap, easy and lasts forever!

Home Made Toilet Wipes - FAIL

Alright I tried I really really tried.

First I tried it with cheap toilet paper left whole and on the roll

The second batch I used the best, strongest toilet paper I could find.

1 C. Water
1 1/2 Tsp. Baby Oil
2 tsp. baby bath wash
1 roll of toilet paper

 I cut it in half

Laid them out the best I could

 

 

Allowed them to soak.

They work MUCH better then the first batch

but they do still tear, fall apart and roll.

These will work in a pinch, but buying pre-made store ones are still better than anything I have been able to come up with.

If you have a better way to make them - feel free to share it with me, until then I will continue to buy this item of convenience.

 

Tub & Tile Cleaner (Tub Magic)

Tub Magic
A pinterest recipe

12 oz. White Vinegar
12 oz. Dawn Dish Soap
1 - Empty spray bottle

Heat vinegar until hot - add to bottle, add dish soap, cover & shake.

Spray, scrub, rinse & voila done!

Tough stains spray on & allow to soak in as long as overnight.

This has been stained for a year!

No amount of soaking or products have made a difference

This is after only 5 minutes!

I am so happy!

Also as a side note, the recipe for this that I found on pinterest (the many) all called for BLUE Dawn.

As I am fully against DYE's of any sort and am working them out of our life I used Dawn Pure, their one and only dye free dish soap.

It worked like a charm!

Also I try not to buy bottles, especially not if I have an old one that I can clean out and re-use.

But if you are going to buy a spray bottle - make sure it can handle a thicker stream - this is not something that will flow through a small spray bottle for water.

Homeopathic Sun Burn Treatment

Black Tea - who knew it could cure the outside of your body as well as the inside?

Alright so lots of people knew, this is the first time I've had to put it into practice.

You see normally for sunburns I turn to cheap - effective - Aloe Vera Gel.
However they add Lidocaine HCI as a topical pain reliever.
My girl is severely allergic to Lidocaine HCI.

Later I will buy an aloe plant. However this treatment is good for any first or second degree burns.

Black Tea Sun Burn Treatment

Hot Water (boiling or close to it)
2-3 Black tea bags
One wash cloth (that can be stained)
One bowl or pitcher


Steep the tea in the hot water until luke warm. Use the cloth to apply to the burn. Allow the tea to soak into the skin - do not rub off or wash off. Allow it to soak in - over night if needed.
Repeat the application for 10-15 minutes.
If the burn is on your back or in a hard to reach spot sit in the bath tub and pour the tea over the affected area.

 
My girl getting her first tea treatment - she loved the smell but hated that mama was taking her photos!
Worked great! 

Home Made Laundry Soap (High Efficiancy)

If you have a front load washer - I'm sure you've heard the words "High Efficiency" soap.
Why?
Because the vast majority of laundry soaps both powdered and non-powder on the market today are filled with fillers - perfumes, dyes & extra junk that make it extra sudsy or even slimy.
With a front load washer - this is a major no-no.
Front load washers are amazing - mine is energy efficient, water efficient and has so many wonderful extra cool buttons and features.

However, due to not wasting water or power - you need to be careful what type of soap you use/buy.
This can get expensive or very very cheap.

This is my Home-Made Powdered High Efficiency Laundry Soap

2 Cups finely grated Fels Naptha --- can use regular soap but this work amazing and is only around 1.00     found in the laundry aisle
1 Cup Washing soda (found in laundry aisle)
1 Cup Borax (20 mule team borax easiest to find also in laundry aisle)

mix together and store in an air tight container.
use 1-2 tbls per load.

I made this batch twice and then liked it so much I just made a HUGE triple batch (2 bars made 6 Cups grated) this will last me quite a while!

Home Made Cold & Cough

For a sore throat and cough

Home Made "Tea"

One glass hot water
2 tbls. Honey
1 tbls. lemon juice
1 Cinnamon stick or 1 tsp cinnamon

Stir and drink - relieves pain and helps to kill off any bacteria or viruses.
Not to bad tasting, even if it is a little thin.


For Home Made Cold and Flu make up the following salve

Home Made Cold & Flu Salve

1/4 C. Olive oil
1/4 C. Coconut oil
3-5 crushed garlic cloves

Blend all three together to make the salve - store in glass container in fridge.
Rub on chest if you are having cough and congestion.
In nose if stuffy, ear if infected.
For all around cold and flu - apply to the bottom or your feet - cover with socks.

Both of these work well - not as great as modern medicine - however - if you are pregnant or nursing and need something natural to get you through - these do make a big difference!

Home-Made Dishwasher Detergent

I have been using this for the last few weeks - and I LOVE it!
In all honestly I was hoping for a cheaper alternative with chemicals I trust and can pronounce.
I wasn't really expecting any difference between this and my cheap end store bought brand. (Yes I am a confirmed penny pincher)
That said - noticeable difference. No scum, no dots, bright shiny dishes.
Down side - will not get off the caked on stuff - rinse your dishes, don't allow stuff to get all hard, nasty and caked on.

Home-Made Dishwasher Detergent Recipe

1 C. Borax (recommended brand 20 mule team borax)
1 C. Washing Soda
1/2 C. Kosher Salt (I didn't have any on hand so I split between rock salt and table salt)
3/4 C. Citric Acid (I subbed for Lemony Shine as finding local Citric Acid has not been easy for me)

Mix it all together and store in an Air Tight container. Moisture will make it clump. You can add the left over, do not eat, pill pillows in to help stop the clumping.
Shake it up - mix it up - fill up the cup or use 1 tbls. (heaping)

Also instead of paying for an expensive rinse aid - use white or distilled vinegar.

To store I used a washed out (large) creamer bottle. This (pictured) is a double batch. Now that I know I will want to continue making my own I went ahead and made a second batch to fill up the bottle.

Dye Free Note - For families out there like mine that need to watch every single ingredient that is digested or used on/next to the skin. Making your own cleaners is more than just being economical and eco friendly, its something that you can tick off your list with a deep sigh of relief knowing that one more thing is safe for your family.
One more thing will not add or worsen any allergies.
One more way to sleep better at night. I know I am. ;)

Home Made Window & Mirror Cleaner

I know, I get it, I am not one of those amazing pretty photo, gorgeous labels and neat house blogs.
I am however, thrifty, resourceful and am compiling a HUGE recipe collection, easy to browse through of home-made recipes.

Glass & Mirror Cleaner

1/2 C. Rubbing Alchol
1/2 C. Vinegar
2    C. Water
1    Tbls. Lemon Juice

Mix in empty spray bottle - shake before each use.

(again my recipe is dye free - I have never looked at my windows and mirrors and thought to myself, Oh it really needs a light blue tint.)

Works amazing!
Cleans, shines and doesn't leave a strong smell behind. The smell of vinegar quickly disappears.

Breakfast Freezer style

Two in a half hours and I have breakfast for my husband for a whole month!

First up French Toast - eggs, vanilla, cinnamon - dash of salt and sliced bread of your choosing.
Dip, dip other side, cook and voila! French toast.
Make it in large quantities and freeze the extra! Can be heated on the frozen cycle of your toaster! Very simple and yummy!

Next up Breakfast burritos - mine change each and every time I make them and depend on the food at hand.
This time I used hashbrowns, sausage, eggs, peppers, salt and pepper, cheese & tortillas.
Cook it all up, chop it up, fill, wrap and then wrap in tinfoil to hold the shape.
Unfreeze the night before, microwave 1-2 minutes. If you unfreeze in the fridge the night before they won't even be chewy!
Delicious easy way to have breakfast ready on the go - Better then fast food burritos!

Cooking for once a month does not have to been done all in one day. If you know you love the food and it freezes well make double and freeze the excess. When you get into the habit you will continually be eating or cooking for/from the freezer.
Pairing the food with a side salad, fruits and veggies, as well as whole grain breads and you will be eating healthier, smarter and on budget!

Die Dye!

Surely I am not the only one out there as a consumer in our large and vast retail world wondering why we are constantly being treated like 2 & 3 years olds!
In a time of companies trying to save money where ever they can, you would think that they might lay off or lower the amounts of dye added to food & consumable products.
Wrong!
Since all the studies "prove" that intelligent adults are just as magpieish as toddlers the world of dye seems to be only growing stronger.

This may not seem like a big thing to you, after all not everyone (like my two children) are allergic to dye's, so what harm do they cause?
Well here is a little known fact, the average American eats up to 4 pds of dye a year.
Here is a second little known fact, the human digestive system does not just get rid of the dye.
Many times you need to "flush" your system by detoxing or fasting to remove all the toxins and dyes from your system.
The photo with the numbers is showing all the different added chemicals in the puffed wheat - dyed cereal.

But really people I don't need something "shiney" or "bright" to want to buy it! In fact I go out of my way (obviously) to find products with little, no or natural dye.

What I have found even more surprising is, during my "Home-Made" recipe campaign, people actually add dye into their home made products to make them look more like the "real" thing!
I don't know about you, but when I wash my windows and mirrors I don't say to myself, "hmm,? I should really add a blue tint to this - it would look better!"
Or
"My cloths really could use an light pink tint."
Or
"I really miss the slight green/yellow/orange shade to my dishes."

So when you read through this recipe blog you will never find me or any of my recipes adding in dye.
Now with Easter coming up I have been searching far and wide for recipes, home made healthy dyes & candy that I can make for the kids without aggravating their allergies.
Over the next few weeks I will be adding my "going to try" recipes for Easter - on Easter I will post all my photos of how they all came out along with what I might do differently next time.

Now my kids can have small amounts of dye - however, their allergies are increasing and each time they have dye it makes it worse - meaning I need to cut as much out of their diet as possible.
My son the other day proved to me that I also need to cut it out of anything that also comes into contact with their skin as well!
Oh the joy!

Home-Made Stain Remover

I found this recipe on Pinterest comparing it to "shout" - I won't stoop that low - this is The Best Stain Remover!
I used it on a pink dress that had washed in chocolate stains - weird white stains on my hubby, doggy vomit & cranberry stains - every single one came up sparkling clean!

Now first off I halved the recipe because my bottle couldn't hold the full recipe (by half a cup) I recommend always pre-filling your container to find out how much it will take before mixing anything!
Luckily I read through the measurements and took a good long look at my tiny bottle - filled it - measured it out and cut the recipe in half!
Love it!

Edit: 3/8/12

I can't tell you how amazing this is!
I only wish I had taken before and after photos to show you how amazing this is! Next time I will.

1. My daughter had hidden one of her bright pink dress shirts under her bed due to a large dried chocolate stain (around 4x3 inch). I honestly didn't take a photo because I was only hoping to reduce the stain - I did not expect a full removal and a return to brand new like color!

2. My daughter again had hidden one of her new blankets from me due to an INK stain! 6x5 inches HUGE! Dried in - maybe a month of sitting and soaking into the cloth. Also some splashes of paint, grape juice & pizza stains (this coming from someone who is not supposed to have food in her bedroom!). Again I added the stain remover more as a what the hay! then because I had hopes of it even lightening.
Not only did it come all the way out - I can't even find where it was!

Next time I will take and add before and after photos.

Sugar Lime Hand Scrub

use a tsp on your hands - rub and wash!

To use it as a body scrub please follow the directions on my personal blog - found here

Home Made Cinnamon Sugar Popcorn

Cinnamon Sugar Popcorn
My kids ate this up so fast I had to hold them back just to take the photo!
This time I pre-melted butter added the cinnamon and the sugar cooked the popcorn and then tossed it.
I will not do this next time.

What you need:
One brown paper lunch bag
1/4 C un-popped popcorn
1 Tbls butter
Cinnamon/Sugar

Add the corn kernels into the brown bag and fold it over twice - don't secure it.
Pop on high for 2-3 minutes or until there are 5-10 second pauses between popping.
Empty into a large bowl pour melted butter over the top - toss once or twice - then add in flavoring in this case cinnamon & sugar.

No more paying for expense popcorn & the chemicals they add in. No more needing to pull out a large rarely used popcorn maker, or heating oil on the stove (particularly dangerous for klutzes like me!)
Just a cheap brown bag and a microwave.

Home Made Bug Spray

I had been married just under two years when we took my daughter (8 months old) camping. I love camping. Really I do, in fact several of our wedding present were camping items.
My worry grew over mosquito's, that year, West Nile Virus was bad. However, covering an infant in bug spray in not something I was comfortable with.

After some research I found many complicated home made bug sprays. (Very complex and not all kid friendly ingredients.)
However, after reading up on mosquito repelling plants I bought one spray bottle filled it with water and added in 20 drops of clove bud oil.
It was amazing!
For 8 years I only used water and Clove - I was able to spray it directly into my daughters face and not worry about it hurting her eyes or her chewing on her hands or for that matter rubbing her eyes!
One large stress down!
Last summer (after a hard winter and a very long wet spring) the mosquito's were the worst I had ever seen here.
So if you live in a very heavy mosquito area you may want to look into adding Rosemary, Lemon Grass & Lavender. I have not tried them on an infant and would say try at your own risk.

Now you might not believe me, but this works better than products on the market with dangerous chemicals in them!
9 years ago I switched and I promise you I will never go back!
I am also adding these plants into my garden to keep my yard naturally mosquito free (works on a few other biting insects).

Home Made Guide to Safety

 My shopping list reads like a science experiment gone wrong.

Basic ingredients for both Personal and Home care recipes are:

Essential Oils
Baking soda
Peroxide
White/distilled Vinegar
Dish detergent
Fels Naptha (or bar soap)
20 Mule Team Borax
Washing Soda
Kosher Salt & other various salts
Liquid Castile Soap
Glycerin
Boric Acid
Sugar
Camphor
Petroleum Jelly
Rubbing Alcohol
Hydrogen Peroxide
Lemon Juice
Ammonia 

Yes there are many many more, however, how well did you pay attention to Chemistry in high school?
If you store Ammonia near Chlorine you might end up with potentially lethal Chlorine Gas?
Ok so you are a pro at storing them safely, are you also going to make sure you don't make TWO Home-Made products in you kitchen one that calls for bleach and one that calls for Ammonia on the same day? I try to avoid bleach altogether now, but be aware these are still ACTIVE Chemicals and can when mixed incorrectly cause problems.

Also take another good long look at the list.
If you are "jumping" on the Home Made, Toxic Chemical Free, Green & Eco Friendly, Allergy Friendly, Asthma friendly, money saving, bandwagon for the first time you may buy many of these items in bulk.
If you happen to be doing a mammoth shop, where you also buy Anti freeze, fertilizer, bleach & various weed killers guess who may end up tapping your phone lines?

Also its a very good way to burn yourself out.
My recommendation?
Make one thing at a time to replace what you have used up. Stock pile recipes and slowly gather your cleaning supplies so as to not break the bank.

Also read up on Kitchen Chemical Safety & storing safety

Here is an EXTENSIVE site from our government on product safety
Basic cleaning Safety tips
Prevention & Care Safety tips
Serious Chemical Home Safety - explosions, gas leaks, toxic fumes ect.

Eliminating dangerous & toxic chemicals from our daily lives will improve your overall health and peace of mind, not to mention many other benefits.