Well, it’s that time of year.  Skeeter weather.  Oh, we’re grilling and setting off firecrackers and engaging in all kinds of fun summery hijinx, but somehow the phrase “eaten alive” comes up more than one would hope.

So here’s my solution.  This recipe is different from my others, because the essential oils are what really make it happen.  And this time we’ll use a blend of three or more essential oils, which can be found in most health food stores.  Here we go!

In a small spray bottle, combine:

1 1/2 to 2 cups distilled water
2 Tablespoons witch hazel
1 Tablespoon rubbing alcohol (or absolute vodka, if you like)
2 Tablespoons sweet almond oil (or olive if it’s handy)
1 teaspoon eucalyptus essential oil
1 teaspoon lemongrass essential oil
1/2 teaspoon cedarwood essential oil

Shake before each use!

All those essential oils are great for repelling buggies.  You can replace the lemongrass with lavender or rosemary if you like, but I like the combination above.  The cedarwood will be the strongest, but that’s the more potent against the buggies.  Other good insect repelling essential oils include citronella and catnip (yes, catnip).

As with anything that goes in or on the body, pay attention to any allergies you or your family might have here!

Now go outside and play!

Hey there Folks!

Note:  This is not a furniture polish!  This is a cleaning and dusting spray that will allow you to toss the cans of chemicals!

I recommend spraying this directly on your duster or cloth.  It won’t hurt your furniture if you spray directly onto the wood, but it’ll do it’s job better from the duster.

2 cups distilled water (tap is ok, but it has its own chemicals and buggies in it, so I always use distilled)
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 teaspoons olive oil (or sweet almond, which I prefer)
10 drops lemon essential oil

Pop all that stuff into a plastic spray bottle, and shake before each use, as the oils will rise to the top.

Not that anyone has time to dust, really, but this is great stuff!

Enjoy, and watch out for those vicious dust bunnies!

Yes, you read that right.

Automatic dishwasher detergent isn’t as difficult to make as you might think.  I’ve been using mine for months now, and I’m very pleased with the results…and the cost!  A little bonus is that it keeps the dishwasher itself clean and the pipes/hoses clear of hard water buildup!

Here’s the recipe:

1 cup Borax
1 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup citric acid
1/2 cup salt (kosher, table, whatever you like)
1/2 cup of vinegar (not to be mixed in!)

One tablespoon per load.

Note:  A good resource for citric acid is: http://www.bulkfoods.com.  It’s a bulk/wholesale store that actually allows you to purchase one pound.

Back to the recipe.  Borax and washing soda are the cleaning agents.  Citric acid is probably the most important item, as it dissolves food particles and combats hard water, giving a cleaner rinse.  Salt is a scrubbing agent and also helps combat hard water.

The vinegar is your rinse aid.  Some people fill the little rinse aid compartment with vinegar, but I’ve found that doesn’t do as good a job as just pouring a couple “glugs” right onto the dishwasher door (about half a cup) before you run the machine.

One important thing about this recipe.  Citric acid causes this stuff to absorb moisture and clump like the dickens if you aren’t proactive about preventing it.  You can put rice in the toe of an old, clean stocking, tie if off and put it in your detergent mixture.  You can do the same with a couple silica gel packets–the kind you find in a new purse. I like to leave the mixture in the open air (don’t put a lid on your container) for 2 or three days, and give it a vigorous shake periodically, for good measure.  Once a few days have passed in the open air, you can cap it and store it under the sink.  (If you forget and it does clump up, run that stuff through a dry food processor or blender.  Good as new.)

Some people leave out the citric acid and add it separately to each load (1/2 tsp. per load), but that just kind of smacks of effort, if you ask me.  Hahaha.  No.  Really.  I’m lazy.

UPDATE:  I’ve given up on the clumping thing and have come up with a solution.  I put it in a big, shallow plastic container, and just let it form one big clump overnight.  Then I turn it out, and cut it into dishwasher tabs!  Perfect!!

You can adjust the recipe if you have super-hard water, or if your glasses seem cloudy.  I have ridiculously hard water, so I actually double the amount of citric acid in mine.

If you have cloudy dishes, first try using a little less or a little more in each load.  If that doesn’t make the difference, add more citric acid to your recipe.

Bonus tip:  To prevent etching on your glasses, don’t use the drying cycle!  Spots you can wipe off, but etching lasts forever!

Hi Kids!

Next in the lineup for Stuff You Can Make Yourself is scouring powder, tub-scrub, cleanser…whatever you like to call it.  It’s the stuff that gets your sinks, tubs, tub surrounds, etc. clean and sparkly.  Pretty nice on the grout too, I must add.  You can also use this to scrub pots and pans after the kids are done cooking your Mother’s Day breakfast!

I even use this to get burnt crud off my glass-top stove.  No, it doesn’t scratch or harm the surface.  I’ve been using it for months!

1 cup Borax
1 cup table salt
1/2 cup Baking Soda
1/2 cup Washing Soda (Arm & Hammer makes this too)
*Optional:  5 to 10 drops of your favorite essential oil, for scent (but I use 3 drops peppermint and 4 drops pine)

You can just whisk or shake this mixture together, but I like to run it through a food processor to mix it completely, and to bust up anything that’s gotten lumpy.

Sprinkle, scrub, sparkle!

Hey!

It’s finally acting like Spring outside, over most of the country, and people all over are doing something they only do around this time of year.  Oh, they SAY they do it more often, but really, cleaning your windows (inside AND outside), is pretty much a spring cleaning activity.  (Wait…I may have just tipped my “lazy” hand…)

After much testing, I have come up with the worlds greatest all-natural, ammonia-free window cleaner.

Here’s the recipe:

In a 26-oz. spray bottle (or larger), combine:

20 oz. distilled water
4 oz. white vinegar
1 oz. rubbing alcohol (or absolute vodka, if you really wanna use it to clean windows)
1 to 2 tsp. cornstarch (or tapioca flour/starch)

Shake before each use…the cornstarch won’t dissolve, so you need to shake it or it’ll clog up the sprayer!

Plus, it’s fun.  Shaking things is fun.

To break it down, the water is the carrier, the vinegar is the cleaning agent, the alcohol makes it dry faster, and the cornstarch prevents streaking!

Take that, blue window juice!  If you NEED it to be blue, pop a drop or two of food coloring in there, but don’t overdo it!

Note:  I’ve been using this on my surfaces too, and it works nicely!  Do not use on sealed granite or other sealed solid surface, though!  Alcohol will damage the sealant!

Hello my lovelies!

Ok, I make a lot of neat stuff that not everyone can make at home.  I mean…do you have bentonite clay, citric acid and raw shea butter just hanging around in your cupboards?  (I just know someone’s going to comment saying, “Why yes…yes I do!” and the effect will be squashed…but that’s ok.  You get the point.)

I’ve been making much more than soap for a while now, but my cleaning products aren’t the kind of thing I’d want to package and sell.  It’s just too darned easy to make them at home, and they’re WORLDS cheaper than anything commercial…especially the organic brands.

So here’s my natural floor cleaner recipe.  It’s great on hardwood, laminate, vinyl, tile…whatever you’ve got.  It works!

In a spray bottle, available at any hardware store, mix:

20 oz. distilled water (tap water has buggies and junk in it that will leave residue and film on your floors)
4 oz. white vinegar
5-10 drops of sweet orange essential oil (available at most health food stores)

The water’s the carrier.  The vinegar’s the cleaning agent.  The oil adds fragrance and wood conditioning, as well as grease cutting and cleaning properties.  If you have wood or laminate floors, go for closer to 10 drops.  If you have ceramic tile, stay on the lower end with 5 drops.

SHAKE BEFORE EACH USE!  The orange oil will rise to the top, so shake that bottle when you use it!

Spray on, mop.  No need to rinse.

Simple, cheap, and it works!  Enjoy!