Homemade

I have found that living more organic is costly.  Especially if you are buying it all. There is a reason Americans are hard pressed to give up processed and preservative filled foods, they are CHEAP!   Eggs, milk, meat, bread, cheese all much more costly bought organic at the grocery stores.  I don't live on a farm, nor am I in close proximity to one, so I have to buy those staples.  I am trying to grow our own vegetables this year, but other than that, I am a store bound woman.  I intended to go 100% organic, but my budget just doesn't allow that liberty.  So I decided to find the areas that I could make for myself.  Bath, body, pets, and household cleaning are the areas I chose.  After a lot of searching, reading, and trying it out, I have come up with a few things that work and save me a bunch of money.  Most importantly they are chemical free.   

Deodorant

UPDATE:  I love this deodorant!  It works great.  I am trying to figure out how to get it in an old solid deodorant dispenser so I can use it as a stick deodorant. 

I have run across a few of these recipes online and I decided to take a few pointers from each and come up with my own recipe. 

1/3 cup baking soda

1/3 cup of cornstarch

5-8 tbsp coconut oil

Essential Oil ( about 10-15 drops)  I used Sweet Orange because I like the morning type smell, but it;s your choice really. 

I mixed the dry ingredients first.  Then I melted the coconut oil and mixed it with the dry ingredients until well blended.  Next I added the essential oils and mixed again.  I wanted a pretty pasty consistency, so I waited for a few to see what the cooled coconut oil would do and added a tsp at a time of each the baking soda and cornstarch, until I got the consistency I wanted.  I then put it in a mason jar and closed the lid.  It smells great, works good, but I have to tell you, you need to warm it a little in your fingers before applying it so it smooths on better.  I haven't had any staining of my clothes.  I also am doing great with wetness and odor ( I bet you are glad to know that part!)  I have only used this about a week, so I don't really know the shelf life, but my guess is it's pretty long.  None of the ingredients have a short shelf life, so...you be the judge. 

FYI:  The baking soda control odor.  The cornstarch controls moisture.  The coconut oil is not only a good emulsifier, its really good for your skin.  The Essentials oils just smell pretty. 

Homemade Laundry Detergent

 I LOVE this laundry soap. I have been using it for about 2 months now and I really LOVE IT! 

 I mix mine up as I need it in small batches. 

2 cups Borax
2 Cups Washing Soda
2 Cups Baking Soda
1 Bar Fels-Naptha grated
I mix it all together well and use 2 TBSP per load.

Below is a link to the original recipe!

Being Creative

Aromatic Carpet Cleaner recipe

2 cups baking soda
1/2 cup cornstarch
4 to 5 bay leaves
1 tablespoon cloves

Mix all ingredients together and keep in a closed container. Sprinkle on carpet and let sit for a couple of hours. Vacuum carpet in usual manner.

Homemade Fabric Softener

(makes about 3 qts)

6 C warm water
3 C white vinegar
2 C hair conditioner

essential oil, optional

I use a recycled vinegar bottle and add all the ingredients at once and shake till completely mixed.  you get a few bubbles at first but they go away quickly and its ready to use right away. 

For the original recipe click HERE. 

Homemade Shampoo

I used rose scented castile soap and I added a few drops of a floral essential oil.  I like this shampoo, but I did have to adjust it a little bit.  I found that the castile soap left my hair feeling a little waxy or heavy.  So I added 1 tsp of baking soda to the mix.  I also found this to be quite a liquidity shampoo, so I moved it to an old dish liquid squeeze bottle so I could better control how much I poured on my head.  And finally, it works a lot better if your hair is really wet when you apply the shampoo and you work it in and lather it up.  I follow with an apple cider vinegar rinse that I LOVE! 
** Update:  I have discovered that vegetable glycerin makes this more bubbly and I need ( or at least think I need) lots of bubbles to feel clean.  So I am going to try this recipe with glycerin to see if that is better!**

Basic Shampoo

Ingredients:

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup liquid castile soap
1/2 teaspoon sunflower or other light vegetable oil

Directions:

Mix the ingredients, store in a bottle and use as shampoo.


Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/029700_natural_soap.html#ixzz1lTCSeIir

Cleaning Spray recipe

1/4 cup white vinegar
2 teaspoons Borax
1/4 cup liquid soap
32 ounces hot water
20 drops lavender essential oil (or other if desired)*

* Lavender is great because it is antibiotic, antiviral, anti fungal and antibacterial.

Combine all ingredients. Store in a clean spray bottle.

Clogged Drain

 

1 cup salt

1 cup baking soda

1 cup vinegar

Mix salt and soda, pour down the drain. Follow with vinegar and let foam for a few minutes.  Pour 2 quarts boiling water down the drain.

Bleach recipe

This is very gentle. It is good for even washable white silk.

1 part hydrogen peroxide
8 parts water

. Immerse garment for 5 to 30 minutes to remove stains or lighten garment. Rinse garment in clear water and discard bleach mix.

Starch recipe

1/2 cup starch
2 1/2 quarts boiling water
1/2 cup cold water

Mix starch with the cold water and stir to a smooth paste. Add the boiling water gradually to the creamed mixture and cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes or until the mixture becomes transparent.

Heavy Starch: Mix 1 part basic starch with 1 part lukewarm water.
Medium Starch: Mix 1 part basic starch to 3 or 4 parts lukewarm water.
Light Starch: Mix 1 part basic starch to 5 or 6 parts lukewarm water.




For the original recipe click HERE.

Bath Salts Recipe

3/4 cup Epsom salts
1/2 cup coarse sea salt
1/4 cup baking soda
8 drops essential oil
food coloring

( I didn't have the coarse kind, so I used the fine grain sea salt and it worked just fine)

I mixed all the dry ingredients together first with a fork. I tripled this recipe and divided it into 3 equal parts. Using different essential oils and coloring for each jar, I added oils and mixed some more, and lastly, I added the coloring.

I made one of Grapefruit. Grapefruit Oil is a wonderfully energizing oil that isn't too strong or overpowering. Both white and pink grapefruit oils are available, with Pink Grapefruit Essential Oil generally being considered the sweeter of the two. Aromatic Description: Citrus. Tangy like grapefruit, but sweet. It is reminiscent to the aroma of the grapefruit rind, but more concentrated.

One of Peppermint/Sweet Orange. Sweet Orange Essential Oil is most often referred to simply as Orange Oil. With its versatility, affordability and wonderfully uplifting aroma, Orange Oil is one of the most popular of essential oils. Aromatic Description: Citrus, sweet, reminiscent of orange peels, but more concentrated. Aromatic Description: Minty, reminiscent of peppermint candies, but more concentrated. More fragrant than spearmint.

And One of Eucalyptus and Tea Tree. Eucalyptus Oil Uses: Arthritis, bronchitis, catarrh, cold sores, colds, coughing, fever, flu, poor circulation, sinusitis. Aromatic Description: Eucalyptus Oil is fresh, medicinal, woody, earthy. Tea Tree Oil Uses: Acne, athlete's foot, candida, chicken pox, cold sores, colds, corns, cuts, flu, insect bites, itching, migraine, oily skin, ringworm, sinusitis, sores, spots, urethritis, warts, whooping cough. Aromatic Description: Tea Tree Oil is medicinal, fresh, woody, earthy, herbaceous.

For more information on essential oils and their uses, along with recipes and o=a lot of other useful information please click HERE.

Other places to use your essential oils: Add a few drops of oil to your trash can, laundry wash, drain, vacuum bag filter, or on a tissue for placement in your drawers.

Now head to Dollar Tree and get you some of these great little jars and pamper yourself! You know you deserve it!!

Homemade OxyClean

1 cup water

1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide

1/2 cup baking soda

Mix together and soak laundry in it for 20 minutes to overnight and then wash as usual. Or you can just skip the water and pour the peroxide and baking soda directly into the wash with your laundry soap and wash as usual.

Laundry Pre-Treat Spray recipe

1/2 cup household ammonia
1/2 gallon very warm water
2 tablespoons castile soap
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup baking soda

Put all dry ingredients in a spray bottle and shake well until dissolved. Add remaining ingredients and shake again.  Spray all hard-to-clean areas of clothing before washing.

Lavendar Water recipe

1 teaspoon lavender essential oil
1 1/2  ounces vodka
   2 1/2 cups distilled water

Blend the essential oils with the vodka. Pour water into a large spray bottle. Add oil mixture to water.

water may be cloudy, this is normal and won't stain. Shake bottle before you use it.

Use this misted on your sheets and towels in the linen closet, or on your pillow and sheets at night for a restful sleep.