Waste Not, Want Not

Outgrown clothing is still useful. Rugs and blankets can be made from strips or squares of material and scarecrows can be outfitted with old, outgrown clothing.
Consider using cloth baby diapers instead of disposables. (More on this later.)
Getting back to basics means using every part of whatever it is you have. Waste not, want not is the motto of those who live off the land, and ultimately off the grid.

Household Energy Savers

Laundry is one chore that can run the electric bill sky-high. But with a few tweaks, you can be doing your laundry for much less. If you aren't of a mind to hand-wash your clothing, you are not alone. But when it comes to drying your clothes, don't forget about Mother Nature. Rinse the clothes with one or two cups of vinegar before hanging them in the sun upside down to keep them from losing their shape. Vinegar keeps the clothes from becoming too stiff. To remove most of the wrinkles, simply shake out each article of clothing with a snap before hanging.

An umbrella clothesline only takes up a small amount of space and can be folded and removed after clothes are dry. Retractable clotheslines work well, also, as long as you have two buildings or posts close enough so that the clothesline can stretch to both. After drying the clothes, simply retract the line and it's as if the line was never there.

The Bartering System

Bartering has been used since the beginning of time. It's a great way to network and keep the channels between neighbors open and to keep your community prosperous. Each item you grow or produce on your property helps provide you with a bartering system. If you have too many eggs and your neighbor has too many fish, bartering is a great way to purchase what you need. You can also sell a one-hour fishing spot to neighbors in exchange for something they have that you need. The point to remember is that bartering items back and forth is a wonderful way to exchange needed goods without cash, leaving both parties happy.

Perhaps you have a sewing talent or a talent with wood. You can barter something you sewed for a chicken or a rabbit. Use your talent to make rabbit hutches, aprons or baked goods. Or, if you have the extra time, barter brute strength and time during harvest season. When you have a project that requires additional hands, you'll already have a crew in place.

Living off the Land

Rural living provides the perfect location for gardening. Take whatever space you have to spare and turn it into vegetable gardens and areas for livestock. Vegetables can also be planted in pots and hung to make use of every available space. Foods that cannot be eaten quickly can be saved for winter use. Foods that will be canned should be picked, washed and canned within several hours to preserve as much of the vitamins and nutrients as possible. Fruits and vegetables can also be dried and stored for some months in a root cellar.

When raising animals for food, choose animals that will not require additional store-bought feed and which can be housed easily.

Cattle:

One steer will provide you with enough meat for an entire year. If using cow chips, you'll be able to harvest plenty over the course of one summer.

Chickens:

Let the chickens run loose on your property, but make sure you have a chicken coop for them to return to each evening that is safe from predators. A few healthy chickens will provide more than enough eggs for a family.

Rabbits:

Rabbits can be kept in a hutch, which doesn't take up much space. Pick clover and grasses for them and offer an orange slice and salt block once in a while and your rabbits will be happy and healthy. Make sure they have plenty of hay in the winter months to pad their homes. In the summer fill old two-liter soda bottles with water and freeze to provide additional comfort. They'll love stretching out alongside a frozen bottle and cooling down as the heat index rises.

Fish:

Adding a fish pond to your property is another great way to provide protein. If you already have a pond on the property, chances are it is spring-fed and will be relatively maintenance-free. On occasion a pond will require dredging to remove a buildup of sledge and silt.

Take Advantage of Existing Waterways

If you already have a pond or a stream, take advantage of the Omega 3 possibilities. Dredging an area and diverting a small stream so that you have a body of water that remains year round or that can be drained every couple of years is ideal.
Purchase fish from a commercial fish hatchery. Take care deciding which kinds of fish you will stock together in your pond. Rainbow trout is a good fish for ponds but should not be mixed with brown trout, as they require different water temperatures.
Make sure you have enough room in the pond for minnow, crayfish and water plants, all of which are important to sustaining and growing trout.
Sunfish and bluegills also are not the perfect fish for a pond, as they reproduce quickly and require plenty of food in order to grow. Too many fish means only small fish to harvest and the possibility of fish dying due to lack of food.
Stock about 50 fish to every one acre of pond space, then allow fish two to three years for reproducing before you begin harvesting.

Getting Off the Grid

The energy grid, which the majority of the world lives within and depends upon, provides freedom at the same time as it robs recipients of freedom. If you live on the grid, you enjoy the freedom of available energy-for a charge-and without discrimination. However, in accepting to live on the grid, you also forfeit the freedom to be self-sustaining.
Surviving off the grid means more manual labor and a more concentrated effort on the part of those who attempt it, but along with the extra workload you get the satisfaction of no more electrical and gas bills, and a monumental feeling of accomplishment.
When getting off the grid, the first thing a homeowner will need to address is a viable source of heat. In this instance, you could learn from America's early settlers, who were in the same boat when winter arrived to their sod homes, so many years ago. They needed shelters that could endure the weather, and they needed some form of readily accessible heat. Wood was scarce, so they used what they could find, including cow chips. The thin, round disks of dried cow manure scattered about in pastures are free and burn hotter and quicker than wood. Since cow chips also produce plenty of ash, your stove will have to be cleaned out more often. And, yes, cow chips are a waste product. But before you turn your nose up at this idea, remember, it works, and when looking for self-sustaining methods, everything must be examined.

Heating Your Home Without Electricity or Gas:

Convert to a wood- or a corn-burning stove. Due to heat escaping up the chimney, fireplaces are not the perfect source for heating an entire home, but a fireplace will heat a room nicely. Corn burns hot and clean and is one of the newest sources of heating available. Remember, however, that the price of corn will rise along with the need. If you can grow your own corn, you may have the perfect setup. But, remember also that corn is a crop that must be rotated often as it depletes the ground, and corn must also be harvested and stored. Any time you store a food source you also have to be concerned with pests such as rats, raccoons and squirrels.
Add extra insulation to the house, especially the attic, where heat escapes, and around doors and windows or anyplace a draft is detected. Installsolar panels and tap into the sun's energy.

Creating Your Own Energy

Powering small appliances, such as a TV, cell phone, laptop or radio, can be done through the use of a bicycle, a small generator and a battery. Order plans to create a bicycle generator stand or order the bicycle stand already completed for you, then simply drop the back wheel of your own bicycle into the slot, hook up the battery and start pedaling. As the wheel turns, it spins the generator and the generator collects the energy you create. One hour of pedaling will produce approximately 200 watts of power.

Home Canning: Jam Labels

These are really cute canning jar labels designed by Ira Pavlovich. Use on your cans, jars and other containers you are using for your homemade jams (fruit preservatives): Cherry, Blueberry, Strawberry, Mix-berries, Apricot, Raspberry, Grape, Peach and Marmalade. Ira also draw the different fruits for the labels.. great work -:) For your personal use only.

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Home Canning: Canning Tips

These tips have been collected from the 1940s and 1950s, most are quite practical but one is truly a piece of old-timer wisdom that I couldn’t resist including (you’ll know which one when you see it!). I’ve also included a section “Canning Arithmetic” from that time period, it provides a guideline for what quantities to expect from several different types of fruits.

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• When making catsup, pour off the watery liquid on top of tomatoes after running through sieve. Your catsup will have a bright red appearance and cooking time will be cut in half.
• If your water bath canner does not have a rack, stretch an old rubber ring round the middle of each jar. This prevents the jars from bumping together and breaking while they are being processed.
• If you don’t have a rack, set extra jar rings on the bottom of the pot to keep your jars off the bottom.
• For foods which have been blanched for freezing, add ice cubes to the water in which they are to be chilled to hasten the chilling and retain the full flavor.
• Select only the perfect and fresh products. Imperfect and irregular shaped fruits and vegetables may be used in jams and preserves.
• Flaps cut from old unsealed envelopes can be used to label jars of fruit or preserves.
• To label jars of food, write on the jar while it is still hot with a bright colored crayon.
• One tablespoon vinegar to each quart beets will help retain their color.
• Use soft water for blanching and precooking peas; it helps to prevent cloudiness.
• Make sauerkraut when the moon is new until the first quarter, and the juice will stay on until it is used.
• That teaspoon off your metal measuring spoons makes a handy gadget for coring fresh pears, salads or desserts. Cut pears in half and then run metal teaspoon around the core. Presto, out it comes in a jiffy!
• When working with corn, place cob in angel food tube and cut off the corn. The corn will fall into pan.
• To keep pickles from shriveling, add one heaping tablespoon of alum to first salt water.
• Use only sack salt for pickles and kraut because other salt has been treated, thus will soften, discolor, and give unpleasant taste.
• When processing tomatoes, put onions and peppers in with them, this is grand with rice or macaroni and it is all ready to use.
• Add a few drops of food coloring to a jar or two of pears. The colored pears will provide that extra touch in holiday desserts or salads.
• To clean lids, put them in a pan. Cover with sweet milk, let stand till clabbered, then take out and wash. They are like new.
• Soak jars overnight in a solution of 1 cup vinegar to 1 gallon of water, this will remove scale and hard water film.
• A little lime kept on shelves where jellies or preserves are stored, will usually prevent formation of mold.
• A little borax sprinkled in empty jars will keep them sweet and fresh until needed again.
• Red fruit fades if cooked too rapidly at the start. It should be heated slowly until hot clear through, then finished quickly.
• Cook red fruits in aluminum or enamel to avoid their getting a bluish color. Do not use a chipped enamel kettle.
• After plums are washed, pierce each one to prevent the skin from bursting.
• When using glass jars, remove only one at a time from the boiling water bath.
• If you’re processing more than one lot a day, mark the lot number on each label for quality control.
• Protect packed glass jars from the light to help protect the food from fading in color.

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Arithmetic

If the jars and fruit don’t come out even when you are canning, better sit down and do some figuring before you start to can. Here are some tips to help you…

Apples: 1 bushel (50 pounds) cans 17 to 20 quarts
Apricots: 4 baskets or crates (1 bushel) cans 20 to 25 quarts
Berries: 24 quart crate cans 15 to 24 quarts
Grapes: 1 bushel (48 pounds) cans 16 to 20 quarts
Pears: 1 bushel (58 pounds) cans 20 to 24 quarts
Peaches: 1 bushel (50 pounds) cans 18 to 20 quarts
Pineapples: 15 pineapples yields 30 pints
Plums: 1 bushel (56 pounds) cans 24 to 30 quarts
Tomatoes: 1 bushel (56 pounds) cans 15 to 20 quarts

Home Canning: Signs Of Spoilage

Canning produce from the garden is an excellent way to preserve food and save money on groceries, but you do have to take care and watch for signs of spoilage or contamination before eating the food you preserved.

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Here’s a handy list of signs to watch for:

• Jar seals have bulging lids or the seal is broken
• Jar is dirty on the outside (a sign of food seepage)
• Liquid is cloudy or bubbling/fermenting or foaming
• Liquid is seeping out from under the sealed lid
• Contents spurt out when the jar is opened
• Mold has grown on food or under the lid
• Food is slimy or mushy
• Food smells off or unusual
• Food is discolored (usually darker).
• If a jar is showing signs of spoilage, throw it out safely so that no children or animals can get at it.

Home Canning: Definitions Guide

Acid Foods:
Fruits, tomatoes, rhubarb and pimientos are acid foods.
Botulinus:
Bacteria found in the soil have been known to cause toxin to form in carelessly canned foods. No danger when clean, sound, unblemished fresh produce is selected, prepared and processed according instructions. Low acid foods should be boil 15 minutes before tasting. The 15 minute boiling is to destroy any toxin which may be present.
Cold Pack: T
o fill jars with raw food.
Enzymes:
Substances which bring about natural changes in raw foods.
Flat-Sour:
The most common form of spoilage in vegetables. Flat-soured food may look good but it tastes, and usually smells, bad.
Fruit Jar:
Glass jars used when putting up fruits, vegetables, meats, etc.
Head Space:
The space left at the top of the jar when filling, or packing with food.
Low Acid (Commonly called Non-acid Foods):
All vegetables, except those mentioned as acid foods; soups, meats, poultry, game and fish are low acid.
Metal Band:
A screw-on band of metal used to fasten lid on jar.
Open Kettle:
The way of processing fruits by cooking them in an uncovered kettle, then filling hot jars, one at a time, from the boiling kettle. Each jar must be filled and sealed quickly.
Organisms of Spoilage:
Bacteria, yeasts, and moulds are low forms of plant life, known to scientists as micro-organisms. These organisms ruin any canned food in which they are allowed to grow.
Pack:
Manner in which jars are filled also refers to the food in the jars.
Partly Seal:
Leaving caps or lids loose enough for steam to get out of the jars while they are processing. The must be tightly sealed as soon as removed after processing is completed.
Pre-Cook:
To heat food thoroughly before putting it into jars.
Processing:
Cooking jars of food in hot water bath or in steam pressure canner or cooker.
Sealing:
Closing jars airtight.
Spoilage:
Foods are spoiled when they mould, become cheesy, sour or otherwise unfit to eat.
Steam Pressure Canner Or Cooker:
A kettle fitted with steam-tight lid. Lid has safety valve, petcock, and pressure gauge.
Sterilize:
To heat food, jars, caps and rubbers long enough to kill the organisms that would, if not killed, cause food to spoil.
Water Bath Canner:
A deep, flat bottom kettle or can, in which water can be boiled; must have cover and also rack, platform, or basket to keep jars from touching canner.
Vacuum:
Vacuum in a jar plus the natural pressure of air on the outside will hold a lid down to make and keep an airtight seal. When a jar is heated, the solids, liquids, and air in it expand and some of the air is forced out. As the jar cools, everything in it shrinks, leaving an airless space at the top. The empty space with no air in it is called vacuum.
Source: Home Canning Guide, Dominion Glass Co. Limited

Home Canning: How To Sterilize Jars For Canning

Home canning has been practiced for generations since it’s a great way to preserve produce from your garden or take advantage of the bounty of in-season produce from your local markets. However there is some danger involved if you don’t take the necessary steps to prevent the growth of bacteria or botulism, ensuring the glass jars you use are first sterilized is one of the most important things to do when preserving foods in this manner.

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Here’s how to do it…

Only use those that are made specifically to use in canning, others may not have thick enough glass or be able to bear the heat generated from the process or from the heat of product filled inside.

Check for any cracks or chips inside and out as well as along the rims, if so set these aside to use for other projects, these can be dangerous to use since they are more susceptible to breaking during the packing process or allow bacteria to thrive after they have been sealed.

Wash them well in hot soapy water and rinse well to remove all traces of detergent. If using older ones that have mineral deposits or a film on them, first soak them overnight in white household vinegar and water (about 1 cup of vinegar per gallon of water) and then wash as noted.

Set them right side up on a rack placed in the bottom of a water canner or large kettle and space them about 1″ away from each other and the sides of the kettle. Fill with hot water until it’s deep enough to cover at least 1″-2″ above them. Cover kettle with lid.

Bring water to a boil and then continue to boil for 10 minutes (start timing once the water is at a boil). For those who live in areas that are at higher altitudes than 1,000 feet, the time necessary will be longer–typically 1 minute extra per additional 1,000 feet.

Once they’re done, turn off the heat and allow them to sit in the hot water until they’re ready to be packed (keep lid on). When ready to use them, drain the water from each as needed being careful not to touch the rim or insidewith anything that hasn’t been sterilized first. Make sure to fill quickly after draining to prevent contamination from airborne bacteria or mold spores.

Don’t forget to also process the lids, screw caps and rings as noted by the manufacturer.

Simmering Pot Recipes

Simmering potpourri is a lovely way to make your home smell warm and inviting, especially during the holiday season when you use fragrant spices like cinnamon and cloves.

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How It Works
Just fill a pot with water, add your favorite ingredients and simmer all day. This also helps humidify the home a bit.
The recipes below are just guidelines, you can use different amounts and mix up ingredients as you like. Save: Orange, lemon and lime peels, apple skins (dry them out first before storing in a container) and add assorted spices. Experiment to find your favorite aromas!

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Directions
Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add the ingredients from your favorite recipe, boil for a few minutes, then turn the heat down to simmer all day. Top up water as needed.
Caution: Set your timer for 30 minutes so you remember to top up with water. You don’t want the pot burning dry. Do not leave the house with this left heating on the stove.

#1
Cinnamon sticks
Apple peels
Orange rinds
Whole cloves

#2
Apple juice
Cinnamon sticks
Whole cloves

#3
Vanilla (a few drops)
Orange peels

#4 – Christmas Potpourri Simmering Pot
3 sprigs evergreen or handful pine needles
2 cinnamon sticks
2 TBS whole cloves
2 bay leaves
2 pieces orange rind
2 pieces lemon rind

#5
2 TBS whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
5 star anise
1 orange peel

#6
Whole cloves
1 tsp nutmeg

#7
Peel from a whole orange
Whole cloves
2 Cinnamon sticks

#8
5 bay leaves
1 TBS whole cloves
2 sticks cinnamon

#9
Peel from 1 lemon
Peel from 1 orange
2 bay leaves
3 cinnamon sticks
2 TBS whole cloves

#10
1/8 cup cloves
1/8 cup allspice
2 cinnamon sticks

#11
6 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp vanilla

#12
1 cup dried lavender
1 tsp anise
1 TBS nutmeg
1 TBS whole cloves
1 Cinnamon stick

#13
2 sticks cinnamon
Peel from one lemon
Fresh rosemary
Whole cloves

#14 - Winter Freshener
2 cups dried rosemary
2 cups dried lavender
1 cup dried eucalyptus leaves
1/2 cup dried peppermint or spearmint
1/2 cup dried bay leaves
Directions: Keep stored in an airtight container then add 1 cup of mix per 3 cups boiling water.

#15 - Fragrant Slowcooker Version
1 cup dried lavender leaves
4 cups dried rose petals
1 tsp. anise seed
1 TBS ground nutmeg
1 TBS whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick (broken and crushed into pieces)
1 TBS crushed benzoin fixative
5 drops jasmine oil
5 drops patchouli oil
5 drops rose geranium oil
5 drops rosemary oil
Directions: Mix all ingredients and store in a glass container for 1 month before using (store in dark location). Fill crockpot halfway with water, add 1 to 2 cups potpourri then turn the heat on low (lid off).
Source: Company’s Coming Slow Cooker Recipes (by Jean Pare).

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For the Oven
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take a piece of tinfoil (a few inches wide), pour a teaspoon of vanilla on top and place the foil in the oven. Turn off oven and prop the door open a bit.
Fill a loaf pan with water and your favorite recipe from above. Set in oven on high heat until it starts filling your home with lovely smells. Turn off oven, then prop the door open.

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Tips

Storage
You can refrigerate your simmering recipe and reuse daily for up to one week.
Just keep adding water as needed.

Frugal Idea
For apple juice, cranberry juice, herbs and spices that are outdated, don’t throw out–just add to your simmering pot.

To Encourage Appetites
Make fresh bread or fry up an onion or set an onion in the oven to heat. The smell will make everyone good and hungry at meal time

Homemade Mouse Repellents & Baits

If you’ve spotted mice or their droppings inside and around your home, you’ll need to get rid of them asap before they multiply and do damage to your house.

They can also carry disease or be infested with fleas and mites that will eventually find their way to your pets, magnifying the problem even more.

Here are a couple recipes I’ve collected for natural repellents that can be used around the yard as well as tips for baiting and using mousetraps indoors.

For Outdoors

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For Moles & Mice
#1
2 TBS Castor oil
6 TBS liquid dish washing soap
1 tsp Tabasco
1 minced garlic clove
1 quart water
Directions
Mix a fresh batch before use, pour around the rodent hole. Reapply after each rain. Source: Natural Alternatives for You and Your Home by Casey Kellar.
#2
1/2 cup liquid detergent
1 TBS Tabasco sauce
1 gallon of water
Directions: Mix and spray around rodent holes and in areas where they’ve been spotted. Apply after each rain. Plant repellents: Peppermint, sage. Plant these in your garden and in flower beds along the house if you routinely have a problem.

For Indoors

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Instead of using repellents indoors to encourage the critters to move along, you’ll want to trap them with inexpensive commercial mousetraps (otherwise they’ll just set up shop somewhere else inside the house).
First remove any food sources they have found (look for bags or cardboard boxes chewed open somewhere along the bottom), scrub clean all food storage areas and make sure there are no other food sources for them (other than what you’ve set out for them).
Effectively contain food and pantry items in sealed plastic containers, metal bins and glass jars. Do not leave any pet food sitting out and make sure pet feeding dishes are washed thoroughly after the last feeding of the day. Wash up any dirty dishes and wipe down food prep surfaces before going to bed at night.

Bait Suggestions
Peanut butter
Pieces of banana
Raisins
Small pieces of bacon or pork fat

Poison
Dry cement powder
Cornflour
Directions: Mix 50/50 and place in a shallow dish or station in the path used by rodents (can be used for inside control). After feeding the mouse will seek water outside which causes the cement powder to react, quickly killing it.
Source: ahc.sa.gov.au.

Tips from a vintage homemaking book

1. Position traps close to floor boards in areas where mice or feces have been spotted.

2. If children or pets are in the home, choose locations where they won’t have access to the poison. Keep setting a fresh batch out each night for at least a week to ensure they all have been snagged.

3. They are inexpensive and if enough are set, often a dozen or more, an entire colony may be wiped out in one night. Mice are creatures of habit and, as a rule, travel over the same routes night after night. If their paths can be discovered, set traps along them. Sometimes they may be fooled by making a runway of boxes and putting the trap at the end. Set traps around any secluded areas, under sinks and around possible food sources, such as garbage cans and cupboards. Set them in the kitchen, pantry, larder and cellar, or wherever signs of their presence have been noticed. Place the trap with the bait next to the wall (or pail, etc.).

4. For bait, use other foods in addition to cheese. They really prefer fresh bread, cake or doughnuts. They are also fond of peanut butter, chocolate, freshly fried bacon, sardines, nuts, bananas or apple parings. Another option said to be excellent is a mixture of peanut butter, rolled oats and chopped-up raisins, seasoned with a dash of aniseed oil.

5. To set the trap, press or tie the bait firmly onto the trigger. Set it so the trigger is released at the slightest disturbance.

Source: Woman’s Home Companion Household Notebook (1948)

More Tips
Remove any nesting hot spots such as piles of newspapers, cardboard, wood, weeds and debris.
Keep trees trimmed away from the house (at least three feet).

Did you know
Pet feces can attract rodents? Keep your yard clean.

Tracking them
They typically move around similar paths, if they’re inside try spreading talcum powder along the floor boards where you think they may be, you’ll see their footprints and may find their hiding spot.
Seal any holes, cracks or openings to the home with tightly packed steel wool and make sure all window screens fit snugly and have no rips or tears.

Homemade Laundry Soap Detergent Recipes

Here is a nice stack of different recipes for making homemade laundry detergent that I’ve collected over the years. Making your own is a discipline and it’s not for everyone, but it definitely saves money–sometimes just costing pennies a load!

Before you get started, here are a few tips

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1. For the bar soaps required in the recipes, you could try Fels-Naptha, Ivory, Sunlight, Kirk’s Hardwater Castile, and Zote. Avoid using heavily perfumed soaps.
2. Washing Soda and Borax can normally be found in the laundry and cleaning aisles.
3. Some people with really hard water or well water may have to adjust the ingredients if the clothes look dingy.
4. Although several of the recipes have the same ingredients, the measurements are different–some contain a higher soap to water ratio. Test and see which works best for your needs.
5. You can make huge pails of this at once, or smaller quantities. Also if you can get your hands on a few empty liquid detergent bottles, they work great for storing large batches. Just make a big batch and pour in bottles, cap then use as needed–shake before use.
6. Some of the recipes call for large amounts of water. Check with a local restaurant to see if they have any empty large pails from deep fryer oil–that’s how many restaurants buy the oil. See if you can have one or two of the pails after they’ve emptied it–just wash them out really well before using. They’re big, heavy plastic and very sturdy when stirring the soap and hot water.

#1
1 quart Water (boiling)
2 cups Bar soap (grated)
2 cups Borax
2 cups Washing Soda
Add finely grated bar soap to the boiling water and stir until soap is melted.
You can keep on low heat until melted.
Pour the soapy water mixture into a large, clean pail and add the Borax and Washing Soda. Stir well until all is dissolved.
Add 2 gallons of water, stir until well mixed.
Cover pail and use 1/4 cup for each load of laundry. Stir the soap each time you use it (will gel).

#2
Hot water
1 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
1 Soap bar
Grate the bar and add to a large saucepan with hot water. Stir over medium-low heat until it dissolves and is melted.
Fill a 10 gallon pail half full of hot water. Add the melted mixture, Borax and Washing soda, stir well until all powder is dissolved. Top the pail up with more hot water.
Use 1 cup per load, stirring soap before each use (will gel).

#3
Hot water
1/2 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
1/3 bar Soap (grated)
In a large pot, heat 3 pints of water. Add the grated bar and stir until melted.
Then add the washing soda and borax. Stir until powder is dissolved, then remove from heat.
In a 2 gallon clean pail, pour 1 quart of hot water and add the heated mixture.
Top pail with cold water and stir well.
Use 1/2 cup per load, stirring before each use (will gel).
#4
2 cups Fels Naptha Soap (finely grated – you could also try the other bar soaps listed at the top)
1 cup Washing Soda
1 cup Borax
Mix well and store in an airtight plastic container.
Use 2 tablespoons per full load.

#5
Hot water
1 bar (4.5 oz) Ivory Soap – grated
1 cup Washing Soda
In a large saucepan add grated soap and enough hot water to cover. Heat over medium-low heat and stir until melted.
Fill a large pail with 2.5 gallons of hot water, add hot mixture. Stir until well mixed.
Then add the washing soda, again stirring until well mixed.
Set aside to cool.
Use 1/2 cup per full load, stirring well before each use (will gel)

#6
2.5 gallons Water (hot)
1 Bar soap (grated)
3/4 cup Washing Soda
3/4 cup Borax
2 TBS Glycerin
Melt grated soap over medium-low heat topped with water, stir until melted.
In a large pail, pour 2.5 gallons of hot water, add melted mixture, washing soda, borax and glycerin. Mix well.
Use 1/2 cup per full load.

#7
2 cups Bar soap (grated)
2 cups Washing Soda
2 – 2.5 gallons hot water
Melt grated bar in saucepan with water to cover. Heat over medium-low heat and stir until dissolved.
Pour hot water in large pail, add hot mixture and washing soda. Stir very well.
Use 1 cup per full load.

#8
2 gallons Water (hot)
1 bar Soap (grated)
2 cups Baking soda (yes baking soda this time–not washing soda)
Melt grated soap in a saucepan with enough hot water to cover. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring frequently until melted.
In a large pail, pour 2 gallons hot water. Add melted mixture, stir well.
Then add the baking soda, stir well again.
Use 1/2 cup per full load, 1 cup per very soiled load.

#9
12 cups Borax
8 cups Baking Soda
8 cups Washing Soda
8 cups Bar soap (grated)
Mix all ingredients well and store in a sealed tub.
Use 1/8 cup of powder per full load.

#10
1 cup Vinegar (white)
1 cup Baking Soda
1 cup Washing Soda
1/4 cup liquid castile soap
Mix well and store in sealed container.
We have found it easiest to pour the liquid soap into the bowl first, stirred in the washing soda, then baking soda, then added the vinegar in small batches at a time (the recipe foams up at first). The mixture is a thick paste at first that will break down into a heavy powdered detergent, just keep stirring. There may be some hard lumps, try to break them down when stirring (it really helps to make sure the baking soda isn’t clumpy when first adding). I used 1/2 cup per full load with great results.

Note For Liquid Versions

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This will be lumpy, goopy and gel-like. This is normal. Just give it a good stir before using. Make sure to keep covered with a lid when not in use. You could also pour the mixture in old (and cleaned) detergent bottles and shake well before each use.
*If you can’t find Fels-Naptha locally, you can buy it online (check Amazon).
Optional: You can add between 10 to 15 drops of essential oil (per 2 gallons) to your homemade detergent. Add once the soap has cooled to room temperature. Stir well and cover. Essential oil ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent Recipes

Have you run out of dishwashing detergent and you’re in a pinch to run a load until you can get to the store and buy some more? Or are you looking to whip up a few batches to save yourself a bit money? This is the page you’re looking for!

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#1
1 cup Washing Soda
1 cup Borax

#2
1 cup Baking Soda
1 cup Borax

For the above two mixes
Blend thoroughly and store in a plastic container, use approximately 2 TBS per load.
Use vinegar in the rinse compartment as a rinse agent to help prevent residue.
Try adding 2-3 drops essential oil.

#3
1/4 cup Washing Soda
1 TBS Liquid Dish Soap
Use the above for each load you run.

#4
1 part baking soda
1 part borax
1 part water
1 drop lemon or orange essential oil per cup of detergent
Mix the ingredients thoroughly and store in a sealable jug.
Use 2 to 3 TBS per load.

If you’re having a cloudy residue problem
Try adding a few drops of liquid dishsoap to the powder compartment when you add the powder (just 2 or 3 drops will do).
You could also try cutting back on the amount used (ie. if you’re using 2 TBS, try cutting it back to 1 – 1 1/2 TBS).
Make sure to use vinegar in the rinse cycle.

#5
1 (55 oz) box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
1 (76 oz) box of 20 Mule Team Borax
1 (48 oz) boxes of coarse Kosher Salt
1 (2 oz) container of food-grade Citric Acid (or substitute with 10 to 15 envelopes of Unsweetened Lemon Kool-Aid)

#6
1 TBS grated Zote soap
1 TBS borax
1 TBS washing soda.

Homemade Foot Soak Recipes

One way to soothe and pamper tired, achy tootsies is to soak them in a hot foot bath. Here are a handful of recipes to try, each are easy to make using simple ingredients.
They can be whipped up in large batches if preferred so you have a stock on hand or package nicely and give away as gifts (sealed in glass jars).

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Directions:
Unless otherwise noted, mix together all ingredients thoroughly then store in an airtight container.
Use 2 to 3 tablespoons per gallon of water used.
Water temperature is at personal preference, but I find the hottest my feet will comfortably tolerate gives the most relief.

#1
1 part Epsom salts
1 part Baking soda
drops of choice EO (optional)

#2
4 bags chamomile tea
1/8 cup dried parsley
4 drops EO of choice
Steep in 1 gallon of hot water for 10 minutes before using.

#3
2 cups Kosher salt
cup Epsom salts
drops EO of choice (optional)

#4
1 1/4 cups Epsom salts
1 1/4 cups Kosher salt
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup cornstarch

#5
1 cup lemon juice
3 TBS olive oil
1/4 cup milk

#6
(added to 1 gallon of water)
1 cup honey
1/2 cup Epsom salts
2 cups brewed coffee

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Essential Oils To Try
peppermint, lavender, lemon, orange, eucalyptus, mint
Marbles or smooth river rocks can be added to the bottom of the basin to rub feet over while they’re soaking, quite soothing!

Homemade Window Cleaner Recipes & Tips

Making your own window cleaner is easy to do and all you need are simple ingredients that you likely have around the house already (they’re often much cheaper to make than buying them and can work just as well too). Here’s a bunch of different recipes you can try along with a few tips listed at the bottom to help achieve a streak-free shine.

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#1
2 cups rubbing alcohol (70 percent isopropyl)
3/4 gallon of water
–mix together than add
1/2 cup ammonia
1 tsp dish detergent (liquid)
top with water until you have 1 gallon

#2
2 cups water
3 TBS vinegar
1/2 tsp dish detergent (liquid)

#3
1 gallon water
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tsp dish detergent (liquid)

#4
1 gallon water
1/4 cup vinegar
2 TBS lemon juice
squirt dish detergent (liquid)

#5
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 gallon warm water

#6
2 TBSP cornstarch
1/2 cup household ammonia
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 gallon warm water
Mix the ingredients in a bucket, make sure cornstarch is thoroughly dissolved before using.

#7
1 gallon water
1 cup vinegar
2 TBS cornstarch
Mix until cornstarch is thoroughly dissolved.
Store these solutions in spray bottles: (will also work on mirrors)
One part vinegar added to four parts water
One cup cold strong black tea with 3 TBS of vinegar

#8
3 TBS lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
2 cups club soda (you can use water too or a mix of water and club soda but I prefer 100% club soda)
1 tsp cornstarch
Pour everything into a spray bottle then shake well before using.

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Tips
Spray with preferred solution then wipe with crumpled newspapers. The newspaper helps prevent streaks.
Using coffee filters to wipe can also give streak-free results (shared by Brenda in the comment section below).
Avoid washing when the sun is hot and shining–it will dry too fast and there will be streaks.
Also wash one side of the glass in an up and down direction, on the other side scrub side to side. This will help determine which side has the streaks that need to be polished out.

Homemade Febreeze Recipes

Basically the ingredients to make homemade Febreeze are a mix of water and fabric softener.

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Directions:
Unless otherwise noted, place ingredients in a spray bottle and shake well to mix. Test a small unnoticeable area first before using to make sure no discoloration or damage occurs. Use as needed, shaking well each time before use.
#1
1 cup fabric softener
1 cup white vinegar
2 cups water
#2
2 cups water
1 cup fabric softener
#3
3 cups water
3 TBS fabric softener
3 TBS rubbing alcohol
#4
2 cups water (warm)
1/4 cup fabric softener
1 TBS baking soda

Simple Homemade Softscrub Cleaners

Here are two quick and easy recipes for making an effective soap scum buster on the tub surround or a gentle cleaner for around the kitchen and bathroom.
The first is a basic mixture while the second adds a lavender scent using essential oil and powdered milk for making a smoother paste.
Use these on surfaces where you need some extra power that is more gentle than an abrasive powder.

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#1
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup liquid dish detergent
1/8 cup – 1/4 cup vinegar
Mix the baking soda and dish detergent first, then add the vinegar.
Adjust the baking soda or vinegar amounts until you have the consistency you like working with.
#2
3/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup powdered milk
1/8 cup (one-eighth) liquid castile soap
5 drops lavender Essential Oil
Combine all ingredients in a squirt-top bottle and add enough water to make a smooth paste. Shake or stir to mix.
Apply to surface, then wipe area with a damp sponge or cloth. Rinse well.
*Source: The Naturally Clean Home by Karyn Siegel-Maier

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Tips
Just use whatever’s on sale or a generic brand of dish detergent and you’ve got yourself some super cheap, yet very effective, homemade softscrub!
The liquid dish detergent is what you would use for hand washing dishes, not dishwasher detergent.
Use the amount of vinegar that gives you the consistency that you prefer.
Vinegar’s a great grime buster–so don’t be shy with it.
If you just want to do some spot treatments and don’t need a large amount of softscrub, give the spot a light squirt of dish detergent, sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda on top and gently rub. You won’t need to bother with the vinegar for small spots like this.
Try heating the vinegar in the microwave first before mixing it in with the other ingredients. You don’t want it super hot, but a warm temperature that’s comfortable to work with.

Easy Homemade Oven Cleaner Recipes

With the exception of one of the recipes below, you can make oven cleaners that are much safer for the environment than commercial products containing harsh chemicals.
They’re also much more frugal!

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#1
Baking Soda
Water
Dish Detergent
Fill a spray bottle with water and spray surface generously.
Generously sprinkle baking soda over the water. Leave overnight.
The next day wipe out much of the baking soda and grime.
Soak a sponge in hot water, squeeze out excess water and scrub away grime with liquid dish detergent first drizzled over the sponge.

#2
Ammonia
Water
Baking soda
Preheat to 200° then turn off.
In a heat safe glass dish, fill with ammonia and set on middle rack (about 1 to 2 cups of ammonia).
In another dish, fill with boiling water and set on bottom rack (2 cups).
Leave overnight.
The next morning, remove dishes and wipe down the inside with a hot wet sponge first drizzled with baking soda.

#3
3 tsp Borax
1/4 cup vinegar
1/8 cup liquid dish soap
2 cups hot water
Baking soda (do not add to mix)
Combine ingredients in a spray bottle and shake to mix.
Spray mixture generously to cover surface completely.
Sprinkle generous amounts of baking soda on top.
Spray liquid mixture over the baking soda.
Leave overnight.
The next morning wipe out the mixture and wash the surface with hot soapy water.

#4
1 cup baking soda
1/3 cup table salt
Water
Spray surface well with water.
Mix together the dry ingredients then sprinkle over the water.
Spray again with water.
Leave overnight. Wipe out the next morning and wash with hot soapy water.
You can also use this softscrub for the next day’s scrubbing after using one of the methods above.

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Racks
Place the racks in an extra large heavy-duty garbage bag, pour in a cup of ammonia and tie the bag closed (tightly).
Set the garbage bag outside away from children and pets.
The next day remove the racks and wash them in hot soapy water.
If they aren’t that grimy, you can choose instead to soak them in hot soapy water.
Scrub with a baking soda and water paste.

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Tips
Wipe the surface with vinegar to remove any residue left behind by cleaner.
Do a quick wipe inside the oven while doing the dishes, washing up any spills and splatters (wait until it’s cool enough to do so). Your appliance won’t need as many deep cleaning jobs and will never be nasty again! Line the bottom with a large foil baking sheet or a strip of aluminum foil to catch spills and drips.

Fabric Softener Recipes & Reusable Dryer Sheets

Here are several quick tips for cutting costs on fabric softeners and making your own dryer sheets, each point is a separate tip. You’ll also find a few recipes and projects to try (listed at the bottom of the page). Lots here!

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1. Soak a washcloth in full strength liquid softener. Wring out excess, then lay out to dry first before using–helps prevent staining laundry the first time. To use: toss in the dryer and use again and again until it no longer works. Resoak when needed (you should be able to do a few dozen loads per soak).
2. Using 1/4 cup vinegar in your rinse cycle can do the job. You can set aside a vinegar jug just for laundry and add about 2 dozen drops of your favorite essential oil to the vinegar if you’d like (or as much EO as you feel necessary).
3. In a pail mix 1 gallon of water and 1 cup concentrated liquid softener. Dip a sponge or washcloth in the liquid, squeeze out excess and toss in with the load. Seal pail when not in use.
4. Pour liquid softener and hot water in a spray bottle (50/50 mix) and lightly mist wet laundry before starting the dryer. Two or three good shots should do it. You could also just spritz a clean washcloth and toss that in.
5. Cut dryer sheets in thirds or halves, use one strip per load.
6. Mix equal parts hair conditioner and water and store in spray bottle. Mist a washcloth or sponge and toss in with load.
7. Use about 1/4 to 1/2 of the amount that they recommend on the bottle.
8. 1/8 cup baking soda added to laundry and 1/4 cup vinegar in the rinse cycle.
9. Use a Downy ball if you have one–just use vinegar instead.

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Here’s a recipe you can try:
1 part Vinegar
1 part Baking Soda
2 parts Hot Water
Place a pail large enough to hold double the amount of ingredients in the kitchen sink or bathtub. Mix the baking soda and water in the pail, stir till the powder is dissolved. Then add the vinegar.
Remember that baking soda and vinegar reacts with fizzing, so use a big pail to account for this. Once it’s stopped fizzing, pour into clean bottles, cap, then use 1/4 cup per rinse cycle.
Updated Info: The baking soda won’t be completely dissolved, just shake the bottle to mix the batch up before adding to the rinse cycle. Scented:

The First Post...Muhahahaha...

Who are you?
An introduction of me...Well, I am a single stay-at-home, homeschooling mom to four kids of all ages.
Why are you blogging?
Why not? I mean everybody and their mother are blogging, so why not me?
What will you be blogging about?
By large and far this blog will encompass so many things that I just couldn't say one thing in particular. Which means this blog will probably be as scatterbrained as I am. LOL... But really it will be about things that I find interesting and my family's journey through virtual public schooling with Ohio Connections Academy.