Cleaning Products Archives -

SPRING CLEANING {tips & tricks} LIST

April 27, 2013

Have you been feeling the itch yet for a down and dirty Spring cleaning? I recently made a Spring cleaning to-do list for my house and finally got the gumption to start checking things off {after a power nap and some good ol’ sweet tea}! Doesn’t it feel fantastic when you start purging your home? I hate having wasted space where things just sit around and aren’t being used buuut we all do it and I’m as guilty as the next bloke. Spring cleaning is a great time to take those items that you aren’t in need of anymore to a charity of some sort. As the phrase goes, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure” and it’s oh so true. Although we all love the feeling of how clean our home is afterwards, sometimes Spring cleaning can seem overwhelming at times and just plain tedious. I decided to make a Spring Cleaning Tips & Tricks List that will hopefully help me to stay motivated and encourage you as well!

1. Type/write out a detailed list & include a place for check marks so you can see your progress. {Find an detailed example here}

{Photo via: facebook.com/pilotpen}

2. Have a basket prepared with all necessary items for the specific room you are going to clean.

{Photo via: imperfecthomemaking.com}

3. Tips for cleaning your bathroom:

Be sure to have a lemon on hand as well as baking soda and vinegar.
Cut the lemon in half and rub it along your hard water stains on your shower/bath fixture. Once you have thoroughly scrubbed, rinse the fixture with water & watch the stains disappear!

{Idea & photo via: broccolicupcake.com}

For the bathtub: Keep your baking soda in the box and poke holes in the top so you can sprinkle sparingly across the bathtub. Put the white vinegar in a spray bottle and spray thoroughly over the baking soda until it starts to foam. Then scrub & rinse with hot water.

{Photo via: healingtimes.wordpress.com}

4. Tips for Cleaning your kitchen:

Clean your dishwasher: Place a measuring cup full of vinegar on the top rack of your dishwasher and run a full cycle of hot water. Then spread baking soda on the bottom of the basin and run the dishwasher on half a cycle of hot water and admire your sparkling dishwasher!

{Idea & Photo via: tammileetips.com}

Disinfectant Spray: Fill an empty spray bottle almost to the top with vinegar and add 8-10 drops of tea tree oil. Shake, spray and wipe down.

{Idea & Photo via: slightlysteady.com}

5. For the laundry room:

Cleaning your washing machine: Start by filling it up with hot water. {Set the dials to the biggest load and hottest setting and let it fill completely.} Once filled, pour 2 cups of bleach into the water & let sit for 1 hour. After 1 hour, run the washer through a cycle. After the cycle is complete, fill your washer with hot water again and pour 2 cups of white vinegar into the water & let sit for 1 hour. After 1 hour, run the washer through a cycle once more.

{Idea & Photo via: lovepomegranatehouse.com}

6. For the Living Room:

Cleaning the baseboards: Simply rub dryer sheets across the baseboards to remove dust & debri.

{Photo via: budgetsavvydiva.com}

Clean a microfiber couch: Find full instructions here on how to clean microfiber with rubbing alcohol!

{Idea & Photo via: onegoodthingbyjillee.com}

7. For the Outdoors:

Do a little Spring cleaning outside with this home-made weed killer!

This is a reference for myself as well as I continue to do my Spring cleaning from room to room!

Wish me luck!

Home-Made Weed Killer

April 23, 2013

Well, as you obviously have notice I’ve been MIA lately {..err, like nearly a flippin’ month} while DIYconfessions has been getting it’s makeover. I’ve missed being in touch with all of you!!! I’ve sort of been having withdrawals… but I’m glad to be getting back in the groove of things now!

Folks, although it’s nearly the end of April, here in Indiana we have been STILL getting snow! Just a week ago or so it was 75 degrees outside and the day after it was spitting flurries outside. Eeps… I’m not a lover of snow but especially this late in the game. I’m living like it’s full blown Spring around here; pulling weeds, fixing up the yard, getting ready to plant flowers! This drab Indy weather is not going holding me back. This year we have terrible weeds! Worse than the norm. Lyla loves all the dandelions in the yard though and calls them her “fowers” {aka: flowers} so at least someone is enjoying them. The weeds seem to be overtaking our walkway though and I’m simply not feeling it. I figured along with all the other home-made products I enjoy making there has to be one for ridding away all of the weeds. I found what works for us and decided to go ahead and share with all of you. Hopefully you find it as helpful as we did!

Ingredients:

White Vinegar {Yup, that’s all!}
Spray Bottle

Recipe:

Fill the spray bottle with white vinegar
Spray directly onto your weeds. {This recipe works best when it is hotter outside so it can dry up the weeds. *Be sure not to spray on your flower bed as it will eliminate your flowers.*}

This recipe is easy {<– my favorite kind} but works aaaand not to mention you save money in comparison to other over the counter weed killers! Boom! That’s enough of an incentive for me to make it.

Have a lovely day everyone!

20 Comments / Filed Under: Cleaning Products Tagged With: diy, diy weed killer, diyconfessions, homemade, homemade products, spring, spring products, weed killer, yard

Carpet Powder

April 4, 2013

As I’ve confessed on here before, I am an avid vacuum-er, {eh-hum, possible addict}. I love how fresh and clean my home feels after I vacuum even if there is toys & shoes still everywhere! My obsession has become even more crazy now that we have a pup. Of course the puppy chews and chews on anything and everything leaving crumbs behind in the process… and that’s when I come in, the crazy lady with the vacuum. I had bought some inexpensive carpet powder at Walmart forever and a day ago but I recently ran out. Anytime I run out of a store bought product I like to replace it with a home-made one! Obviously the more natural the cleaning products I use, the better the environment is for our family and even the pup {Lennon}! Baking soda is ALWAYS my go-to product that I love, love, LOVE to use. It disinfects areas as well as eliminates smells! Win, Win in my book {especially when you have a stinky pup running around. }. Here is my very SIMPLE version on carpet powder that I found to work for our family… feel free to try it out!

Items Needed:

1 1/2 cups Baking Soda
Essential Oil or spice to desired smell {I used cinnamon}
Bottle to store it in {I used a mason jar with a parmesan cheese lid. It fits perfectly!}

How To:

Mix together your baking soda and essential oil/spice.
Shake well.
Sprinkle freely amongst your carpet. {I let mine sit for approx. 5 mins just to let it do it’s work.}
Vacuum

I love simple yet “green” home-made products! You may be wondering why I chose baking soda and cinnamon…

Q & A’s:

Why baking soda? -Baking soda is known for it’s disinfecting powers as well as neutralizing smells.

Why cinnamon? -Leaves a fresh, pleasant scent and duals as an ant repellent. {Yes!}

Enjoy!!

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4 Comments / Filed Under: Cleaning Products, DIY Tagged With: baking soda benefits, carpet cleaner, carpet powder, cinnamon benefits, cleaning products safe for children and pets, diy, green cleaning, green products, home-made, home-made cleaning products, natural cleaning products

Home-Made Febreze

March 18, 2013

Last night we ran into an uh-hum, “incident” with our new puppy, Lennon. Like all puppies do, she had an accident buuuuut…. it just so happened to be in OUR bedroom! It was quite possibly the worst smell I’ve ever encountered. Of course we got out the big guns and cleaned it up quickly but the smell still lingered and lingered and lingered. The next morning I had to get that ronchi smell out ASAP! Lyla was sick though and there was no way I was going to be able to take her to the store so on a whim I made my own Febreze. I got the recipe here and I couldn’t thank this blogger enough! The stink is gone and my house smells super fresh! Oh and you want to hear the best part about it? It costs less than $0.25 to make! No worries, I’m more than willing to share the recipe folks. Check it out…

Items Needed:

1/8 Cup of Fabric Softener
2 Tablespoons Baking Soda
Hot Water
Spray Bottle (I used an empty windex bottle)

How-To:

Using a funnel, pour the fabric softener & baking soda into your spray bottle.
Fill the spray bottle with hot water and shake well.
TIP: Don’t forget to twist the nozzle over to the LOCK position if you’re using a Febreze bottle, or you might fall on your hiney.
Now spray every stinkin’ inch of your house!

Store-bought Febreze: $5.59

Homemade Febreze: $0.15

Total Savings: $5.44 OR 97.3%!

Stoked to add this to my list of home-made cleaning supplies!

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3 Comments / Filed Under: Cleaning Products, DIY Tagged With: baking soda, cleaning products, diy, diy air freshener, febreze, home-made, home-made air freshener, home-made cleaning products, home-made febreze, recipe

{Homemade} Goo Gone Recipe

February 3, 2013

Do you ever get sick of not knowing what’s really in your cleaning products? I DO! Especially now that there is a toddler running around and getting into ev-ery-thing! {You momma’s know what’s up!} The more “green” it is, the better. I’ve been in the process of making all of my cleaning products to be more natural and honestly, I like the home-made products umpteen times better than the store bought ones. I decided to bring on a new product to the home-made cleaning clan… –>Goo Gone. I’ve always been a die-hard fan of store bought Goo Gone but now that I know I can make it at home for next to nothing, you better believe this girl is in! Check out how simple it is…

Ingredients:

1 part Baking Soda
2 parts Vegetable Oil

the “How-To”:

1. Stir together until paste is formed.

2. Use your fingers, paper towel or cloth to apply.

3. Let sit for approx. 2 mins for best results.

4. Work mixture into residue until residue is gone.

5. Wipe off with warm water.

This is my new “go-to” cleaning product that I can’t live without! It’s easy to make and last for quite a while!

Have fun!

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Carpet Stains..?!

January 27, 2013

Does anyone else have a weird obsession with vacuuming? {Don’t leave me high and dry now folks..} I could possibly be on one of those shows like “My Strange Addiction” and you’ll see me singing to myself, vacuuming every inch of my floor, claiming it to be my stress reliever. haha. Wellll maybe that’s a teensy-tiny stretch but for real, I vacuum.. a lot.

Now that confession time is over, let’s move on to my point…

In the process of vacuuming my home, I moved a rug aside that should have been vacuumed under at least a year ago {–>don’t judge} juuuuust to find that I had originally put the rug in that specific spot to cover where I had dripped grey paint. Oh yeah, dripped dark grey paint everywhere… like all over our creamy colored carpet. AHHH! I had totally forgot all about the paint spot and realized it was time to rid of that nastiness. I pulled out one ‘ingredient’ from our pantry {hydrogen peroxide} and started an experiment. It was a complete surprise to me that it actually worked! I decided to go online and scope things out to see if I’m the only crazy fool who pulls out hydrogen peroxide from their pantry to clean carpet stains and guess what?! There are plenty of other crazies out there that have tried this too AND have found it successful!

Here’s the deets…

Items Needed:

Hydrogen Peroxide
Damp Cloth

the “How-To”:

1. Saturate the stained section of your carpet with Hydrogen Peroxide. {I used a cloth saturated in Hydrogen Peroxide and soaked it that way. You can also use a sponge!}

2. Allow to sit for five minutes.
3. Blot & scrub the stain with a damp cloth until it is removed.

4. Repeat as many times as needed until the stain is completely gone.

I swear by this simple method! Honestly… I’ve been using it all over my house and so far it’s been a success!

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—>Also, check out elizabethbryant.blogspot.com for more tips on how to clean those extra rough & tough stains!

26 Comments / Filed Under: Cleaning Products, DIY, Tips & Tricks Tagged With: carpet cleaner, cleaning tips, diy, diyconfessions, hydrogen peroxide, hydrogen peroxide uses, remove carpet stains, remove paint from carpet

Stinky Garbage Disposal?

January 22, 2013

I don’t know about you but it seems like our family eats a ton of food! {On a side note, we go through milk more…like crazyyyy fools. I’m talking 5-6 gallons a week just amongst my little 3 person family. Madness!} Since I am home with my little girl a lot of the time we tend to eat the majority of our meals at home. It saves major moolah $$, it’s healthier and it’s convenient! The ONLY issue with this is dishes pile up QUICKLY and the garbage disposal ends up with a staannnkkk! Don’t get me wrong… we’re not playing out an episode of hoarders here, just the semi-normal dish pile up. I’ve tried out different methods of how to clean your garbage disposal and up to this point it was pretty much a fail. When researching info for my last blog post on 35 Vinegar Uses I found that you can actually use vinegar to clean your garbage disposal so if your garbage disposal is starting to smell like a local landfill then this post is for you! It’s UBER convenient and hassle-free. Check. it. ouuuuut….!!

Items Needed:

Vinegar
Water
Ice Tray

the “How-To”:

1. Pour 1 cup of vinegar across your empty ice tray. {Distribute evenly as this will not fill whole tray.}

2. Pour water over the remaining space to fill up the tray.

3. Put in freezer!

4. Pour ice cubes down the drain and grind them up!

5. Run cold water over disposal to be sure to rid of anything left.

Boom! Easy enough even your hubs can do it!

Q’s & A’s:

—–> Why Vinegar? - Vinegar Disinfects, eliminates odor and is non-toxic to clean with.

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4 Comments / Filed Under: Cleaning Products, DIY Tagged With: diy, diy garbage disposal cleaner, garbage disposal, how to clean your garbage disposal, stinky garbage disposal, vinegar uses

Seriously… What does this stuff NOT do?

January 18, 2013

It’s Fridayyyy!! {insert scream here}

I am finding more and more that vinegar has a TON of uses! I enjoy the thought of using one natural solution {vinegar} instead of buying over the counter cleaning products for each individual problem that arises. It saves money in the process BUT even better than that, cleaning with vinegar isn’t harmful unlike manyyyy other products on the shelf. I feel like this vinegar can do a makeover on any item! I mean seriously… what does this stuff NOT do? I decided to go ahead and make a list of benefits/uses of vinegar as a reminder for myself but hopefully in the process it’s beneficial for you as well! Check it out…

Erase ballpoint-pen marks.
Erase crayon marks from clothes.
Remove stickers and price tags by dabbing a little vinegar on the sticker.
Disinfect cutting boards by wiping it down with vinegar after every use.
Remove carpet stains by mixing 1 tblspoon clear dishwashing liquid & 1 tblspoon white vinegar w/ 2 cups of warm water.
Get rid of water lines on furniture by mixing equal parts vinegar and olive oil and dip a cloth in the mixture and wipe the water ring.
Trap fruit flies by placing some in a small bowl.
Wash away mildew from your shower curtain.
Remove stains from pots and pans by mixing 1 cup vinegar 2 tbs baking soda 1 cup water.
Help bruises heal faster by applying a little vinegar.
Sooth a soar throat by gargling 1 Tb of apple cider vinegar with 1 tsp of salt.
Clean your toothbrushes.
Soak out blood stains.
Keep cut fresh flowers fresh.
Revive your paintbrushes by soaking in vinegar.
Kill weeds in the yard by spraying them with vinegar.
Peel off wallpaper by mixing equal parts of water and vinegar and spraying directly onto the wallpaper.
Clean and disinfect baby toys.
Get rid of stubborn bathtub residue.
Keep ants away by spraying vinegar along doorways.
Relieve a sunburn by slightly rubbing with vinegar.
Boil better eggs by adding 2 TB vinegar to the water – keeps them from cracking.
Make fluffier pancakes by adding 2 TB of vinegar.
Fabric softner by adding about 1/4 cup of vinegar to your laundry load to soften your fabric.
Gum remover – spray vinegar on the area where the gum is stuck & the gum will dissolve.
Air freshener – Remove odor by putting a bowl of vinegar in the place where the smell is emanating. You can also put it in a spray bottle with equal parts water and deodorize the air.
Wash your fridge. Clean your fridge by wiping it down with a mixture of water and vinegar (equal parts).
Unclog drains. Put a bit of baking soda in your drain, then pour some vinegar over it. Let it bubble over, then flush it with some boiling water.
Clean your microwave. Add 1/4 cup vinegar to a bowl with one cup water. Heat up the mixture in your microwave for a few minutes and let it evaporate. Then, wipe down your microwave and the condensed drops after removing the bowl.
Renew scuffed shoes. Wipe vinegar on your scuffed leather shoes to help them shine.
Clean windows. Mix equal parts vinegar and water and put the liquid mixture into a spray bottle and spray your windows. Wipe them down with newspaper to prevent streaking.
Tenderize and kill bacteria in meat. Add some vinegar to your marinade to kill the bacteria in your meat and to help tenderize it.
Wash vegetables and fruits. Mix three parts water to one part vinegar and put the mixture in a spray bottle. Before washing, spray fresh produce with the liquid to remove bacteria and pesticide residues.
Get rid of dandruff. Rub vinegar on your scalp and let it sit for 15 minutes. Then rinse it off. Do this once a week, and you should see less flaking.
Clean your toilet with vinegar. (Click here for recipe)

Whew… incredible, right?

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Related Articles:

http://blogs.babycenter.com/life_and_home/50-uses-for-vinegar-who-knew/

http://www.savvysugar.com/Uses-Vinegar-22333420

2 Comments / Filed Under: Cleaning Products, DIY Tagged With: all natural, all natural cleaning products, safe cleaning products, vinegar, vinegar benefits, vinegar uses

25 Coconut Oil Uses & Benefits

December 23, 2012

Hey everyone! Christmas is just a couple days away and I’ve yet to finish my Christmas shopping! {Eeks. slacker!} As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, when it comes to buying Christmas presents I am a procrastinator and I know I’m not the only one out there because the mall was filled with them yesterday. lol. Thank goodness I’m a passionate DIY-er though. I’ve been beasting out body scrubs as presents for friends and family. I LOOOOVE how the coconut oil in it makes my skin look and feel so I had to share! I don’t know about all of you but I’m becoming slightly obsessed with coconut oil and all of the benefits that come along with using it. While searching around on Pinterest, I found this site that was uber informative about coconut oil and wanted to share some of my favorite tips I pulled from it. Enjoy!

1. Age Spots (also known as liver spots) – applying coconut oil directly to the age spot will help it fade.

2. After Shave – coconut oil will help heal your skin after shaving without clogging pores. Great for razor burn!

3. Baldness – apply three times a day to affected area of hair loss. Coconut oil supports cell regeneration.

4. Body Scrub – mix coconut oil and sugar together and rub all over! Rinse off and your skin will be super soft! You can add in essential oils if you would like a specific smell.

5. Bug Bites – when applied directly to a bug bite, coconut oil can stop the itching and burning sensation as well as hasten the healing process.

6. Chapstick – just rub a little into lips and it not only acts as a softening agent but it also has an SPF of about 4 so you get a little protection!

7. Cradle Cap – having issues with dry skin on your baby’s scalp? Coconut oil will not only nourish your baby’s skin, it also helps eliminate cradle cap. Just rub a teaspoon onto scalp daily.

8. Dandruff – coconut oil soaks into the scalp moisturizing dry skin and relieves symptoms of dandruff. It also helps to control oil secretion from the scalp, another leading cause of dandruff.

9. Deodorant – coconut oil alone can be used as a deodorant, but even more effective in combination with cornstarch/arrowroot powder and baking soda!

10. Diaper Salve – very comforting on a rashy bum with no harsh chemicals. Also safe for cloth diapers.

11. Eye cream – apply under the eyes to reduce puffiness, bags and wrinkles. Use on the lids in the evening.

12. Face Wash/ Soap – mix equal parts coconut oil with olive oil, almond oil, avocado oil and castor oil and use in place of soap when washing your face. Wet face, rub oil in and leave on for two minutes, rinse and pat dry. One teaspoon should be adequate.

13. Hair conditioner/ Deep Treatment – use as a leave-in hair conditioner by applying a teaspoon of coconut oil to your ends and then running your fingers through your hair to distribute the rest!

14. Makeup Remover – use a cotton swab and a dab of coconut oil and you would be amazed at how well it works!

15. Moisturizer – simply scoop some out of the jar and apply all over your body, including neck and face.

16. Stretch Mark Cream – coconut oil is great at nourishing damaged skin. It may not be the magic stretch mark cure but it will help.

17. Toothpaste – mix coconut oil and baking soda and dab a little of the mix on your toothbrush as a toothpaste.

18. Wrinkle Prevention and Wrinkle Reducer – rubbing coconut oil on winkles and sagging skin helps strengthen the connective tissues to bring back that youthful look!

19. Breastfeeding – for breastfeeding moms, consuming 3 ½ tablespoons of coconut oil daily will enrich the milk supply.

20. Bones and Teeth – coconut oil aids in the absorption of calcium and magnesium leading to better development of bones and teeth.

21. Nausea – rub a dab of coconut oil on the inside for the wrist and forearm to calm an upset stomach.

22. Stress Relief – relieve mental fatigue by applying coconut oil to the head in a circular, massaging motion. The natural aroma of coconuts is extremely soothing thus helping to lower your stress level.

23. Chewing Gum in Hair Remover – just rub some coconut oil over the stuck chewing gum, leave in for about 30 minutes, then roll the gum between your fingertip. Voila! It’s out!

24. Goo Gone – just mix equal parts coconut oil and baking soda into a paste. Apply to the “sticky” area and let it set for a minute. Then scrub off with an old toothbrush or the scrubby side of a sponge.

25. Insect repellent – mix coconut oil with peppermint oil extract and rub it all over exposed skin. Keeps insects off better than anything with DEET! Tons safer too.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend!!

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10 Comments / Filed Under: Beautiful Skin & Hair, Cleaning Products, DIY, Tips & Tricks Tagged With: beauty tips, coconut, coconut oil, coconut oil benefits, coconut oil uses, cure dandruff, diy, diy deodarant, diy insect repellant, how to increase milk while breastfeeding, mommy tips, oil, skin and hair tips, skin tips, tips and tricks for your body

How to scrub “the loo”…

November 28, 2012

As you all have heard me mention previously, I am on a mission to have ALL {yup, all!} home-made cleaning products in my pantry. It’s a slow moving process but I’m loving it! I stand by the home-made products I’ve previously shared with you and use them on a weekly basis {at least}. It’s amazing how much money you save making your own cleaners and I’ve found they work way better than over the counter products! {Pleasantly surprised? Me too.} My two favorite cleaners I’ve shared so far would be 1} the glass cleaner/stainless steel cleaner and 2} the hard water stain remover. These two cleaners are a must in ANY household! They have completely changed the way I clean around my home.

Well today I want to share a easy recipe for that place in your home you hate to clean, “the loo”. I dreeeead cleaning the bathroom more than any other room. {Can I hear an Amen?} I was on the hunt to make cleaning the bathroom easier, more efficient and frugal. I found my answer at One Good Thing by Jillee and had to share!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Baking Soda

White Distilled Vinegar
Spray Bottle {optional}
Toilet Brush

HOW TO:

{FOR BEST RESULTS —->} Turn the shutoff valve found under the toilet clockwise until it will no longer turn. The toilet’s water now is shut off.
Flush the toilet and continue to flush, until the bowl no longer fills.
SPRINKLE 1 cup of baking soda all around the inside of the bowl.
SPRAY {or POUR} white distilled vinegar into the toilet. {I prefer to spray the vinegar, because then I can spray up under the rim.} There will be some bubbling reaction which is perfectly safe!
When the bubbling has subsided, scrub the toilet with a toilet brush.
Turn the shutoff valve back on, and flush the toilet.