Green in 15: Dishwasher Tabs

It's been a while since I did a Green in 15 post. If you're new to this series, so far I've covered how to revamp your cleaning with natural supplies and all the details about our no more paper towels system.

I've been making our own dishwasher detergent for quite a while now. We keep it in powder form in a small jar near the dishwasher. We fill the rinse dispenser with vinegar and occasionally add essential oils for extra punch. The thing is, even with my airtight container, the mixture gets clumpier than I'd like. Plus, I eventually decided we needed to change our formula to help with water stains from our hard water.

So, I searched around on Pinterest and found basically 10,000 slight variations on this recipe. The epsom salt helps with hard water while the addition of vinegar and essential oils help bind everything together and get dishes smelling great.

DIY DISHWASHER TABS

What you'll need . . .

• 2 cups washing soda (or baking soda)
• 2 cups borax
• 1/2 cup epsom salts (or kosher salt)
• 1/2 cup white vinegar 
• 20 drops lemon essential oil
• 2 ice cube trays
• Airtight container for storage

Method . . . 

1. Simply mix together all the dry ingredients and then add the wet. It will start clumping on its own -- just make sure it's well incorporated.
2. Then press mixture into your ice cube trays and packed as it will go.
3. Let dry 24 hours (I found that overnight was long enough for me) before popping out of the molds.
4. Store in airtight container.

To use:

Put one tab in your machine's slot. Pour 1/4 to 1/2 vinegar in the bottom of the machine to act as an extra rise aid (again -- we have really hard water, I just do this anyway). And run the machine as usual. These tabs work well even on my machine's eco-setting that doesn't use super hot water or drying.

// RELATED

Green in 15: No More Paper Towels
Green in 15: Revamping Your Cleaning
DIY Natural Lotion Cubes
Powerful DIY Laundry Detergent
Cleaning with Vinegar
5 Green Cleaners That Work
5-Minute Homemade Deodorant
8 Ways We've Eliminated Plastics
Cleaning Produce The Natural Way
Chemical-Free Clean With Castile Soap

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...

Green in 15: Revamping Your Cleaning

So, I had this idea the other day. It came out of a conversation I had with a woman at the grocery store when I was buying a gallon jug of vinegar (on sale for $2.50!). She asked: "What in the world are you planning to do with all that vinegar?" And I was like "What CAN'T I do with it?!" I proceeded to list off all my uses, and I think she got a bit freaked out by my enthusiasm.

When people think about making all their cleaning supplies from scratch, it can become overwhelming. It's a lot like cooking everything from scratch. But with a little practice and some smart recipes -- it becomes second nature. We've been using vinegar, baking soda, and some other basic cleansers to do the bulk of our home cleaning for several years now. It takes very little effort to make the switch.

Green in 15 is a new series of sorts I'll be sharing that gives you some activities you can finish in just 15 minutes (or fewer) that will lead you in the right direction. Today, I thought I'd start with the absolute basics: Greening your all-purpose cleaning processes using vinegar. While you're at it, you can also start banishing paper towels with a few tips.

THE SUPPLIES

• Vinegar (approx $3 per gallon, or less)
• Water (free-ish?)
• Isopropol alcohol (got mine at the $1 store)
• Rags (free if you have 'em or $12 for a pack of 24)
• Old spray bottles (free if you have 'em)

COST: Between $4 and $16

THE RECIPES 

#1: All-Purpose Cleaner -- Just fill up half an old spray bottle (you can also buy them on Amazon -- here's a 3-pack of plastic or some nice glass ones) with vinegar and the rest with water and maybe a few essential oil drops. Give a good shake and use for cleaning countertops, tabletops, and -- really -- anywhere else. It's ALL PURPOSE!

#2: Window Cleaner -- I add a bit of alcohol to the all-purpose mix (a few tablespoons works -- I make a smaller spray bottle of it for this purpose) and that helps windows stay streak-free!

#3: Dish Rinse -- I mentioned in our 5 Green Cleaners That Actually Work post that we make our own dishwasher detergent. We fill our rinse basin with plain vinegar mixed with essential oils. Works like a charm and takes two seconds.

#4: Veggie Wash -- If you don't like the Castile Soap Method for cleaning fruits and vegetables, you can make an easy spray wash using around 3 parts water, 1 part vinegar (hmm, sounds a lot like the dilution above -- score for multi-purpose!)

#5: Bathtub Cleaner, Etc. -- I also use full-strength vinegar in our bathroom for most cleaning (tub, tiles, shower surround, sink. For tough jobs, I combine with our natural scouring scrub.

Want more in-depth info? Check out my homesteading post about Cleaning with Vinegar. It includes these recipes plus 10 more uses for your gallon of the stuff.

CLOTH VERSUS PAPER

For most of your cleaning tasks, a good, nubby washcloth or rag will do the heavy lifting. We keep a bin of the clean ones in the kitchen utility closet. We keep a bag of the dirty ones hanging on the door of that closet. Then we wash them every couple days. Keeping around 24 rags is a good number if you're wiping down surfaces regularly. You may find you need more or less depending on the size of your home and your cleaning habits.

Just grab a clean rag and get to cleaning as you normally would.

Oh! Someone had asked me how we deal with occasional cat episodes. We use our rags (we have a few that have been around longer and are dirtier). We just rinse them out well after cleaning the cat mess and clean them with the rest.

I'll be sure to snap some photos and share more about switching from paper to cloth soon. It's dreadfully dark and rainy here today and all my shots are coming out quite depressing.

// RELATED

DIY Natural Lotion Cubes
Powerful DIY Laundry Detergent
Cleaning with Vinegar
5 Green Cleaners That Work
5-Minute Homemade Deodorant
8 Ways We've Eliminated Plastics
Cleaning Produce The Natural Way
Chemical-Free Clean With Castile Soap

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...

Homesteading: Cleaning With Vinegar

I just stocked up on yet another gigantic container of incredibly inexpensive, non-toxic white vinegar. We use vinegar mostly for cooking and cleaning purposes in our home. It's a simple solution made up of mostly acetic acid (produced by fermented grain) and water.

// GENERAL USES

#1: All-Purpose Cleaner -- Just fill up half a spray bottle with vinegar and the rest with water and maybe a few essential oil drops. Give a good shake and use for cleaning countertops, tabletops, and -- really -- anywhere else.

#2: Window Cleaner -- I add a bit of alcohol to the all-purpose mix (a few tablespoons works -- I make a smaller spray bottle of it for this purpose) and that helps windows stay streak-free!

#3: Dish Rinse -- I mentioned in our 5 Green Cleaners That Actually Work post that we make our own dishwasher detergent. We fill our rinse basin with vinegar mixed with essential oils. Works like a charm.

#4: Deodorizer -- Instead of spritzing air freshener around, we rely on vinegar to take tough odors out of our spaces. You can leave a cup of vinegar in a room overnight for tough odors or even spritz on carpet or other gross smells. The initial vinegar smell does go away! (And here are more ways to deodorize with vinegar.)

#5: Laundry Boost -- I often add 1/2 cup of vinegar to our laundry loads. It helps preserve colors, works as a fabric softener, helps rinse detergent clean, and even  lessens static cling!

#6: Drain De-Clogger -- If I notice a slow drain, I combine 1 cup of baking soda with 2 cups boiling water plus 1 cup vinegar. You'll get some bubbling action that might encourage those clogs to stay clear.

#7: Pots + Pans Cleaner -- We have a few stainless steel pots and pans, and they're always attracting burn marks and grime. I'll do a separate post on this one, but I put around 1 cup of vinegar with a couple tablespoons of baking soda and additional water in the pan and bring to a boil. Then I wipe it out with a cloth!

#8: Microwave Cleaner -- We pulled our microwave back out again now that we have space. And cleaning it is easy! I put 1 cup of water plus about 1/4 cup of vinegar inside and heat for around 5 minutes on high. Then I just wipe out with a cloth.

#9: Disinfect Cutting Board -- This is a biggie! Instead of using my all-purpose cleaner on our cutting boards, I use full strength vinegar to disinfect after each use. A little splash goes a long way.

#10: Sticker Stopper -- Have a sticker stuck on your floor or someplace else? Soak the thing with vinegar for 15 minutes and then remove with your nail, a coin or credit card.

#11: Bathtub Cleaner, Etc. -- I also use full-strength vinegar in our bathroom for most cleaning (tub, tiles, shower surround, sink. For tough jobs, I combine with our natural scouring scrub.

#12: Freshen Clothes -- I wrote an article titled You're Washing Your Clothes Too Often! (What To Do Instead), and ever since -- I've been going longer between loads. If I've only gently worn something, I sometimes spritz it with a mixture of 1 part vinegar, 3 parts water and essential oils of my choosing. It acts like a fabric softener. Again, the initial vinegar smell dissipates.

#13: Veggie Wash -- If you don't like the Castile Soap Method for cleaning fruits and vegetables, you can make an easy spray wash using around 3 parts water, 1 part vinegar (hmm, sounds a lot like the dilution above -- score for multi-purpose!)

#14: Cat Deterrent -- I'm not 100% sure this works yet, but we've started using a little vinegar spritz as a deterrent for our cats to stay off our leather couch and dining room table. I hear it also works outdoors in gardens, etc. Here's where I found this trick.

#15: Ant Deterrent -- I discovered this trick when I was researching an article for Wise Bread. Basically, if you see a trail of ants entering your home, spritz the path with a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water to erase their scent trails.

// TOOLS

You can pick up a big jug of distilled white vinegar at your grocery or hardware store. I actually found our cheapest bet at Lowe's the other day -- and it was specifically a cleaning grade kind. Otherwise, you might notice a lot of spritzing and spraying.

3-pack of 24-ounce Sprayers -- This pack is helpful if you want to have a couple different dilutions at your disposal. For example, you could make one up of the all-purpose cleaner, the laundry/veggie wash in another, and window cleaner. Just label clearly so no mix-ups!

Glass Spray Bottle -- If you'd prefer to go the glass route, this bottle looks like a great buy. It has two different spray settings (mist or stream).

Essential Oils -- Pretty much any essential oil will go well with vinegar. Yeah, the vinegar adds another note to the scent. I like using lavender, peppermint, and eucalyptus. I use lots of essential oils in cleaning to enhance the antimicrobial properties and add pleasing scents, and it only take a few drops!

What's the craziest way you use vinegar in home cleaning?

// RELATED

DIY Natural Lotion Cubes
Powerful DIY Laundry Detergent
5 Green Cleaners That Work
5-Minute Homemade Deodorant
8 Ways We've Eliminated Plastics
Cleaning Produce The Natural Way
Chemical-Free Clean With Castile Soap

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...

Homesteading: 5 Green Cleaners That Work

New house, new + many more surfaces to clean. We had all but depleted our homemade cleaning stash while moving out of our old place. So, Stephen and I took some time to replenish our stores within the last week. Mixing everything together at once got me thinking I should share the mixes we use all in one handy post.

Here we go!

I'd say we've been making our own cleaning supplies on and off for the last 4 years. Mostly on for the last 2, though we do get lazy about it on occasion. What keeps me using the natural stuff time and time again is its effectiveness paired with the cost savings. There are lots of recipes and mixes for green cleaners out there, but we choose to make the ones that require the fewest, most LIKE ingredients, if that makes sense.

The first natural cleaner we made was an all-purpose spray cleaner. Now, I suppose I should also mention that we like to use a large stash of bar mops/rags for all our cleaning. We have a bin in our kitchen where we store the dirty rags and wash them once or twice a week. I'll get into some more specifics of our cleaning routine in another post.

NOTES ON INGREDIENTS

Borax: Also known as Sodium Borate is a naturally occurring mineral and shouldn't be confused with Boric Acid. It is highly alkaline and, as such, can cause mild skin irritation if you are sensitive. More info here.

Washing Soda: Also goes by the name Sodium Carbonate. It's a known water softener. You can actually turn baking soda into washing soda by baking it at 400 degrees F.

Baking Soda: Also goes by the name Sodium Bicarbonate. It has a number of cleaning applications when combined with warm or cool water. It also helps lift delicious Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Castile Soap: One of my favorite things EVER, castile soap has innumerable uses for the body and home. Basically it's just a natural, olive oil-based soap. You can learn more about it here, and our favorite kind is Dr. Bronner's brand.

Essential Oils: Can be used in a wide variety of applications from cleaning to medicinal purposes for the whole family, etc. In cleaning they add a nice, fresh scent without chemicals. Beware if you own cats, though, essential oils can be harmful, so keep your cleaning supplies out of their paws.

ALL-PURPOSE POTION

• 2 cups water
• 2 cups distilled vinegar
• 20-40 drops essential oils

Combine all ingredients and store in a spray bottle. You can pick one up at your hardware store, use an old one that is emptied, or I've been eyeing these cool Full Circle bottles that include a tiny juicer for adding citrus cleaning power. Cool! To use: Spray liberally on most surfaces and clean with rags.

I use a similar mixture for windows and glass but add a few tablespoons of alcohol for a streak-free finish. I was skeptical, but it works like a charm.


DISHWASHER DYNAMO

• 1 cup borax
• 1 cup washing soda
• distilled vinegar to rinse

Combine ingredients in a bowl and transfer to a Ball jar or other container. Use 1 to 2 tablespoons per load; fill rinse basin with the vinegar separately. I add some drops of essential oils to the vinegar for scent on occasion, which is why you see a separate container with the vinegar mix.

Oh, and these days I'm digging eucalyptus and peppermint. If you find you're getting a residue after dishes have washed, you can consider adding some acidic ingredients to help -- we haven't had enough of an issue for it to matter.

DISH SOAP DANDY

• 2 cups Dr. Bronner's or other castile soap
• 1/4 cup water

I don't have this one pictured because we inherited some dish soap from our previous owners, thus we didn't need to many a new batch yet. Anyway, I sometimes use just plain castile soap for dishes, but I have found if you water it down a bit it tends to wash away a bit more easily.


SUPER SCOUR

• 1 cup baking soda
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup borax
• 1/4 cup coarse salt

I grew up in a Comet household and remember the burning and stinging of that chemical stuff -- this is much better! Combine ingredients and store in a jar. You'll want to wet whatever surface you're cleaning (tub, tile floor, sink, etc.) with water or even vinegar before sprinkling on and letting sit for a few minutes. Then use a bristle brush to scrub and rinse clean with more water.

TOILET TORNADO

This one is right off the back of the borax box: Simply toss 1/4 cup borax in your toilet bowl and scrub around with a brush. Let sit for 30 minutes to overnight and then flush for a super clean toilet.


In my next cleaning post, I'll tackle some laundry soap options and a few more specialized cleaners like wood spray and magic eraser alternatives. And in yet another post, I'll delve into the personal care DIY stuff we're doing these days. It goes beyond the No Shampoo Method, and we've been trying some new stuff that has worked . . . and other things that, well, haven't!

What's your favorite DIY green cleaner?

Like what you just read? Browse more of our posts + recipes on Pinterest. You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...

Tassajara Pungent Cucumbers

When I hear the word "pungent" I don't exactly salivate or crave food. Instead, that word is quite possibly one of the worst to describe edibles (well, except for "moist," which is equally as awful, if not far worse). But on Sunday -- when I got all excited about making pickles (in the Edible Perspective style) and realized I basically had nothing I needed -- I started searching through my cookbooks for pickling cucumber uses.

The Tassajara Cookbook is one of my favorite because it has so many tasty sauces, marinades, and healthy meal ideas. My particular "take" on this recipe was far from creative. I just used what we had in the kitchen that most closely matched the stuff on the ingredient list. Then I added lime juice because, well, I love lime juice. What resulted is definitely tasty and unique. Definitely a keeper.


These pickle-like half moons go well on sandwiches or on their own (think SALADS). And I was so surprised how after only a couple hours of sitting in the marinade . . . they turned slightly crisp. They started to get that authentic crunch that pickles have. Very cool.


TASSAJARA PUNGENT CUCUMBERS -- the (never home)maker version!

What you'll need . . .

• 4 large pickling cucumbers, sliced into half rounds
• 2 small sweet peppers, thinly sliced
• 1 quart boiling water
• 2 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon toasted walnut oil
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/4 cup sugar

Method . . .

1. Combine cucumber and sweet pepper slices. Place in a colander and then pour boiling water over them . . . let drain.
2. Heat oil with ginger and red pepper flakes, then remove from the heat. Combine with the balsamic vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and lime juice.
3. Toss with the cucumbers and red peppers. Let marinate for up to six hours. I placed everything in a brownie dish -- you may use to use bell jars. Etc.
4. Serve at room temperature. Serves 4-6.

Pssst: Don't forget to enter our SHUTTERBUG GIVEAWAY! A super cute carrot trivet is up for grabs -- perfect for snapping gorgeous foodie photography.

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!!

Read more...

Unexpected Good Finds: Walnut Oil

TJ Max is one of my favorite stores. It seems to have a little of everything -- from scarves and bags . . . to sneakers and skirts . . . to dutch ovens and bedsheets. There's food, too, but I rarely venture down that aisle. I mean, really? Food? I'm sure it's all just super old castoffs from grocery and specialty store shelves across the country. And that's just gross. Most of it is processed like crazy, too.

Moose munch? Chocolate covered cherries? Powdered margarita mix? Please.

The food aisle at our TJ Max must have been moved recently. For, when I made a quick trip there after work the other day, I somehow found myself elbow deep in oils and spices. There was indeed some cool stuff there, and I sort of wish I had given the place a chance sooner. Half off fancy, organic oils -- sunflower, grapeseed, and walnut -- is definitely a deal.


Walnut oil is my favorite of the three. As the name suggests, it is a light and nutty oil most suitable for using in dressings and dips. It's an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids (without the fish gelatin added in, thank you!), which we all know is essential to our nutrition. However, if you plan to rush out an get some of your own, be careful. We learned last night that using walnut oil at high temps doesn't work (think pops-up-and-burns-you-in-the-face doesn't work). Instead, stick to using it at room temperature or for a medium heat saute. It not only loses its flavor when exposed to high heat, its nutrients and antioxidants break down, too.

There's a great recipe on this particular bottle for a French Walnut Oil Vinaigrette we just can't wait to try out.


We used some of it to make a succulent sauce for a stir-fry. It's simple and healthy. Fancy and free. OK. Not free, the oil did set us back about $6 a pop. However, I'm used to seeing prices double that amount on like products. It's well worth a little cash.

To make this dish, just use a bit of olive oil to stir-fry some veggies (here we're used broccoli, onion, mushroom, and tofu). Then in another bowl, mix together equal parts walnut oil and balsamic vinegar. Add some garlic powder, mix, and spoon over veggies. Oh, yeah. We added some freshly chopped basil for an extra punch. I'd highly suggest including that in your own version.


Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...