Free Coffee at McDonald's McCafe!

Go to the link below to print your coupon for a free coffee at McDonald's new McCafe! Only in Western Washington and on the website it will show you which McDonald's has the McCafe by choosing "McCafe Locations" on the menu bar. Enjoy!

http://www.unsnobbycoffee.com/

Homemade Laundry Detergent Video

I made a video of step-by-step instructions on how to make your own laundry detergent and you can find that on my other YouTube page here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/christianhomekeeper

You can find the full recipe here.

Bev's All Purpose Disinfectant Cleaner

Here is a recipe I invented myself and have used for a long time and love it! It disinfects (tea tree oil) and cleans really good and I love how it can get rid of odors as well!



Here is how I make it:

• Equal parts of warm water and white vinegar
• 1-2 drops of dishwashing liquid
• 5-10 drops of Tea tree oil

Lightly shake together and your done!

I use one of those large sized spray containers you get at Walmart to make this cleaner in and I use this on our kitchen countertops, stove, etc.

If you want to mask the strong smell of the Tea Tree oil, simply add a drop of your favorite essential oil. But leave the Tea Tree oil because it is what disinfects!

To read more on making your own homemade cleaners, check out the post I did on it here.

Homemade Cleaners

Why buy cleaners such as Fantastic, 409, Windex, etc?? When you can make your own cleaners and get it just as clean (if not cleaner, cheaper AND safer) than buying the store cleaners. There are so many different variations of cleaner recipes but you basically just need the following items:

White vinegar
Lemons
Lemon Juice
Lemon Oil (for real wood)
Salt
Baking Soda
Borax
Castile Soap (or some cheap dish soap)
Tea Tree Oil
Washing Soda
Toothpaste
Basic soap

White vinegar and baking soda are the top items you will need to clean with. White vinegar cuts through soap scum and dirt. It is a natural deodorizer also, so while you are cleaning you are making it smell good too! ; ) You can take equal parts of vinegar and water and combine them in a spray bottle for a great everyday cleaner. Spray the counters with it and wipe surfaces.

Baking soda is also a deodorizer and a great tool for jobs that need some scouring. It is a mild abrasive, so it will clean but it won't be too harsh on surfaces. For deodorizing, sprinkle 1 cup in the bottom of your trash can! It will keep it smelling a whole lot better than before. Also keep baking soda in your fridge and freezer.......this is no secret to others I'm sure, as you can now buy the fridge/freezer boxes of baking soda in the grocery store.

Lemon juice, along with vinegar, is good for hard water deposits and soap scum. They are both acidic and that is what helps them work great!

You can really mix and match with all the products above. Most cleaning recipes can be interchanged with the different items above. Borax is like baking soda, in that it is a mild abrasive and deodorizes. With salt.....you will want to use that on surfaces that can stand a hard scrubbing! Don't use it on surfaces that it will scratch!!

Take 1 tablespoon of Tea Tree Oil and pour it in 16+ oz of warm water for a disinfectant spray. The Lemon Oil would be used on real wood products to "feed" them.

Then you have the soap products.....washing soda, castile soap and basic soap. Use these in places you are going to rinse with water after you have cleaned.

Ok....you are probably saying.......what is the toothpaste for?? Basic, white toothpaste (not the gel kind) can do a lot! You can shine silver with it, remove crayon from walls........treat a pimple and there is MORE here.

So the next time you pick up that bottle of 409 at the store and get ready to whip out your 3 or 4 dollars a bottle.........how about mixing up your own batch of homemade cleaners and saving some money!!

To see my personal all purpose cleaner recipe go here.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

I shared this recipe on my "Christian Homekeeper" blog. I wanted to add it to this blog since it is definitely frugal! We have been using this recipe for 2 years and it's excellent.


You can see my how-to video of how to make homemade laundry detergent here:



I only spend $10-12 for the supplies to last for a years worth of detergent. I have a 5 gallon bucket and I make a large batch every 3 months usually.

Here is the recipe:

• 1 bar Fels Naptha soap
• 1 1/2 cups Borax
• 1 1/2 cups Washing soda
• 5 gallon bucket
  
  

Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan. Add 12 cups water and heat on medium until the soap melts. Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 8 cups hot water into the 5 gallon bucket. Now add your soap mixture and stir. Now add 2 gallons plus 12 cups of water and stir. Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel.You use ½ cup per each load and 1 cup for very large loads.

Optional: If you want your soap to have some sort of scent you can scent this with ½ to 1 oz. of essential oil or fragrance oil of your choice.

After 24 hours it will be very gelled, but I use a whisk and mixing spoon and stir it several times while it sets and it has stays at a nice consistency.

* The detergent does not bubble in the wash but it is cleaning!

* If yours did not gel correctly after 24 hours then use more soap next time....like 1/2 bar, but you can still use it if it isn't very gelled anyway.

* When it sets you may get a "egg drop soup" effect.....just mix/stir with a whisk or blender.

• I originally used Crystal's recipe but tweaked the recipe as shown above and this cleans better for me and even my husband's dirty work clothes!