Drain Cleaner

Drain cleaner:

Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain, then pour 1/2 cup vinegar down the drain. Let it fizz for a few minutes. Then pour boiling water down the drain. Repeat if needed. If the clog is stubborn, use a plunger. If very stubborn, use a mechanical snake.

I was very surprised at how good this worked! I have had a very slow drain in the powder room for a long time, no amount of Draino would work. I tried this recipe tonight, but used hot tap water instead of boiling water, I plunged it after and all this black sludge flew up out of the overfill. What a mess, but my drain is clog free!

Chari

Carpet Deodorizer

Carpet Deodorizer:

16 oz Baking soda
1/2 tsp Lemon, or Sweet Orange essential oil

Mix well and store in covered glass jar.
Sprinkle the deodorizer onto your carpet, I saved an old carpet deodorizer shaker.
Wait 20 minutes and then vacuum.

Homemade Eco-friendly Liquid Hand Soap

Make your own liquid hand soap it's easy, doesn't contain any yucky sodium laureth sulfate and it smells great!

Ingredients:

1 cup distilled or filtered water
3 tablespoon liquid castile soap (I used Dr. Bronner's unscented castile)
1 teaspoon vegetable glycerin
Drops of lemon or orange essential oils-or your choice
Tea tree oil is antibacterial and antifungal, add some drops of that too

Combine all ingredients, I used a blender stick. Funnel into a reused pump bottle. It cost a lot less than buying organic hand soap. I tried Kiss my Face , then realized it has parabens (methyl-, propyl-, butyl-, ethyl-, isobutyl-).

Edit **
You can also you grated castile bar soap, just melt it in the heated water.


Chari

Homemade Eco-friendly Laundry Soap

For the bar soaps required in the recipe, try Fels-Naptha, Ivory soap, Sunlight bar soap, Kirk’s Hardwater Castile, and Zote. Add essential oils for fragrance.

Washing Soda and Borax can normally be found in the laundry and cleaning aisles.
I had a hard time finding the Super Washing Soda.

Hot water
1/2 cup Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
1/3 bar Soap (grated)I used Fels-Naptha-grated it in my food processor(It's just soap)

In a large pot, heat 3 pints of water. Add the grated bar soap 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 soap mixture. Top pail with cold water and stir well.
Use 1/2 cup per load, stirring soap before each use (will gel).
I used a blender stick to mix up the bucket and it worked fine.

Homemade Eco-friendly Bleach

Homemade Bleach:

I've learned about the harmful effects of chlorine. Chlorine is one of those chemicals that contaminate our groundwater and creates harmful pollutants in the air when it's being used in the manufacturing of plastics as in PVC.

Homemade Bleach:
Use equal parts of 3 % hydrogen peroxide and water, mix and use as you would the bleach. I have a recycled bottle I cleaned. Funnel your Eco-friendly bleach into that, label it and store in the laundry room.

Also add a couple drops of your favorite essential oils to add scent.