Sunday, June 17, 2012

Today I Learned to be Chemical-Free

WARNING: This post will cause your spending to DECREASE and your love of cleaning to INCREASE. Enter only if you dare!

If you have not already watched Chemerical, you need to get on Netflix and watch it RIGHT NOW. It's a documentary about the chemicals and TOXINS in everyday cleaning products like dish soap, floor cleaner, laundry detergent, and personal hygiene items like BABY SOAP/SHAMPOO PRODUCTS! Bottom line: we need to stop killing ourselves with these chemicals, so I've been making my own toxin-free cleaning solutions for about two months. Here's what I've learned:
These are most of the ingredients in the post.
All Purpose Cleaner
Mix in Spray Bottle:
3 tbsp Vinegar
1/2 tsp Washing Soda (can be purchased on the laundry detergent aisle in your grocery store)
1/2 tsp Castile Soap (like Dr. Bronner's)
2 cups Hot Water
10 drops Lemon Essential Oil (see links below for more info on Essential Oils)
 
 
Glass Cleaner
Mix in Spray Bottle:
1 cup Water
1 cup Vinegar
1 tsp Castile Soap
5-10 drops Lemon Essential Oil
 
 
Anti-Bacterial Spray
Mix in Spray Bottle:
2-3 cups Water
25-30 drops Lavender Essential Oil
5 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil
 
 
 
Tub Cleaner
Mix in Jar:
2/3 cup Baking Soda
1/2 cup Castile Soap
2 tbsp Vinegar
1/2 cup Water
5-8 drops Peppermint Essential Oil
3-5 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil
 
 
Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Mix in Spray Bottle:
1 cup Vinegar
5-8 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil
8-10 drops Peppermint Essential Oil
Spray into toilet bowl then sprinkle with Baking Soda, Let sit for 5 minutes, Scrub, Flush.

Carpet Stain Remover
Soak area of stain with hydrogen peroxide. Let sit for 5 minutes. Soak up HP with clean white cloth. You will see the stain lift before your very eyes! Repeat as necessary until stain is gone.


Room Freshener
Poke holes in the lid of a mason jar. Then add 1/2 cup of baking soda and several drops of our favorite essential oil/s (lemon is great!). Simply swirl the contents around inside the container when freshening is required and the scent with fill the room. (You can also sprinkle this on the carpet in a room or a couch/chair. Let it sit for 15-30 minutes, then vacuum it up.)

My handy bucket with all my delicious smelling cleaning solutions and micro-fiber towels inside!


***There are many different options when it comes to Essential Oils. My local HEB carries them for decent prices. You can also get them at Whole Foods or other health food stores. They are also available online at Amazon and, my favorite, Aura Cacia (I love this site because you can read about the aroma-therapy benefits of oils as well as the cleaning powers they possess and get some good recipes, to boot!).


Best part of all this? Well, in my opinion, there are THREE best parts: 1) good, clean smell, 2) CHEAP, and 3) not harmful to people or pets. An added benefit: I use microfiber clothes to clean. Then when the clothes get dirty, I just wash them and re-use. No paper towels! (I got my micro-fiber towels at Target in the Dollar Spot, but Costco has a giant bundle for cheap, too.)


PS-I'm no doctor/expert/guru, so please PLEASE consult a physician if you have medical issues that may be irritated by any of these cleaning solutions.




Happy cleaning!

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Today Bunny Learned to Improvise (Coconut Lime Sugar Scrub)


Hello again! It's been WAY too long since I've written anything...like over a month! My hubby keeps telling me to get after it, but I've been lazy, so I'm sorry. But this new post will knock your socks off...really! Take off your socks, shoes, etc. and get ready to summer-ify your footsies!



Ingredients:
2 cups white sugar
zest from one small lime
1 cup coconut oil (extra virgin is best!) can be purchased on baking aisle
juice from 2 small limes
(this recipe makes a little less than 3 cups of scrub...I put mine in 3 8 oz. mason jars and gave them as gifts)



1. Mix sugar and lime zest (should smell amazing at this point, if you like lime!)
2. Melt coconut oil in microwave for about 15 seconds to make it easier to mix, then mix into sugar/zest mixture. (Smells even BETTER if you can believe it!)
3. Mix in lime juice.

That's it.

You're done!!

It looks like a mojito in a jar!!


Now get ready for summer by soaking your feet for about 15-20 minutes, then scrub this delicious concoction all over your toes, heels, tops, and bottoms of your feet. Enjoy the massage!!

Not only will your feet smell WONDERFUL, they will feel silky smooth and look great!



The Lesson: I am on my way to a meeting at 6:30 (currently 5:00). This meeting is a make-up for one I forgot about last week....and I was supposed to lead the meeting! Anyway, I feel awful about letting down the lovely ladies I'll be meeting with, so I wanted to make a "Please forgive me" gift. Although I've made many sugar scrubs lately, I really wanted to try something new. I thought about what I have on hand and came up with this recipe...voila! Totally improvised on very short notice, but turned out amazing! Can't wait to apologize with these little beauties! (Label made from lime green paper that I cut into circles that fit nicely between the lid and ring of a mason jar. I tried to copy my favorite font, KG Strawberry Limeade, and failed miserably! Still cute though.)