3-Ingredient Homemade Shaving Cream: Update

I posted this recipe over a year ago, and decided to do an updated post now. I am still making my own shaving cream and loving it! I have made a couple of minor changes that I thought were worth noting for the past couple of batches, though. I think my first changes came in March, and I just made another batch this week using these methods.

#1 I decided to experiment with almond oil in place of extra virgin olive oil. I wasn't sure if this would make a difference. The olive oil is probably cheaper, but I figured it was worth trying since I had it on hand anyway for my homemade face moisturizing oil. This changes the color slightly, but at first glance, it is pretty much the same. For a trial, I shaved one leg with the new batch of homemade stuff and the other with my old can of Skintimate. For me, there was a clear winner in the smoothness department, but just to be fair, I asked my hubby to do a "blind test" asking him to feel them and tell them if he noticed a difference -- without telling him why. Not surprisingly, he decided that the leg shaved with my homemade version was softer and smoother. Yeah!

#2 Shea butter. So, when I went to order more on Amazon, I actually ended up getting African shea butter for whatever reason. I must not have paid attention very closely. Is there a difference in how they work? Not that I can tell. There is a difference in color (more yellow) and smell. The African one seems a bit more chocolate-y to me, and trust me, that is not a bad thing at all. Hence, my newer batches are more yellow and smell different than my previous batches, but otherwise they have had the same skin conditioning qualities.

#3 My old hand mixer bit the dust last June, which you may have recalled if you happened to read this post about how in love I was with my new stand mixer. So, the old hand mixer worked pretty well for whipping up shaving cream, but it was messy and my hands did get tired doing it. Since it is no longer in the picture, I put my shaving cream block (more on that in directions below) in the stand mixer bowl, and whipped it up with the wire whisk attachment. Strangely, this takes about twice the amount of time than doing it by hand (6-7 minutes versus 3) BUT it's hands-free and definitely less messy. The only suggestion I have is to stop it a couple of times and stir the mixture by hand to get the solid chunks down from the sides of the bowl and back into optimal position for proper mixing. Easy.

{Here's a new batch after it "settled."}

Why homemade shaving cream? I wanted to eliminate chemicals! I like knowing what I am putting on my body. Also, my last batch lasted just over 4 months -- take that store-bought shaving cream! (There is no way a can of that stuff would have made it that long.) Here is how to make your own natural shaving cream. (Organic ingredients are always a plus, but I wouldn't say they are a must.)

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 1/3 cup shea butter (mine is African)
• 1/4 cup almond oil (or extra virgin olive oil, if you don't happen to have almond oil)

Directions:

1. In a sauce pan over low heat, melt the shea butter and coconut oil. (This takes between 5 and ten minutes -- a bit longer with African shea butter than with plain shea butter, which I don't remember as being as dense.)
2. Pour the melted contents of the pan into a container. (I use a plastic bowl.) Add your almond oil (or olive oil) and stir to combine.
3. Allow the mixture to solidify in the refrigerator. (I still can't tell you how long this takes. More than an hour, but it will certainly be ready if you let it set over night, which is what I tend to do since I seem to always be making a new batch after the kids are in bed.)
4. Remove the block from the bowl (or other container) and place it in your mixing bowl. (Mine have always slid out easily once I tipped the bowl over, so this shouldn't be hard for you either.)
5. Whip the shaving cream. This used to take about 3 minutes with my hand mixer. Now, it takes a bit longer with the stand mixer (as mentioned above).
6. Store your shaving cream in air-tight containers. Labeling them is suggested. I like to just use masking tape and permanent marker to write the contents and date made.
7. To shave, I use my fingers to remove a dollop of shaving cream and spread it on my skin. It liquefies once you rub it in, and I love this. It never runs down my legs and gets wasted like commercial shaving creams or gels have a tendency to do. Also, the moisture gets locked into the skin. I know this because I see the water bead up where I have applied my shaving cream -- so it does two jobs in one. It works in all the usual places: underarms, legs, bikini area, and although I have not personally tried it, a man could also shave his face with this stuff. Note: Use caution if you like to shave in the shower since it may make the shower floor a teensy bit slippery at times.

DIY Dishwasher Detergent

This post has been a long time coming, but I am happy to be able to finally share this recipe for homemade dishwasher detergent, courtesy of my friend Kim. The good thing about being so busy that I haven't been blogging much is that it's given me a solid two and a half weeks of using this recipe non-stop -- my dishwasher runs an average of once a day. That means you all get my honest-to-goodness opinion on how well this homemade version works (versus the over-the-moon excitement I felt the first time I used it).

Aside from the citric acid, which I purchased on Amazon, these are all ingredients that you can find in any grocery store. This is always something I appreciate in a homemade cleaning solution. Four ingredients is a manageable amount, in my opinion, which is another plus. Everything is reasonably priced, with the citric acid being the priciest component (breakdown of cost to follow).

The main reason for why I wanted to make my own dishwasher detergent wasn't to save money -- although I will do that! The real purpose was to eliminate more chemical crap from the household. This was one area that I have had a hard time finding a good natural alternative to. (I had previously tried a different recipe and it didn't work all that well. In fact, this turned my off from even trying again for a good 18 months or so!) However, my greener spring cleaning series of posts raised the question "What do you use in your dishwasher?" and this prompted me to seek out a better alternative.

Good news, folks! While this one doesn't always remove every single food particle (and let's be honest, your store-bought stuff isn't always up to the tough jobs either, right?), it works pretty darn well -- much better than the previous recipe. (To be fair, the primary reason that I occasionally find stuck-on food is what I will refer to as "operator error." I tend to overload the dishwasher, and that doesn't help it to do its thing in the most efficient way possible -- but I'm stubborn, and I refuse to run it unless it's full, so that's my catch-22.) My conclusion is that it has to be the citric acid that is making this work because that's the only difference from what I had tried before. (On a side note, I've seen some other recipes for dishwasher detergent lately, and many of them call for lemonade mix. My guess is that people have found the citric acid in it to be the magic ingredient that really cleans their dishes. My only thought here is, why use something that has artificial colors, flavors, and other added stuff when you can purchase pure citric acid and get the job done in a more natural way?) Just my two cents.

On the subject of dollars and cents, you may be asking, is homemade dishwasher detergent really a good value? Yup! Breaking this down, I found this to actually be cheaper than the Member's Mark dishwasher pacs we were buying in bulk at Sam's Club. (105 pacs at $9.98 works out to about 10 cents per use.) The Borax and Super Washing Soda are both things I have had at home for years and have been used for many different things including homemade laundry soap and all-purpose cleaner -- and I'm still working from the original boxes. (55 ounces of Super Washing Soda which cost $2.89 when I bought it and 76 ounces of Borax, which was $3.42 at the time. There is no way that you will convince me that these are not good values because even if you don't use them for the dishwasher detergent, you will use them for something.) Honestly, I don't remember how much I paid for my coarse Kosher salt, but I think it was less than $5, so for my calculations I am just going to overestimate and say it was $5 for the 48 ounce box. Again, citric acid was the most expensive at $11.99 for 36 ounces.

So, 55 ounces of Super Washing Soda divided by 8 ounces (per the recipe below) = 6 batches (plus a bit extra, but let's work in whole batches here.) This means that this ingredient costs 48 cents per batch. Borax: 76 divided by 8 = 9 batches, at a cost of 38 cents per batch. Coarse salt (again, I think I overestimated the cost): 48 ounces divided by 4 = 12 batches, at a cost of 42 cents (probably less) per batch. Citric acid: 36 ounces divided by 4 = 9 batches, at a cost of 75 cents per batch. Total cost = $2.03 for 3 cups of homemade detergent. If using the max recommended amount of two tablespoons per load (personally, I have found this to work better than one tablespoon), this works out to 24 uses per batch at a cost of 8 cents per use -- that's 2 cents cheaper than the least expensive store-bought cleaner that we were previously using. Since this only takes a couple of minutes to mix up and it keeps (meaning you don't have to mix up a new batch each time, which can be annoying with some recipes for homemade cleaning products), this is 100% worth your time to make! It's always nice to know exactly what goes into your cleaning products. Here's the recipe.

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

• 1 cup Borax
• 1 cup Super Washing Soda
• 1/2 cup coarse salt (I used Kosher)
• 1/2 cup citric acid

1. Mix well. (I stirred mine in a large glass bowl, but Kim puts hers in a container with a lid and shakes it up.) 
2. Use 1-2 tablespoons per load. 
3. Optional: You can also add vinegar to the rinse cycle, which I have been doing. This is a natural way to get shiny, spot-free dishes. I just filled the rinse cycle compartment and let the dishwasher dispense it during the rinse cycle.

(Note: Kim suggests storing the detergent in the freezer to prevent clumping, but I have not really had an issue with this. Mine is being stored in an old dishwasher detergent container under my kitchen sink.)

Thanks for reading! This was my 600th blog post. Cue trumpets. Okay, not really. Maybe for my upcoming 4th blogiversary...

Homemade Powder Foundation

Coming up with a homemade powder foundation has been a bit trickier than some of the other homemade makeups that I have tried so far. I found a few suggestions on how to get started (here and here). There was a third idea that I wondered about but it called for a type of clay, which isn't something I had at hand... so I experimented with stuff from my kitchen. (I always suggest using what you have, right?)

I have to say that while food-grade items are safer than a lot of chemicals in store-bought makeup, applying them to one's face requires caution! Obviously, don't use anything you know you are allergic to or don't tolerate well. (One of the above bloggers suggested nutmeg as a potential face powder ingredient, but after having it cause instant itchiness when making eye shadow, I decided against trying that one again.)

The next thing that is difficult about making your own powder foundation is getting the right color. It's not like making blush when one easy to create color will suit most any skin tone. My first attempt was something I came up with all on my own: arrowroot and turmeric (which I was surprised to find in an organic line at Walmart, oddly enough). I had seen this as an ingredient when researching how to make eye shadow, and I thought that if mixed with arrowroot, it would make a nice pale peach powder. Since I am extremely fair-skinned, I thought this would be more subtle than, say, cocoa powder. When mixed up and applied to the inside of my wrist it was a near-perfect match to my skin tone. Now for the real test.

It looked good on my face at first but then the powders seemed to separate and I was embarrassed to catch my reflection one day (after wearing this in public for a few days in a row! Why couldn't I have noticed that sooner?!). Unless the Oompa Loompa look is in this season I had really missed the boat! Needless to say, there is a reason none of the other bloggers out there are recommending the use of turmeric in a homemade foundation.

{Homemade Powder Foundation Experiments}

Fortunately, my second attempt was much better. Cinnamon and cocoa powder were suggested by both of the blog posts I had read, so it made since to try them out. I was a bit nervous about using cinnamon on my skin, fearing an itchy reaction, but luckily that did not happen. This powder looks a lot darker and I was worried that it would look like I was trying to fake a tan, but it actually went on quite natural. It wore well, keeping shine at bay. (I am thinking the arrowroot powder is to thank for that.) It's not as great at concealing blemishes as my store-bought stuff, but overall, this worked for a powder foundation. The best part was that it smelled incredibly delicious and I half expected people to ask me where I bought my Christmas cookie perfume. (I used 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder + 1/8 teaspoon cocoa powder + 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon. Proportions can be adjusted as needed, and I suggest starting with small amounts and adding more as desired.)

Even thought that second formulation worked well, I wanted to try yet another concoction. This time, I added ginger to see if the yellow tint would tone down the overly dark cocoa powder to create a more suitable shade of powder foundation. Again, I was slightly apprehensive about whether or not there would be an itch factor, and I was relived that this was not an issue. My main complaint about the ginger, though, is that it tends to tickle my nose when inhaled, making me sneeze. (Kind of like my second blush experiment -- I ultimately nixed that version, in part because of this.) This third mixture is what I have been wearing most recently, but I am thinking that I will go back to the cocoa powder and cinnamon mixture. I am not sure that the ginger is really working for me, but I will say that this works well as a translucent powder, similar to the second variation. (I used 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon. Proportions can be adjusted as needed, and I suggest starting with small amounts and adding more as desired.)

In case you're wondering, I have been wearing food on my face for the past two and half weeks and nobody has noticed -- or if they have, they have been kind enough not to mention it. (I'm especially thinking of when I realized my face was splotchy orange while out to brunch with a bunch of people from church!) I'm not sure that I have found the perfect recipe yet, but I do seem to be on the right track. If you want to save some money and know exactly what is contained in your foundation, it is possible to make your own at home. Finding the perfect match for your skin tone and type, well, that's a whole other issue!

{Modeling my 3rd Foundation Attempt}

What do you think? This was a picture that I took of myself yesterday, which just happened to be my birthday. Brett informed everyone at church that I was turning "29 again." Here I am wearing a full face of homemade makeup: cocoa powder eye shadow, activated charcoal eye liner, beet root blush, beet root lip gloss, and my latest attempt at homemade mascara (more on that soon). Maybe I am delusional, but I really do think that I could pass for 29!

Homemade Eyeliner (So Easy!)

Okay, this is seriously the easiest homemade makeup you will ever see directions for. One all-natural ingredient and just two simple steps. I don't see a reason why anybody could not make this themselves at home! Save yourself some money and know exactly what is in your eyeliner -- win-win. (I found the idea for making my own eyeliner here.)

First, go get yourself a bottle of activated charcoal capsules. You can find them at vitamin stores, health food stores (where I found mine), or online. These are NOT the same as charcoal from your grill. Activated charcoal is meant to be taken internally for gastrointestinal issues (food poisoning, for example) so it's considered completely safe for cosmetic purposes.

My bottle contained 90 gelatin capsules and it cost $10.59. This won't expire until September of 2017, so I am set for eye makeup for 3+ years. (I'm currently working on a homemade mascara, which also calls for activated charcoal. I am wearing it in the picture below, but for today, I just want you to focus on the eyeliner.) Considering how much I was spending before to get bareMinerals makeup -- which still contained things I could not pronounce (even though it was decidedly safer than the cheap drugstore makeup I had previously purchased) -- this is a steal!

{Wet Application, Dry Application}

How to Make Your Own Eyeliner (So Easy!):

1. Grab a small container with a lid. (Mine is plastic and came in a 10-pack at Dollar Tree. A small glass jar would be ideal, but I didn't have one on hand.) Open an activated charcoal capsule and dump the contents into the container. (Your hands will get a little messy, but it washes away easily.)
2. Apply your eyeliner with a small brush. (I suggest getting an eyeliner brush for this. Mine is from Ulta.) For a simple day-time look, I just dip my brush into the charcoal and apply it dry. For a more dramatic night-time look (or if you just like a more intense eyeliner for day-time), first wet your brush slightly, then dip it into the charcoal and line your eyes. Use small motions and add more as needed for best results. This stays put well and washes away easily at the end of the day (I use the oil cleanse method for face washing and eye makeup removal.)

{I capsule = about 1/4 teaspoon}

A Few Notes:

• Please note that my eyeliner is is not "perfect." It does leave a small amount of dust beneath my eyes by the end of the day. However, to be fair, the way more expensive eye makeup that I was purchasing did the same thing!
• To me, this is still tops because it is safe, easy to apply, and very affordable!
• In my self-portrait, I model both application methods. On the left, is the more dramatic wet-application, and on the right is the softer dry application. I have not tried it, but I think you could use the dry application over your entire lid for a very-wearable neutral gray eye shadow.
• Also, in the photo, I am modeling my homemade beet root eye shadow, which I love!
• I should probably mention that I lined my top lids only, which is my personal preference. That's the way I have done it for years. You can line both the top and bottom if you like that look better.
• I "made" this eyeliner 3 weeks ago, and I'm estimating that the one capsule will last me about another 3 weeks with almost daily usage. This is perfect, I think. Not so long that I have to worry about bacteria growth, but still not so short that I am forever having to "make" more eyeliner.

Some More of My Favorite Homemade Makeup Recipes:

• Eye Shadow
• Blush
• Tinted Lip Gloss

Mascara and face powder recipes are in the works, so I'll let you know when they are share-worthy!

Natural Dyed Eggs Experiment

We've decorated Easter eggs in a variety of ways over the years, and for something new, I decided to make our own natural dyes this year. The results were not as great as they could have been, but I have figured out the basics for making homemade dyes, and I now know what to do differently next time. Up front, I should have prepared the dyes the day before we wanted to dye eggs since this was a time-consuming process. Since I felt the time crunch, I didn't let the dyes steep nearly as long as I could have (and probably should have) in order to get deeper color saturation. Also, I would have liked to try to make more variety of colors, but for my first attempt, 3 seemed like plenty!

{Left to right: spinach, beet root, carrot, plain white egg}

The first color that I tried was red/pink. I used my beet root powder that I've been using to make lip gloss, blush, and eye shadow. (And as an aside for anybody who is wondering, yes, I love all of these homemade makeup recipes and I wear them daily!) There may be another way to make dye, but I kept it super-simple. I just put a small amount of beet root powder in a bowl and then added some water. I stirred it until the beet root powder was dissolved and let it set until we were ready to use it. I thought that this would produce the most intense color on the eggs, and I was surprised that it wasn't the winner in that respect.

Next up, I wanted to make green out of some fresh spinach. I pureed the spinach (maybe two cups?) in my blender and then placed it in a pot on the stove top. I added a couple cups of water, and brought it to a boil. Then, I put a lid on it and simmered it for 1 1/2 hours. (This is one that most likely should have simmered longer, but again, I had that time crunch -- children who were ready to color eggs!) In retrospect, too, I wished that I had strained it because this dye left green flecks of spinach on the egg shells, which didn't look as interesting as it might sound -- more like they were kind of messy. So, note to self: have cheese cloth on hand for next time. The good news, however, is that this was the clear winner for most intense dye of the three that I made.

Lastly, I attempted to make orange dye using fresh carrots. This is another one that likely needed to simmer longer. It produced the faintest dye of the ones I tried. Most of the color came from the flecks of carrot that were left on the egg shells. (So, perhaps this one needed to be strained, too?) I chopped 4 medium size carrots and pureed them in my blender along with some water. Then, I placed them in a pot with more water, and brought it to a boil. After that, I simmered the pureed mixture with a lid on top for 1 1/2 hours.

{Natural Dyes from Beet Root, Spinach, & Carrots}

To dye the eggs, I put some of each homemade dye into a bowl, added about a teaspoon of vinegar to each (possibly unnecessary?), and let the kids put the eggs in to soak. We tried letting them sit in the dyes for 5 minutes and for 10 minutes, without noticeable differences in color saturation. (I can't even identify which is which for you in the above photo, but one row is the 5 minute-colored eggs and the other is the 10-minute colored eggs.) Anyway, the takeaway here is that you may want to leave eggs in the dyes for much longer if you want more vibrant colors! Also, we tried this on both white eggs and brown eggs, and it pretty much goes without saying that this worked better on the white eggs.

Just looking at the dyes, I thought that we would have better luck getting vibrant eggs. The good news, however, is that these dyes are completely safe -- if not all that intensely pigmented. I knew exactly what went into them. And, none of them -- beet root, spinach, or carrots -- flavored the eggs in any way. (Admit it, you were worried about that, right?) So, even though they weren't as bright as my kids and I hoped for, it was still a win and worth trying out.


P.S. Don't forget to check out my review and giveaway sponsored by Path Publishing! The giveaway continues through tomorrow, April 28th, so you still have time to enter to win your own blank book of your choice.

Easter Eggs for the Birds

I found this idea in the the April 2014 issue of FamilyFun magazine (page 36) and it reminded me of the hanging birdseed treats we had made over the winter. The recipe includes the same ingredients, but in slightly different proportions. I had the idea to make these eggs into hanging treats, but the embroidery floss didn't stick in them very well because when we opened the plastic eggs to take the treats out, the embroidery floss came out as well. Not a big deal, though. We just found places to set them and make an Easter egg hunt for our feathered visitors. (I can't help but wonder if this would have worked with the recipe used for the hanging birdseed treats? We may have to try it some other time.)

{An Egg Hunt for the Birds}

Materials:

• 2 packets of unflavored gelatin mix (We used Kroger brand.)
• 1/2 cup hot water (I used boiling water.)
• 2 1/2 cups birdseed
• cooking spray
• 12 plastic Easter eggs

Directions:

1. Dissolve the gelatin in hot water.
2. Mix in the birdseed. (Kids can help measure, pour, and stir.)
3. Spray the insides of plastic Easter eggs well with cooking spray.
4. Spoon the birdseed mixture into the eggs and press down firmly, filling both sides of the eggs. (Kids can do this step.)
5. Snap the eggs shut and let them set overnight. (We placed ours on a cookie sheet and left it in the refrigerator like we did with the cookie cutter birdseed treats mentioned above, but this may not be necessary.)
6. In the morning, remove the birdseed eggs and place outside where you can watch the birds enjoy them. (Kids will love helping with this step!)

{Happy Easter!}

Don't forget to head over to my review and giveaway to win a free blank book from Path Publishing. (One book that you can win is the Kidisms journal, where you can record all the cute and quirky things that the kids have to say.) The giveaway goes through April 28, 2014, so you still have time to enter!

Hoppy Easter Pancakes

I saw a photo on Facebook the day before Easter and decided that I had to make these for the kiddos on Easter morning! It was a cute and fun breakfast, and it didn't take much longer than it does to make "normal pancakes." I used the following recipe for pancakes, but you can make yours from a mix if you prefer. For a healthier version, you can also substitute whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour or use a 50/50 mix of the two. There are lots of possibilities for making these pancakes bunnies!

{Bunny pancakes made my kids "hoppy!"}

Pancakes (Makes 8)

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons oil (I like EVOO.)

1. Combine ingredients in a large bowl and blend well. (Tip: For fluffier pancakes, you can first sift your flour. I usually skip this, though.)
2. Preheat griddle. I use the medium setting which is 300*.
3. Once griddle is heated, pour batter in 1/4 cups measurements. Wait for the bubbles to form and then flip the pancake over. Cook the second side and remove from the griddle, checking to make sure that it is cooked all the way through.

How I Made "Bunny Pancakes"

1. I poured a small circle for the head and a larger circle for the body. Next, I made two oval shapes, smaller than the head. These became the feet. Then, I poured two "dribbles" that were long and skinny to make the ears. 
2. I assembled the bunny from the top down. First ears, then head on top, body on top of head, and then the two feet. It looked like we had just missed the Easter Bunny and he was hopping out of sight.
3. I didn't have any shredded coconut on hand for the tails, and I considered making some whipped cream, but decided it wasn't worth it. I could have used marshmallows for he tails, but in the end, I opted for some fresh raspberries.
4. For the toe pads, I placed three sliced almonds on each foot. Then, I added a dollop (about 1/4 teaspoon) of real maple syrup to complete them. The photo I had seen used sliced bananas which was perfect, but I was out of bananas that morning, and it's always smart to use what you have!
5. Serve while warm, and you're sure to make "somebunny" quite "hoppy."

{Hoppy Easter, everyone!}

P.S. If you enjoyed this recipe, you'll probably want to write it down. Check out my giveaway where you can enter to win your own blank recipe book (or any of the other handy blank books offered by Path Publishing)!

Greener Spring Cleaning: Part 7 (Homemade Fruit & Veggie Wash)

If you've been following along, I am cleaning up my house with homemade (safe and cheap!) cleaning solutions including these for:

1. Windows
2. Room Freshening Spray
3. Carpets and Hard Floors
4. Counters, Sinks, Tubs
5. Toilets
6. Wood Furniture, etc.

Admittedly this next one is a bit of a stretch to be filed under "spring cleaning" but it is too great not to share while I'm working on this series of greener cleaning solutions. I use this fruit and veggie spray wash each day (usually several times) and I am guessing that you will, too! This was another one that I learned about at a recent MOPS meeting and wondered why I had never done this before.

I don't think I have to tell you that your produce has stuff on it that you would rather it didn't -- pesticides, wax residue, whatever... Even if you're buying organic or growing your own vegetables, I think this is something you will want to have on hand. (And this is coming from someone who until very recently only rinsed her produce with water, knowing full well that this wasn't good enough.) Save yourself some worry and mix up a batch of spray wash to keep it right next to the sink. Then, you have no excuse to try to get away with just a water rinse like I was doing.

{All Natural Homemade Produce Wash Spray}

Fruit and Vegetable Spray Wash

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup vinegar
• 2 Tbs lemon juice
• 10 drops grapeseed oil*(optional)

1. Place ingredients in a brand new spray bottle (Dollar Tree has nice ones) and shake gently. (A funnel is handy, but not necessary.)
2. Spray onto veggies and let set for about 2-3 minutes. (Or longer, if you're busy with something else. I was told you can leave it longer on root vegetables, say up to 15 minutes. I have not found that it leaves a taste on anything I've tried: raspberries, grapes, green beans, potatoes, carrots, pears, strawberries...) So easy!
3. If you wish, you can rinse before eating, but this is not necessary. All of the ingredients used are safe for ingestion.

Grapeseed oil is one that is new to me but it has several uses including as a cooking oil because it contains antioxidants. It's also used as a carrier oil for skin moisturizers, so this is handy for both external and internal applications. Technically, the directions I was given said to use grapeseed extract* for this, but I chose to get grapeseed oil instead. I found mine at a health food store. You can totally skip it if you prefer. Vinegar and lemon juice will clean the produce just fine.

Two ways to use your fruit/veggie spray:

1. Plug your clean sink and fill it with water. Add several spritzes of the veggie wash spray and let soak.
2. If you're like me and you know your kitchen sink is rarely as clean as it should be, place fruits and veggies in a large bowl. Then, add 2-3 sprays of veggie wash and let soak. (Guess which method I use? No shame in it!)

Greener Spring Cleaning: Part 6 (Homemade Furniture Polish)

If you've been following along with my series on greener spring cleaning solutions then you have probably already seen how to clean:

1. windows
2. room freshening spray
3. carpet stains and hard floors
4. tubs, counters, and sinks
5. toilets

If you happened to miss any of those, just click on the links to learn more.

Chances are that you've got some wooden furniture somewhere in your house that could use a little TLC. Whether it's dull, dirty, or covered in sticky finger prints, this homemade recipe for dusting solution/furniture polish can take care of it. It cleans and conditions the wood, leaving nothing behind but a beautiful shine  -- no harsh or dangerous chemicals. (I'm not going to claim that it will repair dings and scratches, but it certainly can't hurt!)

You can quickly and easily make this at home with just two common ingredients: olive oil and distilled white vinegar. (Thanks Green Grandma, for teaching me this!) There are a couple of different options, both very inexpensive and effective!

Option 1: Basic "Salad Dressing" Furniture Polish
Mix equal parts olive oil (mine is extra virgin, but use whatever you have at hand) with distilled white vinegar. (If you still don't have this, you need to get some -- preferably a gallon -- because you can clean anything with it!) Place in container (I use a glass jar that used to hold honey mustard) and label it: 50/50 olive oil/DWV. You can add a note that it's for furniture polish. Apply to wooden furniture (or lots of other stuff; see my list below) with a microfiber cloth and wipe clean.

Option 2: Extra Oomph "Orange Power" Furniture Polish 
This is my preference, and I've been using it for about 2 1/2 years. The citrus smells pleasant and it's a natural de-greaser. Bonus! (If you're new to cleaning with vinegar, this might be a good introduction since it doesn't smell like straight vinegar and people often complain that they can't stand the vinegar smell. Trust me, though, you will get used to it. And someday, you may grow to hate the smell of all store-bought cleaners! It happened to me.)

I used to just make my orange-vinegar by soaking orange peels in my vinegar for an indeterminate amount of time... It shouldn't go bad for a loooooong time. Then, I would pour out some of my orange-vinegar and mix it with the olive oil whenever I needed a new batch of furniture polish. Again, mix equal parts of orange-vinegar with olive oil, store in a labeled glass jar, and apply with microfiber cloth.

{3-Ingredient Homemade Furniture Polish}

Notes on Making Orange Power Vinegar:
At a recent MOPS meeting, I learned that you can also strain the orange vinegar after two weeks of soaking. (Shake the jar whenever you happen to think of it.) Then, place it in a spray bottle and voila! Homemade citrus cleaner that you can use most anywhere. You can also keep some in the jar, because like I said, it should last a very long time.

I haven't tried it with lemon or grapefruit peels, but I have used clementine peels, and they also work. I think any citrus peel is handy for this. When you're ready to toss out the peels that have already soaked and served their purpose, just toss them in your garbage disposal and run it for cleaning and deodorizing.

{Left = BEFORE, Right = AFTER}

Places I have used this furniture polish with success:

• tables
• chairs
• book cases
• picture frames (best for wood, but can be used on other frames -- avoid smearing glass, if possible)
• wooden legs of upholstered furniture
• kitchen cabinets
• knick knacks
• window ledges
• banisters/stair rails
• dressers
• wall shelves
• particle board/MDF type furniture pieces
• removing stickers and sticky residue (Just yesterday, Mia was coloring at the dining table and her drawing paper was stuck to who knows what? Anyway, the paper tore when she tried to pick it up, leaving behind a sticky mess. I grabbed my orange power furniture polish and a microfiber cloth and easily removed it all without too much elbow grease. Better and safer than Goo Gone!)
• electronics (I am NOT suggesting that you do this, merely confessing that I have done so very carefully when I already had the cloth in my hand and was cleaning the entertainment center anyway... Usually, I flip over the cloth, so it's more of a "dry dust" for the TV, DVD player, etc. Again, I don't recommend it, but it has worked for me with no negative effects that I am aware of.)

Greener Spring Cleaning: Part 5 (Homemade Toilet Cleaners)

If you missed my earlier posts this week, so far I have shared greener cleaning tips for:

• Windows
• Room Freshening Spray
• Carpets and Hard Floors
• Sinks, Tubs, and Counters

Now, see if you can guess what I was using to clean toilets until recently... If you said "homemade all-purpose cleaner" then you can go right to the head of the class. You're such a good reader! Yep, that was my favorite for toilets (and literally everything else) until a couple of weeks ago, when I decided to switch it up a bit.

Today, I am sharing with you a few different recipes for homemade toilet bowl cleaners, and I have to say that I am waaaaaay more excited by this than I probably should be! Some are very basic and some take slightly more effort, but the end results are worth it.


Homemade Toilet Bowl Cleaner #1 (Vinegar)
First up, Green Grandma suggests that you need nothing more than straight distilled white vinegar for cleaning toilet bowls. Simply add a cup or two and walk away for a few hours. Then, come back and scrub the bowl.

This is my least favorite, to be honest. The vinegar alone doesn't cling or fizz or do anything that "shows" that it is doing its job. There is nothing else to make it smell a bit better; even though I am much more accustomed to the smell of vinegar, it is still a bit much when you use a large amount in undiluted form. (NOTE: I do realize that we do NOT need any fake fragrance to make everything smell "fresh" or "clean" -- that is a marketing gimmick. True "clean" has no smell.) Even though I know that this is perfectly effective for killing germs, it's not my first choice. It is, however, very cheap, very easy to use and completely non-toxic, so it deserves mention in the lineup of natural choices.


Homemade Toilet Bowl Cleaner #2 (Vinegar + Baking Soda)
Pour a cup of baking soda into the toilet bowl and then follow with a cup of white vinegar. You get the fizzing action and once it's done, you scrub the bowl. Baking soda neutralizes odors and vinegar kills germs. Straightforward, right? (You can adjust the proportions to your preferences.) You can also follow with lemon juice or a few drops of lavender essential oil if you want it to smell nice. Safe, cheap, effective, and you can easily do this with everyday kitchen items. No mixing or storing needed.


Homemade Toilet Bowl Cleaner #3 
I learned about this recipe at a MOPS meeting:

• 3/4 cup baking soda
• 3/4 cup white vinegar
• 10 drops tea tree oil
• 10 drops lavender essential oil

1. In a mixing bowl, combine baking soda and essential oils (Lavender smells nice and both lavender and tea tree oils have antiseptic qualities).
2. Add vinegar to the toilet bowl and then pour in the baking soda mixture.
3. Allow the fizzing of the chemical reaction to take place and then scrub with a toilet brush.

For all three of the above recipes I asked myself, "Now what about the rest of the toilet? The seat, lid, outside of the tank...?" These all have to get clean, too, so of course, I used that all-purpose cleaner and a sponge. Sometimes, this seemed like more work, so that was why I often just used the all-purpose spray cleaner for the whole shebang. One product, and done. 

Then, I tried this next recipe (also from the MOPS meeting), which calls for castile soap. It is far and away, my favorite homemade toilet cleaner. EVER! (In other news, I am really, really in LOVE with castile soap, and I plan to use it in my next batch of all-purpose cleaner, in place of dish soap.) Without further ado, here is my new FAVE homemade toilet cleaner recipe! (Who knew I would ever use that expression?)

{My New FAVE Homemade Toilet Cleaner}

Homemade Toilet Bowl Cleaner #4

• 3/4 cup baking soda
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon castile soap with tea tree (I used unscented castile soap.) 
• 3-5 drops of tea tree oil (if using unscented castile soap)

1. In a 2-cup measuring cup with a spout, or a measuring bowl, mix together the baking soda and water.
2. Add castile soap (and tea tree oil, if desired) and stir.
3. Pour into a squeeze bottle (I used an clean, empty condiment dispenser.) and make sure it is covered by a finger or cap. Then shake well. If you do not have a mixing bowl or measuring cup with a spout, a funnel may be helpful. (Remember, do NOT use old cleaning product containers from toilet bowl cleaners or that sort of thing.) 
4. If the consistency is too runny, add a little extra baking soda. You want it to be thick enough to cling to the inside of the toilet bowl. (As another side note: You can make this recipe and yesterday's recipe for my other new favorite, homemade soft scrub, all with a single 1-pound box of baking soda!)
5. To use, squeeze out enough to coat the inside of the toilet bowl. (The recipe said this makes enough clean two toilets, but I found that it was enough to clean three.) You can either scrub immediately OR you can walk away and let it set. I have tried both ways, but I can't say that I noted any distinct differences. Just do whatever is easiest for you.
6. Now, as a bonus, I decided to clean the rest of the toilet with this cleaner instead of reaching my my all-purpose spray cleaner. I just put a small amount onto a sponge and wiped everything clean. Tip: Start with the less dirty surfaces (top of tank, handle) and work your way toward the germier surfaces (outside of bowl, where spray happens, if you have a boy) and so on until you have cleaned it seat and all. (Don't forget to clean your sponge. I put mine in the dishwasher, but it seems that there is a microwave cleaning method that I have heard about, too.)

So, there you go. Non-toxic, effective, and you can clean the whole toilet -- inside and out -- with this single recipe! It doesn't smell funky. It clings to the bowl very well, and you even get some fizzing action, if you like that sort of thing. The only possible downside is that you will need to mix up another batch the next time you want to clean toilets. (I had fun doing this, so I don't see that as a problem.)

Plus, putting it into a condiment dispenser? This is brilliant! I was so excited to hear this idea. If you make this one, don't forget to label your container with a permanent marker. Include the recipe, so you can make it again without looking it up. Enjoy!

Greener Spring Cleaning: Part 4 (Homemade Hard Surface Cleansers)

Spring is in the air around here for sure. Both outdoors and inside our home are starting to smell fresh. Today, I spent some time tackling the grime on various hard surfaces: tub, counters, sinks, and toilets. (More on that last one to come later...)

I've already mentioned my old standby, homemade all-purpose cleaner, a few times this week. So, I won't keep blathering on about that. I will just mention that it is what I have used for the past few years to clean counters, sinks, the tub (and toilets). That said, I will add that I am more recently interested in a couple of cleanser recipes that I learned about at our last MOPS meeting. I am excited to share the results with you!

Homemade All Purpose Scrub

• 1 cup baking soda
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup washing soda
• 1/8 - 1/4 cup salt
• 10-20 drops essential oil of choice (optional)

(We made this at the meeting and did not include any essential oils. I haven't added my own, so I can't comment on how that works, but here are the directions I was given. I have been using it around the house for over a week now.)

1. Use a spoon to mix the ingredients, distributing the oils. (We just scooped the dry ingredients into a baggie to take home and put into our own containers, but if using essential oils, you will most likely want do your mixing in a medium size bowl.)
2. Store in a mason jar or a Parmesan cheese container. (I also learned at the meeting that the lid from an old Parmesan container fits onto a canning jar. What an awesome epiphany that was! This is how I am currently storing my scrub cleanser.)
3. Use as you would a powder scrub cleanser (like Comet). Sprinkle directly onto counters, sinks, etc. and wipe with a damp sponge or cloth or sprinkle onto the sponge or cloth and then wipe surfaces.

Observations:

• I was worried about the salt being irritating for dry, cracked skin. I was relieved to find that this was not a problem.
• This is not my absolute favorite cleaner because the powder seems to take a few extra swipes to get cleaned away. (Not that it's bad. It's certainly safer than a lot of things I could be using, but I never used powder cleansers even when I did use store-bought cleaners. This is just not my preference.)
• I was really optimistic that this would erase old stains on counter tops, but alas, it didn't do the trick. (Read on for what did, though!)
• One thing it did work great for was getting rid of the ring of grime that was where the counter top meets the outside edge of the sink -- worked better than anything else I can think of!
• Positive features: This is quick and easy to make. One batch will last a long time. You do not need many ingredients, and all of them are inexpensive and readily available and your local grocery store. (Find Washing Soda in the laundry aisle -- not to be confused with baking soda.)
• I would be very leery of using this on wooden tables. Not that you were probably considering that, but I figured it was worth mentioning. It could very likely scratch the finish. So, if you are looking for a recipe for a cleaning product that you can use anywhere in the kitchen and dining room, this would not be my recommendation.

Homemade Soft Scrub Cleanser

• 3/4 cup baking soda
• 1/4 cup castile soap
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 10-15 drops tea tree oil (optional)

1. Combine baking soda and castile soap in a medium bowl.
2. Add water and tea tree oil (which has antiseptic qualities) and stir mixture with a fork.
3. Add vinegar slowly as it will bubble up.
4. Stir until it has a paste-like consistency.
5. Pour into a container, using a funnel, if you wish. (Mine is stored in an old kids' shampoo container. I will not mention the brand name because I don't want you to think I am recommending it. Knowing now what I wish I had known then, I never would have used that stuff on my children! You might also wish to use an empty dish soap bottle or another type of squeeze bottle.)
6. To use the soft scrub, squeeze out a small amount onto a sponge or directly onto the surface that you want to clean.

{Safe and Green Homemade Soft Scrub!}

Observations:

• This was my first experience using castile soap, and honestly, I had no clue what I was missing! It is wonderful. I bought the unscented version, but you could make this with any of the other scents that it comes in such as tea tree or lavender. (Mine is Dr. Bronner's brand and I got it at the nearest health food store.)
• Confession: I didn't really like the smell of tea tree oil when I first started using some months back (for making moisturizing oil). Lately, though, I have been using it for more homemade concoctions and the scent is definitely growing on me. I'm not going to make perfume out of it or anything, but... It's worth it to give it a chance.
• This homemade stuff is AMAZING! Just gently scrubbing with a sponge helped more with some counter top stains in the master bathroom that anything else I have tried in the 8 years we have lived here. (I have no clue what the stains are. They came with the house, but my best guess is coffee.) Anyway, I decided to kick things up a notch and combined this soft scrub with an old toothbrush and some good old-fashioned elbow grease and BAM! The stains are almost gone. (Honestly, you probably wouldn't even know about it if I weren't pointing it out. Below and to the left of the toothbrush, in the bottom photo.)

{Bathroom Counter BEFORE Homemade Soft Scrub}

{Bathroom Counter AFTER Homemade Soft Scrub}

• This made me so excited that I decided to try it on the ring around the tub. It worked wonderfully for the grimy build-up and once again, when armed with a toothbrush and my own scrubbing power, this made a decent dent in the orange ring (rust stains from our well water). 
• Here's how it worked on the bathroom sink. The top part of the photo shows the orange rust ring and the bottom part shows how it looked after I scrubbed gently with a toothbrush. No real muscle needed for this task!

{Bathroom Sink BEFORE (top) and AFTER (bottom)}

• And, if that's not enough to convince you, it also knocked out the nasty filth that was lurking in my stainless steel kitchen sink (including the drain trap, which was just plain gross). So, now you know my dirtiest household secret: Until this afternoon, my kitchen sink was a veritable cesspool of germs, admittedly the most neglected of the high-traffic areas of my home. Now, it's soooo shiny and germ-free!

{Kitchen Sink BEFORE (right) and AFTER (left)}

• In case you can't tell, I quit using store-bought Soft Scrub years ago because I was concerned about what was in it. Clearly, I had forgotten about all the benefits of cleaning with this type of thing and certain parts of the house were missing out on more thorough cleaning. That's won't be happening any longer now that I can make this homemade version.
• I hate wearing rubber gloves, so knowing that the ingredients are safe to touch (and inhale) is a nice feature of this scrub (in addition to its effectiveness!).
• Like the first scrub cleaner, it makes a nice size batch that will last a good long while (even with the extensive scrubbing that I put it through just today). The ingredients are common, cheap, and totally safe to use around kids.
• Also, I will sum up by making it very clear that of the two scrub cleansers, this second was my clear favorite. It just took care of build-up that the other one couldn't in the sinks -- both porcelain and stainless -- and on the counter tops, this one was tops.

Greener Spring Cleaning: Part 3 (Homemade Floor Cleaners)

Mud season is officially under way here in Michigan and that means plenty of dirt getting tracked in on my linoleum and wood floors. (And occasionally onto the carpet, as well, even though we have a no shoes in the house policy.) These are my current favorite homemade solutions for cleaning all of my floors.

All-Purpose Cleaning Solution: (For Hard Floor Surfaces)

• 2 cups water
• 3 tablespoons vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dish soap (your safest bets are Dawn or something like Seventh Generation)
• 1 teaspoon Borax

Combine ingredients in a spray bottle (one that did not previously contain chemicals!) and shake gently. Using a funnel is helpful when filling your bottle. Optional: Add a few drops of essential oils if you would like a light scent. Label your bottle with the recipe using a permanent marker. Cover the writing with a piece of clear packing tape to prevent it from being wiped away over time.

To mop the floors, add a small amount to your bucket and then fill it with hot water. This solution cleans up all sorts of gunk and it disinfects, too. Personally, I have had no issues using this on our floors, but of course, you may want to test it on a small area before tackling all of your floors.

Now, what about carpet cleaning? If you have kids and pets, you are sure to get an assortment of spots on them. For small messes, I often grab my spray bottle of All-Purpose cleaner and a microfiber cloth. But let's be honest. Most of the messes on my floors aren't small!

For bigger stains, I have successfully used baking soda and vinegar to remove every kid and dog-related bodily fluid that can possibly end up on the carpet. I'm talking blood, vomit, urine, and poop -- completely eradicated with just a couple of simple to use, inexpensive, and totally safe things. To get this nasty business out of your carpet without resorting to commercial carpet cleaners (which are loaded with toxins and do NOT work as well -- Believe me, I've tried a number of them, even the ones that claim to be specifically for pet stains.) follow these steps. This even works on old stains!!

{Urine Stain: BEFORE}

{Urine Stain: AFTER}

Carpet Stain Removal

• baking soda
• vinegar
• water
• clean cloths (microfiber cloths are good for this)

1. First, sop up as much liquid (and solids, if that applies. Ew, I know...) as possible.
2. Next, cover the soiled area with a generous sprinkling of baking soda. Let this set overnight.
3. Vacuum up the baking soda. You will see that this has already absorbed some if not all of the yucky stuff (and hopefully, taken a lot of the smell away, too).
4. Pour undiluted distilled white vinegar over the soiled area. Sit back and let the bubbling action do its thing for a minute or two.
5. Now, grab your microfiber cloth and start scrubbing the carpet. This should get out the remaining grossness.
6. Pour some fresh water over top scrub/mop it up with a second clean cloth.
7. Allow the wet spot to dry. You will be amazed! (However, if it is not as clean as you would like, repeat the above steps.)

{Unknown Set-in Stain: BEFORE}

{Unknown Set-in Stain: AFTER}

Greener Spring Cleaning: Part 2 (Homemade Room Freshening Spray)

Got stinky stuff in your home? Yep, we all do from time to time. Here, I will share my tried-and-true recipe for making room freshening spray out of totally safe and natural ingredients. Don't worry, it tackles the tough stuff from greasy kitchen odors and smelly trash cans to bathroom funk (including diaper pails!) just as well as store-bought sprays.

The difference is that instead of masking the smell with artificial fragrances and other chemical nastiness, this simply eliminates it! Behold the power of baking soda. The vinegar helps to kill any bacteria that is lurking in your home and possibly causing those less-than-pleasant smells in the first place. Mixing up some room freshening spray is quick and cheap to do with three simple ingredients that you should already have on hand. (And if you don't, trust me, you will be getting these soon, because they are just that important for homemade cleaning solutions.)

Homemade Room Freshening Spray

• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

1. Combine ingredients in a new (not one that previously contained chemicals!) spray bottle.
2. Shake gently and spray as needed. A few mists should get rid of even the toughest household odors.

{3-Ingredient All Natural Room Freshener}

Other Tips:

• I learned about this recipe from Green Grandma's book, Vinegar Fridays, which is a great resource for natural cleaning solutions (and many more uses for vinegar).
• A funnel comes in handy when filling your bottle, but it is not necessary.
• I store my bottle of room spray in the main bathroom, but you can make more than one bottle and store it wherever you will need to use it.
• You can also use this as a fabric refresher. Just spray onto fabrics and allow to dry. Again, baking soda is a natural deodorant and the vinegar kills and yucky odor-causing germs so this is just as effective as Febreze -- just without the scary chemicals that you shouldn't be inhaling.
• Be sure to label your bottle with a permanent marker. Include the recipe so that when you need a new batch, you don't have to look it up.
• If you want to prevent the marker from getting rubbed off over time, just add a piece of clear packaging tape over the top.
• You can find spray bottles at Dollar Tree, IKEA, Target, and craft stores.
• You do not need to buy name brand baking soda. I just found this on sale, so that is what I have. I tend to stock up and buy several boxes whenever I find a good deal since this is a staple at our house. 
• The above is true of the vinegar, too. I tend to buy the one-gallon jugs from Kroger because that is usually my best deal.
• I don't personally add a scent to my room spray, but if you like you could add a few drops (say 3-5) of essential oils such as lavender or orange just to give it a little extra something-something.

For more tips on homemade cleaners, check out my previous posts:

• Homemade Window Cleaners
• Homemade Laundry Detergent
• Greener Cleaner Experiment (my first foray into homemade cleaners -- from 2010)

Greener Spring Cleaning: Part 1 (Homemade Window Cleaners)

Until very recently, I was using my all-purpose cleaner for pretty much all household cleaning -- from floors to toilets, counter tops to windows, and everything in between. Since learning about another homemade cleaner for windows, I decided to do a trial and figure out which one works best for me. (Note: This in entirely my opinion. Your preferences may be completely different.) This will be the first in a series of posts in which I put some green cleaners to the test. It is that time of year, after all.

Trial #1: All-Purpose Cleaner

• 2 cups water
• 3 Tbs vinegar
• 1 Tbs dish soap
• 1 tsp Borax

Combine in a spray bottle (not one that previously contained chemicals!) and shake gently. I find that a funnel is especially helpful. If you would like a light scent, add a few drops of essential oils such as orange. Be sure the label your bottle and include the recipe for the next time. A black Sharpie works well and I recently discovered that adding a strip of clear packing tape keeps the marker from wiping off over time. Genius!

Conclusion: While it does work for windows and mirrors, it is a tad on the sudsy side which means that it takes more elbow grease to wipe clean.

Trial #2: 50/50 Vinegar/Water

I first tried this when I was reviewing Green Grandma's book, Vinegar Fridays. It's exactly as promised: take an empty spray bottle (Again, use a new one that has not contained chemicals! This is just for your own safety. You can find plastic spray bottles at Dollar Tree.) and add a 50/50 mix of water and distilled white vinegar. A funnel is helpful. You can either spray this directly on your windows or first spray it onto a microfiber cloth to prevent streaking. Don't forget to label your bottle.

It does smell strongly of vinegar, which some people don't care for. (I didn't either until I started cleaning more and more with vinegar. Now the smell doesn't bother me, but if I set foot in the cleaning product aisle at the grocery store -- Well, that's a whole other thing, let me tell you. I can feel my eyes and lungs being assaulted by all of the nasty chemical concoctions contained in that aisle and it scares me that I used to clean with that stuff!)

Conclusion: In general, this works very nicely on windows and mirrors. It is very cheap to make and completely safe. You don't have to worry about it coming in contact with your skin. It's not harmful if swallowed, so it is safe to use and store near children. (Always nice to know even though I wouldn't recommend consuming this as it isn't really all that delicious, but as a mama I know these things happen...) The only word of caution is to avoid getting it in your eyes since vinegar does sting a bit. (I learned this during my no 'pooing days.)

{Homemade Window Cleaner}

Trial #3: Homemade Window Cleaner

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup rubbing alcohol
• 1 Tbs vinegar

Combine ingredients in a spray bottle. (As always, use a new bottle, one that did not contain chemicals!) Don't forget to label your bottle and include the recipe. Use with microfiber cloths for cleaning windows and mirrors.

Conclusion: This solution that I recently learned about at a MOPS meeting is definitely safer than store-bought window cleaners and it works very well. In fact, I actually preferred it over the 50/50 water/vinegar solution in terms of streak-free shine and quick drying power. My main concern that makes me hesitant to name it my new favorite is the alcohol. Obviously, this is not a child-safe ingredient and it has to be stored up high away from little hands. It also has an unpleasant smell. Although, to be fair, it dissipates quickly and I tolerate when we dye rice and pasta.

So, What's the Verdict?
In deciding which window cleaning solution is best for you and your family, you just have to weigh whether or not it is worth it to include the alcohol. For now, I will continue to use this homemade window cleaner since I made an entire batch. It does work great and I just have to remember to store it in a safe place. Whether or not I will make this again, I just can't say at this point...

The 50/50 vinegar and water mix also does a good job at cleaning up all those hand prints and dog nose smudges! And I have no qualms about using it anywhere, anytime, around anybody in my family.

Sorry, if you wanted a definitive answer, you won't find it in this post. The only thing I can say for certain is that you should really consider ditching store-bought window cleaning products if you are still using them. They definitely are not worth the cost!

Notes on Where to Buy:

• My microfiber cloths came in a package of 24 and cost about $12 when I bought them several years back at Sam's Club. I hear you can also get them at Dollar Tree.
• The spray bottle in the photo came from Dollar Tree. It's one of the nicer ones I have bought, so that would be the first place I would recommend looking if you need to buy spray bottles. They had them with three different sprayers: pink, blue, and green, so of course, I bought one of each. Another source of good quality and pretty spray bottles is IKEA. If you are less picky about quality, I have also found some in the impulse section of Target and Michaels craft store.
• I buy my vinegar in 1 gallon jugs from Kroger and use it for tons of stuff. If you aren't familiar with where to find it, try the baking/spice aisle. I hear you can also get 2-gallon jugs at Sam's Club, but I have not personally looked there. That might be a bit big for me to work with!
• As you can tell from the label, the rubbing alcohol came from Meijer. You should be able to find this in the first aid section of any grocery store or pharmacy. I had purchased a small bottle just for dying rice and pasta, but if I continue to use it for cleaning, I will probably look for a larger bottle that may be a better value. (And, I know I've said this already, but please keep alcohol away from children!)
• If you are interested in making the all-purpose green cleaner mentioned first and are wondering where to get Borax, try the laundry aisle of Meijer or Walmart. It comes in a white box and the common brand is 20 Mule Team.