Homemade Automatic Dishwasher and Kitchen Scouring Powder

I am grateful simply for having hot water that now comes out of my tap to wash dishes in. We had to boil water for dishes, for months, until we figured out how to repair the hot water heater without money. A dishwasher seems like a far away dream and not really a necessity for a family of two w/ occasional guests. The Kid, has one in her apartment and uses it as a time saver. She's always in need of dish powder and her college kid budget is tight. I now make it for her at 1/2 the price or less, and she reports adding plain white vinegar to the rinsing agent dispenser clears any white spots that may occur.

She was out of cleaning supplies, so I suggested using some of the dish powder to clean a stained counter top and found it makes a great cleaning powder, though not on easily scratched surfaces. Her sink, toilet, tub, formica counters and the backsplash tiles, sure like it though. Crafty, huh?

MAKES JUST OVER ONE QUART

2 cups of borax powder
2 cups of baking soda
1/2 cup of salt. I bought cheap store brand salt.
Citric acid
I can buy citric acid in bulk locally.  I've also seen it in hardware stores near the caning equipment. It's Vitamin C, so if you can't find it in bulk or package, we have used the powder from 2 Vit. C capsules or 2 EmergenC Lemon-Lime packets. The Kid likes the scent of the EmergenC.


Whisk ingredients together. Store in a glass jar, plastic bag, or plastic container of choice. Use just like store bought, and don't forget to add the plain, white distilled vinegar to the rinse to help disolve spots. Use the powder like store- bought scouring powder and rinse well.


I found this recipe online last year but I can't find it again to credit it. Please, if this is yours, thanks!

Homemade All Natural Carpet Steam Cleaner Liquid

As we prepared to move into the new place, I kept thinking of the gross industrial carpet laying wall to wall in there. I ripped up a section only to find the sub floor and dirt, so there was no ripping it up. Money has too many places to go to think about replacing it, and we do have a beautiful selection of area rugs. The new house has not had a woman in it for years. It was a guy's hideaway and it smelled like it, too. Beer, does stain apparently, as does coffee, bike grease, foods, and goodness knows what else.

We rented a carpet steamer at the grocery store. The clerk tried her best to up-sell the carpet cleaning goo for the machine. I can not handle synthetic scents in my world. My eyes burn just walking down the detergent/air freshener isle. There was no way I was washing my rugs in something that smelled like perfumed Tide. "It won't work without it.", is what the clerk said. I didn't listen, since I knew better.
Soap attracts dirt to carpet fibers...I spent allot of time working in the family rug shop, trust me on this. Plain water is better than soap. The best all natural option? White vinegar and lavender oil. Really. Once dried, the vinegar smell disappears 100%. The lavender oil leaves a antimicrobial layer with a light, natural scent for us to plop our nice wool rugs on top of.

It's very simple. To every 2 gallons of warm water (the capacity of most rentals) add 1/2 cup of distilled while vinegar and a teaspoon (or more) of lavender oil to the warm water.

Make up a mix of the vinegar and lavender oil and rub directly on stains, let rest then continue with the steaming...they will come right up! This is the only natural solution that kills skunk odor and cat pee, too. Always test your carpet first, but we have used this on both natural and synthetic fiber carpets with much success over the years. If you own your own steamer, use it in that too. The mix works on most washable fabric furniture and when added to the wash with the dog bed. I also use it at the end of camping season to clean and deodorize the tent and to add to wash the when I prep the sleeping bags for storage.