Two Homemade Dishwasher Soap Recipes

I've heard this works well in the dishwashing machine, but I haven't tried it yet, because we don't use ours often enough to use up our old stuff. When that's gone, then I'll try thins. Let me know what you think.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup liquid castile soap
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3 drops tea tree oil
1/2 cup white vinegar

Method:
Stir all ingredients together until blended. Store in a squirt top bottle. Use 2 tablespoons per load of dishes, shake well before use.

*from www.greenlivingtips.com

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or

1 cup borax
1 cup baking soda
1/4 cup salt (I just use whatever I have on hand, it doesn't matter if it's coarse or just regular table salt)
10-20 drops lemon or tea tree essential oil

I use 1 Tablespoon for a normal load of dishes, a little more for heavy loads. 

I also use white vinegar in my dishwashers rinse aide compartment, it's super cheap and my dishes come out with no water spots when I use it. 

*From Trista (Chantel's friend)

Natural Fruit Fly Trap

Fruit Fly Trap
1 quart jar
1 piece of paper, rolled up into a funnel
tape
apple cider vinegar
small slice of banana

Fill a quart jar with a 1/2 inch of apple cider vinegar and a small piece of banana. Roll up your paper into a funnel shape (larger at the top) and tape it in place. Place the funnel into your jar and make sure all the edges are secured shut with tape. You may have to adjust the size of your funnel to make sure it fits nicely into your jar. Place the jar where the fruit flies are flying around and let it go to work. You will be amazed at how well this trap works. The fruit flies will smell the fruit and climb inside, but for some odd reason they don’t fly back up the funnel to get out. When you have caught a good supply, place the entire jar in the freezer. After a short time that flies with die and you can remove the jar from the freezer and use it again without even removing the old contents. Use repeatedly until your fruit flies are eliminated.

As you can see in my picture, this easy trap is amazingly effective!

*from www.Passionatehomemaking.com

Homemade Oven Cleaner

Just make a paste with baking soda and water. Spread a bit on baked on gunk. Let sit and then scrub off. Repeat if necessary. It also does a great job on scrubbing grease off the inside of the oven window.

Drain Cleaner Recipe

1/2 c. baking soda
1/2 c. vinegar

First pour all the baking soda down the drain.
Then follow that with the vinegar.

supposedly it's that simple...

Home Bathroom Cleaners

Here are tips for what to use for these following needs in the bathroom:
1. disinfectant: isopropyl alcohol
2. porcelain/glass cleaner: lemon juice
3. air freshener: 1/2 c. borax at bottom of trashcan
4. drain cleaner: 1/2 c. baking soda, then 1/2 c. white vinegar
5. Toilet bowl: borax and lemon juice
6. scouring powder: baking soda or dry salt

**www.vinegartips.com (for 1001 uses)

Lavendar Salt Glow Recipe

1 c. fine sea salt
2 c. almond oil
15 drops lavender essential oil

Use on face or feet, etc.

Furniture Polish Recipe

1 c. olive oil
1/2 c. lemon juice (smell)

*Really that's all you need...crazy huh?

Carpet Freshener Recipe

4 c. baking Soda
20-35 drops of each essential oil (lavender, eucalyptus and rosewood)

*vaccuum after 15 minutes on carpet
**store in glass jar