Wednesday, April 11, 2012

My Hippie Project

OK, So I am just as addicted to Pinterest as most of the rest of the world. Several months ago, I decided to try the home-ade laundry detergent. I was tired of paying a ridiculous amount for who knows what chemicals and having all kinds of reactions, plus the money savings is UNBELIEVABLE. My husband has really enjoyed making fun of me and calling me a hippie (which is funny, because I am nearly the complete opposite) but he likes the results. Since that experience was so amazing, I've now tried a whole bunch of other DIY household "recipes". Many of them build on the same few basic ingredients.

I've compiled a few pages of the best ones I have found (mostly for my internet-challenged aunt, who actually is a hippie). I figured since I already had them gathered, why not share....

These ARE NOT MY recipes. Most are from posts on Pinterest. I merely put them together in one list.

I also have NOT tried every one of these recipes, but I plan to try most. ENJOY!!


**Laundry
detergent
4 lb 12 ox box of Borax (laundry aisle)
4 lb box Baking Soda (from baking aisle – actually my
Wal-Mart now stocks this box in the laundry aisle)
55oz (3lb 7 oz) box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
(laundry aisle)
3 bars Fels Naptha soap (laundry aisle - )
2 tubs Oxy Clean (I used SUN
brand from Wal-Mart, but I think the dollar store might also have some) –
get around 3.5 lbs.
Grate the bars of
soap and then mix with the powders in a trash bag inside a 5 gallon
bucket. Smell is strong while you are
making it (but good).

To Use – I use the
scoop that came in the Oxy cleaner and use 1-2 scoops per load. Don't be alarmed that IT DOES NOT GET "Sudsy".

*Fabric
Softener
6 cups water
3 cups white vinegar
2 cups hair conditioner
Mix. The warmer
the water, the better the conditioner will "melt". You can also cut the recipe in half, because
this makes a bunch. I use a little less
water. You won't get much scent, but it
will smell like vinegar, but the clothes do not have a scent I can smell.

*Febreze
1/8 cup fabric softener (I use the homemade kind above)
2 Tablespoons Baking Soda
Hot water to fill 32 oz. spray bottle
Mix. Spray.
Yeah!

*Shower
cleaner
(soap scum
remover)
1 cup BLUE
Dawn dish soap – not sure why it needs to be blue, but it does.
1 cup white vinegar
Heat vinegar until
warm (Not boiling), mix with dawn in spray bottle. Spray on shower and allow to sit (the longer
the better) – then wipe and/or rinse.
Say hello to a shiny shower!

Stain
Pre-Treater
(like Shout)
2/3 c Dawn Dish detergent
2/3 c ammonia
6 Tablespoons banking Soda
2 c. warm water
Mix in a bowl and
use a funnel to put into a bottle. Shake
before using, because baking soda will settle.
Spray in stain and allow to sit before washing. DO not use with anything containing bleach.

Body
Wash
Grate 2 bars of
soap with a FINE cheese grater
Mix with 2 cups of
water in a saucepan and heat until the soap is dissolved. Pour into bottles and allow to sit overnight.

Dishwasher
Detergent
1 ½ c Lemi-Shine (this is a whole 12 oz container)
1 ½ c Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
½ c baking soda
½ sea salt
Use 2 Tablespoons
per load.

Window
Cleaner
1 c rubbing alcohol or high proof clear grain alcohol
(everclear, vodka)
¼ c white vinegar
¼ teaspoon liquid soap (like castille soap)
Water
Combine alcohol
and vinegar in a bucket; add water to make half a gallon. Add soap and stir gently to combine. Fill spray bottle and store extra in bottle.

**Hand
Lotion
16 oz baby lotion (I used the lavender nighttime scent)
8 oz. Vaseline
8 oz. Vitamin E Cream (I found this on a bottom shelf at
Wal-Mart)
Mix with an
electric mixer until it looks like cake icing.
Put in containers (I bought the baby lotion with a pump dispenser and
put my finished lotion back in that bottle)

Spray
Kitchen Cleaner/ Disinfectant
Stuff Citrus peels
in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Pour
white vinegar into jar to completely cover peels. Allow jar to sit, shaking a couple of time
each week (do NOT open). The longer the
jar sits, the more concentrated the cleaner will become. It needs to sit at least a week. At one week, it can be used full
strength. At 2 months, it should be
mixed with approximately 2 parts water to one part mix. Put in spray bottle for counters, tables,
cabinets, any general cleaning.

Moisturizing
hand scrub
1 ½ c. sugar
1/3 c. kosher salt
zest of 1 large lemon (or other citrus)
1 c. olive oil
¼ tsp pure citrus extract (lemon, orange, etc...)
Mix all
ingredients well. Extract, if added will
provide a stronger scent. Spoon into a
jar (fits perfectly in 1 pint canning jar).
This is a great scrub to use for dry skin, and will even help remove
strong odors like onion and garlic.

Shower
disk Cold remedy (like Vicks
Shower Soothers)
2-3 cups of baking soda
Essential Oils (lavender, rosemary, eucalyptus)
Put Baking Soda in
a bowl, add water until a thick paste forms, add 15 drops of each oil. Spoon into a muffin tin (with liners). Let sit overnight, or bake 20 minutes at
350. Put disk in the bottom of a nice
warm shower and let the vapors clear your stuffy head.

Drain
Cleaner
Pour half a box of
baking soda into drain. Add about 1 cup
of vinegar until it foams. Allow to
settle and repeat. Allow to sit, unused
for at least and hour, then rinse with hot water.

Air
Freshener
Fill a small spray
bottle with vinegar and spray in areas that need freshening. It kills germs a neutralizes odor, and the
vinegar scent really doesn't linger.

Liquid
Hand Soap
Grate or finely
chop 1 bar of soap
Bring 4 cups of
water to a boil
Turn off heat
under water, and add the grated soap.
Stir until all the soap is melted and the mixture is fully
combined. It will be very liquidy. Cool 15 minutes and then stir again. It will be a little thicker. Continue cooling several hours or
overnight. Stir to check consistency. If it is too think, add more water, if too
thin heat and add more grated soap. Once
it is the correct consistency, essential oil or soap coloring can be
added. Then pour into dispensers (or use
recipe below to make it go EVEN FURTHER)

Foaming
Hand Soap
Pour 1 tablespoon
of liquid hand soap (can use recipe above) into an empty foaming soap
dispenser. Fill the rest of dispenser
with warm water (leaving a bit of space at the top). Replace lid on dispenser, shake and pump a
couple of times to get foam working.

Luscious
Lavender Lip Balm
4 Tbsp jojoba, almond, or olive oil
1 Tbsp grated beeswax or beeswax pearls
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp vitamin E oil (or 3 punctured, squeezed out
liquid vitamin E capsules)
7 drops lavender essential oil (or other essential oil)
1 tsp cocoa powder (optional)
1 tsp colored, natural lipstick (optional, if you want it
to have a hint of color)
Warm the oils,
beeswax and honey in a small, stainless steel pot or bowl. Be sure to warm it
on VERY low heat. (You can use a double boiler, if you’d like.) Stir until the
beeswax is completely melted. Remove from heat and quickly whisk in the
essential oil, vitamin E, cocoa powder, and colored lipstick. Place the bottom
of the bowl into a shallow pan of ice water and continue whisking quickly as
you add the honey. Once the honey is incorporated, quickly transfer the balm
into your lip balm container (tube or tin) and allow to set for 3 hours.

Coco-Rosey
Lip Balm
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 Tbsp grated cocoa butter
1 Tbsp dried rosebuds (or any dried flower, green tea,
etc.)
1/4 tsp vitamin E oil (or 3 punctured, squeezed out
vitamin E capsules)
3 drops rose essential oil (optional, or substitute
lavender, vanilla, or sweet orange)
On very low heat,
melt the coconut oil in a small stainless steel bowl or pot. After the oil is
liquid, add your roses (or other dried flowers) and stir well. Allow to steep
(again, on very low heat) for 1 hour. Strain oil into a bowl through a
fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth. Wipe out your original heating pot/bowl, pour
oil back in, and return to heat. Add cocoa butter and stir until melted. Remove
from heat, add vitamin E oil and essential oil and stir well. Transfer to a
small container and let set for 3 hours (or until completely set).

Minty
Chocolate Lip Balm
1 Tbsp grated beeswax or beeswax pearls
1/8 c. coconut oil
1/2 Tbsp shea butter
1/2 Tbsp cocoa butter
1/2 tsp honey
1 tsp cocoa powder
1/8 tsp vitamin E oil (or 2 punctured, squeezed out
vitamin E capsules)
3 drops peppermint essential oil
Place the shea and
cocoa butters in a small pot or double boiler, and add the coconut oil. Heat
over VERY low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Try not to let the
mixture go over 175 degrees, or the shea butter could end up a little gritty.)
Add the beeswax and stir well. After the beeswax has completely melted, remove
the mixture from the heat and add the essential oil, honey, vitamin E, and
cocoa powder, whisking well the whole time. After everything is incorporated
and smooth, transfer to a lip balm tube or tin and allow to set for 3 hours.