Homemade Products & Even some Recipes Please

[Joyfullyblessed]

Hello All,

 

I am trying to see if I can do things to make our home and our lives healthier.

 

I would love it if anyone would share some of their homemade cleaning products with me (recipes included please). Also, will you share how well they actually work?

 

I know that Vinegar is something that works well, but what about the smell? Does it smell like icky vinegar all the time? That would probably bother me, so if there is a way to avoid that, please let me know.

 

I would love to know about all kinds of homemade things, even things like baby wipes.

 

Now, I would also love some homemade food recipes. I would LOVE to hear about a great salsa that I could make. We LOVE salsa around here and spend a lot on it each month. I am thinking that making it might be cheaper and taste better too. We like something with a kick, but not too hot. : )

 

Any other great, healthy things to make would be wonderful too. My son has a poptart addiction (mainly brown sugar and cinnamon) that I would like to kick. What would be something yummy, but still healthy that my five year old would love in place of his treasured poptart?

 

I am looking forward to hearing from everyone. I know that people have great ideas, so please share. : )

 

Have a wonderful day!!!

[Alphabetika]

For baby wipes, here's what I use: Cut a small cube of soap (natural ones are best, without chemicals) and put into a small spray bottle. Fill with hot water and shake to melt the soap and distribute. Cut up an old t-shirt, sheet, other cotton thing to use as wipes and have a stack wherever you change diapers. When changing a diaper, spray a bit of solution on the cotton square. Wipe. This lasts through many changes. I wash the squares in a lingerie bag with the rest of the laundry.

[kewb]

Once the vinegar dries the smell dissipates. It is a wonderful cleaner. I also use it in place of fabric softener in the wash. I mix a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water in a spray bottle for general purpose cleaning. If I need to scrub something I use baking soda.

[wulfbourne]

http://www.vinegartips.com/Scripts/

 

The link has all sorts of vinegar uses, including a whole section on cleaning. As far as the smell, it goes away very quickly after cleaning. If it really bothers you than you can add essential oils to scent the mixture. Certain oils have great anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties anyway. Tea Tree Oil is a big one.

 

http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap.htm

 

That link goes to a recipe for home made laundry soap. If you go to the main page there are many other great resources.

 

For healthy recipes I love Cooking Light's website. I've also heard great things about http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/

 

Good luck! It's lots of fun once you really get into it :)

[JeneralMom]

This very topic is what my blog is about - I haven't been great about updating it....have about 10 recipes to add :blushing:

[Blue Lilac Studio]

This is a good mix of recipes: http://dingo.care2.com/greenliving/Care2%20NTCK%20list.pdf

 

We've tried most of these and they all work fine. The other thing we've done is cut a high-quality paper towel roll, like Viva, in half, put it into a plastic container with a hole cut in the top, and pour a mixture of equal amounts of white vinegar and water in (usually 1.5 cups of each). Makes a healthier, less expensive cleaning wipe for bathrooms and kitchen.

 

As to the vinegar smell, my kids HATE the smell. It doesn't bother me, but today I'm going to try adding an essential oil and see if that helps.

[Jen in PA]

For the poptart addiction.... My dc love cinnamon toast. I keep a bin of mixed cinnamon sugar in the cupboard (very heavy on the cinnamon). I toast good bread (whole grain either homemade or from the bakery), put on some butter, and then sprinkle the sugar mix on. This does have fat and sugar, but it's all the REAL stuff, no artificial goop, plus it has far less sugar than real poptarts. The kids like it because they see the sweet stuff right on top.