Jerry and I have talked about the need to have a good water filter handy in case we have to get drinking water from the creek. I looked at some on Lehman’s, like the Berkley shown above, but they run around $270!!

I was very excited to find in the comments section of their product page a link that somebody had left telling how to make your own home made Berkey water filter out of two 5 gallon buckets with lids, a pair of Berkey filter elements, and a food grade spigot. You can usually find food grade buckets and lids in the bakery department of your grocery store for free, and you can get the filters and spigot at Lehman’s for a little over $100. Read the whole ingenious step-by-step on how to make your own water filter for less HERE.

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And the best part of this cleaning strategy is that it is all natural. No harsh chemicals, no toxins, not even the slightest odor to worry about!

What’s the secret??

A Pumice Stone.

Just a regular old pumice, the kind that you would use on your feet. They are pretty cheap, and can be found at most stores where the hand/feet care stuff is.

I was half skeptical when I first gave this a try. I mean, we had some major hard water stains in the toilet. You know, the build up and the yellow streaks down the inside of the bowl. Not pretty. No matter what I did or how hard I scrubbed, THOSE stains were staying put. I had simply given up on ever having a completely white potty again.

But after hearing about this trick I had to give it a try. Obviously, it is best if you wear rubber gloves, since you will be scrubbing the inside of the bowl. It will take some elbow grease, but the pumice stone will definitely do the job.

Of course, if you want to make it a bit easier on yourself you should spray the toilet bowl with your favorite cleaner first. I used Seventh Generation Bathroom Cleaner, but my friend swears by Bar Keeper’s Friend, which is also all natural and can be found at Family Dollar stores, among other places.

So, now you know the secret of the professionals! A simple little pumice.

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Here’s an easy recipe for homemade window cleaner that is safe and all natural! Simply add 1/8 – 1/4 c. white vinegar to a spray bottle of warm water. Spray your glass with the solution, then wipe it dry with a newspaper for a streak-free shine!

I like this recipe for it’s simplicity and inexpensive ingredients! Do you have a favorite window cleaner recipe that you use?

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I finally made homemade laundry detergent. It’s taken me forever to try it out ’cause I couldn’t find washing soda anywhere!! I was beginning to think it was just a legend! I was so excited when I finally found a local grocery store that carries it (Harris Teeter). Walmart didn’t have the Fels Naptha soap, but they had Zote, so I got that instead.

I made the powdered laundry detergent recipe. It was really easy to make. I thought it would take forever for me to grate the soap, but it was so soft it shaved away in no time.

I’ve been washing my clothes with the homemade detergent for over two weeks now. I have to say… it’s not my absolute favorite. It does feel good making your own product though.

I kinda miss the “clean” smell of regular detergent. This kind doesn’t leave any scent at all, which is to be expected I guess. I’m sure if I used a scented dryer sheet that would help.

Dishrags don’t lose that mucky smell after they’ve been washed. And anything you’ve washed them with will smell mucky too. Though Rebekah did leave a comment on my recipes post saying that the liquid recipe was good for getting that smell out.

The kids clothes do not come very clean. Of course, my kids are outside wrangling chickens, chasing goats, and climbing trees. When they get dirty, they GET DIRTY! So, I stopped washing their clothes with the homemade stuff after the first two loads. I really like my ALL BABY detergent, with some Shout Gel on the tough spots. It does the job.

With all that said, this detergent did work well for me and my husband’s everyday clothes. Stuff that didn’t need any major stain removal. I’ve been using this powder for our clothes and the bath towels, and the ALL detergent for other stuff.

It is nice to know that if I’m ever in a pinch and need detergent, I can always make it with these ingredients I have on hand. Especially when money is tight! So, though it can’t be compared to name brand detergent, it will definitely be a keeper in my home.

What do you think? Have you tried a homemade detergent yet? Do you like it? Do you have a better recipe that you could share with us?

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Here’s a great way to extend your dishwasher detergent, and really get more for your money!

Mix 1 cup Borax and 1 cup Baking Soda

Add the 2 cups of that mixture to 2 cups of store bought powder detergent.

Use 2 Tbsp of this mixture in your dishwasher.

*Though I have never had a problem, I’ve read of others getting cloudy residue on their dishes after using a mixture similar to this. (It may depend on the brand of detergent you use.) If you seem to be getting a residue buildup, try using 1 Tbsp mixture.

Rinse with white vinegar (instead of Cascade or something) for sparkling clean glasses!

I store mine in an empty Cappuccino container from Costco. It has a scooper that is exactly 2 Tbsp, perfect for this purpose!

I did a cost breakdown for those like me who like to know the savings. Here are my costs:

Borax (4 lb 12 oz) $2.56 at Walmart

Baking Soda (12 lbs) $5.19 at Costco

Cascade (125 oz) $9.39 at Costco

Notice, one box of Cascade costs $9.39. To make the same amount (125 oz) of dish detergent using the above recipe it would cost you about $6.20.

Savings: $3.19!

For those who want to see how it’s all calculated (this would be helpful if your ingredients cost something different from mine), here is how I did it. I’ll try not to get you too lost!!…

1. Convert from oz to cups

2. Know: Baking Soda has 2 cups per lb

3. Know: 1 cup = 16 Tbsp

So…

The Borax has 9.5 cups = 152 Tbsp

The Baking Soda has 24 cups = 384 Tbsp

The Cascade has about 15.5 cups = 248 Tbsp

Use the following equation to figure out how much each ingredient costs you:

16 Tbsp x (full price of product) ÷ (total Tbsp in product) = Price/cup

*Remember to round your answer up or down

*Don’t forget that you’re using 2 cups of Cascade, so multiply your answer by 2.

My costs:

Borax: 16 x $2.56 ÷ 152 = $0.27/cup

Baking Soda: 16 x $5.19 ÷ 384 = $0.22/cup

Cascade: 16 x $9.39 ÷ 248 = $0.61 (x2) = $1.21/ 2 cups

Then add them all up.

Mine totals $1.70. Remember this is for 4 cups of the mixture of all three ingredients.

Now find how much it costs per Tbsp:

*Remember the recipe above calls for 4 cups total

*Know: 4 cups = 64 Tbsp

*Remember: We’ll be using 2 Tbsp of the mixture for each dishwasher load

Equation:

2 Tbsp x (total cost for 4 cups of ingredients ) ÷ 64 Tbsp = cost/ load

My cost:

2 x $1.70 ÷ 64 = $0.05/load

Compare cost of Cascade by itself with the cost of the mixture:

Cascade:

248 Tbsp ÷ 2 (since we use 2 Tbsp per use)= 124 uses

124 uses = $9.39 (cost to buy it at store)

Homemade Mixture:

124 uses x $.05 (our cost per load) = $6.20 (cost to make it)

So, you can see that it would save us a difference of approx. $3.19 per 124 uses.

Okay, now I’m really braindead! I’m no mathematician, so there may have been an easier way to do this. Good enough for me though! Anyways, hope this helps somebody!

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Need a recipe for cleaning your toilet bowl using safe, non-toxic ingredients?

Baking Soda and Vinegar: Sprinkle some baking soda (about 1/4-1/2 c.) around the toilet bowl, then spray it with white vinegar in a spray bottle (uses less than just pouring it on). Scrub with toilet brush and flush to rinse.

A cheap and easy way to clean, deodorize and disinfect your toilet bowl!

Borax and Lemon Juice: In a container mix about 1/2 c. borax to 1/4 c. lemon juice (more or less as needed) to make a paste. Flush the toilet to get sides of bowl wet. Then, using a glove (or I like to use an old sock), rub the paste around the inside of the toilet bowl, especially glopping it over stains. Leave on for at least 2 hours (or overnight if possible), then scrub off with brush.

*I do this after a first cleaning with the baking soda/vinegar mix, so the bowl isn’t too grimy. I use this for slightly tougher stains, plus I like the lingering smell of the lemon juice!

But to remove those stains that you once deemed impossible to clean, you gotta try THIS ALL NATURAL METHOD. You won’t believe how white that porcelain bowl can be again!

Anyone use another recipe they’d like to share?

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• 1 lb. Table Salt
• 1 gallon White Vinegar
• Liquid dish detergent

Dissolve the salt in the vinegar, then add 8 drops of liquid dish detergent. Store in a labeled spray bottle.

Great for spraying grass on gravel driveways! Just be sure not to spray it near any plants you do want to keep

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Just be careful to choose a food safe product when making these!

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Vinegar Rinse:

• 1 1/2 c. water
• 1/4 c. vinegar (white or apple cider)
• 1 peppermint tea bag or 5 drops essential oil (optional)

Mix the water and vinegar in a jar, then add the tea bag or essential oil. After shampooing, just pour this rinse into your hair and wash thoroughly.

No need to store this in the refrigerator.

Egg Conditioner:

• 1 tsp. baby oil OR 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 cup water

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and beat until frothy. After shampooing, massage the mixture into hair. Rinse thoroughly.
Store any leftover conditioner in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Deep Conditioner:

• Honey
• Jojoba oil.

Combine equal parts honey and jojoba oil. After shampooing massage into hair. Let sit for a few minutes, then rinse thoroughly.

Hot Oil Treatment:

• 1/8 c. olive oil
• 1 vit. E capsule

Heat olive oil until warm. Puncture vitamin E capsule and mix liquid with olive oil. Apply to hair, really working into the ends. Wrap hair with saran wrap and towel. Leave in for 20 minutes, then only wash (no condition) hair as usual.

Thanks Kat, for this recipe!

Anyone have a favorite they’d like to share??

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