My Repurposed Soap!

I purchase Dr. Bronners unscented bar soap for our house and have for years.  I love it, but it isn't the cheapest soap out there.

My husband will use a bar of soap until it gets thin and then he is done with it.  It leaves behind a decent amount of soap, and it drives me crazy.

I decided to put a jar in our bathroom and have been putting the pieces of the never to be used again soap into it thinking that I will find a way to use them again.

Well, it happened.  I was looking it at it and thought that there had to be enough in there that I could melt it down and make bars of soap with it.  And, with my husband shaking his head......again, I started the soap repurposing!

I took all of my pieces and put them into a pot and covered them with filtered water and let them sit over night.

 In the morning I added a teaspoon of olive oil and began to slowly melt the mixture.  It becomes soap soup.  I stirred it regularly until it became all melted and bubbly.  Then I put the soapy mixture into my mini bread pan tins that were sprayed with cooking spray and let them sit for about a day and a half to cool and set.

When I popped them out I had 3 new, repurposed, bars of soap!!  I was thrilled. (And maybe danced around my kitchen)

I will try next time to maybe put some wax paper under them as they still did stick a little to the pan.

This has made me so happy to have been able to make those slivers useful again.  And yes the jar returned to the bathroom to my husband shaking his head.

Give it a shot! Super easy and money saving.

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My Own Version of Lemi-Shine

I decided to create my own Lemi-shine! I will admit have purchased the actual product in the past as it doesn't contain phosphates and says environmentally friendly, but it doesn't actually list the ingredients.  That is concerning to me.  Even when I went on the internet to see if they list them I still didn't find what they actually put in it.  That didn't work for me!  So of course I had to try making my own.

I started by purchasing food grade Citric Acid.  I purchased mine from dudadiesel.com.  It is Organic/Non-GMO source.  I also purchased some organic orange essential oil.  I decided to go with that instead of the lemon.

The basic idea to this is to add 1 teaspoon of essential oil to 1 cup of citric acid.  I put mine in the food processor and let it blend together well.

Here is my tip!  Let it sit for a couple minutes before you decide to open the lid of the food processor!!  If you don't there will be a blast of powder come your way and its not friendly, haha.

That is it!!  Really that's all there is to it.

I put mine in one of my re-purposed glass food jars with a chalkboard label marked proudly.  It works amazing!  My glasses are sparkly AND I know what is in it.  Oh and it turns out to be much cheaper to do it my way then to purchase it.

Give it a shot.

I will admit I felt very much like a scientist using the citric acid!

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My Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent

I decided recently to try changing my laundry detergent formula.  I had been making my own powder detergent but it didn't seem like it was working as well as I would like it too.  So I decided to try a liquid.

I messed around with some different variations of mostly the same ingredients as the powder version and what I came up with has been amazing! And it is super cost effective as well!

I took a bar of Fels Naptha soap and grated it with a cheese grater.  Put the grated soap into a pot with 4 cups of hot water and put it on medium heat on the stove.  Kept stiring until the soap was completely melted.  I then filled a 5 gallon bucket, from Home Depot with a lid, halfway with hot water.  This I did in the tub.  Then poured the melted soap into the bucket and added 1 cup of borax and 1 cup of washing soda and stirred.  Then filled the bucket the rest of the way with warm water, gave it a good stir and done!

I waited until it cooled to put the lid on and had my husband carry it to the garage!

I took an empty gallon vinegar container to keep it in for the laundry room.

Now let me tell you how it cleans, it's amazing!  Honestly it cleans better than anything I've ever used.  Other than the Fels Naptha soap being used instead of Castile it is all the same ingredients as the powder version, minus the water, but something about it being liquid just works so much better.  It even took off my husbands ring around the collar!

I thought it was cost effective making powder detergent, well it just got cheaper now that I make 5 gallons of liquid with the same items!

If you want to add an essential oil for scent you can do so before filling the bucket all the way up.

Liquid Laundry Detergent:

1 bar Fels Naptha soap
1 cup Borax
1 cup Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda
5 gallon bucket, with lid
Essential oil if you want

It will be a little goopy so give it a good shake before using.  I use about 1/4 cup per load with apple cider vinegar for fabric softener.

Give it a shot and see how great it works!

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One Of My Favorite Crafty Projects!

I have talked in a previous post that I save my glass jars and lids from the products that I purchase.  I have every size and shape you can think of.  I use them to store things in my pantry and fridge.  I do not use plastic containers in my house, not even BPA free.  Besides I paid for them, it is a part of the cost of the product, so why not?

The problem is that when I put something in them at some point my husband will ask what is in it, or where something is because there isn't a label, or how long something has been in it since there isn't a date.

While I was repairing one of my daughter's chalkboards with non-toxic chalkboard paint I had an AHA moment.

I took out all of my jars and painted strips of chalkboard paint on them.  I have seen it on mason jar drinking glasses in stores.  Now I would be able to write what was in it and the date I put it in there and when the product is used up, tada! clean and erase it and it's ready for something else.

Jars, free-ish with purchase of product.  Chaulkboard paint $2.00.  Borrowed 4 year old's sponge paint brush.  I LOVE them! I feel so organized.

This could be one of my favorite crafty projects ever!

Give it a shot.

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Awesome Non-toxic Wasp Deterrent

Recently I heard the screams of my 4 year old as she ran out of the clubhouse of her swingset. Thinking the worst as I ran to her she showed me a nasty wasp sting on her hand.  Once I wiped apple cider vinegar on it and put a paste of baking soda she was better.

I went to her clubhouse to see what we were dealing with and saw that the wasps had taken up shop in both the upper and lower parts with pretty large nests.  Knocking them down is a waste of time, as they showed up the next day building again.  Since I don't use chemicals, and the other non-toxic spray recipes did not help, I needed a solution.

I found something in one of my organic gardening magazines and decided to give it a shot.

I laughed when they arrived. They look like giant paper mâché toys.

I hung one in the top of her clubhouse and one in the bottom. Shockingly within a few days the wasps left! The wasps are very territorial and this giant fake nest makes them abandon their nest and go.


Two fake wasp nests were only $9.95. Completely worth it. The wasps are gone and my daughter isn't afraid to play in her swingset anymore!

www.gardeners.com Gardener's Supply Company

Check it out!

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BTW, We Have A Facebook Page

I'm not sure I have posted this before , but we have a Facebook page also.  Doesn't everyone it seems??


https://www.facebook.com/tampagreenmommy


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Changed Up My Laundry Detergent, A Little!

If you have been following my blog, you know I have been making my own laundry detergent for quite some time.

I have been using the same mixture for a while now and had discovered that I was having trouble with my towels having an odor.  I know some of the problem is the front load washer that I despise, but I thought if I could change up the "formula" of my soap mixture it might do some good.

I still use the Dr. Bronner's Mild Unscented Baby Soap, which I shred with a cheese grater, but I upped the amount of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda and Borax to 2 cups each instead of the one each I had been using.  I also switched from white distilled vinegar I had been using in the softener department to apple cider vinegar.  I then decided to add a couple of drops of lavender essential oil to the top of the detergent.

This combination is working incredible!  All the towels now comes out clean smelling and soft again!

My New and Improved Laundry Detergent:

1 bar Dr. Bronner's Mild Unscented Baby Soap, shredded
2 cups Arm and Hammer's Super Washing Soda
2 cups Borax
5 or so drops of Lavender essential oil on top of detergent


1/2 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar for fabric softener


Of course wool dryer balls are a must!

Give the new recipe a shot!

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