Article By: Mirna Cacic

Save your money and be environmentally-friendly at the same time by making these DIY dishwasher tablets! These tablets are much safer than store-bought tablets, and contain 0 harsh chemicals! They’re also Borax-free for those who are having a hard time finding Borax at the store! Each load of dishes will run you about $0.09! Make these today and make buying your own dishwasher tablets a thing of the past!

Supplies (makes enough for about 40 loads):

1) 1 cup baking soda

2) 2 cups washing soda – If you can’t find washing soda at the store, you can make your own! All you need to do is bake baking soda for about 1 hour at 450 F! That’s it! You can now make washing soda whenever you need it!

3) 1 cup citric acid

4) 1/2 cup salt

5) 1 tsp liquid castile soap

6) 1/2 cup white vinegar

7) 20 drops lavender essential oil (optional)

8) 2 ice cube trays

Step #1:

Place all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix them together.

Step #2:

Add in the vinegar a little at a time. You will see some fizz, but don’t worry! This is to be expected.

Step #3:

Add in the castile soap and mix. You can also add in the essential oil now if you like.

Step #4:

Press the mixture into the ice cube trays. Leave them to dry for 24 hours before taking them out of the ice cube trays. Store the dishwasher tabs in a container with a tight lid.

Photos: Mom 4 Real, Pins and Procrastination, Hello Natural.

Spring is in full swing, which means that there are many spring cleaning jobs that need to be done! Most of us don’t give much thought to our houseplants except to water them, but did you know that they need cleaning, too? All plants benefit from a good clean every once in a while, and it’s incredibly easy to do and only takes a few minutes! By not cleaning your plants you run the risk of bugs and disease, which can lead to dead plants. Check out our tips to find out how to deep-clean your houseplants!

Remove Old Leaves

Get rid of old and dead leaves often to keep them from suffocating your plant. If you see any lifeless stems, cut those off as well. For plants such as ferns, you need to cut the stem right at the soil line. Don’t forget to also remove any dead flowers to encourage new ones to grow.

Cleaning Small Plants

To give your small houseplants a good clean, flip them upside down, holding them in place to keep the soil from falling out. Dip them in lukewarm water and move them around a bit, making sure all the leaves have been rinsed properly. Place them outside to drip dry before bringing them back inside.

Cleaning Large Plants

You can clean your large plants such as palms in the shower. Always use lukewarm water to prevent the leaves from spotting. When you’re finished, place them outside to dry. You can also give the leaves a good clean by wiping them down with a damp cloth. Support the leaves with your hand while you’re cleaning them to prevent them from cracking.

Cleaning Fuzzy Plants

If you’ve got plants with fuzzy leaves, you can easily clean them using a soft toothbrush. Clean from the base of the leaf to the tip to get rid of dust and dirt.

Photos: Bliss Tree, Install IT Direct, The Self Sufficient Living.

Save those coffee grounds from your morning coffee and put them to good use! From fertilizing your garden, deodorizing your fridge, to cleaning your pots and pans, there are so many ways you can use coffee grounds! So next time you make a cup of hot coffee, save the grounds! Take a look at our top 10 ways you can use coffee grounds around your home!

1. Get Rid of Scratches on Wood Furniture

Furniture a bit banged up? Steep some coffee grounds and dip in a q tip. Dab the q tip on scratches to hide them.

2. Clean Your Pots and Pans

Place a spoonful of coffee in a dirty pot to help scrub away grease. The coffee acts as an abrasive to get rid of stuck-on food and oil.

3. Give Seedlings a Coffee Boost

When planting seedlings, stir some coffee grounds into the dirt to raise nitrogen levels in the soil. You can also add the coffee grounds to your watering can to give them a boost that way.

4. Age Paper

This one is great for craft projects! If you want your boring white paper to have an aged look, dip the paper into coffee diluted with water. Leave it to sit for a minute, then take the paper out and dab it dry.

5. Get Rid of Insects

Sprinkle coffee grounds around plants to keep bugs at bay. Make a ring around the plants to ward off slugs and ants that want at your precious flowers!

Photo By: Trusty Joe

6. Deodorize Your Fridge

Fridge smelling funky? Put a small amount of dry coffee grounds in a cup at the bottom of your fridge. The coffee will absorb any odors that are lingering in your fridge.

7. Give Your Blue Hydrangeas a Boost

If you’re trying to grow Blue Hydrangeas, add coffee grounds into the soil before planting. The coffee will increase the acidity level of the soil and it will also help the flowers absorb any aluminum in the soil, which helps keep them a vibrant blue!

8. Keep Ashes From Flying Around

If you’re trying to keep ashes from flying all over your floor as you’re cleaning out your fireplace, sprinkle damp coffee grounds over them. The damp grounds will help keep the dust down.

9. Get Rid of Cockroaches

Get rid of these unwanted visitors by filling up a jar with an inch of damp coffee grounds. Take out some sticky tape and wrap it around the jar’s neck. The coffee will help draw the cockroaches into the trap.

10. Clean Your Hands

To get rid of onion or garlic odors from your hands, rub coffee grounds on them before washing them with soap.Photos: Yankee Magazine, Cleanipedia, Well and Good, Brandon and Shelby, Black Down Garden Centre, Working Mom Adventures, Deborah Silver, Passion Potager, Pest Control Toronto, Home Food Safety.

The holiday season is upon us and we’ve started getting our home ready., One of the places in our home that’s going to get a lot of traffic this year is the dining room! The best way to make your holiday decorating shine is with a clean home. Dining chairs are one thing no one is really sure how to clean, especially if they’re fabric instead of leather. We’ve got the step-by-step process on how to get your dining chairs looking new, smelling fresh, and ready for your guests!

What You’ll Need:

1) Vacuum cleaner

2) Stain remover

3) Bucket filled with warm water

4) Dish towels

5) Laundry detergent

Step 1:

Remove all dust from the chairs using a vacuum cleaner. Use the brush attachment to vacuum the flat part of the seat, then use the nozzle attachment to vacuum the crevices.

Step 2:

Get rid of any stains using a stain remover. Spray it directly onto the stain and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. Dab the stain with a wet towel and allow it to dry before you continue. This could take a few hours, or overnight.

Step 3:

Clean the fabric on the chair. Add a tablespoon of laundry detergent into a bucket of warm water. Dip your dishtowels into the soapy water and wring them out well. Gently scrub the seat with the towel and rinse using a clean, wet towel. Allow the chair to dry overnight.

Photos: Love This Pic, Digs Digs, Inspiring Interiors Ideas, Olina Faire.

We’ve got 3 easy ways to get your burnt pots looking new! We’ve all been there, not knowing what to do when our nice stainless steel pots are caked in burned food. Try one of these simple solutions to getting rid of burned food off of your pans with little to no scrubbing!

Solution #1: Baking Soda and Vinegar

Fill the bottom of the burnt pan with a little bit of water and add in 1 cup of vinegar. Bring the pan to a boil and add in 2 tbsp of baking soda. You should start to see little bits of black lifting off the pan. Empty the pan and use a scouring pad to get rid of any black bits that have been left. You should be able to scour them off easily. If you have any stubborn spots left, make a paste from baking soda and water and apply it to the spots. Leave the paste on for as long as you like and the burnt spots should lift easily.

Solution #2: Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda

Pour a generous amount of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda into your pan. Use a spoon to mix the ingredients. Allow it to sit for 4-6 hours and you’ll notice all the burned bits have been lifted off the pan!

Solution #3: Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap With Tea Tree

Pour soap into your burnt pan and allow it to sit. The burnt parts should lift easily with a scouring pad.

Photos: iHerb, Green Idea Reviews, Apartment Therapy.

We all know the struggle! Large area rugs are a pain to clean and maintain. If your area rugs are looking dingy, don’t fret! We’ve got the solution to getting them dirt-free, pet hair-free and smelling great!

Basic Area Rug Care

1) Vacuum: Make sure you vacuum your rugs regularly to remove any dirt that will wear out your rug. If your rug has a fringe, don’t vacuum the fringe! You could easily damage it.

2) Get rid of pet hair: Sometimes a vacuum won’t get out all the pet hair. Remove what’s left using a large brush. Brush in the direction of the nap of the rug. As an alternative, get out basic rubber cleaning gloves. Put them on and get them wet. Run your hands over the carpet, and all of the hair will stick to the gloves. When the gloves are covered in hair, simply rinse them.

3) Turn your rugs: Family members constantly stepping on the rug can cause wear and tear. Turn them a few times a year to even out the wear.

How to Care For Special Rugs

1) Sheepskin, fur, and hides: Get your hands on unscented talcum powder and sprinkle it over the rug. Allow it to sit for several hours. Brush the powder through the hair and then shake it out. Do this several times, depending on how long the hair is. Clean the back of the rug with warm soapy water and a cotton cloth. Rinse with a clean cloth and set the rug out to dry.

2) Handmade, oriental, and antique rugs: When vacuuming the rug, protect it by placing a piece of nylon screen over it and weighing it down with books. Then vacuum over the screen. As an alternative, you can place a piece of nylon mesh over the vacuum attachment and change the mesh as dirt accumulates. Have the rug professionally cleaned once a year. Rotate the rugs a few times a year and avoid direct exposure to sun, as it can fade the color.

3) Woven rugs: Check the rug for any stitching breaks before you clean. Check the label to see if it’s washable. If washable, place them in a zippered mesh laundry bag and wash in cool water on a gentle cycle. Tumble dry low. For large rugs, place them on a vinyl or concrete floor and sponge carpet-cleaning foam over them. Rub it in and rise or vacuum according to package directions. Allow it to dry completely before placing it back on the floor.

4) Sisal and grass rugs: Vacuum them often and remove the rug to vacuum underneath them. To clean stains, first protect the floor underneath with a plastic drop cloth and a towel. Scrub stains with a brush dipped in soapy water and rinse. Blot the rug until it’s as dry as possible. Allow the rug to dry completely before using it again.

Photos: Enlighten Me, Parviz Rug, The Daily Nest.

Not many people know that you can actually wash your walls. If your walls aren’t too badly scratched or worn, you can most certainly wash them to get them as good as new! Time to roll up your sleeves and read on to find out how to tackle this big task!

Cleaning Painted Walls

Cleaning walls is a hard job, so be prepared! Push all your furniture to the center of the room and lay out canvas drop cloths to catch soapy drips. Avoid using plastic tarps. They don’t absorb water, and can create a slippery surface when wet. To protect your hands and remind you where to put your pictures back, cover picture nails with a piece of dry sponge.

Supplies:

1) Lambswool duster

2) Cleaning cloths

3) A natural sponge – Avoid colored sponges since they can deposit dyes on light-colored walls.

4) Two buckets – One filled with cleaning solution and one filled with clean water for rinsing.

5) Rubber gloves

6) Step stool

Preparing Your Buckets

In one bucket, mix a wall-cleaning solution. For normal dirt, use this mixture:

– 1 gallon warm water

– a good squeeze of liquid dishwashing detergent

For extremely dirty walls you’ll need a stronger cleaning solution, something similar to what an Industrial Cleaning Company would use. Always spot-test this mixture before using it on your entire wall. You don’t want it to take off any paint! Try this strong cleaning solution:

– 1 gallon warm water

– 1 cup clean non-sudsing ammonia

– 1 cup white vinegar

– 1 cup borax

Your second bucket should hold clean water. Change the water when it starts to look dirty.

Get Rid of Dust First

Dust is easier to remove than mud, so always remove dust first before soaping up the walls. Circle the room with the duster, wiping the walls and woodwork from the top down. You can use a vacuum cleaner to remove any cobwebs that might be lurking in corners.

Start From the Bottom Up

While washing your walls, you will get drips. If the drips run down dry, dirty surfaces, they’ll dry and create muddy stains. Avoid this by washing your walls from the bottom up. Dip the sponge into the cleaning solution and and rub the wall gently. Work in small areas and rinse the sponge periodically. Blot excess moisture with a cleaning cloth.

How to Wash Wallpaper

1) Check the manufacturer’s guidelines – Wallpapers differ in content and coating, so always check with the manufacturer before washing.

2) Dusting – Always dust the wallpaper before washing.

3) Non-coated wallpaper – Use a dry sponge. You can find these at any hardware store. It lifts and removes dirt without water. Rub it lightly against the wallpaper to remove dirt.

4) Washable wallpaper – Use a natural sponge lightly dampened in warm water and a small amount of dishwashing soap. Always do a spot-test before washing the entire wall. Don’t scrub hard or allow the wallpaper to get too wet.

Photos: iVillage, Webmd, House Cleaning New, Itn Cleaning, Greensax.

Cleaning your home shouldn’t take you forever. We’ve got 10 tips from professional cleaners that will teach you how to clean your home in record time. Let’s get started!

1. Schedule Cleaning

Learn from the pros, and schedule a time for cleaning. Professionals won’t quit until the job is done, and neither should you! Set a specific time to clean, and stick to it!

2. Motivation

Don’t stop cleaning to check your e-mail or watch the latest show on TV. Use motivators to keep you focused on the task at hand. Play upbeat music or listen to an audio book. You can also clean with family members to help you stay on task.

3. Tools

Professional cleaners never have one-use tools, or a tool they saw on an informercial. Buy good tools once and save money in the long run.

4. Wear Proper Clothing

Wear clothing that’s comfortable and washable. Get yourself supportive shoes and knee pads if you will spend a lot of time cleaning low areas. Use goggles and gloves to protect yourself from harsh chemicals.

5. Tote Your Tools

Use a cleaning tote to store all your tools in one place. This way, you will never forget anything, and it will save you time. Check out our article on how to organize your very own cleaning tote here.

6. Simplify Supplies

You don’t need a lot of cleaning products to get your home clean. Professional cleaners always have these 4 cleaners on hand:

– A light duty cleaner, like glass cleaner or multi-surface cleaner

– A heavy duty degreasing cleaner

– Tile and bathroom cleaner

– Powdered abrasive cleaner

7. Use Both Hands

Get in the habit of using both your hands when you clean. Spray a counter with one hand, and wipe it down with the other. Dusting will go twice as fast when a lambswool duster in one hand cleans tough-to-reach corners, and a cleaning cloth in the other gets flat surfaces.

8. Teamwork

Two people can clean twice as fast, and that’s why professional cleaners always work in teams. Make cleaning your home a family affair. Family members that clean are more reluctant to get everything dirty later!

9. Pick it Up

Before you start cleaning, de-clutter your home. You can’t clean properly if all surfaces are covered in knick-knacks, papers, toys, and dirty dishes.

10. Make it Count

Professional cleaners will never circle a room more than 1 time. When they’re at the bathroom sink, they’ll clean the sink, wipe down the mirror, counter, and polish fixtures before moving to the rest of the room. Clean everything in your path before you move on.

Photos: Veterinet, Rayal Cleaning, Part Time Maid, Greater Cincinnati Maids.

If you’ve ever had trouble cleaning your oven door glass, you’re not alone! We know what a pain it can be, and no one has time to scrub it! Save your hands and put your mind at ease with this easy cleaning solution!

Ingredients:

– water

– baking soda

That’s it! Mix equal parts baking soda and water until it forms a paste. Spread the paste over your dirty oven glass and leave it to sit for 30 minutes. When the 30 minutes are up, simply wipe away!

Here is the dreaded before picture:

With the baking soda and water paste:

And after! Squeaky clean!

Photos: DIYHSHP, Ikea Fans.

No one likes cleaning the grill. It takes up too much time, and the gunk never seems to want to come off. If you’re having trouble getting it looking like new, get your hands on some coffee and say good-bye to hours of scrubbing!

Since coffee is acidic, it will work for cleaning up all that gunked up grease on your grill. Get a pot of coffee and pour it in a basin. Soak your grill grates (you can also throw in BBQ utensils and oven burners) for 1 hour. Give it a quick scrub to loosen the grease and rinse it with warm water. Good as new!

Photos: Durashield Covers, A Mum ‘n the Oven.