If you’re distressed over cleaning your windows, don’t worry! We’ve got the secret to getting them shining bright and clean! The secret mixture to getting your windows super clean contains ingredients that almost everyone has in their home. Let’s get started!

Secret Window Cleaning Mixture Ingredients and Supplies:

– 1 16 oz. spray bottle

– measuring cup

– sieve

– whisk

– juice of 1/2 a lemon

– 1 tbsp cornstarch

– 1/2 cup white vinegar

– 1/2 cup water

– newspaper

Step #1:

Juice the lemon and strain the juice using the sieve into a measuring cup. The lemon juice not only helps cut through grease and grime, it will also give our mixture a fresh smell.

Step #2:

Add in the vinegar and cornstarch. Whisk the ingredients together.

Step #3:

Pour the mixture into the spray bottle and add in the water. Shake the bottle to mix the ingredients.

Step #4:

Grab your newspaper and crumple it. Spray the window thoroughly with your mixture and wipe it down with the newspaper. Don’t worry if you notice a chalky film! Add a little elbow grease and you’ll soon see a sparkling window emerge! Store what’s left of your window cleaning mixture in the fridge for future use.

Photos: Gardenista.

The holiday season is coming up fast, and that means getting our home ready! With all the responsibilities we have during this busy time, sometimes there isn’t enough time in the day to get our home into the holiday season. These ornaments are easy to make, and require little time to put together. You can hang them on your tree, place them on a pretty tray for your dining table, or fill up a glass vase with them. They’re Pottery Barn knock-offs, but we think they look much better than the real thing! Keep reading for the tutorial!

Supplies:

1) Pinecones of various sizes

2) Glitter in the color of your choice

3) Crystal color filler

4) Spray adhesive

5) Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Step 1:

Spray your pinecones with spray adhesive and sprinkle glitter over them. Turn the pinecones so that the glitter gets into all the crevices.

Step 2:

Take a pinch of color fill and sprinkle it over the pinecones.

Step 3:

Allow the pinecones to dry completely.

Step 4:

To turn the pinecones into ornaments, use your hot glue to attach a piece of jute twine in a loop to the pinecone. You can attach it to either the bottom or the top.

Photos and idea: Blissfully Ever After.

We’re trying to use less chemicals in our home these days, and sometimes all you need are basic things you can find around your house! To make these stains you probably have everything you need already!

The stain you’re going for depends all on the ingredients you use in your homemade wood stain. Copper, vinegar, and coffee are some of the ingredients in these wood stains. Here are our favorites!

1. Apple Cider Vinegar and Steel Wool

This stain is perfect for those who want a ‘grey weathered look’, and all you need is steel wool and apple cider vinegar. Soak the steel wool in the vinegar and allow it to sit for at least 24 hours.

2. White Vinegar, Pennies, and Hydrogen Peroxide

These ingredients produce a beautiful green-blue shade. Make sure the pennies are from the 1960s! If you can’t find any pennies from the 60s, you can always use copper wire.

3. White Vinegar, Coffee Grounds, Tea, and Steel Wool

This mixture creates a beautiful, worn, rich color. This is great if you want a warmer stain on your wood.

How to Use:

Always leave the mixtures to sit for at least 24 hours. If you want a richer stain, allow it to sit for up to 1 week. Apply the stain with a paintbrush, and don’t forget to seal your project!

Photos: DIY Network, 500 SQ, One Fine Gardener, Upcycled Treasures, Kindred PDX.

We love using home-made cleaning solutions! The store-bought chemicals can irritate your throat and nose, and they’re not safe to come into contact with your skin, either. Using only a few simple and cheap pantry ingredients, you can create your very own cleaning solutions for cheap. Give the environment (and yourself!) a break and try these recipes.

White Vinegar

Vinegar dissolves dirt, soap scum, and hard water deposits. Although it’s a tough acid, it’s gentle enough to use on hardwood floors. White vinegar is also a natural deodorizer, and absorbs odours instead of masking them. If you’re worried about the smell, it goes away completely when the vinegar dries. If you have sensitive skin, vinegar is great as a fabric softener. Add 1 cup of vinegar to your rinse cycle instead of regular fabric softener. For hard water deposits on your showerhead, simply place 1/2 cup vinegar in a sandwich bag and tie around the showerhead with a rubber band. Allow it to sit overnight and rinse in the morning. If you’re looking for an all-purpose spray cleaner, simply mix 1 cup vinegar and 1 cup water in a spray bottle. This is great for countertops, backsplash areas, and floors.

Baking Soda

Baking soda has a mild abrasive action and has natural deodorizing properties. It’s a great replacement for harsh store-bought scouring powders. Sprinkle baking soda on your sponge for bathtub rings, vanity units, or removing food deposits from the kitchen sink. For tough stains and grime, make a paste of baking soda and water and leave it to stand for 10-20 minutes until the deposits have softened and can be removed easily. To keep drains running smoothly, pour 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain and a little hot water to wash the baking soda down. Allow it to sit overnight, and don’t use it on blocked drains.

Rubbing Alcohol

Rubbing alcohol is great on windows, mirrors, and hard-surface ceramic tiles. It’s also good to put it into a spray bottle and spray on points of contact to kill germs (door handles, steering wheels, toilet handles, toilet seats, etc.).

Ammonia

Ammonia is a strong window and all-purpose cleaner, and it’s stronger than vinegar. For a tough cleaning solution, mix 1 tbsp ammonia, 1tbsp dishwashing liquid, and 2 cups of water.

Photos: Trusper, Modern Survival Online, Good Ideas and Tips, Kendricks Stationers, DIY Life.

Frankincense has been in use for thousands of years, and it originally comes from the Middle East. People have believed in the magical uses of this incense for years, believing it to cure just about anything, and bring them closer to the gods. Frankincense comes from Boswellia trees, which are widely known for their aromatic resin and healing properties. Frankincense can be bought in its original resin form, or as an essential oil, and is available in most health food stores. Frankincense is actually an ingredient in most popular perfumes, and is a highly valued product.

As an essential oil, it can be used for almost anything you can think of. Cuts, scrapes, burns, and even joint pains. When the resin is burned, the smoke actually helps repel mosquitoes and other insects. This is a great way to keep mosquitoes at bay, and it’ll make your home smell great, too! Forget about dangerous bug sprays, frankincense smoke is actually good for you! Can’t say the same for the mosquitoes, though! The smoke is also a mood-booster. It can help people with anxiety and depression, and an overall sour mood. Burn a small amount of frankincense before a get-together or a party, and everyone will surely have a good time!

Photos: Ferrell Jenkins, BBC.

We’ve decided to ditch the store-bought deodorizers in favor of natural, home-made ones. Free of any toxic chemicals, they’re completely safe for you and your pets. These natural home deodorizers can be made in almost any combination. Simply add the ingredients (cut any fruit into slices ) to a pot and fill 3/4 of the way with water. Bring to a boil, then lower the temperature down to a simmer. Leave the scent to simmer for a few hours, adding water as needed. If you like, you can use a crock pot instead of using the stove. You can also freeze the scents for future use. Remember, there are no measurements in these recipes! Experiment a little to find which scent suits you best.

Here are a few recipes to get you started:

1. Cinnamon sticks, orange rinds, apple peels, and whole cloves.

2. A few drops of vanilla and orange peels.

3. Lime, coconut oil, and vanilla.

4. Oranges, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and vanilla.

5. Rosemary, lavender, and lemon.

6. Cedar twigs.

7. Lemon, black peppercorns, and basil.

8. Earl Grey tea and vanilla extract.

9. Lemon, peppermint extract, and rosemary.

10. Orange and almond extract.

Photos: Day Break Houses, Eliza Domestica, A Joyful Dwelling.

Fixing scratches on your hardwood floors doesn’t have to be a chore. Here are 8 simple ways to fix them and leave your floor looking new!

1. Vegetable Oil

Rub vegetable oil on the scratch and let it sit overnight. In the morning, just wipe clean.

2. Stain Marker

Purchase a stain marker in a shade close to the color of your floor and simply color in the scratch.

3. Tea

Tea can help stain the scratch to help it blend in with the rest of your hardwood floor.

4. Walnuts

Rub a walnut over the scratch. This also works for wood furniture, too.

5. Sand and Stain

For deeper scratches, gently sand the scratch and wipe clean with a damp cloth. Paint over the area with a little bit of the original floor stain. Apply lightly and use a cloth to work it into the surface. Repeat until the spot matches the rest of your floor.

6. Mayonnaise

Rub a small amount of mayonnaise over the area and let sit for a few hours, then wipe clean.

7. Iron

For deep dents, apply a wet cloth or paper towel over the area. Run an iron over the cloth for 3-5 minutes.

8. Pecans

If you’re out of walnuts, rub a pecan onto the scratch.

* Keep in mind that sometimes you really have to part with you floors and accept that they are not in the condition to be refinished. Termite and water damage is hard to repair and needs to be replaced. Consider a reputable flooring supplier for new hardwood floors, wood floors, click flooring, and even laminate!

Photos: AJ Floor Coverings, Vintage Home and Garden, Tea Genie.