Apple cider vinegar is all-natural and can be used for so many things around your home. It can be an all-purpose cleaner, room deodorizer, flea treatment for your pets, and it’s a great immunity booster! Take a look at these 8 ways to use apple cider vinegar and you’ll never see apple cider vinegar the same way again!

1) All-Purpose Cleaner

Ditch the chemicals and try out this all-natural cleaner! We’ve mentioned vinegar cleaners before, and we’ll mention them again since we love them so much! Apple cider vinegar is antibacterial and odor absorbing, making it great to use around your home. It’s safe for pets and humans alike, so mix up 1 part vinegar and 1 part water in a spray bottle and use it wherever you need to!

2) Get Rid of Odors

If you’ve got some bad odors lurking around your home, there’s an easy way to get rid of them! Place a shallow bowl with apple cider vinegar where your odor is the strongest. Leave the bowl there until the smell is gone.

3) Pet Flea Treatment

Dilute apple cider vinegar with water (1 part water, 1 part apple cider vinegar) and rub the mixture into your pet’s fur. It’ll help keep those nasty fleas at bay without the use of harsh chemicals!

4) Erase Warts

Soak a cotton ball in apple cider vinegar and apply it to the wart. Use a bandaid to hold it in place overnight. Repeat these steps and your wart will be gone in no time!

5) Add it to Your Soups

Apple cider vinegar is not just for salads! Add it to your favorite vegetable soup for a kick!

6) Use it in Baking

Adding apple cider vinegar to your baking recipes will enhance the flavor of all the ingredients. Don’t worry, you won’t be able to detect any apple cider taste in your cakes!

7) Detox!

Add a tbsp or two to your meals to help build up your immune system. Doctors believe that adding apple cider vinegar into meals also helps improve lymph circulation.

8) Make Juice

Everyone knows that adding a spoon of apple cider vinegar to your water is great for your health, but why stop there? Add it to your grapefruit juice or grape juice for a boost!

Photos: Ebay, Inhabitat, Painter 1, Fan Pop, Teeth Health x, Food Network, Fine Cooking, Making Thyme for Health, Huffington Post.

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.

To get started on harvesting dandelion roots, it’s best to harvest them from late fall to early spring. At this time the plant is dormant and it has stored energy in the root. If you are using the root for medicine, many people say harvesting the root in the fall is best. The levels of inulin (insoluble fiber) are higher, and the fructose levels are lower at this time. In the wintertime, the inulin converts to fructose, and this makes the roots in the spring more palatable for eating. In the spring, the roots are less bitter and chewy, and be sure to dig them up before the plants blossom

How to Dig Up the Roots

To dig up the roots you can use a dandelion digger or a fork. Try not to damage the root, as you don’t want to lose too much sap. Rich soil will yield the  thickest roots. Harvest dandelion roots from areas that haven’t been sprayed or treated with chemicals. When selecting which plant to dig up, pick ones that are large. Small plants have small roots, and they aren’t really worth harvesting.

How to Preserve the Roots

You can use dandelion roots fresh for cooking and medicine. If you want to store them for longer, you can dry them. Scrub the roots well before cutting them. If you have thick roots, slice them lengthwise into evenly thick slices. This will encourage them to dry evenly. You can use a dehydrator to dry the roots until they’re brittle. If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can place the roots on a screen and in a cool, dry location that has good air flow. Dry them for 3-14 days until they are brittle. Your dried roots will be good for a year.

How to Use Your Dandelion Roots

To extract the medicinal compounds from your dandelion roots, you need to make a tincture. To do this, place your dandelion roots in a jar and cover them with 40% vodka. Cover the jar tightly and allow the roots to steep for 4-6 weeks. When the time is up, strain out the roots and store in a dark glass bottle. Add a label and date it.

If you want to make a decoction, place 1 ounce of dried roots (or 2 ounces of fresh roots) in a pan with 1 pint of water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, then strain and toss away the roots. You can use decoctions to make healing teas. Dandelion root is well-known as a detoxifying agent, but you can also use it to treat cellulite, hangovers, and arthritis. Don’t consume dandelion root if you have an irritable stomach or bowel.

Photos: Third Culture, Hencam, Common Sense Home, Daily Hiit, Healthy Green Kitchen.

The great thing about composting is that it’s free! Throw all your leftovers, food scraps, grass clippings, and leaves in your compost bin – your garden will thank you! Homemade compost is the key to a successful garden. The black dirt is nutrient-rich and forms as all your scraps decompose. This is how to get started:

1. Make Space for Your Compost

You need to decide whether you want to use a closed container or open space near your garden. The up side to a closed bin is that everything is contained, but the down side is that regulating moisture can be a challenge. Also, it will hold less compost. Having an open pile of compost is easier to mix and monitor. Whatever you choose, make sure you keep it outside as it will omit a smell as it’s decomposing!

2. Mix the Compost

Start with a pile of dirt from your garden, and begin adding food scraps. Throw them in after dinner every day and maintain a balanced mixture of wet green material (grass clippings and vegetable peels), and dry brown material (leaves and shredded paper). Every 1 or 2 weeks mix the pile to evenly distribute the good bacteria inside. Keep the pile moist, but not soaking wet. In a few weeks or months you’ll have your nutrient-rich soil.

What can I put in my compost?

Cardboard, shredded paper, straw, hay, leaves, vegetable and fruit scraps, grass clippings, egg shells, coffee grounds, and dryer lint can all go in your compost pile.

Do not add these items to your compost!

Fatty food scraps and meat will only attract unwanted wild animals to your compost pile. Avoid plastic, treated wood, and grass clippings that have been treated with herbicide. Don’t add any weeds to your pile either, as they can start to grow in your garden.

Photos: Bonnie Plants, Martha Stewart, Greener Ideal.

Making your own non-toxic cooking spray is easier than you think! Store-bought cooking sprays are full of harmful chemicals, and tossing all those cans in the garbage can’t be good for the environment. Learn how to make your own at home with only a few basic items.

What you will need:

– a spray bottle

– olive oil (or any other kind of oil, except coconut because of its low melting point)

– distilled water (you can use boiled or filtered, the important thing is that it’s sterilized to prevent bacteria growth)

The first thing you need to to is sterilize your spray bottle to kill any bacteria that might be in it. Put 1 part olive oil to 5 parts water in the spray bottle. You might need to test it out a few times to adjust the spray to your liking. Shake the spray bottle well and use! Remember to only make small batches at a time, since this spray will be good for 1 week. Make sure you store it in the fridge and don’t use it on a hot pan!

Photos: Sweet and Savory Food.

If you want to get started on your very own soup garden, you need to decide which ingredients you use most in your favorite recipes. If you love tomato soup, plant several varieties of tomatoes like meaty romas and grape tomatoes. For chicken noodle, onions, carrots, and parsnips, along with herbs like thyme and parsley. Other great additions to any soup garden would be garlic, turnips, sweet potatoes, beans, and kale.

To start your soup garden, make sure water is easily accessible. Many herbs don’t require much watering, but vegetables need to be watered often. Make sure you use mulch, as it helps reduce weeds and waterings. The use of flow meters help you to keep track of exactly how much water you are using. Work a lot of organic matter into the soil to create a nutrient-rich soil that your vegetables will love. If you don’t have enough yard space, you can still plant many vegetables and herbs on your balcony or patio in large pots.

To enjoy your harvest into the winter, you need to plant a larger garden and then freeze or can your vegetables. Tomatoes, green beans, and peppers can be frozen or canned. Onions, potatoes, garlic, and winter squash can be stored for months in cool, humid conditions.

Photos: Ewa in the Garden, HG Decoration, Home Garden Air.

Growing strawberries in hanging baskets has always been popular, mostly because strawberries are really easy to grow and maintain. There are several varieties of strawberries to choose from, but most only require minimal but frequent care. These will look great hanging from your front porch, or on your patio! Read the following steps on how you can get started planting your own!

Step 1: Prepare the Baskets

The most popular baskets to use for strawberries are wire baskets lined with Coco fibre. However, any hanging basket or pot with good drainage will work well. Before adding soil to the basket, make sure that you soak the basket or pot that you will be using.

Step 2: Soil

You’ll need to create a mixture of soil for your basket. Use peat moss, vermiculite, and perlite in a 8-1-1 ratio and mix well. This will be a lightweight mixture that won’t weigh the basket down. It’ll also retain water better than most potting soils and keep your strawberry plants from drying out too quickly.

Step 3: Add the Soil to the Basket

Take the mixture you created and fill the basket to a depth of 2-4 inches from the top. Create a hole in the soil that is large enough for the strawberry plants. Try to spread the plants out to help stimulate growth.

Step 4: Water

Next you need to water the plants thoroughly so that the soil and the roots of the plants are soaked.

Step 5: Hang the Basket or Pot

During the first few days after planting you’ll need to make sure that the plants are in a location out of direct sunlight. Keep the plants in that location for 3-4 days while they are adjusting to their new basket or pot. After, you can gradually move the strawberries into the sunlight. Only leave them in the sun a few hours a day at first, and gradually increase the time until they are left in sunlight for 6-8 hours a day.

Step 6: Maintenance

Make sure that the soil is moist but not soaked. Use a water soluble fertilizer every 10-14 days. Use fertilizers that are high in phosphorus because this will promote growth.

Photos: Tumblr, DIY Crafts Mom, Growing Days.

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.