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Five DIY Household Hacks




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October 12, 2015 by Andrea Fabry 14 Comments

Trying to minimize your exposure to chemicals? Working on simplifying your life? Consider these five DIY household hacks!

Looking to reduce your use of chemicals? Trying to save money by buying less products? Try these 5 DIY household hacks!

Five DIY Household Hacks

1. DIY Washing Soda

Washing soda offers an excellent punch for cleaning since it has a higher pH than its “cousin,” baking soda. Washing soda is sodium carbonate. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. Baking soda has a pH of 8.4, washing soda a pH of 11. (To view the pH values of other common household items, see How to Remove Stains Naturally.)

DIY-washing-soda-side-by-side-676x348

Instructions

Spread an ample amount of baking soda on a cookie sheet or any other baking pan. Line the cookie sheet with parchment paper if desired. (Doing so makes it simpler to pour the finished product.) Heat in oven at 400 degrees. Remove pan after 30 minutes or so. Allow to cool. Transfer to a suitable container. Voilà: washing soda!

Looking for ways to use your homemade washing soda?

  • DIY Liquid Laundry Soap
  • DIY Powdered Laundry Soap
  • DIY Automatic Dishwasher Tablets
  • DIY Oven Cleaner

2.  DIY Disinfecting Spray

Three simple ingredients combine to make a non-toxic version of the popular Lysol Disinfecting Spray. (Lysol contains dimethyl benzyl ammonium saccharinate that is not only difficult to pronounce; it’s hard on the immune system. Learn more about the hazards of Alkyl here.)

DIY Room Spray

Instructions

Combine 1 teaspoon vodka, 1 cup filtered water and several drops of tea tree essential oil in a spray bottle. That’s it!

The vodka acts as a preservative and a disinfectant. Tea tree oil (TTO) is known for its potent disinfecting properties. TTO, or melaleuca, is also an effective antifungal and antiviral agent. (See Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea Tree) Oil: a Review of Antimicrobial and Other Medicinal Properties.)

You can repurpose an old spray bottle or invest in a new one. I love Miron violet glass for sprays. You may be able to do without the vodka as this glass acts as a preservative. Learn more in the post Miron Violet Glass.

Where to Find Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil is readily available at most health food stores and online. My two favorite essential oil companies include:

  • Rocky Mountain Oils
  • RareESSENCE

Tea tree oil has a very medicinal smell. If you prefer to mask the aroma or add to the antiseptic properties of your spray, consider adding any of these essential oils.

  • Eucalyptus
  • Lemon
  • Lavender

3. DIY Goo Gone

This affordable degreaser will get rid of those sticky adhesives so that you can repurpose your glass jars. It can also be used on kitchen cabinets or inside ovens for grime build-up.

DIY Goo Gone Before and after

Instructions

Combine 1 part oil with two parts baking soda. Stir. Apply to surface and wipe clean with a rag or paper towel. Stubborn adhesives may need more than one application. I soak my jars ahead of time to hasten the process.


4. DIY Reusable Food Wrap

Are you trying to minimize your use of plastic in the kitchen? Do you have glass bowls with missing lids? You’ll love these reusable food wraps!

Goo Gone

Instructions

Required materials include beeswax (or other wax such as candelilla), cotton fabric, and old brush.

Cut 100% cotton fabric into squares. You can adjust to various sizes, depending on the bowl or jar. I like 8×8.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees F. (Any higher and the wax may burn.)

Place cotton squares on a parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle grated wax over fabric. The amount of wax you will need is minimal (approximately 1/2 ounce).

Remove from the oven as soon as the wax is melted. (Approximately 5 – 8 minutes.)

Spread with designated paintbrush (you won’t be using this brush for anything else) until wax is distributed evenly. I didn’t have a paintbrush, so I used a miswak that costs less than $1. (Learn more about the miswak in the post The Ultimate Natural Toothbrush.)

Hang on a clothesline (or makeshift hanging rack) till dry.

The finished project will fold over jars, but won’t be as air tight as saran wrap.


5. DIY Anti-Microbial Wipes

This recipe is a bit more challenging but well worth the effort. These DIY antibacterial wipes can be used on-the-go or at home. Depending on your essential oil choice, these are safe enough for babies!

DIY baby or disinfecting wipes

Instructions

Cut one paper towel roll in half. (You will want to use a small roll, or wait until a thick roll is reduced to half its size.)

Combine 2 cups filtered water with two tablespoons liquid castile soap (grate 4 oz. bar of castile soap and combine with 4 c. hot water), one tablespoon coconut oil, one tablespoon glycerine, 4-5 drops of tea tree oil, and a natural preservative like grapefruit seed extract or colloidal silver. (Substitute lavender essential oil for the tea tree oil to create safe baby wipes.)

Remove the cardboard from the inside of the paper towel rolls. Combine your liquid ingredients and pour into an old baby wipe container or glass container that is similar in size.

Place the paper towel roll into the container. Push hard until the roll is immersed in the soap mixture.  Pull from the middle of the roll to get it started, before the roll is saturated. Pull the first wipe through the opening and use as needed.

Simplify your life with these DIY household hacks!

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These five household hacks are listed in order of difficulty. Whether you’re new to natural living, or you’ve been on the journey for awhile, chances are you’ll find something new to try!

Related Posts

  • DIY Washing Soda
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    DIY Washing SodaWashing soda makes a great addition to any natural household. Did you know it's simple to make yourself using baking soda? Washing soda offers a nice punch for cleaning since it has a higher pH than its "cousin," baking soda. Washing soda is sodium carbonate. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate.…
    Tags: soda, baking, washing, diy

Filed Under: Cleaning, DIY, Foodie, Natural Living Tagged With: chemicals, DIY, hacks, household, miron, ph, products, wax

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Comments

  1. Vicky Hill says

    October 13, 2015 at 12:29 pm

    Hi Andrea,

    I have a question for you, I use a lot of Comet when I clean in the bathroom or when I need to scrub the chicken sink. I do rinse very well. Is there a danger in using Comet?

    Thank you,

    Vicky

    Reply
    • Andrea Fabry says

      October 13, 2015 at 4:15 pm

      I really think moving away from these chemicals works in anyone’s favor. Even the comet will vaporize somewhat and get into your lungs. Over the long run this can have an effect from what I’ve read. Here are some ingredients of Comet

      Sodium Linear Alkylbenzenesulfonate Surfactant – Cleaning Agent
      Trichloro-s-triazinetrione Bleach
      It also has washing soda which is why it can be safer just to use the washing soda and the castile soap combination. I think you would find it fairly easy to use natural products. Once you’re finished with a product, try something new. That’s my suggestion. One step at a time. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Emily @ Recipes to Nourish says

    October 13, 2015 at 4:02 pm

    This is so cool! Love these natural hacks. Thanks for sharing this with us.

    Reply
  3. Dawn Roberts says

    October 19, 2015 at 6:43 am

    Love these – thanks for sharing! Just curious, what kind of oil do you use for the DYI GOO GONE??

    Reply
    • Andrea Fabry says

      October 19, 2015 at 10:18 am

      I use olive oil or coconut oil – but any oil should work, Dawn.

      Reply
  4. Farrah says

    October 19, 2015 at 9:03 pm

    Thank you for sharing these! Each year, we try to eliminate more and more chemicals from our home.

    Reply
  5. carol says

    October 20, 2015 at 12:28 am

    I get so much from your site to use. thanks for sharing. How much tree tea oil goes in the disinfectant spray? Could it really be one cup water and one cup oil? I hope not.

    Reply
    • Andrea Fabry says

      October 20, 2015 at 8:35 am

      Hi Carol! I fixed the post to specify “several drops” of tea tree oil. Thank you for the clarification. Essential oils are so concentrated a little goes a long way. (I know you already know that. :))

      Reply
  6. Mikki says

    October 20, 2015 at 5:17 pm

    Wow! So many great ideas and a lot that I have NOT seen before! Totally pinning this!

    Reply
    • Andrea Fabry says

      October 21, 2015 at 9:58 am

      Thank you, Mikki!

      Reply
  7. Maria says

    November 27, 2015 at 6:52 am

    Hi Andrea, in the cotton wrap, when you say 180º is it Cº or Fº?
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Andrea Fabry says

      November 28, 2015 at 3:51 pm

      F. Thanks for clarifying I’ll change the post!

      Reply
  8. Bobbie Czajka says

    January 28, 2016 at 8:10 am

    My question is regarding the baking soda in the first hack. I use a box of baking soda in my freezer and another in my fridge. Can I recycle these after i’m done with them in the fridge/freezer, or will the freezing affect the ph?

    Reply
    • Andrea Fabry says

      January 28, 2016 at 8:46 am

      Hi Bobby,
      That’s a great question! I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t work. I don’t think freezing has the same effect as heating on the chemistry of baking soda.

      Reply

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MEET ANDREA

I am a certified Building Biology Advocate, a former journalist, mother of nine, and avid CrossFitter who likes to think outside the box. After our family's health crisis in 2008, I learned to ask questions about what's in our food, our water, and our air. I hope to empower you as you seek to live safely in a complex world. Thankfully, small steps lead to big changes. Let's travel this road together, one step at a time.

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