DIY Garbage Disposal Fresheners

 

I have been using the plink garbage disposal cleaner but what’s better than something cheaper and better for the environment? So I found a great link telling me how to create these garbage disposal cleaners from Savvy Sugar. The only ingredients you need is:

 

• 3/4 cup baking soda
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1/2 teaspoon liquid dish soap
• 1 lemon

1. Mix together the baking soda and salt.

2. Add the dish soap, stirring it in.

3. Grate the lemon peel and stir into mixture.

4. Squeeze and mix approximately 3 tablespoons of lemon juice.

5. Scoop the mixture into a teaspoon and put onto parchment paper. Keep doing this until you have ran out of the mixture. Allow to dry overnight. The teaspoon was not working very well, so I rolled the mixture into balls.

6. Put the refreshers in a tightly sealed jar or container.

To use: When your sink is smelling funky or you think its time to give it a refresh, run your disposal with water for about a minute, then add the refresher and let the ingredients work its magic!

Spring Cleaning

 

This weekend I was finally home and had the urge to do some cleaning. The house has been a mess lately! I did get a lot of inspiration from the recent posts by I heart Organizing and her clean home challenge. All month Jen has been posting cleaning tasks in the goal of having a cleaner more organized home in less time. I love that her cleaning methods are green. I have personally found that the common toxic formulas like 409 and Windex really bother me. I have started using Seventh Generation disinfecting multi purpose spray and I also use the method glass cleaner. I am in the process of purging most of my other cleaning items. I love that Jen uses just a few basic things to create her cleaners, makes everything simple!

These were some of my favorite posts Jen put up: Make your own natural cleaners, cleaning oven, cleaning windows with DIY spray, vacuum mattress, and wipe down trims and doors. I made the super easy baking soda and essential oil mix for sprinkling on your mattress and vacuuming up and it smells so good! I have been using baking soda and vinegar for awhile as they are great multi purpose cleaning products that are cheap and natural! I have loved the results. Here you can see the many uses of vinegar and baking soda uses.

                         

                           Here are some of my environmentally friendly cleaning products

Of course I checked some things off my weekly cleaning checklist but I also did some other things.  I cleaned out my toaster oven which was really dirty! I could not get the stuck on gunk off the inside of the glass, until I did a google search and found to make a paste using baking soda and water, apply it and let it sit for a bit and wipe it off. It worked like magic! Sorry I don’t remember the specific link or I would share it.I attempted to get the toaster oven pan clean as well as the stove pans clean, but just could not get all the gunk off. Any tips?

I was disgusted when I saw all the crumbs, sprinkles, macaroni etc. hiding under the toaster oven and microwave! Eww. I took everything off the counter and gave it a deep clean. This area often gets neglected but it is a great hiding place for crumbs. I also took this opportunity to rearrange the counters a bit. I actually have a decent size kitchen for an apartment, but of course I still don’t have enough room for all my things!

Check out an old post I have for deep cleaning, showing how to clean the microwave, dish washer, washing machine and sink disposal. I try hard to be a better cleaner and have come along ways from my college days! I’m still learning! What are your favorite cleaning methods?

Deep Cleaning

So i'm not going to say I love cleaning, because I don't. What I do love is the feeling after cleaning, knowing that everything is clean and sanitary. Since it is spring cleaning time, I have seen quite a few ideas on cleaning. The other night I cleaned the microwave, the dishwasher, the kitchen sink disposal and the washing machine. Some of you may be thinking I'm crazy but the dishwasher and washing machine really do need to be cleaned out. At my apartment there seems to be really hard water and I tend to have problems with the soap sticking on my dishes, what a pain! I have had this worked on once before and ran through a cleaning solution. The problem has reappeared but I think I may have found a solution! I love all of these cleaning recipes because they use inexpensive and earth friendly products: baking soda and white vinegar!

Sink Disposal
Directions found here
1. Pour 1 cup of baking soda in the drain
2. Pour 1/2 cup of vinegar in the drain and cover with a plate to plug the drain so it can do its work
3. Let it sit and work for 30 minutes. Do not use the sink during this time.
4. Remove the plate and run hot water through the pipes for 2-3 minutes.
5. If it is clogged really bad you may need to repeat. Doing this once a month keeps the drains clear and fresh.

Dishwasher
Thorough instructions found here

1. Start with a freshly ran dishwasher with no dishes in it
2. Clean around the seal with a baking sofa paste, then go over it with the toothbrush dipped in vinegar. Scrub around the seal and any other spots you can find stuck on dishwashing detergent, for me there was a lot stuck around the detergent dispenser.
3. Add two cups of vinegar to the bottom of the dishwasher (with nothing else in it) and run on a energy saving or low wash. If possible stop the machine in the middle of the wash and let the vinegar set in the bottom to work for about 20 minutes then finish the wash. If you have mold and mildew problems you can run through 1/2-1 cup of bleach, but don't do this if you have a stainless steel interior.
4. Clean the front of the dishwasher including the buttons and handle with an antibacterial cleaner.

Microwave
Original instructions found here

1. Place water and a splash of vinegar in a microwave proof bowl.
2. Put it in the microwave and microwave for five minutes
3. While it is cooking clean off the outside with an antibacterial spray
4. Once it is done let it sit for a few minutes for the steam to further work away the gunk. Then very carefully remove the bowl as it is very hot, I used oven mitts.
5. Begin wiping down the walls with nothing but a rag or paper towel. Remove the plate and wash it in the sink with hot soapy water.

Washing Machine (front loading)
Original and full instructions here

Mine wasn't very dirty so I didn't have to do all the steps the original source provided. However, I do always leave the door open for awhile after washing to let it air out and dry. Front loading washers get stinky and moldy if you don't do this!

1. Add one cup of baking soda and one cup of white vinegar into the soap dispenser.
2. Add one cup of baking soda and one cup of white vinegar into the actual washer. (When these ingredients combine they fizz up, don't be alarmed this is part of the process).
3. Run a quick wash on hot.
4. When the cycle ends wipe down all surfaces inside to get all the water off, then wipe out the plastic lip, this is where soap, lint, hair and grime get caught and needs to be wiped down regularly.

Always always use high efficiency detergent or if using regular detergent only use half the recommended amount.

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Now you're done! Pretty easy huh?

Have you been doing lots of spring cleaning lately? What are your favorite products or tips for getting your home clean?