Witchy Green Cleaning - Foor Wash

This is a re-post of my final Witchy Green Cleaning series post. I have a couple of more in the works so stay tuned for more green cleaning tips, tricks and ideas with a witchy twist!

Welcome back to the final installment in the Witch Green Cleaning series. This week I’m going to tell you a little bit about the floor washes that I’ve made. There aren’t too many photo’s but the recipes are great!

Before you wash your floors be sure to either sweep or vacuum any dirt. dust (or in my case) dog hair. It is much easier to mop when you've got the bits and pieces swept up!

The first cleaner is a very simple recipe that I use on my tile and linoleum. It is easy to make and leaves the floor clean. One of the best things about it is that you don’t need to rinse afterwards!! I’ve seen this basic recipe on several sites. My favorite is www.amybayliss.com, she has lots of great DIY ideas for the home.

Basic Floor Wash – Tile & Linoleum

1 Gallon hot water (very hot)

1 cup vinegar

½ cup Borax

8-10 drops Essential Oil (For the kitchen I like to use lemon essential oil because it smells so fresh!)

Mix all ingredients in your bucket and mop as usual. As I mentioned above you do not need to rinse the floor when you use this mixture!

  

If I just need to get the dust or dirt off the wood floors then I use this simple recipe which comes from the book The Naturally Clean Home by Karyn Siegel-Maier. This book has over 100 recipes for cleaners for every area of you home!

Wood Floor Wash

1 ½ cups water

1 ½ cups vinegar (natural disinfectant)

20 drops peppermint essential oil ( Or lemon, Eucalyptus, Pine)

Mix all ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake well. Working on a small area at a time mist the floor and then wipe using a dry mop.Repeat as necessary to remove all the dust and dirt.

Finally here is the cleaner I use to make my wood floors shine. 

To Make the Wood Shine

1 cup olive oil

1 cup white vinegar

Mix both ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake well.

Working on a small section at a time, spray floor with oil/vinegar mix and wipe dry with clean soft cloth. I use old towels that I got at my local thrift store. 

Look for towels that are old and soft and preferably white or a light color. I bleach mine when I get them home and then tear them into 2 foot by 2 foot squares. These are just right for me to use to buff the floor with my foot. I also use them to dry all of my floors when I mop them. Once I finish mopping the entire floor(tile and linoleum - wood I dry as I go) I throw one of these towels on the floor and buff it with my foot until the floor is dry, getting a new dry towel as necessary. once done I toss all the wet towels in the wash so they are ready for the next time.

When working with wood floors always work in small sections and dry the floor as you go. You do not want to leave liquid on a wood floor for any prolonged amount of time as it could damage the floor. Always test your homemade cleaners in an inconspicuous spot before using!

Now for the witchy add-ins:

General

Rosemary – Purification, Protection and Alertness (This is also great for entrance ways)

Eucalyptus – Removes negativity, promotes healing

Lemon – Increases energy (both physical and mental) and it really smells fresh and clean!

Pine- Removes negativity and has a fresh clean, earthy scent

Sweet Orange – Peace, serenity, good luck

Bathroom/Bedroom

Lavender – Peace and Tranquility

Peppermint – Sleep, Healing

Grapefruit – To increase energy – this scent is great to get you going in the morning!

That concludes the planned Witchy Green Cleaning series for this year though if I find another cleaner that I love I’ll definitely add more! 

As always use caution when mixing items at home. If you are allergic to a particular item don’t use it! If I can answer any questions send me an email.

Witchy Green Cleaning - Scouring Powder

This is a re-post of the 4^th segment in my Witchy Green Cleaning series.  I hope you enjoy it!! Originally posted January 22, 2104

 If you are like me, cleaning is something that you have to do, not something that you want to do and when you throw in toxic cleaners it becomes something that you hate to do. Well, after last year’s oven cleaning debacle (you can read about it in my original Witchy Green Cleaning post here) I decided that I would be very mindful of every cleaning product I used in my home. Thus, the Witchy Green Cleaning series was born. I researched and tested and researched some more and tested again. I used essential oils and natural ingredients and I am happy to report that after using natural, homemade cleaning products over this past year that cleaning is no longer something that I dread.

My home smells great, is clean and my hands are no longer chapped and dry.

This week I am going to talk about scouring powder. Before I discovered how quick and easy it was to make my own scouring powders I used soft scrub, comet and other similar products.  They definitely got the job done but they are pretty expensive and if I run out it means a trip to the store - ick!

So after a lot of research here is the recipe that I found that works like a charm:

Scouring Powder 

• 1 cup Baking Soda
• ½ cup Borax
• ½ cup Salt
• 8-10 drops of Essential Oil
• 2-3 tablespoons Ground Herbs/Flowers/Spices

Easy enough to do and the main ingredients are part of my green cleaning tool kit so I usually have them on hand. Please note that this is a scouring powder and is not for use on granite counter tops or any surface that will scratch easily. Making your own cleaners is fantastic as long as you use them correctly.

I made a large batch of the basic recipe and then used canning jars to store the different batches I made for different areas of the home. To mimic the shaker top I punched holes in the lid using a hammer and nail and then cut circles out of a vinyl table cloth to cover the top when they are not in use. Using canning jars makes covering the holes easy and decorative, all at once! Another idea is to purchase a box of extra lids and use two, one shaker and then one without holes for storage. You can still seal a jar with two internal canning lids. I plan on storing mine with two lids and adding the vinyl top on those I give as gifts.

Before I get into the variations I made, here is the cost comparison for the basic recipe:

• 1 cup baking soda - .24  
• ½ cup Borax - .20
• ½ cup salt - .08 

Total cost for basic recipe is 52 cents for 2 cups of mix. That is less than a dollar for the entire mix and comes out to approximately 3 cents per ounce. If you purchase your baking soda in bulk you can make this for an even better price per ounce! This product compares to Comet scouring powder which is approximately 5 cents per ounce. Not too bad at all and once you have the basics on hand you can mix up a batch in just a couple of minutes. While the cost difference for this product isn't as extreme as others I've made the convenience of making your own is huge!

  

Another great thing about making your own cleaners is that you can personalize them for your tastes and needs. For instance, in the bathroom that is attached to my bedroom I wanted something soothing, something that would make you feel relaxed and comfortable and also something that was romantic - of course. So for this area I choose to use lavender essential oil and dried lavender flowers. The magical properties of lavender are peace, tranquility, romance and love. Perfect!

For the powder room, one that my youngest son calls his own and is also used by any guests in our home I choose a combination of clovebud for its ability to drive away negativity and its protective qualities along with sweet orange essential oil which has the magical properties of joy and energy.  Not only is clovebud/orange a powerful combination, is smells divine! When combining essential oils you only use 4-5 drops of each, not 8-10 drops of each and always make sure you test the combination before you put it in your cleaners! To test how two scents work together place a drop of each on a cotton ball and place it in a baggie. Let it sit for a couple of minutes and then check to see how the two scents work together.

 

For my kitchen I choose to use peppermint essential oil with rose petals, it smells clean and wonderful and has the magical properties of promoting action and getting rid of procrastination along with the peace and happiness properties of the rose petals! Definitely something I want in the busiest room of our home!

Not only is this cleaner easy to make is works! Here are the before and after pictures of the sink in my kitchen. This weekend my hubby was making both beer and wine and one of the sanitizes used in the beer making process stains the porcelain of the sink. This cleaner made quick work of that issue!

Here are some other ideas for witchy add-ins:

• Jasmine: use this in the bedroom since its magical properties include love, sexuality and rekindling passion
• Basil:  this is great for use in the bedroom and promotes intuition and an optimistic outlook
• Dragon’s Blood (actually a resin) this is great in any room. Its properties are for power and protection
• Cinnamon: great for the bathroom as it promotes purification of the body, healing and luck
• Oregano is nice for any room where you want to feel relaxed. Some of its magical properties are tranquility, luck, protection and happiness.
• Grapefruit's magical properties are energy and purity, this clean smelling scent can be combined with dried ground grapefruit peel to provide an invigorating cleaner for any room in the house.

Essential Oils

Coffee Grinder and Mortar and Pestle

I prefer to use essential oils when I make my own cleaning products. Fragrance oils are less expensive but I have found that I use less essential oil than fragrance oil and I prefer the scents of essential  oils over the same variety of fragrance oil. 

When grinding herbs and spices for use in my projects I use either the Mortar and Pestle or a coffee grinder that I use only for my artsy endeavors.  The one pictures above was purchased at my local Target store for around $18. 

Please keep in mind any allergies you may have as you create your own cleaners and always test your cleaners on a non critical area before using. I am not an herbalist or a physician, just a simple witch who enjoys making wonderful things!

To see some other amazing scouring powder recipes visit: The Nerdy Farmer Wife

A great resource for making home cleaners is the book TheNaturally Clean home by Karyn Siegel-Maier 

Next up: Witchy Green Floor Cleaners for tile, laminate and wood!

DIY Breath Freshening Treats for Your Canine Furbabies - Witchy Green Wednesday

I made these dog treats for my two pups this week and they LOVED them! Until a year ago I never thought to make treats for my dogs. I don’t know why. I cook, I bake, I like to make healthy snacks for my family and those two pups are definitely part of the family!

Alice and Sophie Waiting for Treats

Making dog treats that are healthy is easy and takes very little time. I made this batch just after tossing a load of laundry in the washer and they baked up nicely while I was cleaning the kitchen after dinner. Easy Peasy.

If you are a Pinterest fan search for DIY Dog Treats and you’ll find plenty of recipes for healthy treat recipes.

This recipe is for Breath-Freshening Biscuits for Dogs and comes from Vegan Mama’s Blog 

• 3/4 c. minced parsley leaves
• 1/4 grated carrot
• 1 Tbsp. safflower oil
• 3/4 c. whole wheat flour
• 1/2 c. corn flour or finely grated corn meal
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 c. water

1. Preheat oven to 350. In a small bowl mix together parsley, carrot and oil

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flours and baking powder. Add parsley mixture and work until flour mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Add water, mix and knead with hands until dough comes together in a smooth ball.

Ready to Bake

3. On a lightly floured surface roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Using a bone shaped cookie cutter (or any similarly sized cookie cutter -I used a shamrock cookie cutter), cut out biscuits, re-rolling, scraping as necessary. Place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet and bake 20 min (for softer); 30 min for harder biscuits. Keep refrigerated!!!

Thanks for stopping by, if you make some let me know how your fur family likes them.

Artsy Monday and Witchy Green Wednesday

Artsy Monday and Witch Green Wednesday posts will be every other week for a couple of months as my life enters one of its busier times. ** Update** I'll be alternating them, one week will be Artsy Monday and the next week will be Witchy Green Wednesday!

Next week Artsy Monday will feature Domino Pendants like those that I make for my Etsy shop using alcohol inks, rubber stamps, charms and more and on Witchy Green Wednesday (**the following week) I'll be posting some healthy homemade Dog treats that you can make for your furry friends.

Thanks for stopping by

Witchy Green Cleaning – Floor Wash

Welcome back to the final installment in the Witch Green Cleaning series. This week I’m going to tell you a little bit about the floor washes that I’ve made. There aren’t too many photo’s but the recipes are great!

Before you wash your floors be sure to either sweep or vacuum any dirt. dust (or in my case) dog hair. It is much easier to mop when you've got the bits and pieces swept up!

The first cleaner is a very simple recipe that I use on my tile and linoleum. It is easy to make and leaves the floor clean. One of the best things about it is that you don’t need to rinse afterwards!! I’ve seen this basic recipe on several sites. My favorite is www.amybayliss.com, she has lots of great DIY ideas for the home.

Basic Floor Wash – Tile & Linoleum

1 Gallon hot water (very hot)

1 cup vinegar

½ cup Borax

8-10 drops Essential Oil (For the kitchen I like to use lemon essential oil because it smells so fresh!)

Mix all ingredients in your bucket and mop as usual. As I mentioned above you do not need to rinse the floor when you use this mixture!

If I just need to get the dust or dirt off the wood floors then I use this simple recipe which comes from the book The Naturally Clean Home by Karyn Siegel-Maier. This book has over 100 recipes for cleaners for every area of you home!

Wood Floor Wash

1 ½ cups water

1 ½ cups vinegar (natural disinfectant)

20 drops peppermint essential oil ( Or lemon, Eucalyptus, Pine)

Mix all ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake well. Working on a small area at a time mist the floor and then wipe using a dry mop.Repeat as necessary to remove all the dust and dirt.

Finally here is the cleaner I use to make my wood floors shine.  

To Make the Wood Shine

1 cup olive oil

1 cup white vinegar

Mix both ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake well.

Working on a small section at a time, spray floor with oil/vinegar mix and wipe dry with clean soft cloth. I use old towels that I got at my local thrift store.  

Look for towels that are old and soft and preferably white or a light color. I bleach mine when I get them home and then tear them into 2 foot by 2 foot squares. These are just right for me to use to buff the floor with my foot. I also use them to dry all of my floors when I mop them. Once I finish mopping the entire floor(tile and linoleum - wood I dry as I go) I throw one of these towels on the floor and buff it with my foot until the floor is dry, getting a new dry towel as necessary. once done I toss all the wet towels in the wash so they are ready for the next time. 

When working with wood floors always work in small sections and dry the floor as you go. You do not want to leave liquid on a wood floor for any prolonged amount of time as it could damage the floor. Always test your homemade cleaners in an inconspicuous spot before using!

Now for the witchy add-ins:

General

Rosemary – Purification, Protection and Alertness (This is also great for entrance ways)

Eucalyptus – Removes negativity, promotes healing

Lemon – Increases energy (both physical and mental) and it really smells fresh and clean!

Pine- Removes negativity and has a fresh clean, earthy scent

Sweet Orange – Peace, serenity, good luck

Bathroom/Bedroom

Lavender – Peace and Tranquility

Peppermint – Sleep, Healing

Grapefruit – To increase energy – this scent is great to get you going in the morning!

That concludes the planned Witchy Green Cleaning series for this year though if I find another cleaner that I love I’ll definitely add more!

As always use caution when mixing items at home. If you are allergic to a particular item don’t use it! IF I can answer any questions send me an email.

Autumnwind

Greetings

Greetings everyone,

The past two weeks have been a combination of illness and playing catch up. I thought I had it all together until my camera started acting up - that issue will be fixed tomorrow so my posts should be back to their regularly scheduled days by Friday! Fingers crossed :0)

This week's Witchy Green Wednesday post may be on Sunday. I am so excited to share with  you the natural,  homemade floor cleaners that I've been using that I really don't want to wait until next Wednesday!!

To make up for the extra delay I think I will have to have a give-away with that post.

So, stay tuned for a couple of easy to make and use floor cleaning recipes and a cool give-away!!

Autumnwind

Artsy Monday/Witchy Green Wednesday - Postponed due to Illness

Due to a severe case of food poisoning the Artsy Monday &  Witchy Green Wednesday posts for this week are being postponed until next week. Check back next Monday to see the adorable Valentine themed, hand painted wine glasses and Wednesday to see my homemade floor cleaners.

See you soon

Autumnwind

Witchy Green Cleaning – Scouring Powder

This is the 4^th segment in my Witchy Green Cleaning series. This post is new to the series and I am very excited about it.

If you are like me, cleaning is something that you have to do, not something that you want to do and when you throw in toxic cleaners it becomes something that you hate to do. Well, after last year’s oven cleaning debacle (you can read about it in my original Witchy Green Cleaning post here) I decided that I would be very mindful of every cleaning product I used in my home. Thus, the Witchy Green Cleaning series was born. I researched and tested and researched some more and tested again. I used essential oils and natural ingredients and I am happy to report that after using natural, homemade cleaning products over this past year that cleaning is no longer something that I dread.

My home smells great, is clean and my hands are no longer chapped and dry.

This week I am going to talk about scouring powder. Before I discovered how quick and easy it was to make my own scouring powders I used soft scrub, comet and other similar products.  They definitely got the job done but they are pretty expensive and if I run out it means a trip to the store - ick!

So after a lot of research here is the recipe that I found that works like a charm:

Scouring Powder 

• 1 cup Baking Soda
• ½ cup Borax
• ½ cup Salt
• 8-10 drops of Essential Oil
• 2-3 tablespoons Ground Herbs/Flowers/Spices

Easy enough to do and the main ingredients are part of my green cleaning tool kit so I usually have them on hand. Please note that this is a scouring powder and is not for use on granite counter tops or any surface that will scratch easily. Making your own cleaners is fantastic as long as you use them correctly.

I made a large batch of the basic recipe and then used canning jars to store the different batches I made for different areas of the home. To mimic the shaker top I punched holes in the lid using a hammer and nail and then cut circles out of a vinyl table cloth to cover the top when they are not in use. Using canning jars makes covering the holes easy and decorative, all at once! Another idea is to purchase a box of extra lids and use two, one shaker and then one without holes for storage. You can still seal a jar with two internal canning lids. I plan on storing mine with two lids and adding the vinyl top on those I give as gifts.

Before I get into the variations I made, here is the cost comparison for the basic recipe:

• 1 cup baking soda - .24  
• ½ cup Borax - .20
• ½ cup salt - .08 

Total cost for basic recipe is 52 cents for 2 cups of mix. That is less than a dollar for the entire mix and comes out to approximately 3 cents per ounce. If you purchase your baking soda in bulk you can make this for an even better price per ounce! This product compares to Comet scouring powder which is approximately 5 cents per ounce. Not too bad at all and once you have the basics on hand you can mix up a batch in just a couple of minutes. While the cost difference for this product isn't as extreme as others I've made the convenience of making your own is huge!

Another great thing about making your own cleaners is that you can personalize them for your tastes and needs. For instance, in the bathroom that is attached to my bedroom I wanted something soothing, something that would make you feel relaxed and comfortable and also something that was romantic - of course. So for this area I choose to use lavender essential oil and dried lavender flowers. The magical properties of lavender are peace, tranquility, romance and love. Perfect!

For the powder room, one that my youngest son calls his own and is also used by any guests in our home I choose a combination of clovebud for its ability to drive away negativity and its protective qualities along with sweet orange essential oil which has the magical properties of joy and energy.  Not only is clovebud/orange a powerful combination, is smells divine! When combining essential oils you only use 4-5 drops of each, not 8-10 drops of each and always make sure you test the combination before you put it in your cleaners! To test how two scents work together place a drop of each on a cotton ball and place it in a baggie. Let it sit for a couple of minutes and then check to see how the two scents work together.

For my kitchen I choose to use peppermint essential oil with rose petals, it smells clean and wonderful and has the magical properties of promoting action and getting rid of procrastination along with the peace and happiness properties of the rose petals! Definitely something I want in the busiest room of our home!

Not only is this cleaner easy to make is works! Here are the before and after pictures of the sink in my kitchen. This weekend my hubby was making both beer and wine and one of the sanitizes used in the beer making process stains the porcelain of the sink. This cleaner made quick work of that issue!

Here are some other ideas for witchy add-ins:

• Jasmine: use this in the bedroom since its magical properties include love, sexuality and rekindling passion
• Basil:  this is great for use in the bedroom and promotes intuition and an optimistic outlook
• Dragon’s Blood (actually a resin) this is great in any room. Its properties are for power and protection
• Cinnamon: great for the bathroom as it promotes purification of the body, healing and luck
• Oregano is nice for any room where you want to feel relaxed. Some of its magical properties are tranquility, luck, protection and happiness.
• Grapefruit's magical properties are energy and purity, this clean smelling scent can be combined with dried ground grapefruit peel to provide an invigorating cleaner for any room in the house.

Essential Oils

Coffee Grinder and Mortar and Pestle

I prefer to use essential oils when I make my own cleaning products. Fragrance oils are less expensive but I have found that I use less essential oil than fragrance oil and I prefer the scents of essential  oils over the same variety of fragrance oil. 

When grinding herbs and spices for use in my projects I use either the Mortar and Pestle or a coffee grinder that I use only for my artsy endeavors.  The one pictures above was purchased at my local Target store for around $18. 

Please keep in mind any allergies you may have as you create your own cleaners and always test your cleaners on a non critical area before using. I am not an herbalist or a physician, just a simple witch who enjoys making wonderful things!

To see some other amazing scouring powder recipes visit: The Nerdy Farmer Wife

A great resource for making home cleaners is the book TheNaturally Clean home by Karyn Siegel-Maier 

Next up: Witchy Green Floor Cleaners for tile, laminate and wood!

Witchy Green Cleaning - All Purpose Cleaner

This is a re-post of the third post in my Witchy Green Cleaning Series. This is the last of the re-post. The next two posts in this series are new! I can't say enough good things about these cleaners. I have been using them in my home for the past year with great results. They are easy to make and once you have the ingredients you have all that you need to make a LOT of cleaners. In the past year the only ingredient that I have had to buy is additional vinegar. I still have plenty of all the other ingredients for these cleaners.

Originally published on January 14, 2013.

This is the third post in my Witchy Green Cleaning series; click here for information on a simple bathroom cleaner and here for information on two simple window and glass cleaners. I am testing all of these products in my own home before I post about them here.

Today I am writing about an all purpose cleaner. This recipe is a little more involved but worth the extra effort.

For a 1 gallon container you’ll need the following:

3 teaspoons of liquid Castile Soap (I found this at Target in the bath soap aisle)

2 tablespoons Borax

2 tablespoons Washing Soda

2 Cups white vinegar

12 cups of hot water

Gallon jug - I bought a gallon of drinking water at Walmart so I would have a clean gallon jug to store this in.

Directions:

Mix the Castile soap, Borax, washing soda and vinegar in a large bowl. Slowly add the water and stir Allow the mixture to cool. Using a funnel, pour the mixture into a gallon jug.

You can add essential oil to this mixture as well. I chose to only add it to the mix once I poured a portion into a spray bottle for use. This allows me to change up the scent and purpose multiple times without having to make lots of mix.  This all purpose cleaner is also disinfects so you can use it just like you would Formula 409 or similar products.

Cost Breakdown:

3 tsp Liquid Castile Soap = .33

2 Tablespoons Borax = .05

2 Tablespoons Washing Soda = .06

3 Cups White Vinegar = .48

12 Cups Hot Water = .17 (from my purchased gallon jug)

Total 1.09

Cost per ounce = .008 – yes that is less than a penny per ounce!

Comparison

Formula 409 is roughly .18 per ounce. That is a huge savings and the homemade product is environmentally friendly, easy to make and safe to use.

My total initial cost for all of the ingredients that I am using for ALL of the cleaning products I am making was less that $40. It you are just starting out I recommend White Vinegar and Dawn Dishwashing Liquid! Those two will give you plenty of cleaning power for the money! The two most expensive items initially are the liquid Castile Soap and the Vegetable Glycerin which is used as a preservative in the scouring powder I’ll be talking about in my next Witchy Green Cleaning post. While their initial cost is higher than the other ingredients, the amount you use is so minute they will last you a very long time!

Witchy Add-Ins:

With an all purpose cleaner you have so many ways to use it that the essential oils you can use are pretty endless.

Once the weather warms up and the chance for freezing is past I plan on making a small batch to clean the interior of my car and just keep it in there. I’ll be putting in Oregano Essential oil for its protection, happiness and tranquility properties – there are some days when I am driving home in rush hour traffic that some tranquility would be welcome! As you experiment with adding essential oils to your cleaning products always make sure they are safe for skin contact and long term use.

Some other essential oil ideas:

For All-Purpose

Oregano – Happiness, protection and tranquility

Rosemary – Purification, protection and alertness

Peppermint - Rid areas of negativity, create change

Bedroom:

Lavender– lavender is great for love, protection, happiness and peace

Peppermint – this is also great for sleep, love and healing

Patchouli – this one is great when you want to spice it up - properties: sexuality, power and passion

Bathroom:

Grapefruit – to increase energy, this is especially nice to use to clean the shower during the long winter months!

Lavender - peace and emotional tranquility

Car:

Oregano – protection, happiness & tranquility

As you can see from the list above, it is worth making a large batch and putting it into smaller spray bottles so you can personalize the scent or you can just use the base recipe as a fantastic cleaning product!

Next up: A Green Soft Scouring Powder Alternative

*Note* I found this recipe on Cajun Joie de Vivre: http://amybayliss.com/.

Witchy Green Window and Glass Cleaner

Below is the second post in my original Witch Green Cleaning Series. It was first posted on January 6, 2012. I have added a bit more information on Witchy Add-Ins. 

This is the second post in my Witchy Green Cleaning series. Click here to see the first post on a simple bathroom cleaner (2014 post). For this post I experimented with two green window and mirror cleaners.  Both are simple to make and the ingredients are very similar.

Window & Mirror Cleaner 1

This recipe was listed on the Being Frugal website: www.beingfrugal.net

·         2 Cups Water

·         ¼ C. Vinegar

·         ½ tsp. Original Formula Dawn Dishwashing Liquid

Add all ingredients to a spray bottle. Gently shake to mix.

Window & Mirror Cleaner 2

The second recipe is super simple, very similar to the one above and was found on the Daily Green Website: www.thedailygreen.com

·         2 Tablespoons White Vinegar

·         1 Gallon Water

Mix and pour into a spray bottle.

With both formulas you spray the mixture onto your window or mirror and then wipe clean with newsprint, not paper towels since paper towels tend to cause streaking.

My results: Both cleaners worked beautifully. The mirrors were sparkling clean and were streak free.

After the first use I decided to add a tiny bit of essential oil to the second formula. The reason I chose to experiment with this particular formula was because it did not contain the Dawn Dishwashing Liquid and I am pretty confident that if the oil does not leave a film with this formula it will also be fine in the first formula.

Since this product is for windows as well as mirrors I chose to add Bergamot oil for its protection, prosperity and luck properties. I added 10 drops to the 25 oz. spray bottle of my solution.

My results were fantastic. No residue, no smearing and no streaking.

Cost:

Formula 1

2 Cups. Water = .12

¼ C. Vinegar = .04

½ Teaspoon Dawn Dishwashing Liquid = .01

Total:  $.17 per 18 oz batch roughly .01 per ounce

Formula 2

2 Tablespoons Vinegar = .02

1 Gallon Water = .88 (cost for 1 gallon of bottle water at Walmart)

Total= .90 which breaks down to .007 or less than 1 penny per ounce!

Cost Comparison

Windex = $3.49 for 20 oz = .18 per ounce

**New for 2014** Witchy Add-In's

I realized when I was preparing to re-post that I neglected to include additional Witchy Add-In ideas in the original post. You can of course use any of the oils listed in the Bathroom Cleaner post or you can try one of the following:

Bergamot (This is the oil I use) - This oil is great for guest bathrooms and the windows of the house. A few of the magical properties associated with Bergamot oil are protection, prosperity and luck.

Oregano - This is an all around great oil for the bathroom mirror or any room that you want happiness and tranquility in. Some of the magical properties associated with Oregano oil's are happiness, tranquility, health and protection.

Cinnamon Leaf - This is a great oil to use in the cleaner for you bedroom mirrors or windows. Some of the magical properties associated with Cinnamon Leaf oil are love, passion, and luck.  

While saving money is awesome, the fact that I can whip up a batch from ingredients I almost always have on hand, in less than a minute, can personalize the scent to suit my taste and can add some additional magical mojo to my cleaning makes these products exactly what I needed. One more safe cleaning alternative for my home. I have no idea why it has taken me so long to do this. Seriously!

Next up an all purpose cleaner, this one is a bit more involved ingredient wise but it is very versatile, still a green choice, inexpensive to make and again, I can add some extra oomph to it!

Witchy Green Wednesday - Witchy Green Bathroom Cleaner

Below is a re-post of my first Witchy Green Cleaning Post. I have been using these products for an entire year now and I have been very happy with the results. My house is clean, it smells great and I don’t worry that I am working with hazardous chemicals every time I pick up my cleaning products.  My hands are no longer cracked and red after I clean and the products are quick and easy to make. The basic ingredients are easy to find and fairly inexpensive and the final products are much less expensive when compared to the harsher chemical cleaning products. Cost comparisons and prices are included in my posts.

I hope you enjoy my Witchy Green Cleaning Series. This year I will be adding at least 2 more posts to the original three. Look for them on Wednesdays.

Originally posted January 2, 2013:

As the year begins I always feel like cleaning, well, pretty much everything! I really like to start the calendar year off with a deeply cleaned house but over the holidays(the day before Thanksgiving) I managed to do some serious damage to my hands because I forgot to wear gloves while cleaning my oven(yes I acknowledge that it was my own fault)! It has taken almost 6 weeks for my hands to be almost healed.  After that horrible experience I decided to make the switch to green products that are economical, easy for me to make at home and safe to use around my family, my pets and in my house.  Above is a picture of some of the ingredients I will be talking about over the next couple of weeks as I make the switch from chemical cleaners to homemade. 

The first recipe I choose to try was for a Bathroom cleaner that I saw on the www.beingfrugal.net site.

This bathroom cleaner is an easy one to make. You’ll need the following

Spray Bottle
½ Cup Original formula Dawn Dishwashing Liquid 

 Vinegar (I used white vinegar, it is easy to find and very inexpensive)

Pour the Dawn Dishwashing liquid into the spray bottle and then fill the rest of the way with white vinegar. Gently shake to mix and you are ready to go. Like I said – easy peasy!

Cost for this batch (Based on the prices at my local Walmart and Lowe’s stores) –

½ cup of Dawn =  .24

18 oz of Vinegar =  .36

22 oz Spray Bottle = $2.28 at Lowes

Total Initial Cost = $2.88 (cost decreases each time you refill since you don’t have to purchase a new spray bottle)

Cost for the cleaner comes out to about .03 per ounce (I did not include the cost of the bottle in the per ounce cost because it is reusable and not part of the actual cleaning recipe). Formula 409 is roughly .18 per ounce.

 ** New note for 2014** If you are not able to find the Original formula Dawn Dishwashing liquid you can use the blue Dawn Ultra dishwashing liquid; just cut your amount you use in the recipe in half since it is twice as concentrated. For the above recipe  you would use 1/4 cup of  Dawn Concentrated instead of 1/2 cup of the Original Formula Dawn**

A great money saver and making this product is easy on the environment and on me!

The first time I used this I was thrilled. It did an excellent job cleaning the tub, toilet and counter tops - in the bathroom my boys use – ‘nuf said! It was also easy to make and did not of require tons of scrubbing. There was a very strong vinegar odor at first but that only lasted about 10 minutes. Once the tub was dry the vinegar smell was gone. After that first use I added 25 drops of essential oil to my bottle of cleaner. The result, the vinegary smell dissipated much quicker and there was a very light, lingering fragrance of my choosing, over all - I LOVE it!

Another benefit – I did not cough, my eyes did not burn or water and my still healing skin did not get red, cracked or become sore, in fact, after cleaning all three bathrooms in my house I am surprised at how soft my hands are. I will definitely not be going back to chemical cleaners. 

Now, for the Witchy add-ins…

The fun thing about making your own cleaning products is that, as a witch, you can add a little bit more oomph to the recipe just by the essential oil you decide to add. Of course you want to make sure it has a scent you like as well as a purpose that is compatible with what you are using it for.

A couple of ideas:

Add 20 -30 drops of peppermint oil to clear a room of negativity. This will also help get rid of the tendency to procrastinate and during the holidays it smells very festive.

Add 20 -30 drops of Lavender Oil to balance and calm an area, this is great for bedroom windowsills (mine are tile) and bathrooms, imagine taking a nice warm bath in a room that has been cleaned with a lavender charged cleaner!

Add 20 -30 drops of Sage Oil for overall purification and cleansing, this is a great way to purify spaces between uses of your sage smudge stick!

The variations are limitless! I love working with oils so this was an added benefit to making my own cleaning products. I chose to add Clovebud Oil to my cleaner due to its purification properties, ability to drive away negative forces as well as its tendency to invite abundance. It also has a smell that I find very pleasing!  

What I noticed about adding the essential oil was that there was no oily residue, only a very light scent of the oil that I added. I would imagine that this is due to the small amount of oil used, the fact that I used essential oil AND the fact that it is combined with a really nice grease cutter in the Dawn dishwashing liquid.

One thing to add, vinegar has been proven in many scientific studies to be an effective disinfectant.  Here are some of the sites I visited while researching green cleaners which discuss the effectiveness of vinegar.

http://www.rodale.com/natural-disinfectant

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2000/12/26/48hours/main259812.shtml

http://www.abc.net.au/health/talkinghealth/factbuster/stories/2012/02/02/3407024.htm

Coming Up Next:

A  Witchy Green window and glass cleaner

Changing Things up a Bit!

I spent the last few days reviewing my blog so that I could have a nice post for the Grow Your Blog blog party this month and what I found is that I like most of the content just not how haphazard I post it. So I am going to try something new for 2014. We'll see how it goes as the year goes on.

My goal is to post certain things on certain days, for instance, On Fridays I'll be posting my Pagan Blog Project posts, on Wednesday (starting today!) I'll be re-posting my Witchy Green Cleaning series to start and then other home and hearth type posts and on Mondays I'll be posting artsy and DIY types things. I won't be posting 3 times every week and I am sure I'll post other things on these days as well but my plan is to step it up a bit and organize my little corner of cyberspace.

So keep an eye out for Artsy Mondays, Witchy Green Wednesdays, and Pagan Fridays this year. I am excited by this idea and hopefully that excitement will make my blog more fun and even informative.