Handy homemade helpers

I've been meaning to put this post together for a couple of years now, and actually thought that I had, but I guess I haven't done so.  I can't seem to find it, anyway, so if it is there, no one else is likely to find it either.

There are many homemade helpers I've come to rely on.  Some are mixes (and I know I have blogged about those, but maybe I should consider doing so again); many are household helpers like cleaners, etc.  Here's a rundown of the ones that have worked best for me:

Tub and Shower Magic.  That's it in the photo at the top of the post.

I never want to be without this one.   A combination of blue Dawn® dish soap and heated white vinegar, it works better than anything else I have ever tried.  We have hard water, and this has been the very best shower cleaner I've used.  Just writing this reminds me that I need to refill my spray bottle.  Today.

Dryer balls work very well.  When using these, I use only one tennis ball and it is fine.  I usually just use white vinegar in my laundry as a fabric softener.  But for loads that seem prone to clinging, or for really stiff items like work jeans, I will add the dryer ball.  

Homemade toilet cleaning bombs.  I keep a jar of these under each  bathroom sink.  

The toilet really needs to be relatively clean before you add one of these -- I think of them as "freshening" more than actually cleaning.  But they are great for freshening up a toilet quickly before company arrives, or sometimes I will pop one into the toilet at night before going to bed.  The ones below were made using a silicone ice cube mold in the shape of oranges.

Homemade fabric softener.  I usually just spray the tennis balls with a small amount of this rather than using the essential oils.  I do know that essential oils would be healthier, so maybe I will get into doing that.

Vacuum Cleaner Bag Sachets.   These are easy to make and I really like how well they work. You just put a sachet into your vacuum cleaner bag when you change the bag, and a nice fresh scent results.   The directions and "recipe" came originally from Tipnut.   I have modified it slightly.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup dried lavender* (I buy the dried lavender from the bulk herb section of our local health food store)

1/4 cup dried rosemary*
 (I buy a large spice jar of rosemary from the spice section at Dollar Tree)
1 Tblsp. cloves*
 (Again, I buy in a spice jar at Dollar Tree or Ocean State Job Lot)
1/2 cup cedar shavings

1 Tblsp. baking soda

5 to 7 drops of essential oil (your choice)

Coffee filters
String

*Or use 1/2 cup of your favorite herbal blend instead of the lavender/rosemary/cloves.

Directions:
    •    Mix ingredients together then store in a sealed glass container for 1 week.
    •    Place 3 Tblsp. of mix in the center of a coffee filter.  Gather up edges and tie tightly with string.
    •    Store them in a sealed glass jar until needed.

Instructions For Use:
    •    Pop a sachet into the new vacuum bag each time you change it. When you vacuum, the fragrance from the pouch will fill the room.
    •    Instead of using a sachet, you can add a few tablespoons of the mix into the new bag when changing it.
    •    If you prefer a stronger fragrance, add a few more drops of essential oil to the pouch.

This is another one I try not to run out of.  When the sachets get low, I make more and add them to the sealed glass jar.

I have found that these sachets also work great to keep linens and blankets fresh-smelling in storage.

Crocheted Swiffer Sock.   I need to make one more of these.  I've made three, but wash them frequently.  They work wonderfully and I like not having to spend money on the swiffer refills.  I've recently made another of these to take to our little cottage.

Lavender Room and Linen Spray  is so easy to make with just a few ingredients.  I had had a purchased lavender room spray and when it ran out, I tried making more using this formula and was very pleased with it. 

Peppermint spray to deter ants, from Jess at Mom4Real.  This one works very well.  It also helps with silverfish and spiders.  Occasionally I have even used it as a cleaning spray and it smells wonderful!

Photo by Mom4Real

  Homemade fruit and veggie wash, another from Jess.  It works great!  I had at one time tried a different recipe for this type of product and I just didn't feel confident that it was working as well as it should.  This one is much better, and so easy!

There are others that have not worked so well.

A daily shower spray that I tried was such a disappointment.  I didn't throw it away, however, since I knew that if I ever happened to run out of Tilex Daily Shower, it would be much better than nothing.  And now, I have not been able to purchase Tilex Daily Shower for many months.  It's one of those things that has inexplicably disappeared since the coronavirus, and I've had it on order for months.  So now I have a different homemade recipe -- still not as effective as I would like, but it helps.

(And -- this is not homemade, and I really have no idea what dangerous chemicals might be in it [the label doesn't say] -- but I have recently found that the LA Awesome daily shower cleaner sold at the Dollar Tree works extremely well.  It is made in USA, at least, so that is one thing.)

An all-purpose cleaning spray is nice, but I haven't found one yet that works as well as I would like.  I'm still trying to figure out one that works well.  I might try this 3-Ingredient All-Purpose Cleaning Spray; I have everything I need on hand.  It seems to be mostly for kitchens, though.

I've tried homemade Soft Scrub recipes, and they work okay, but they quickly get too stiff and difficult to use.  The other day Mr. T suggested trying just plain baking soda, and really that worked as well as the homemade scrubs I've tried.  One of my bathroom sinks really seems to need something more abrasive than just a spray.  The baking soda is fine but it's not as quick and easy as using a spray.  So we will see if I can come up with something better.

There you have it ... some of my favorite handy homemade helpers.  Hope this is an encouragement to other frugal homemakers!