HearthBeats: Recipes from a Kitchen Witch
Hey guys and gals.. I am sending some recipes for homemade cleaning supplies and body care supplies…
Starting with window cleaner.
Recipe #1
2 cups water
3 TBS vinegar
1/2 tsp dish detergent (liquid)
Recipe #2
1 gallon water
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tsp dish detergent (liquid)
Recipe #3
1 gallon water
1/4 cup vinegar
2 TBS lemon juice
squirt dish detergent (liquid)
Recipe #4
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 gallon warm water
Spray windows with preferred cleaner solution then wipe clean with crumpled newspapers. The newspaper helps prevent streaks.
Avoid cleaning windows and glass when the sun is hot and shining on the window–glass will dry too fast and there will be streaks.
Also wash one side of the window in an up and down direction, on the other side scrub side to side. This will help determine which side of the glass has the streaks that need to be polished out.
Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Shake ½ Cup of Borax and 10 drops of tea tree essential oil into toilet,
give it a quick scrub with the toilet brush, close the lid and leave for
several hours or overnight. Scrub again, flush and delight in your sparkling
clean, fresh-smelling bowl.
Homemade Laundry Soap Detergent Recipes
Recipe #1
1 quart Water (boiling)
2 cups Bar soap (grated)
2 cups Borax
2 cups Washing Soda
- Add finely grated bar soap to the boiling water and stir until soap is melted. You can keep on low heat until soap is melted.
- Pour the soap water into a large, clean pail and add the Borax and Washing Soda. Stir well until all is dissolved.
- Add 2 gallons of water, stir until well mixed.
- Cover pail and use 1/4 cup for each load of laundry. Stir the soap each time you use it (will gel).
Recipe #2
Hot water
1 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
1 Soap bar
- Grate the bar soap and add to a large saucepan with hot water. Stir over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
- Fill a 10 gallon pail half full of hot water. Add the melted soap, Borax and Washing soda, stir well until all powder is dissolved. Top the pail up with more hot water.
- Use 1 cup per load, stirring soap before each use (will gel).
Recipe #3
Powdered Laundry Detergent ( I use this and it is great. You can pre-wash with Dawn if you get grease or oil stains)
2 cups Fels Naptha Soap (finely grated – you could also try the other bar soaps listed at the top)
1 cup Washing Soda
1 cup Borax
- Mix well and store in an airtight plastic container.
- Use 2 tablespoons per full load.
Recipe # 4
Powdered Laundry Detergent ( you can make this in smaller batches. It works great too.)
12 cups Borax
8 cups Baking Soda
8 cups Washing Soda
8 cups Bar soap (grated)
- Mix all ingredients well and store in a sealed tub.
- Use 1/8 cup of powder per full load.
Liquid Detergents Note
Soap will be lumpy, goopy and gel-like. This is normal. Just give it a good stir before using. Make sure soap is covered with a lid when not in use. You could also pour the homemade soap in old (and cleaned) laundry detergent bottles and shake well before each use.
*If you can’t find Fels-Naptha locally, you can buy it online (check Amazon).
Optional
You can add between 10 to 15 drops of essential oil (per 2 gallons) to your homemade laundry detergent. Add once the soap has cooled to room temperature. Stir well and cover.
Essential oil ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil
If you add an extra ½ cup borax and a ½ cup salt to 1 ½ cups liquid detergent you can make a great soft scrub.
All purpose cleaner
2 Tablespoons Borax
1 Teaspoon Castile Soap
15-20 drops total of Essential Oils such as Pine, Lemon, Lemongrass,
Eucalyptus or Tea Tree (remember that Tea Tree is has great disinfectant
qualities)
Add Borax to a 1-quart spray bottle.
Fill with warm water.
Add Castile soap and 15 to 20 drops of oil.
Shake and use.
Body care
Basic Shower Gel
1/2 cup unscented shampoo
1/4 cup water
3/4 teaspoon salt
15 drops fragrance oil
Food coloring ( optional)
Directions:
Pour shampoo into a bowl and add the water. Stir until its well mixed add the salt and fragrance.
Add any fragrance oil that you like!
Liquid Hand Soap Recipe
1 bar of soap, small (not super size)
3 C. Water
Take your bar of soap (we use Dove or store brand like it, because it’s more moisturizing), and grate it with a cheese grater. Pour the water and grated soap into a microwaveable container and cook on high for 3 min. Remove and stir until all soap bits have melted (put in a bit longer, if needed). Let it cool, then pour into pumps (leftover from store bought liquid soap), and the remainder in any container with a lid. Makes about 24 oz.
Peach Shower Gel
3/4 cup distilled water
1/4 cup shampoo concentrate (or substitute with 1/2 cup unscented shampoo and increase salt to 1 tsp.)
1/2 tsp. table salt
1 tbs. apricot kernel oil
15 drops peach fragrance oil
5 drops vitamin E oil (2 capsules)
1 drop orange food coloring (optional)
Warm the water and pour into a ceramic bowl. Add the apricot kernal oil, salt, peach fragrance oil, vitamin E oil (just break open the capsules) and coloring. Stir until well blended and thick. Pour into a squeeze bottle and close.
Hair Growth herbal Shampoo
This shampoo not only helps encourage hair growth, but it also keeps the
Scalp very clean and healthy and helps prevent dandruff.
2 cups distilled water
1 cup fresh spearmint
1 cup fresh rosemary
1 cup all-natural, gentle baby shampoo
Essential oil or fragrance oil, your choice, optional (to make it a
Scented shampoo)
Boil the water with the fresh herbs for about ten minutes, in a glass
Saucepan (like Visions). Or, you can put in a microwave-safe glass or
Plastic bowl and heat in the microwave until boiling, and allow to boil
For about ten minutes. Then, remove the pot from the stove or bowl from
The microwave and cover with a lid and allow to sit and steep for an
Hour. Strain the liquid through cheesecloth. Mix this with the baby
Shampoo. Pour into bottles and let set overnight. The next morning you
Can add some fragrance or essential oil to the shampoo in whatever scent
You like the most.
Until next month
Merry Cooking and Blessed Eating
The Hearthkeeper
PS. If there is anything you would like to see here.. Please email me at [email protected]
Blessed be…