DIY Hand Sanitizer

http://www.keeperofthehome.org

20 drops of tea tree oil, 10 drops of lavender, and 5 drops each of lemon and sweet orange oil

Witch hazel

Aloe Vera 

METHOD

Start by pouring your essential oils into your glass bottle.

A note about bottles: You want to use glass bottles when using essential oils. The essential oils will eat away at a plastic bottle rendering this formula useless. Glass bottles are easy to find at a local health food store or online.

When mixing essential oils for a spray, the rule of thumb is to add 10-15 drops of essential oil per ounce of liquid.

I added 20 drops of tea tree oil, 10 drops of lavender, and 5 drops each of lemon and sweet orange oil.

Gently swirl the oils together in your glass spray bottle. Then, fill the remainder of your bottle with witch hazel and aloe vera.

I used a witch hazel and aloe vera formula I got from our local health store. If you’re using them separately, then just fill your bottle 2/3 with witch hazel and the remaining 1/3 with aloe vera.

Put the lid on your bottle and give the mixture a good shake.

If you have Vitamin E oil, then add a few drops to your mixture as well. This is not necessary, but it will extend the shelf life of your hand sanitizer as well as add additional healing properties to your spray.

Label your spray bottle and use your DIY hand sanitizer when you’re out and about during the cold and flu season.

DIY VAPOR SHOWER DISKS

http://www.herecomesthesunblog.net/

• 1 cup baking soda
• 1/3 cup - 1/2 cup water
• 15 drops peppermint essential oil
• 15 drops lavender essential oil
• 1 silicone mold

Instructions

1. Place baking soda in a bowl
2. Add water to mixture and gradually and stir until a paste forms. You may not need all the water. I used just under 1/2 cup
3. Add in essential oils and stir completely
4. Place mixture into silicone mold
5. Leave on counter to dry overnight or place in oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes to dry.

HOMEMADE DRYER SHEETS

http://viewfromthefridge.com/homemade-dryer-sheets/

 DIY Softening Solution:

• 1/2 cup of Vinegar (Remember white vinegar is made from wheat -it is not gluten free-so find a safe vinegar-Apple cider vinegar) 
• 8-10 drops of your favorite essential oil

Add to bottom of glass container that can be sealed like the one pictured.  Give it a whirl with your hand to mix. 

For the fabric sheets:

Cut some squares (5x5 or 6x6) out of your fabric scraps or old dishtowels.  Use a pinking shears if you don’t plan on sewing or serging the edges (you can zig zag edges to).  This will prevent most of the fraying. 

Fold the sheets to fit container and drop them in -this vertical method above, where each sheet is touching the bottom works best to absorb the solution. To use right away: Flip container to mix. 

Grab a couple squares, ring out the excess liquid, and throw ’em into the dryer with your clothes (I use about 4-6 per large load):

When the load is done just put them back in the jar to be reused. Refill as necessary

HW: Not all essential oils are safe for every age. I recommend Lavender (not ingested) for babies 3+ months and up. 

Check out this article about safety of essential oil  with children 3+months and up. http://www.thehippyhomemaker.com/essential-oil-safety-babies-children/

Homemade Carpet Dedorizer

http://myfrugaladventures.com/2012/05/homemade-carpet-deodorizer-so-fast-easy/

Fill a container -like a pint size Ball jar- with baking soda and add a few drops of essential oils (I would probably use about 15-30 depending on the essential oil. Use your sniffer.) Mama hint : lavender is soothing for babies and peppermint helps with congestion.

– You take baking soda and add a few drops of your favorite essential oil or you can use cooking vanilla or cinnamon straight from your spice rack if you don’t have any oils on hand.  I really like Peppermint, Rosemary, Lavender or Lemon myself.  I find Peppermint has a very pronounced fragrance and citrus or lavender can be more subtle.

You can also get one of these little sprinkle jars from Target or Walmart for about $1.00.  Those make it a bit easier to sprinkle around the house.  You can find jars at the Dollar Store that are intended for powdered sugar and those work perfectly or just take a Mason Jar and use a piece of cardstock to replace the inside circle for the lid.  Puncture a few holes and that will work!

Fill it with baking soda and then add about 10 drops of fragrance and shake well.

Sprinkle this like crazy throughout the house- about an hour before you want to vacuum.  Sometimes I will sprinkle this in the morning before work and then vacuum when I get home- it is especially nice to give the fragrance a chance to take hold in the closets and such.

You can also use this in the car before you vacuum- I sprinkle it everywhere in the car.  On our children’s car seats, the upholstery, the carpet etc…

Wound Recovery Spray

This wound recovery spray will help your wound to recover quickly and without infection.  It is also good for  any soreness.  

Ingredients

• 3 drops of Lavender essential oil (hw:safe for babies 3m up) 
• 3 drops of Thieves essential oil (hw: not for children under 10)
• 2 drops of Myrrh essential oil  (Optional ) (hw:safe over age 2)
• 2 drops of Cypress essential oil  (Optional )(hw:safe over age 6m)
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 ounces distilled water 

Instructions

• Combine all the oils in a spray bottle (like this) and shake well.  
• Spray the wound then cover with bandages.  
• Spray the wound at least 3 times a day for 3 days or until repaired. 

Check this website for a list of appropriate essential oils by age group. 

http://www.thehippyhomemaker.com/essential-oil-safety-babies-children/

Tell Skeeters to scram!!!!

Jerry Baker Recipes for Pest Problems:

I have used his garden shampoo and tonic years ago and it works. 

The summer’s drought and record heat has done more than dry up lakes and fry up crops. It’s also brought out a whole lot of bugs. Here’s why: Insects are cold-blooded. So in hot weather, they become much more active, their reproductive cycle speeds up, and larva mature much more quickly. Here’s how to battle buzzing bad guys and crafty crawlers the safe and natural way:

Mosquitoes
There’s nothing skeeters hate more than the scent of lemon. So give ‘em a whiff of this fragrant Mosquito Lemon Aid to keep them at bay:

1 cup of lemon-scented ammonia
1 cup of lemon-scented dishwashing liquid

Put these ingredients into your 20 gallon hose-end sprayer, and hose down everything in your yard three times a week, preferably early in the morning or late in the evening.


Ants
Around the yard, ants “farm” sap-sucking insects like aphids so that they can have a steady supply of the honeydew that the little monsters produce. So reach for your trusty hose-end sprayer, and load it with my Lethal Weapon Tonic:

3 tablespoons of garlic and onion juice*
3 tablespoons of skim milk
2 tablespoons of baby shampoo
1 teaspoon of hot sauce
1 gallon of hot water

Mix all of these ingredients in a bucket, and pour the solution into a 20 gallon hose-end sprayer. Then spray your tree every 10 days. *To make garlic and onion juice, put 2 cloves of garlic, 2 medium onions, and 3 cups of water in a blender, and puree. Strain out the solids.


Fleas
Fido is suffering, so here’s a flea repellent that’ll free him of the annoying hangers-on, lickety-split: Mix a drop or two of oil of eucalyptus into your pet’s shampoo. Be especially careful not to get it in his eyes while you’re washing him. The eucalyptus odor, which smells good to us, keeps those pesky fleas far, far away.


Ticks
Ticks can make life miserable for both humans and pets. If they’re hanging out in your flowers, shrubs, or ornamental grasses, get rid of ‘em with my Toodle-oo, Tick Spray:

1 tablespoon of Ivory® liquid soap
1 gallon of rainwater or soft tap water
2 cups of rubbing alcohol

Mix the Ivory liquid with the water in a 6 gallon hose-end sprayer jar, then add the alcohol. With the nozzle pressure turned on high, spray your plants from top to bottom—and make sure you get under all the leaves.


Earwigs
These pugnacious pinchers feed at night. During the day, they hide in damp, shady places. To give them their dream home (and their final resting place), loosely roll up several sheets of newspaper, dampen the tube, and set it in a shady spot. During the day, hordes of earwigs will crawl inside. As evening approaches, before the critters mosey on out for dinner, unroll the papers over a tub of soapy water.