Sorry Stanley Steemer Didn't Need You!

This weekend we had some fabulous weather, followed by a late night thunderstorm that rattled the windows and shook us all out of our blissful slumber. Of course now that it's getting close to the Memorial Holiday Weekend, it's cold, windy and a little rainy.

I had a lot going on over the weekend, I was determined, however to get the carpet in my living and dining rooms shampooed. The dirty feet of pets, child, hubby and icky spring weather always leaves my poor carpet in desperate need of attention, and I just couldn't stand it any longer.

So I decided to get out the trusty old carpet shampooer and get it done!

Only to discover I was out of carpet shampoo.

No worries...Homemade cleaning recipes are all over the internet and I knew I had jotted one down somewhere, so after scrounging around in a note file I keep for things I may need someday...

Success...a batch of carpet shampoo coming right up!

White Vinegar + Liquid Dish Soap + Hydrogen Peroxide + Essential Oil = Carpet Shampoo

the homemade way...

Here is the recipe I used:

1-1/2 qts. Hot Water (not boiling)

1/4 c. 3% Hydrogen Peroxide

1-1/2 tbsp. Liquid Dish Soap

1-1/2 tbsp. White Vinegar

1/8 tsp. Essential Oil

All brands of your choice, I used the ones in the photo because they are what I keep on hand.

Directions:

Mix all of the ingredients together, adding the dish soap to the water and not the other way around or you may end up changing your name to Bubbles. Pour into shampoo machine according to it's specific directions and shampoo that carpet.

I doubled the recipe to fill the reservoir in my machine and it worked great, left my carpet clean and fresh smelling.

I am no expert, but one thing I did notice was when emptying the dirty water after I finished, it didn't have that nasty, kind of like a sewer on a hot day smell...ewww...which usually comes with sucking up all of that dirt and grime.

Another advantage I can see of making my own carpet shampoo would be money saved. The ingredients are all products that I keep on hand any way so I didn't have to buy anything special. I don't have a cost break down, but it wouldn't surprise me to be pennies per ounce verses the $12 or $13 dollars it usually costs for the not so big jug of the other stuff that really doesn't smell or work that well.

If I can use a more natural or homemade product to get a chore done, and save money too...well I am all over that!

Next I think I will give the homemade bathroom/shower cleaner I've read about a try.

Stay tuned and I will let you know how that goes.

Have a homemade cleaner recipe or environmentally friendly way of tackling household chores? Please do share, I love to hear what other people are up too.

Have a great day!

Calling All Backyard Clotheslines

Telephone Pole Parts Turned Clothesline

I have been anxiously waiting for Spring and the warmer sunny days we will have so that I can take advantage of using my backyard clothesline for drying laundry. Not only does it save on electricity, but I love the fresh smell of air dried laundry.

Laundry is one of those mundane but necessary chores, and I think there is a certain romantic homey feel when there is laundry waving in the breeze on a sunny day.

Since I enjoy making things out of other things, when I happened upon parts and pieces of some old telephone poles I immediately envisioned a rustic clothes line in my backyard,

and TUH DUH...this is the result that has been serving me well.

If you'll notice there are a few of the spindles on top that are missing the glass insulators, and lucky for me I recently scored a bucket full during a treasure junkin' trip so now my mini-telephone pole/clothesline will be complete. I may just look forward to doing laundry, anything to get out in the fresh air and sunshine.

Do you have a creative clothesline, or way to air dry your laundry?

I would love to hear about it....

Happy Spring Finally...sort of...Have a great day!

~Teresa