Cleaning

6 Tips For Better Litter Box Cleaning Sessions at Home

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MyPetMyStar #CollectiveBias

If you’re anything like me, a house only becomes a home when a cat resides there. While the benefits of owning a cat, the companionship, the empathy-building nature of a pet and owner relationship, as well as the various studied conducted over the past few decades, which state that pet ownership in general, and cat ownership in particular, can improve your quality of life. These are only some of the reasons I have loved being an adoptive cat owner.

14009804_10100347115914231_330460861_n

If this wasn’t enough reason to consider owning a cat, for me there is still one even greater reason. I love that cats. Particularly my cats, Boo Raddley and Shadow. They are the most loving, thoughtful friends a gal could have. I also love that generally speaking, my cats required little training to use their litter box, as they have an innate desire to dig and bury their waste, making cats clean, conscientious, fastidious pets. So, if you love a clean, tidy home, team pride may be for you.

For you see, unlike other pet training scenarios, the challenge for cat owners is not to train a cat to use a waste removal system, but to see that the behavior continues. You see, once a cat develops undesirable litter box habits, the problem can be very difficult to resolve. So, here are a few suggestions to help you have successful litter box cleaning sessions at home.

14011886_10100347115924211_1763920504_n

Making sure your cat knows where their box is located is vital to a successful litter box routine. Ideally, a litter box should be placed in a semi-private covered areas, removed from high-traffic zones, but not so isolated that it isn’t cleaned regularly. Also be sure to avoid placing the box next to food and water feeding stations.

All wastes, both solid and wet clumps, should be scooped out of your litter box daily. The entire box should be emptied, washed with warm water, and mild soap and enzyme cleaners weekly. Be sure to avoid strong-smelling cleaners when cleaning your litter boxes, as this may discourage your cat from using their litter box. Once cleaned, litter boxes should be refilled completely at least once a week. A two-inch layer of litter in the box works well for our cats. A tip? Keeping your litter close to your litter box, along with a small handled brush and dustpan set, along with a litter box scoop by each litter box makes for easy, simple litter box cleaning!

Many cats will refuse to use a litter box already in use from another cat. As a general rule, each home should have one box per cat, plus one. For example, a household of three cats should contain four litter boxes. In our home, we have three litter boxes, one in our kitchen, one in our storage room, and one in our hall bathroom to accommodate our cat’s litter box routines.

Your cat’s health can also cause litterbox issues. Everything from Colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, hyperthyroidism, kidney or liver disease, urinary tract infections and diabetes can all contribute to inappropriate, outside-the-box elimination for cats. If your cat refuses to use their litter box it’s always advisable to check with your veterinarian to determine if a physical ailment is causing the litter issue.

Just like with people, stressful situations can cause distress for your pets. In cats, stress often manifests itself in litter box rejection issues. Instances including moving to a new home, the adoption and inclusion of a new pet, changes in routine, rearranged placements of new furniture, and even moving your litter boxes to a new location, even a few feet away, can cause litter box rejection and inappropriate urination. To avoid stress spraying, maintain a constant location for your litter box and cleaning schedule as well. Also keeping a minimal, low-distraction litter box station will keep your cats stress to a minimum while using their boxes each day.

13988914_10100347115909241_1469808473_n

Cats can be picky. Some cats will use nearly any litter. Others will refuse to use pelletized litters. Trial and error is the key to lasting litter training success.

14054765_10100347115919221_1835047123_n

From personal experience, I suggest trying several varieties of cat litter to find the best fit for your pet. We literally inundate our cats with their litter. One of our favorite tips for litter continuity is to leave your litter packaging about your home, to allow your pets to become acquainted with the scent of the litter.

14031111_10100347115899261_314918920_n

Once you have found a litter that seems to be accepted by your cat, don’t switch to another kind. Even if it may seem more convenient for you. Litter brand continuity is uber important to cats. For us, we chose Tidy Cats® Lightweight with Glade. I like to think that Boo Radley likes this brand as well. Whenever I bring his litter home he always likes to check out the new jug for himself as well. He’s a brand loyal cat!

14012887_10209698871809120_1588684394_o

We find that Tidy Cats® Lightweight with Glade is a low-maintenance, high-quality, affordable cat litter solution. We also love that it can be conveniently found at my local Kroger grocery store.

13977850_10209698872809145_2141978296_o

Tidy Cats® Lightweight with Glade at Kroger, with it’s guaranteed TidyLock™ Protection which helps to lock away odors that can lead to Stank Face. You know, the super stinky litter box odors that can make even the most dignified person’s face look like a petrified tree! Luckily, Tidy Cats’ wide range of products, so every cat owner can find the best litter for their cat’s needs, which means that you’ll never have to make another Stank Face again.

14012838_10209698872329133_1578426869_o

So now, as a family, we can save time with Tidy Cats® Lightweight with Glade, as this litter helps control those stinky litter box odors while helping you save time and money by purchasing the litter at Kroger.

13987761_10209698872889147_2112424503_o

We love that that this litter is pleasantly scented with Glade scents, as one of our boxes is located in our kitchen, as so many scented litters are rejected by cats, this makes the Tidy Cats® Lightweight with Glade a winner in my book!

14001733_10209698871569114_2024390895_o

A bonus? This litter is uber light weight, which helps save my back from the enormous, heavy bags of cat litter we use to purchase in bulk from yesteryear. Being able to fit a power-packed jug of cat litter right into my reusable grocery bags at Kroger, is a victory in my book. Tidy Cats® Lightweight with Glade helps save my back, and wallet, at the same time!

14012751_10209698871969124_1002111355_o

1 Comment

Two-Ingredient, All-Natural Oven Cleaner!

Fact: cleaning an oven is hard. It’s time-consuming and the chemicals used are often expensive and caustic. Whether it’s the seasonal necessitated, pre-holiday cleaning or the smoking-up-the-kitchen by way of burnt food on the bottom of the oven messes, you need a clean oven. No matter the cause, it’s a drain.

The good news, however, there is a simple, affordable, natural cleaning solution. All you have to do to get a shining oven requires only two affordable kitchen staples, baking soda and vinegar!

Here’s what you need:

1/4 Cup White Vinegar
Spray Bottle
Baking soda; 2 cups for a large oven and 1 for a toaster oven.

To clean your appliance:

Starting with a cold, off oven, just spray the bottom of your oven or toaster oven with a healthy mist of white vinegar and then sprinkle a thick layer or baking soda to start the cleaning process.
You will need to lay out a quarter inch layer of baking soda paste on the bottom of the oven.
Should any of the baking soda become dry, spray a light amount of vinegar, around a quarter cup per dosing, over the baking soda.
At this point the fizz, the natural cleaning oomph will begin!
You’ll need to leave the baking soda on your appliance for two hours.
Then after two hours, simply wipe up the paste with a cloth and all the grime comes with it.
For really baked on grime, this may take a couple applications, but it always works.
If using a toaster oven, turn the oven on for fifteen minutes prior to your next use to make sure the elemental strips are cleared of agents before adding food to your unit.

So for the cost of a quarter and the span of a few hours, you’ll have a like-new oven too!

Here’s to natural cleaning,

Freezer Cooking Clean-up Success Tips

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ScrubCloth #CollectiveBias

Growing up, my grandmother never liked to have anything on her kitchen counter tops, so I’m pretty sure that’s where my love of clean counter tops originated. I try to have mine cleared off as much as possible. Sometimes, when I’m in the middle of work project or cooking, things start to pile up. Things get messy. Life happens. Especially when trying to make impromptu snacks and dinners in my kitchen!

If you’re anything like me, there are no scarier times in your home than the 5 o’clock what’s for dinner debate. The scenario of of having to decide what to cook can be a daunting task for even the most prepared home chefs. So, you may be asking how to end this dinnertime debate, especially in summer? I have two words for you: Freezer meals!

Yes, small, make ahead meals which help me get out of the kitchen and back to spending more time with my family and friends during the hot summer season. There’s nothing better than being able to provide my family with a hot, nutritious, affordable meal. Now, it goes without saying that I adore freezer cooking meals, with just one exception, the clean-up.

You see as a cook, I am anything but neat. I’m what you could call an all-in, full-contact domestic goddess. A typical afternoon of cooking for me involves grease spatters, crumbs on the floor, and a pile of dishes that far exceeds both sides of my kitchen sink. From the blinds to the baseboards, nothing in my kitchen seems to be exempt from stains and spills.

It’s always a balancing act. Do you cook all the meals your family will enjoy, only to spend the rest of your evening scrubbing saucy, stained lasagna pans? Or cook just enough meals, in hopes of limiting the mess that will inevitably be created.

For me, I choose to go with the creating of meals, and to find better more practical ways of cleaning-up my kitchen. Through several years of trial and error I’ve gotten my new Freezer Cooking Clean-Up routine down to a science, and I’d like to share some of my favorite tips for Freezer Cooking Session Clean-up Success.

Instead of walking over to the trash can or compost bin with handfuls of peelings and scraps, use a bowl on the counter where you work to consolidate all of your cooking waste. This way you can efficiently save time and prevent the mishaps of slipper drippings on your floor.

Make sure cutting boards are clean, dry, and wipes down with kosher salt to help foods slide right off your boards.

For cooking projects where I’m using a lot of canned or boxed goods, I’ll take the recycling bin and set it right by the counter so I can drop everything in at once as I open it.

Pick up anything that falls on the floor immediately. It goes without saying that cleaning up spills immediately will help prevent bigger messes and help prevent kitchen falls and accidents on slippery floors.

As the old adage goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So for me, I like to prep my freezer cooking sessions starting with a cleared off counter tops, an empty, fresh, soapy dish pan of water, and swept floors.

For me, it’s also important to keep functional, zero-waste cleaning methods by my side during freezer cooking sessions. Recently, my go-to cleaning cloths have been the new Scotch-Brite® Scrubbing Dish Cloths. I love that these Scrubbing dish cloths are reusable, sturdy, and fully washable, both by hand and through machine washing.

What first caught my eye about these cleaning cloths are double-sided. One side features awesome, textured, non abrasive fiber scrubbing dots, which gives you non-scratch scrubbing power for all your post-freezer cleaning needs. And who doesn’t need supercharged cleaning when it comes to getting off baked on, oily, gooey messes from dishes, pots, pans, and counters.

The other side of these clothes feature a multi-functional, lint-free cleaning cloth; this side is great for wiping and drying dishes, glasses, counter tops, and appliances, too!

I like that these dish cloths can clean almost anything in my kitchen, even items that I previously would have to soak or scrub including glasses with milk protein deposits or wine deposit film, a particular pet peeve of mine.

No more reaching for a case knife or finger nail to scrub off messes in the kitchen with the Scotch-Brite® Scrubbing Dish Cloths. Your manicure touch-ups can be saved for another day.

What’s even better? These cloths go hand-in-hand with our families commitment to zero waste living as they can be used, washed, and easily used again. They help us save money over commercial paper towels and help us create a greener home in the process. An added bonus for me? These cloths air dry in minutes, allowing me to get right back to my kitchen cleaning in no time flat. These new cloths have become a staple in my kitchen!

In fact, a few days before I started my last major Freezer Cooking marathon, I stopped into my local Walmart to pick up a few additional packs of the new Scotch-Brite® Scrubbing Dish Cloths, a few needed Freezer Cooking staples, as well as a snack of Good Value Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies and a banana, for good measure. Having originally purchased these cloths in tan, I loved finding out that they are also available in 2-packs in coral and navy, too! I especially liked the cheery orange cloths, which are perfect for summer!

Oh, and I wanted to mention that I was able to find my Scotch-Brite® Scrubbing Dish Cloths, not in the dish detergent aisle, but on the cleaning aisle of my local Walmart. Plus, for a limited time savvy savers, be on the lookout for a $1.00 off money saving offer on your next in-store purchase of Scotch-Brite® Scrubbing Dish Cloths at Walmart. This offer is right on the package!

And who would have known that you can get a 2-pack of awesome, greener living, reusable, scrubbing dish clothes for the low, low price of only $4.98. At this price you just can’t go wrong!

And with my new dish cloths handy, I created a month’s worth of Italian-style freezer meals this past weekend. I cooked, assembled, and froze Chicken Parmesan, baked spaghetti, and lasagna roll-ups pans. All meals were delicious, and all super simple to make. The best part? They were all created using my recipe for Homemade Italian Pasta Sauce. Here’s how it’s made.

[yumprint-recipe id=’73’]

Now that your sauce is finished, you can turn this base into different pasta meals. Again I made, Baked Spaghetti, Chicken Parmesan, and Lasagna Roll-Ups. Here’s how I used this sauce:

Ingredients (for two trays):

2 pounds lean ground beef
8 cups spaghetti sauce
1 pound dry, uncooked spaghetti
2 cup shredded mild Cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In large skillet, cook ground beef until brown. Add sauce to hamburger and bring to temperature. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Boil pasta for 10 minutes. Once cooked, drain your pasta. Mix together spaghetti and meat mixture, pour into pans. Top with cheese and bake for 30 minutes, until cheese is bubbly. Cool for one hour, then wrap in foil and plastic wrap. Freeze for up to six months; serves four per pan.

Ingredients (for two trays):

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoon water
2 cups kosher dried bread crumbs
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 cup grated Parmesan
2 pound spaghetti pasta

Directions:

Create a chicken coating station; place beaten eggs in one bowl, flour in a second bowl, and bread crumbs in another.
Meanwhile, lay a piece of plastic wrap over chicken breasts. Pound the chicken breasts flat with mallet, until 1/2-inch thick. Dredge chicken pieces in all three bowls; egg, then flour, then crumbs. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Boil pasta for 10 minutes. Once cooked, drain your pasta. Cook cutlets in olive oil for 4 minutes on each side until golden and crusty, turning only once per side. Place cooked pasta in each freezable tray. Ladle the tomato sauce over each chicken piece and sprinkle with mozzarella, Parmesan, and basil. Bake the Chicken Parmesan for 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. Cool bake for one hour and freeze for up to six months. To reheat, thaw dinner overnight in fridge. Cook at 350 for one hour.

Ingredients (for two trays):

1 box uncooked lasagna noodles (16-20 sheets)
2 pounds ground beef
1 pound ground pork sausage
3 cups tomato pasta sauce
2 containers (15 oz each) part-skim ricotta cheese
2 teaspoons fresh basil leaves
2 egg
2 cups mozzarella shredded cheese

Directions:

Cook noodles in salted water. Cook for twenty minutes. Rinse with hot water. Drain well. Meanwhile, in 12-inch skillet, cook beef and sausage over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Stir in 3 cups pasta sauce. Reduce heat to low; simmer uncovered 10 minutes. Remove from heat. In small bowl, mix ricotta cheese, basil and eggs into a mixture. Spread about 3 tablespoons of mixture over each cooked lasagna noodle from end to end. Spoon about 1/4 cup meat mixture over ricotta mixture on each noodle. Roll up firmly toward unfilled end. Place roll-ups, seam side down, on pan. Cover with sauce and shredded cheese. Cover loosely with foil. Freeze about 30 minutes or until firm. Freeze up to 3 months. To bake 16 lasagna roll-ups, thaw in refrigerator at least 8 hours and bake at 350°F. Bake until hot and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

So savvy savers, that was a lot of work this past weekend! But with the Scotch-Brite® Scrubbing Dish Cloths, cleanup took just minutes. Comparing this to the hours spend scrubbing dishes, pans, counters, and floors before, these cloths were a true lifesaver.

I’ve been so inspired by the ease of cleaning this past weekend that I’m already looking for new recipes for my next mega freezer cooking session online. And if you are looking for awesome new family meals ideas, be sure to check out the Scotch-Brite Scrubbing Cloth site for quick, budget-friendly cleaning tips and family meal planning ideas!

I encourage you all to pick-up a pack of Scotch-Brite® Scrubbing Dish Cloths, while in-store at your local Walmart, because with Scotch-Brite® Scrubbing Dish Cloths I no longer have to choose between a clean kitchen and the convenience of a freezer full of meals .

So savvy savers! Do you have any great tips for keeping your kitchens cleaned and your counter tops cleared during freezer cooking sessions, I’d love to hear about them below!

Here’s to better meals and cleaner kitchens,

2 Comments

Natural Cleaning e-cloth Product Review

Please note, I received two free e-cloth samples for demonstration in this review. I was not compensated for my review. My opinions are 100% my own. Thank you.

When it comes to cleaning, less is always more. Call it my nature as an homebody or simply my zero-waste, greener living, minimalist mindset that craves simple, natural, effective cleaning methods in our home. Either way, the less chemicals and caution that goes into cleaning my home the better I feel about it.

So when I was given the opportunity to try out E-clothes and so I jumped at the chance to review these products because I had heard great things about them from Milk Allergy Mom and Humorous Homemaking.

And before I begin, let me just say that these are my thoughts on how well e-cloth products work in my home, and while I welcome your comments and thoughts below, please consider that my opinions are based on my own experiences with the products before making any outlandish declarations. I also am not an e-cloth (or any of their competitors) salesperson. I try to keep my reviews honest and unbiased as I can.

Again, I received both the e-cloth general purpose and the e-cloth glass and electronic cleaning clothes for the use of this review.

An e-Cloth is a microfiber cleaning cloth.
Each e-cloth has 480,000 fibres per cm2, giving each e-cloths enormous, lasting cleaning power.
The volume of cleaning edges, or fibers, when run across a surface allows for a deeper, lifting clean.
The fibers remove grease, dust, and dirt with only water.
Fabric makeup: 80% polyester& 20% polyamide
Clothes are made in Korea.
e-cloth ® General Purpose cloth penetrates and removes dirt, grease, oil, grime and bacteria on hard surfaces.
All e-cloth ^® cloths and mop pads come with a 300-washings performance warranty.
Each cloth measures 12.5″ by 12.5″ square.

You can use your e-cloth ® dry to dust. I used the general purpose cloth to clean walls, including drywall dust, ceilings, lamps, shades, and anything you could think of in terms of dry cleaning. All worked out well!
You can use your e-cloth ® wet to clean the fridge, outdoor furniture, toys, grill, smoker, bathrooms, chrome, dishes, counter tops, fabric, clothing stains, ceiling fans, soap scum, and much, much more. I loved them!
Also, all e-cloth ® cloths can be washed in your washing machine with low lint items, on a hot rinse cycle to hot allow the fibers to release dirt and grease each wash.
When washing these cloths you cannot use bleach or fabric softener.

Using the e-cloth I was struck by how simple cleaning my counter tops, glass, chrome, and wood furniture was – throughout my home, office, and work spaces. Traditionally I would have spent twenty minutes each day cleaning my kitchen, with the e-cloths only 5-6 minutes. Using e-cloths makes my daily cleaning routine faster and easier.

I also loved not having to use any chemicals, cleansers, creams, or agents while using the e-cloths. This made cleaning with e-cloths safe for everyone in my home, child and animal-friendly, and is especially beneficial to me as I am prone to allergies and asthma. This cleaning method is conducive to my beliefs in natural, holistic living.

I also liked being able to clean without using paper towels, as this helps us save money as a family; using e-cloths daily can help you save up to $200.00 yearly. And the best part? e-cloths help lessen our home’s overall carbon footprint and landfill waste, along with pollution that general cleaning chemicals could potentially create. This was an awesome fact to have in mind while using these cloths.

A few other points worth noting:

These cloths are antibacterial and help pick-up over 99% of bacteria on hard surfaces.
Are lightweight and easy to store.
Easily fits behind all my bathroom fixtures and toilet surrounds.
Removes small amounts of daily, humidity-induced soap scum. Build-up won’t be removed with e-cloths.
Dries quickly; my cloths dried in two hours in Mississippi summer humidity!

Also, I was able to try out the Glass & Polish E-Cloth, too!

With just a little water sprayed on my windows, these cloths cleaned my windows to a streak-free shine.
The other side of the Glass & Polish cloth, the polish side helped get my glass and mirrors to a polished finish in under a minute. The best part? They were also lint-free! This polish cloth is amazing if you love gorgeous, streak-free glass and mirrors!

General purpose e-cloth: $7.99US (or $14.99 as a part of a package with a Glass and Polishing cloth)
All e-cloth products can be purchased directly online from ecloth!

So, folks that’s it! I have really enjoyed using these cloths and would highly recommend them to anyone looking for affordable, natural cleaning methods in their homes this season. Also, if any of you have used the e-cloths of have tips and tricks for using these awesome cloths, I’d love to hear about it below!

Here’s to you,

Top 5 Laundry Hacks for Busy Families!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #Wisk60 #CollectiveBias

Laundry is unavoidable. Especially in my home, where it’s done every day. And never did I aspired to seek the title of the Lady of the Laundry, but after working from home for the past five years I’ve become an aficionado of all things laundered. I am truly a self- proclaimed expert on this subject. And like with most other domestic divas ventures, I strive to tackle laundry on a daily basis as part of my daily cleaning routine. This is no easy task for a family of three with clothes ranging from mud-soaked gardening trousers to athletic clothes ripe with an Eau de perfume that only a post-workout stench could make. All of these items and more make daily cameos in my families laundry basket.

To say I’ve wadded deep within the laundry trenches since yesteryear would be the understatement of the week. Luckily, I’ve found a few tried and true household hacks that have been life-affirming in helping to keep the laundry monsters at bay. My biggest tip? Keeping a stock of detergent on hand that can handle whatever laundry disasters we as a family throw its way. Wisk Deep Clean® has been my go-to stain pre-treater, detergent, and even carpet cleaning solvent for as far back as I can remember. It has cleaned up countless grass-stained jeans, totes, musty workout clothes, filthy tennis gear, and even pet collars, sweaters, and leashes. I can honestly say without hesitation that I feel safe using Wisk Deep Clean® in my home as it was the detergent of choice for my grandmother too!

When you’re running a busy household, it’s super easy to fall behind on household chores. To stay on top of my laundry, I have a simple rule, a load a day keeps the chaos at bay. I make sure to wash 1 load of laundry while completing my daily 1-hour cleaning routine. To do this, I just put one load in to wash when I start cleaning each morning, pull my laundry out in a half hour at the end of my washer’s cycle, and when all my chores are done I put my laundry out to dry. This way, both my cleaning and laundry can be done in the course of one hour. For me, doing at least one load a day I never get behind on my laundry. Ever.

In the early days of my marriage the dread Mount St. Laundry was a regular occurrence in my home. This happened in our home because I didn’t have one final landing pad for laundry and the stages of laundry, from freshly pressed to a stinky mess, could be seen in various stages throughout the house. My simple solution? We do not use a three-bin canvas laundry sorter. Each member of our family has their own bin, so they just need to toss clothes into the appropriate bin each night and we’re go-to-go! While I purchased my unit, you can check out Pinterest to find hundreds of awesome, diy laundry sorting stations that may inspire you to make your own as well!

Another way I keep your laundry organized is to assign a different day of the week to each family member’s laundry. This includes their towels and bedding. This helps my family know to have their laundry in the sorter before their twice-weekly scheduled laundry day, or their laundry will have to wait until another person’s laundry is finished.

Yes, I know it’s hard. But tackling laundry-folding when the clothes are freshly dried is a must. I always make a habit of folding my laundry as soon as I take it off the line or it’s dry from the dryer. This is simply just a pause in my day at the end of my 1-hour daily cleaning routine. It’s all about getting it done as quickly as possible. But why should home management be a bore? Throw yourself a laundry folding party! Brew yourself a cup of coffee, head to the bedroom, turn on some music really loud and fold those clothes! When you think of folding laundry as a party- everyone including your hubby and kids may want to pitch in too!

The easiest way for me to finish getting the laundry folded? Start with the pretty projects first! I fold my bedsheets into stacks, much like towels are commonly folded, and then put my pillowcases in front of each stack. Think a ribbon on a holiday box. How do I keep my freshly washed sheets neat and orderly? Each person in my home gets both a stack and a coordinating tag to designate where their sheets belong. Seeing beautiful, neatly folded linens in one area gives me the momentum to move onto the next pile of laundry that needs folding!

As I’ve already said, my top-secret, crème de la crème laundry tip is using a detergent daily that can handle whatever stains my family can continuously delve out. For the past 60 years, Wisk has been a premium laundry detergent brand known for effectively, effortlessly, and affordably fight the toughest stains, including that famous laundry room cliche, the Ring Around the Collar®.

It goes without saying, be sure to follow the directions for use located on your detergent packaging. With Wisk Deep Clean®, even our grossest, grimiest clothing, bedding, and athletic wear receive the deepest level of cleaning power possible! Wisk Deep Clean® goes far and beyond simple surface stains, actively penetrating deep inside every fiber of your fabric to remove hidden body oils and sweat some other detergents can leave behind.*

*Compared to the leading variant of the top three liquid value brand.

Even though workout gear and gardening attire covered with moss and muck are gross, our clothes permeated with sweat and odors present bigger laundry challenges than stains themselves. Did you know, the average load of laundry contains 20 times the amount of body oils and sweat than visible stains themselves? And those entrenched oils can leave lasting, lingering smells. Wisk Deep Clean® cleans beyond visible stains, attacking trapped body oils and sweat– one of the today’s most difficult laundry soil problems.

Another awesome bonus? Each bottle of detergent formula can be used as a pre-treater, is safe to use with septic tanks, and each bottle contains 25 percent post-consumer recycled plastic which can be recycled in most areas.

I often pick up my Wisk Deep Clean® when I’m at my local Winn-Dixie. It’s super simple to grab a bottle while doing my weekly shopping. Plus, there’s always an awesome selection of scents and formulas available. Be sure to look out for Wisk Deep Clean® in the detergent aisle of your local Winn-Dixie, or even online through Amazon. You can also shop for Wisk Deep Clean® Free & Pure online here. I encourage you all to try out Wisk the next time you are at your local retailers too!

So, savvy savers. What are your best tips for keeping the laundry monster at bay? Do you have a set laundry schedule or fantastic diy bin sorter? I’d love for you to share your laundry hacks in the comments below!

4 Comments

How to Make DIY Natural Laundry Detergent

Over the past year I have been gradually transitioning my family towards a more natural lifestyle. Some parts of natural living has been pretty hard, such as converting the entirety of our OTC couponed medical aids stash into a holistic medicine cabinet. But one of the easiest transitions? Making my own natural, homemade cleaners. And the easiest of all to make? Natural Laundry Detergents.

For our family the switch was a no-brainer. Conventional laundry detergent is loaded with chemicals like sulfates, fragrances, phenols, paba, stabalizers, bleach compunds, benzoxazolyl, diaminostilbene, disulfonate, and even worse, 4-dioxane, a polysorbate-20 compound known to contribute to lung distress in newborns and young children. Worse still, some brands even contain petroleum distillates, which are linked to cancer and lung disease.

Fortunately, making your own laundry soap is an easy process, and gives you the peace of mind to know exactly what you are washing your families laundry with! My version of natural laundry soap recipe is awesome all it gives me peace of mind in knowing I am washing my families with natural, eco-friendly laundering products.

I also love the frugality of this product. As I can make a year’s supply of detergent for under $30.00. The best part? This detergent is completely customizable, is allergy-safe, can be made scented or non-scented, is good for both standard and HE machines, and can also be converted into liquid detergent too! With Natural detergent, your not paying for water, your paying for quality laundry detergent.

Washing Soda (Arm and Hammer Brand available at most stores)
Borax (20 Mule Team Borax available at most grocery stores)
Bar Soap (Dr. Bronner’s, Ivory, or other natural, unscented bar soap)
Oxy Booster (from the Dollar Tree)
Epson Salts (from the Dollar Tree)
Essential Oils
Scent Boosters (optional and from the Dollar Tree)

Please note, though there has been a lot of speculation as to the safety of Borax, through my own research I have found that the ingredient is a naturally occurring mineral made up of sodium, boron, oxygen, and water. Borax is also used in most of the natural soaps commercially available on the market today including Seventh Generation, Mrs. Meyers, and Method. I feel comfortable using Borax, of the mule team box variety, because this product is comprised of sodium tetraborate or sodium borate and not boric acid or hydrogen borate. This is a common misconception in many naturalist forums. Further, Borax is an alkaline, and some even report drinking it in small doses medicinally as an aid in rhumatory artheritis, to clear yeast infections of the skin, acne, and as a no-poo alternative to shampoo.

Another ingredient I use, Washing Soda, sometimes called sodium carbonate or soda ash, is made from common salt and limestone or found as natural deposits. If you can’t find this ingredient locally, you can make your own from from baking plain baking soda for one hour at 400 degrees, and stirring occasionally until the baking soda turns into a grain. with this tutorial.

I also use Zote laundry soap bars, which are made of pure organic oils to help break down organic stains, and Dollar Store Oxy Booster, to boost my blends stain-fighting power. And to scent my blend I use both Epsom salts, sprinkled with essential oils added to my blend, and for added scent boosting scent boosters from the Dollar Tree. Both boosters are optional.

Ingredients in Laundry Soap:

3 Boxes of Arm and Hammer Brand Washing Soda, $2.98 each
3 Boxes of 20 Mule Team Borax, $2.98 each box
4 Bars of Zote Soap, $0.98 each
2 Tubs Oxy Booster (from the Dollar Tree), $1.00 each
1 2-pound bag of Epson Salts (from the Dollar Tree), $1.00
40 drops of Essential Oils per pound of Epsom Salts, price varies
2 1-pound tubs of Scent Boosters (optional and from the Dollar Tree), $1.00 each

Materials used to make the laundry soap:

5 Gallon Bucket, with lid (on hand)
Scoop (on hand)
Gallon Mason Jars (on hand)
Glass mixing bowls (on hand)

Cost for one year’s supply of natural laundry detergent: $25.82, roughly about $0.05 per load!

[yumprint-recipe id=’72’] So, folks that’s how I make my detergent. Have you tried making your own laundry detergent? What ingredients did you use? Do you prefer more eco-friendly options? I’d love to hear about it.

Here’s to more sustained living,

4 Comments

DIY Organic Daily Shower Cleaner

Hello again, savvy savers! With many of us elbow-deep in Spring cleaning projects and chores, I thought that this would be a great time to post the recipe for one of my favorite go-to organic cleaners, $0.25 DIY Organic Daily Shower Cleaner!

What sets this cleaner apart is that like it’s commercial namesake, this blend is natural, organic, and safe for all members of your family to use daily. Here’s how to make it:

[yumprint-recipe id=’48’]

3 Comments

Older Posts

Newer Posts

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MyPetMyStar #CollectiveBias

Sharing is Caring:

Sharing is Caring:

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ScrubCloth #CollectiveBias

Sharing is Caring:

Please note, I received two free e-cloth samples for demonstration in this review. I was not compensated for my review. My opinions are 100% my own. Thank you.

Sharing is Caring:

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #Wisk60 #CollectiveBias

Sharing is Caring:

Sharing is Caring:

Sharing is Caring:

search