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The 30 Best Places To Find Free Audiobooks Online

Since childhood, I’ve loved being read to. From my earliest memories of my Uncle Danny reading to me each night to me learning to read to him to help him fall asleep, to quicken my unsupervised nightly prowling sessions around his home office and computer builds, to listen to comedy cassette tapes, I have fond memories of them all. But ass it turns out, listening to the written word provided my life with numerous benefits far into adulthood. 

This is why, despite being a bit of a book snob, I love audiobooks. As they help me bring some of the favorite books of my childhood to life by way of amazing actors, voice-over artists, and often the authors themselves. Listening enjoyment that can be enjoyed on long commutes or doing household chores like nightly dish duty. There’s also the added benefits of listening to audiobooks while multi-tasking at home, listening to audiobooks helps make performing chores more fun, they also turn hours of my day into fun that would otherwise be rather unenjoyable. As scrubbing the bathroom, putting laundry away or dusting is always easier when my audiobooks are on the play. 

Did I also mention how perfect audiobooks help me get to sleep, calm anxiety? There’s that too. This is why I have come to think of audiobooks as vital parts of my self-care routine at home. Especially during the cold weather months each year.  The only drawback? It can sometimes be difficult to enjoy the benefits of audiobooks if they don’t fit into your book budget. Which is why I’m sharing today some of my favorite ways to enjoy free audiobook titles.

Please note: The following resources are all free, legally-obtained audiobook sources. TheLadyPrefers2Save.com does not advise the illegal download of audiobook files. The theft of intellectual property is not only criminal, but it is also immoral. As it takes advantage of the authors, publishers, marketing teams, influencer reviewers, booksellers, distributors, shippers, and agents that work untold hours to bring your favorite stories to life. So when it comes to downloading free audiobooks, download legally. Authors deserve to be compensated for all the good they give to this world. And, of course, enjoy the following sources. Then, when you find a gem, share it online via GoodReads or your favorite review site. Pass your finds forward. And as always, enjoy the freedom and privileges of literacy and education. By way of the history of the spoken word.

Websites To Find Free, Reduced, or Inexpensive Audiobooks Online

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Librivox

Librivox is a non-profit, online initiative that records and provides public domain books, released as free audiobooks. The site boasts over 10,000 projects, with a diverse set of titles ranging from War and Peace to Leaves of Grass to The Dream of the Red Chamber to Anne of Green Gables. You can find a free audiobook by searching by title, author, genre/subject, or language. You can also browse all the titles in the catalog, view only the most recent audiobooks, and subscribe to new releases as podcasts. Once you reach a book’s description page, you can read more about it and even listen to the chapters individually without having to download each of them. You can even volunteer to read sections for books-in-progress! Find out more about them, here.

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Lit2Go

Lit2Go offers audiobooks, plays, short stories, and poems that have been tailored for use in classrooms. Along with each free audiobook, you’ll get citation information, playtime, and word count.  accompanying PDF that can be used to read-along with text. Available as well on Android and ios. Find out more about this service, here.

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Loyal Books

Loyal Books shares free audiobooks from titles in the public domain. You’ll find options like John Milton’s Paradise Lost and Sir Author Conan Doyle’s The Return of Sherlock Holmes, among others. Users can also submit reviews and read what others have had to say about each of the titles. Find out more about this service, here. 

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Mind Webs

Mind Webs is a hauntingly-good old-time radio dramatization of over 150 of the most classic science fiction short stories. You’ll find free science fiction stories from Ursula K. Le Guin, Kurt Vonnegut, and H.G. Wells, among others. Find out more about his service, here. 

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Open Culture

Open Culture’s site brings together high-quality cultural along with educational media to provide kids of all ages with a comprehensive lifelong learning community. With hosts of intelligent audio and video content to choose from, this site’s free choices make it fun to use as it is enriching for listeners of all walks of life. You can gain access to this high-quality content by clicking here. 

OverDrive

OverDrive provides access to the most ebook and audiobook content you’ll find on this list, by pairing with local libraries. With over two million books and videos, and partner with more than 30,000 libraries nationally,  you’ll find the newest audiobook releases through OverDrive. All free of charge through your local library’s Overdrive access for 7, 14, 0r 21-day loans. Books can also be downloaded by specific chapters alone, too. The app can also be linked to Android, desktop, and iOS services. To find out about this service, click here. 

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Scribl

Scribl provides users with a great option for newer releases, with many of the books read by the authors themselves. These free audiobooks are provided in a serialized form, so you can listen to small chunks that fit into your commute. My favorite site feature? Podiobooks encourages listeners to donate money directly to the authors of the books, with authors receiving 75% of donations. Including indie authors and artists. To find out about this site, click here.

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Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg is the Cadillac of sites for free books that are in the public domain. Since they use books no longer under copyright, most of the books on the sites were written before 1923. So keep that in mind when searching for something to listen to. Including their section on human-read free audiobooks offers an even wider collection of books. Stand-outs include Marion Zimmer Bradley’s The Colors of Space and Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. Project Gutenberg also offers computer-read audiobooks too. To find out more about this site, click here.

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Spotify

No one loves Spotify more than me. So if you too are a playlist junkie, be sure to check out Spotify’s audiobooks playlist for a list of audiobooks that are always being added to by the service. Spotify is free to listen, or you can go premium if you don’t want the ads. Spotify’s list currently features The Great Gatsby audiobook, as well as 1984 and Pride and Prejudice. To find out more about the service, and its apps, click here.

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Storynory

Storynory offers free audiobooks for kids, with a mix of classics, fairy tales, and original stories for kids. But for the kid at heart, you’ll also love classic titles like Brothers Grimm folk tales, Aesop’s fables, or stories from 1,001 Nights again. To find out more about this site, click here. 

Sync

Every summer, readers looking for YA audiobooks can head over to SYNC, a free summer audiobook program for teens, sponsored by AudioFile Magazine and delivered by OverDrive. Also worth noting, each summer the site gives away two free audiobooks every week in the summer. Users can also sign up for alerts to know when new audiobooks are available.  To find out more about his site, click here. 

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Bound

The Bound app, which downloads your audiobooks directly from a DropBox account, or other cloud-based services, onto your Bound app, for both iOS and Android, allows users to use bookmarks and can remember where you paused your book. And it’s simply prettier and easier to use. To find out more about this app, click here. 

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Google Play Books

Google Play Books allows you to listen to your purchased audiobooks across platforms and devices. That enables listeners to pick up where they left off on their Android device, iPhone, or desktop PCs. Audiobook controls allow you to skip ahead or scroll along the timeline, jump to chapters, and configure playback speed and a snooze timer. Unlike other audiobook services, Google Play Books doesn’t run on a monthly subscription, instead of allowing users to preview audiobooks and then buy what they want over the Google Play Books marketplace. However, you just pay monthly after the trial to keep downloading each of your enjoyed audiobooks. To find out about this app, and service, click here.

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Digitalbook.io

Digitalbook.io is a free audiobook directory that makes it easy to find public domain audiobook downloads. Browse titles by the most popular or recently added audiobooks to find one you might like to listen to or look through the list of genres or authors. and even by specific quotes or chapters, too. You can also see trending audiobooks at Digitalbook.io’s homepage. There are currently over 100,000 items at Digitalbook.io, and while some are audiobooks, others are regular eBooks. To find out more about this site, click here.

Audio Stories for Kids | Free Coloring Pages | Colouring Printables

Light Up Your Brain

Light Up Your Brain’s audiobook site is geared towards tech-savvy kids aged 5-15 and a free text version is available with each audiobook. Most audiobooks are under 10 minutes and most titles will provide PDF transcripts of the audiobooks as well. Including classic audiobooks, ready-to-be-steamed directly from the website. Keep in mind, all titles must be downloaded individually, as there is currently no group downloader available and all audiobooks must be downloaded by right-clicking on each title to be saved as Mp3 files. As the site does not host stylized download or hover buttons. To find out more about this site, click here. 

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ThoughtAudio

Thought Audio is another classic-minded audiobook site featuring classic works of literature and philosophy books available for download as free audiobooks. You can browse the whole list or search for books, as well as see them in order of those that were most recently added to the collection. To get these audiobooks you have to either listen to them on the ThoughtAudio website or download them in installments by right-clicking each part that you want to save. PDF transcripts for these audiobooks are also available for download. Some audiobooks are available in multiple audio formats. The perfect place for classic audiobooks for writers, college students, and seminary students alike. To find out more about this site, click here. 

Welcome to LearnOutLoud.com, Your Audio Learning Resource on the Internet.

Learn Out Loud

LearnOutLoud’s self-development focused free audiobooks allow users to find practical information by way of thousands of free audiobooks, categorized by genre,  including documentaries, courses, speeches, and more. Keeping in mind, a free user account is needed for some audiobooks and other titles may be subject to trial offers. Most titles can be sorted by recently added, random, most popular, or alphabetically. There are also specific categories that you can choose to find only those types of free audiobook downloads, such as Science, Technology, Self Development, Languages, Business, and Travel. To find out more about this site, click here. 

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Hoopla

Hoopla, much like OverDrive, provides users with various digital media services offered by local public libraries. Allowing users to borrow movies, music, audiobooks, ebooks, comics, and TV shows to enjoy on your device of choice. Including various computers, tablets, e-readers, or smartphones. Even on your TV or smart tv and other iOS and Android devices as well as Roku, Chromecast, Fire TVs. With Hoopla, there’s no waiting for titles. As selections can be streamed immediately or downloaded to phones or tablets for offline enjoyment later. Featuring hundreds of thousands of titles to choose from, with more being added daily, this site brings the best of your local library into your home. With tons of titles at your fingertips, anytime and anywhere. As with the OverDrive app, users need a valid library card, and your local library must be signed up to use the service in order for users to get started renting titles from home.  To find out more about the site, click here. 

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NewFixtion

NewFixtion is in a category all to itself. It doesn’t have many titles, but what it does have are original stories delivered in daily episodes, much like daily radio shows of the 1940s. With each episode is voiced by trained actors, which gives it a more rounded feeling. It’s really more like listening to an old-time radio drama than simply having a book read to you. You can’t download titles from NewFixtion, though. Titles are listed through your desktop or mobile browser. To find out more about the site, click here. 

ejunto

Fans of American history will love ejunto’s library of historic media. Users can access, download, and listen on iTunes or download as an MP3 through a podcast library of resourcing links. While titles cannot be downloaded in bulk, rather on a chapter-by-chapter downloading basis, the site is still a great resource for history lovers of all ages. at a time. To find out more about the site, click here. 

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YouTube

Similar to Spotify, YouTube is not primarily a good source for audiobooks because most of the content is music and videos. However, you might have luck finding some really great free audiobooks on YouTube if you know how to search for them. Such as searching for a title name followed by “audiobook.” Users can also try Reddit. Which hosts genre-specific directories for finding YouTube-centric audiobook files. Specifically for sharing which videos on YouTube are actually audiobooks. Once you find an audiobook you like, and so long as you know it’s public domain or is legal to download, you can download just the audio from the video with a YouTube to MP3 converter.  Browse YouTube audiobooks, here. 

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DigitalBook, formerly Librophile, lets you search through a database of public domain books from places like Librivox, Gutenberg, Open Library, and also includes books from Amazon and Audible. Although not all books are free, a large number of them are, and they boast a catalog of over 100,000 free audiobooks and eBooks. If you sign up for a free membership, you can save books on a personal bookshelf to read later without having to download. Click here to find out more about this site. 

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Audio Archive

Internet Archive is a non-profit archive of internet sites and other cultural artifacts, made available to users in digital form. It’s one of the larger and more well-known sites out there for access pretty much anything in the public domain. Providing free access to an archive of over 4 million audio recordings, 11 million books and texts, and 3 million videos. To find out more about this site, click here.

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RBDigital

RBDigital offers an extensive collection of audiobooks, magazines, and eBooks, with the largest independent collection of unabridged audiobooks. To find out more about this site, click here. 

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Your Cloud Library

YourCloudLibrary is an application for Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android that offers access to millions of ebooks and audio to download.  cloudLibrary by bibliotheca works with a huge range of eReading devices, and we’re adding support all the time. Right now, you are able to view and download content on iOS and Android recognized devices. To find out more about this service, click here.

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Amazon Audiobooks

If You’re an Amazon Prime Subscriber, you can get free audiobooks there, too! If you’re an Amazon Prime member you can get unlimited access to a selection of free audiobooks each month in addition to Prime eligible Kindle ebooks. Keep in mind, Amazon doesn’t make it particularly clear where to find the list of audiobooks currently free to borrow for Prime members. This means you’ll need to download the ebook before you can get the audiobook from separate lists of available audiobooks, downloading each individually. 

To get started, here’s the list of Books with Audible Narration free for Prime members in 2019.  Prime eligible ebooks show a Prime logo in the buy box that says, Included with your membership. Books that also have a matching Prime-eligible audiobook will show a box that says, Read and Listen for Free. If the audiobook isn’t part of Prime it will just say, Read for Free.

When searching for free Amazon audiobook titles, be sure to search and select Prime-eligible books. Including titles with matching audiobooks available with Prime, as it will automatically be available once you borrow the ebook. Fire tablet users you can easily find Prime audiobook content from the menu of the Audible section where it lists Prime Benefits.

Audible Channels are another way to get free audio content with Prime. Audible Channels include original short-form audio content (podcasts), along with playlists, and a selection of audiobooks to stream anytime. All options to help you find free audiobooks from Amazon.

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Kobo

Kobo, known for its e-reader services and devices, is also home to 5 million ebooks and audiobooks with an ever-growing catalog. Kobo might be one of the biggest competitors battling Amazon’s Kindle line. Free 30-day trial, cancel anytime. $12.99/month for an audiobook subscription after that point. Kobo’s audiobook player covers your basics, with a timeline scrubber bar, time skip buttons, chapter navigation, playback speed configuration, and a snooze timer. The app provides cross-platform syncing,  a customizable ebook reader, and a dedicated audiobook player. New users can sign up for a $5.00 additional discount on their first ebook purchase. The site also offers many new, free selections, too. To find out this site, click here. 

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Bookmobile

Bookmobile is a service, for both Android and iOS that specializes in DRM-free audiobooks and DRM-locked content from iTunes and Audible, as well as DRM-free content,  ripped from CDs or downloaded, including M4B and MP3 audiobooks. This app features a control panel designed to keep you from easily losing your place and includes drive and sleep modes, as well as supporting background playback. Extra features include a custom bookmarking feature that can automatically remember where you last stopped, playback speed controls, and AirPlay support. The free trial lasts for 60 days and allows you to import three audiobooks; iOS users will be charged $3.99 after free trial if not canceled. Users can even weekly free audiobooks for users who utilize their sign-up newsletter service. To find out about this app, click here. 

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Public Libraries

No longer do you need to leave the house in order to borrow a book from the library, as you can now even borrow public library books from your kindle, but you may still want to. As going to your local library can still gain you access to varied titles as well as the opportunity to request new releases by way of interlibrary loans from other branches. Local libraries also host a litany of other free services open to the general public, too! To find a library near you, click here.

Audiobooks, no matter if you’re listening to them on your commutes, while we’re cleaning the house, running, or, even while cooking, it’s always worth your listening time. Thankfully, these 30 websites, apps, directories, and sources can help offer thousands and thousands of free audiobooks for you online this season. That’s a lot of books. Get to listening!

Finally, be sure to share your favorite places to get audiobooks in the comments below. Or just say hi. That’s fun, too! 

3 Signs Your Workplace Is Great

If you are starting a new job, you will have many things that you are keen to check to make sure that it is going to be a great place to work. It is always tricky at first to know whether or not you have found a decent job, and you might be a little apprehensive about the possibility of discovering that it is worse than you thought it would be. One of the things that will probably prove important to you is the workplace itself – there is much that you might reasonably want or expect from your workplace, and yet which a lot don’t tend to have, so it’s important to be clear on what you are hoping to get out of a workplace. In this post, we are going to help with this by looking at three of the clearest signs that your workplace is the kind of place you should be happy to work.

Source – CCO Licence

Safe

First of all, you should never be made to feel unsafe at work. If you feel that this has happened to you, then it is a clear warning sign that it’s a workplace that needs improvement, and that perhaps you should not be working there in the first place if it is really that bad. In the worst case, you might suffer a severe injury as a result of poor workplace practices and culture, and then you’ll be having to look for personal injury attorneys with a proven record of success to help you along the way. It’s better if you can turn your back on an unsafe workplace at the earliest opportunity, rather than risking suffering such an injury at all.

Friendly

No matter the nature of the work itself, it should always be possible to be friendly with one another as you work. If the workplace does not have the right kind of culture for that, then you will find that you are unlikely to enjoy your time there, and before you know it you will find that you are depressed with the whole thing. So make sure that you seek out a workplace that is friendly, and that you do your best to be friendly along the way too. By doing that, you should find that you are able to enjoy the work more, which is the most important thing of all.

Source – CCO Licence

Spacious

Chances are, you are going to want a certain amount of space in which to do your work. When you find yourself in a position where you are merely given a small cubicle in rows and rows of small cubicles, then it might mean that you are going to struggle to actually work and enjoy the work. The more spacious that the place is, the easier it is to work away, and this is something you can get a glimpse of when you go in for the interview. If it is too cramped, it is unlikely to be the best workplace in the world.

13 Zero-Waste Ways To Prepare Your Home For Fall

Disclosure: This post contains my personal affiliate links. All opinions are mine alone.

 

With the kiddos back in school and the autumnal equinox only one month away, now is a good time to start preparing your home for fall. By spreading these necessary home tasks over the next few weeks, you’ll ensure your home is ready for cooler weather when it happens. And more importantly, you can plan how to do these tasks in as zero-waste a way as possible.

With that in mind, here are 13 Zero-Waste Steps you can take to Prepare Your Home For Fall:

 

Declutter

Organized Linen Closet Shelves Post Kon-Mari

Before you haul out your best throws, blankets, and fashionable fall finds you should always start by making sure everything that you already have out is in its rightful place.

This is where decluttering comes into play. Clearing clutter from your home makes deep cleaning easier and will give you cleaner surfaces for fall decorating, baking, entertaining, and the like. Remember my minimalist mantra at home: Evaluate, donate, and everything will be great!

Start High

Whenever I start a seasonal clean I make sure to tackle all the big, hard-to-reach surfaces in this order: ceiling, ceiling trim, ceiling light fixtures, walls, chair rails, and lastly, the baseboards. This will allow any falling dust and allergens to be cleaned as you go, without the need to re-duct surfaces later on.

Tackle Your Light Sources

Next, tackle your light sources. Including windows, lamps, sconces, and outdoor lighting. It’s not that bad, and the payoff is huge. Start by vacuuming the sills and tracks. Then spritz the window with cleaner from top to bottom. Let the cleaner sit for a minute to disinfect your glass surfaces. Instead of opting for paper towels, try a reusable cloth or a squeegee to wipe your windows down.

You won’t believe the mold, dust, and allergens that get stuck to your glass surfaces. Contaminants that could remain trapped in your homes until spring!

Pro Tip: Remove light fixture covers, including domes, mason jars, and pendulent lights and run them through the china, crystal, or delicate cycle on the dishwasher to get sparkling clean fixtures.

Seal Up Your Windows

Save yourself the aggravation of removing your blinds and shades this fall. Opt to vacuum your window covering instead of using your brush attachment. And instead of laundering and ironing curtains, just fluff them in the dryer for a few minutes or shake outside, sprinkly your drapes with witch hazel, and let them sun bleach on a clothesline. Once dry, just hang them back up! Including your shower curtains too! Finally, make sure to seal any potential air leaks you may have, indoors or out.

Don’t forget to seal your windows to prevent drafts. Due to preventable drafts, money would literally fly out the windows as heat costs escalate each cold-weather season and you would be left with drafty windows on cold winter nights. To do this, just grab a tube of color-matched interior or exterior caulk seal around your home’s inner and outer windows.  Just remember to caulk your windows on a day that’s above 50 degrees so the caulk flows easily!

Refresh Your Floors

Start this process by moving each room larger furniture out from its natural, usable home. Then vacuum under each piece. If you have hardwood floors, clean them with a microfiber mop head and an all-natural, zero-waste cleaner, such as my Zero-Waste Floor Cleaning Recipe. I use my homemade cleaner along with my Pure Cane Home Microfiber Mop with Telescopic Handle. I love microfiber mops for tile and hardwood floors as they allow me to clean dirt and grime while maintaining a natural shine to my floors at home.

If you have carpets, disinfect your floors with a mixture of 3 cups baking soda to 30 each of clove and orange drops essential oils. Add your blend to a mason jar, making sure to shake well. Apply to carpets before going to bed and wake to sanitized carpets. To finish up, just vacuum floors as you normally would! Remember, everything your vacuum picks up can be composted!

Stow Your Mower

Once you’re finished mowing your lawn for the year, it’s time to give your mower a good clean. Wipe down your mower and if you’re not familiar with fuel stabilizer, get to know it.

If your mower sits for months with gas in its tank, the gas will slowly deteriorate, which can damage internal engine parts. Fuel stabilizer prevents gas from degrading, so be sure to add stabilizer to your gasoline tank. Finally, run your mower for 5 minutes to make sure the stabilizer reaches the carburetor.

Be sure to also check your mowers spark plugs. Finally, ensure your mower’s bottom deck is free of grass and debris before retiring your unit for winter!

Address Your Water Sources

Start by removing garden hoses from outdoor faucets. Leaving hoses attached can cause water to back up in the faucets and in the plumbing pipes just inside your exterior walls. If freezing temps hit, that water could freeze, expand, and crack the faucet or pipes.

Make this an early fall priority so a sudden cold snap doesn’t cause your home unnecessary property damage. Next, turn off any shutoff valves on water supply lines that lead to exterior faucets. That way, you’ll guard against minor leaks that may enter the faucet.

Drain and store your hoses, smaller outdoor fountains, and solar fountains for winter in a shed or garage. Finally, drain your irrigation system. And, of course, if you have a pool, now is the time to winterize it for the season.

De-Gunk Your Gutters

Clogged rain gutters can cause expensive repairs. After the leaves have fallen later this fall, clean your gutters to remove leaves, twigs, and gunk. Make sure your home’s gutters aren’t sagging and trapping water. Making sure to tighten gutter hangers and downspout brackets.

Replace any worn or damaged gutters and downspouts before the start of winter. Remember to clean off and recycle those replaceable parts, where applicable!

Check Your Heat Sources

Before the chill of winter sets in, be sure to your heating system checked. Change your furnace filter. If your HVAC includes a built-in humidifier, give that filter a change too! Give your fireplace a once over. Also, make sure to check your home’s heaters to make sure they are properly working.

Finally, weatherize your patio gas heaters, chimineas, and fire pits to make sure they are working well for the upcoming cooler months ahead.

Prune Your Perennial Plants

Late fall is the best time to prune plants and trees. Your goal is to keep limbs and branches at least 3 feet from your house so moisture won’t drip onto roofing and siding. This can also help prevent damage from winter ice storms. This is also the time when you can turn under gardens, flower beds, and plant spring bulbs too!

Make sure to compost any trimmings and turn your leftover leaves into zero-waste mulch. The perfect way to winterize your flower beds before winter!

Create A Seasonal Capsule Wardrobe

The end of the summer season is a great time to pull out your cool-weather duds. But before you return everything to your closet, take the time to declutter your closets at home. Look for pieces that can be donated.

Take the time to mend pieces that may need addressing. Launder pieces that are going into storage and refresh clothing that needs to be used within the next season ahead. Make note of gaps in your wardrobe and replace these pieces with slower fashion that is organic and sustainably made.

Each season I create for myself a functional 33-piece minimalist capsule wardrobe. A wardrobe where each piece makes me feel like a million bucks each time I have them on! To see my past capsules, click here.

Clean Your Compost Bins

Before the start of Autumn is a great time to make sure that both your indoor and outdoor compost bins are in working order for the colder months ahead. This is particularly important for your countertop compost bins.

While flies and insects getting into your produce may not be as big an issue each winter, having a secure, sealed bin to collect cold and flu-related items, the influx of tea, coffee, and beverage items, and a place to put the larger scraps from fall produce, including pumpkins, butternut squash, and spaghetti squash is a must!

I have recently switched to the Cooler Kitchen Oversized 1.3 Gallon Kitchen Compost Bin with EZ-No Lock Lid. I love that this compact is easy-to-clean, dishwasher-safe, and fits in well with my minimalist kitchen at home. I also appreciate that it came with two thick activated-charcoal filters to trap and absorb odors and the bins carbon steel that will not rust, stain, or retain odors like plastic or stainless steel bins.

The best part? The Cooler Kitchen came with a 45-day Money Back Guarantee, for savvy savers like myself. This bin is as zero-waste and practical as it is beautiful in design. A must-have for zero-wasters and plant-based eaters at home this fall season. To find out more about this bin, click here.

5 Tips For Zero-Waste Cleaning at Home

Finalize Your Indoor Cleaning

You’ll want to finish up your indoor cleaning with a few seasonal must-dos. Start by sanitizing your cabinet handles and doorknobs. This is also a great time to vacuum refrigerator coils, clean out your oven before fall family feasts, and flip and rotate all your mattresses at home. You’ll also want to wash your bed pillows, vacuum any pet beds, and change out your bathroom shower curtain liners if needed.

5 Tips For Zero-Waste Cleaning at Home

This is also a great time of year to properly rid your home of caustic chemicals and to replenish your home with a stock of awesome DIY Fall-Scented Cleaners! A few of my favorites include:

Fall-Scented Air Freshener:

  • 2 Cups Warm Water
  • 2 Tablespoons Witch hazel
  • 30 Drops Cinnamon Essential Oil
  • 30 Drops Clove Essential Oil
  • 30 Drops Anise Essential Oil
  • Mix together in a spray bottle for use.

Fall-Scented All-Purpose Cleaner:

  • 2 Cups of Warm Water
  • 1 Cup White Vinegar
  • 30 Drops Fir Essential Oil
  • 30 Drops Rosemary Essential Oil
  • Mix together in a spray bottle for use.

Cold & Flu Disinfectant Spray:

  • 1 Cup Rubbing Alcohol
  • 1 Cup White Vinegar
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 30 Drops Tea Tree Essential Oil
  • 30 Drops Rosemary Essential Oil
  • 10 Drops Lavender Essential Oil
  • 10 Drops Orange Essential Oil
  • Mix together in a spray bottle for use.
  • Please note, vinegar should not be used to clean granite countertops.
  • For cleaning cutting boards, peroxide is a better disinfectant choice to use.
     

5 Tips For Zero-Waste Cleaning at Home

It’s also a great time to invest in good zero-waste cleaning cloths. I’m a firm believer in using the right tool for the right job. This is especially true for fall cleaning. You should always invest in good cleaning cloths to clean, polish, and sanitize your home. You will also need a few to get started.

  • Bar towels: Great for drying dishes without lint.
  • Drying mats: Used to air dry non-dishwashable items.
  • Shammy towels: Used to clean electronics without scratching.
  • Microfiber towels: Used to clean heavy spills, countertops, general cleaning, and more.

5 Tips For Zero-Waste Cleaning at Home

My favorite microfiber towels for fall cleaning? e-cloth. Because with e-cloth you can clean many surfaces in your home with just good old tap water! My favorite thing about e-cloths? They are also reasonably priced. My 8-piece home cleaning kit cost under $40.00. This is nearly a 1/4 of my annual cost for paper towels just a few short years ago!

This is such a small cost for what you get, making e-cloth my go-to zero-waste cleaning cloth brand at home. If you’d like to learn more about the e-cloth 8-Piece Home Cleaning Set, click here.

So, friends, those are my 13 Zero-Waste Steps To Preparing Your Home For Fall. I hope they will challenge you to rethink the way you clean your home. Also, be sure to download a copy of my fall cleaning pdf below. You’re just a click away from zero-waste cleaning success this fall!

Now I have to ask, do you already use any of these tips at home or do you have zero-waste cleaning tips you’d like to share as well? I’d love to hear about them below!

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10 Reasons You’ll Love The Bosch AutoAir™ 500 Series Dishwasher

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Best Buy. All opinions expressed are my own. 

We’ve all been there. Post-meal cleanup. Those moments when you long to find yourself curled up in a large, inviting chair, with a book in hand and the promise of restless sleep a few glorious moments way.  But before you relax and unwind, you have to tackle that massive pile of dishes that we wish our handy dandy, yet-to-be-created teleporter would zap away our cleaning woes until morning. But friends, what if there was a product out there that could make this mess so much easier to clean up? Consider checking out the Bosch AutoAir™ 500 Series dishwasher.

Features of the Bosch 500 Series Dishwasher

Not only can the 24″ width accommodate nearly 4 meals worth of dishes ( for a family of 4), but its flexible 3rd rack wash larger dishes, platters, and pans as well. And with RackMatic, you’ll have you 3 height adjustments, with 9 possible positions for the whole washer to accommodate every dish in your cabinet. Plus, with the EasyGlide rack, you can load and unload dishes in a snap!

This dishwasher also boasts a 44-dBA noise level rating. That means you won’t hear the washer running. You’ll have to look over to see if the cycle is done. And with PrecisionWash technology, featuring a series of sensors that continually scan each cleaning cycle and powerful spray arms will target key areas, and a concealed heating element.you’ll be ensured that all your dishes will get cleaned properly.

24/7 Aquastop®

Protecting your kitchen floors will also be less of an issue as this unit comes with a 4-part leak prevention system uses sensors to detect and stop leaks, and can even turn on by itself.

AutoAir Technology

What’s most interesting about this dishwasher to me is that when the overall cleaning cycle is complete,  the AutoAir allows to let moisture escape and fresh air to circulate dishes and silverware for overall better drying results; compared to Bosch Dishwashers with PureDry capabilities. Meaning, each round of dishwashing will yield better, quiet, quicker results at home. 

The Bosch 500 Series is available at Best Buy starting at $899.99. With the free delivery option standard. So if you are looking for a new built-in dishwasher for the fam, The Bosch 500 series dishwasher is your way to go this season and beyond. 

Here are 10 reasons why you will love it:

  • A little fresh air equals a lot more dry.
  • Claim: AutoAir™ automatically opens the door at the end of the drying cycle to let moisture escape and fresh air circulate for better drying results. *Compared to Bosch Dishwashers with PureDry.
  • The Bosch 500 Series dishwasher delivers a sparkling clean and dry with advanced PrecisionWash technology and AutoAir.
  • With PrecisionWash, intelligent sensors continually scan and check the progress of dishes throughout the cycle, and powerful spray arms target every item of every load, for the ultimate clean.
  • The all-new AutoAir option automatically releases the door at the end of the cycle to let moisture escape and fresh air in for drier dishes*
  • Quiet operation (44 dBA)- incorporates 18 unique sound-reducing technologies such as multiple insulation layers, grindless food filtration, and a sound-absorbing base.
  • The large interior provides loading flexibility necessary to easily accommodate 16 place settings, and the Flexible 3rd rack adds space for cooking utensils and ramekins.
  • Every Bosch dishwasher is ENERGY STAR qualified and meets or exceeds federal guidelines, for year-round energy savings.
  • Sanitize Option reduces 99.9% of bacteria with a hot-wash rinse for sparkling clean and sanitized dishes.
  • FlexSpace™ Tines on the lower rack – fold down every other tine in one simple step to make room for larger, bulkier items while optimizing the rack space.

Friends, this dishwasher will make a great addition to any kitchen renovation especially with the holidays being right around the corner. Because if you have a large family or are always cooking for events, this is the dishwasher for you. Now I want to ask, are you in the market for a new dishwasher at home? Share your thoughts of this unit in the comments below. 

DIY Wooden Furniture Balm!

icecream (1)

Hello again, savvy savers! Today finds us with a new Thrifty Thursday Post, and today it’s my recipe for DIY Wood Balm! This is my go-to recipe for cleaning, prepping, and conditioning my kitchen cabinets, cutting boards, salad bowls, and storage containers! I make my blend for under $3.00, which lasts for over a year at a stint.

Here’s how to make it:

Ingredients: 

  • 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
  • 2 Tablespoons Mineral Oil
  • 20 Drops Essential Lemon Oil
  • 8 Ounces Beeswax

How to make this Balm:

  1. Meltdown 8 ounces of pure, natural unscented beeswax in a double boiler, lined crockpot or cleaned out wax warmer.
  2. Pour your wax into small, clean glass jelly jars, or any small container with a wide brim jar mouth.
  3. While the wax is warm add your olive oil and essential oils.
  4. Stir the wax blend for ten seconds.
  5. Allow the blend to sit, meld, and solidify for one hour.

So, that’s it! This blend is natural, economical, and with a small amount on a clean, white cloth you will be able to clean and condition all of your wooden kitchen items within minutes. I condition my kitchen cutting boards quarterly, and kitchen cabinets annually!

Here’s to saving,

mbnlogosm

 

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101 Free Family Summer Activities

Summer may be the ultimate time of year to a time to relax and get away, but tell that to kids who are bouncing off the walls. Or espousing the dreaded I’m bored eighteen hundred times a day.

As parents, we want each summer to be more memorable than the next but its often hard to come up with ideas for activities that are family-focused, sensory-prone, yet fresh and new each year. Ideas that are both fun and frugal too. Especially if your child is too young to for ye ole’ summer camp this season.

It’s also important to remember that there are only eighteen summers that we as parents can take advantage of the course of our children’s lives. So we need to be able to make the most of each and every bright sunny day and warm summer nights each week with our children.

101 Free Family Summer Activities

So with this in mind, I’d like to share with you 101 free fun family-focused ideas for the summer:

  1. Go to the Library: Most libraries around the country offer free summer reading programs that encourage kids of all ages to read, and often host other activities like, parties, storytelling events, children’s book clubs, and puppet shows. Check out libraries in neighboring towns too – they might offer something your regular branch doesn’t. Click here to find local libraries.
  2. Tour a Local Business: Local restaurants are often open to giving kids a behind-the-scenes look at a working kitchen during slow times if you stay for lunch. Many factories offer tours, which can come with freebies to take home. Call ahead to find out this summer!
  3. Free Museum Passes: Many museums and cultural institutions, like botanical gardens, children’s museums, zoos, and aquariums, that offer free programs to children, parents, and educators (and homeschoolers) before noon weekdays. But even the ones that charge admission often offer free or reduced-rate days or hours weekly or monthly. Also, check Children’s Science and Art Museum calendars for special summer activities – many offer classes, concerts, and tours just for kids. Bank of America offers such free passes too!
  4. IKEA: Ikea has supervised playrooms for potty-trained kids. Take turns with other moms shopping while the kiddos get a play date on the cheap!
  5. Home Depot: Home Depot runs free weekend project workshops for kids ages 5-12 for Home Depot every third Saturday of the month. Book your free project today!
  6. Michaels: Micheals holds free and $2.00 project demos and classes that will keep creative kids happy, ages are craft-specific.
  7. Apple stores: Apple Stores run free 3-day Apple Camp where kids ages 8-12 learn how to make films. Check out these programs here.
  8. Whole Foods: Whole Foods offers free in-store kid’s summer cooking classes; check your local store for details.
  9. Barnes & Noble: Barnes & Noble offer free storytime. Check with stores in your area to see what they have planned here.
  10. Visit a Farm: Check with farms in your area to see if they offer tours for your pint-size volunteer.
  11. Volunteer: Develop the spirit of service in your kiddos by plugging you both into a great non-profit or volunteer opportunity this summer. Whether it’s cleaning up a local park, walking dogs at an animal shelter, or visiting residents at a nursing home, summer is a great time to introduce children to the joys of giving back. Search for opportunities in your area here.
  12. Catch a Movie: Beat the heat this summer with a free movie from your local library. Or if your willing to pay a little, Regal Cinemas’ Summer Movie Express offers $1.00 movies on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings each summer, and Cinemark Summer Movie Clubhouse movies are only $0.50 per movie, per child. Check theaters in your area for similar deals.
  13. Take a Hike: The great outdoors is always open and waiting for little explorers with REI’s free Kids’ Adventure Journal, where young hikers (ages 6-12) can log notes and draw pictures about their experiences.
  14. Tour National Parks: Each national holiday, America’s National Parks offer free or reduced admittance to families all summer long. Click here to check out dates for parks in your area.
  15. Geocaching: Allow your pint-sized anthropologist to explore, find and log adventures this summer with geocaching. Your only one app and a car ride away from finding your family’s next hidden treasure. Click here to find out more today!
  16. Bake cookies: Celebrate National Ice Cream Cookie day by baking your own cookies and making ice cream at home this coming August 2nd!
  17. Volunteer at a nature center:  Invest your kiddos talents and skills to make a difference in helping wildlife this summer by volunteering at a local nature center. Contact your state’s forestry department for opportunities for your family this season!
  18. Make a family yearbook: Get a jump-start on holiday year-in-review cards by going to Canva to create free family yearbook e-cards for friends and family this coming holiday season!
  19. Have a luau in the backyard: Learn about Hawaiian and Polynesian culture this summer by throwing your own luau this summer. The Dollar Tree also hosts plenty of low-cost items to get you started.
  20. Visit the beach and collect shells: Connect a day at the beach with prehistoric history with just a few seashells and free worksheets for kids! Click here for more details.
  21. Make a fort out of cardboard boxes: Explorer early American westward expansion and the Oregon Trail by making your own cardboard forts. Click here to learn more.
  22. Visit a farmer’s market: Give your kiddos a true appreciation for the unsung heroes that are local farmers with a trip to your local Farmer’s Market this summer!
  23. Stage a neighborhood scavenger hunt: Develop your kiddos sense of awareness with a DIY neighborhood scavenger hunt. Click here for free idea sheets!
  24. Pick berries: Check with your local co-op to find local organic berry picking dates in your area. Keep the fun going by introducing kids to the skills needed for zero-waste canning.
  25. Pack a picnic: Pack a zero-waste picnic with nothing more than mason jars and great treats. Then head out with your kiddos for a free summer playdate at the park!
  26. Sit under a tree: Nothing beats sitting under the shade of a tree in summer. Especially while listening to free e-books for kids from Guttenburg Press!
  27. Learn a language: Introduce the kiddos to foreign languages with the free Dualingo app for kids this summer. Available for both ios and Android.
  28. Go canoeing at a local lake: Many public lakes offer free canoeing days for kids each summer. Check your local parks and recreation department for dates and times in your area.
  29. Build sandcastles: Head out to the beach and practice your engineering skills while building sand castles this summer. Also, see if your area hosts professional sandcastle building festivals to give kiddos inspiration for future beach builds too!
  30. Write and illustrate your own book: Check out Mystorybook.com and have your kiddo publish their own free e-book this summer.
  31. Campout at home: Create a campsite in your back yard. Cook outdoors. Sleep under the stars. All without leaving working toilets behind!
  32. Clean up trash at a local park: Contact your local parks and recreation department for kid-specific trash pick-up days and help your kids develop a sense of civic pride this summer!
  33. S’more competition: Create a backyard smores competition. See who in your family can create the most imaginative smores recipe this summer!
  34. Make homemade pizza: Create homemade pizzas at home with the kiddos while learning about Neopolitan pizza history this summer. Click here for ideas.
  35. Create summer collages: Go for a walk and then make a collage from nature objects you find along the way. Click here for ideas.
  36. Wetland Conservation: Head to a creek and look at the ducks. Explore wetlands and learn about wetland conservation too. Click here for more ideas.
  37. Set up a lemonade stand: Teach proprietary skills and a strong worth ethic by helping your kiddos set up and run a lemonade stand this summer. Click here for more ideas!
  38. Teach Multiculturalism: Introduce issues of multiculturalism, ethnicity, worker’s rights, human rights, and compassion from the Education for Students video series on Youtube!
  39. Practice your origami skills: Pick up origami paper at the Dollar Tree and create DIY origami installations while learning about Japanese origami culture at home. Click here for an awesome video series to get you started!
  40. Go biking on a trail: Learn useful navigational skills while biking with your kiddos this summer. Click here to find trails in your neck of the woods!
  41. Learn your family history: Interview an older relative about what life was like when they were young. Take this information and create a family tree.
  42. Mini-Chef Monday’s: Get your kiddos into the kitchen with you developing kitchen skills while watching other littles and their parents online too! Click here for more information!
  43. Create a summer reading list: Print out a list of children’s books that have won Caldecott Medals. Visit the local library and read as many of these titles as you can this summer.
  44. Create salad spinner art: Learn about basic physics, prisms, and modern art all with just a salad spinner, tempera paint, and paper this summer. Click here for more information!
  45. Create shadow puppets: Create a shadow puppet theater and then put on a show with your characters with items sitting around your home.
  46. Plant a garden of herbs and veggies: Teach kids about germination and photosynthesis by planting an at-home kids garden at home. Click here to request free seed packets by mail!
  47. Make a sidewalk chalk mural: Learn about Amerian mural art by making your own sidewalk murals at home. Click here for lesson sheets.
  48. Learn about engineering: Teach your kids about engineering with free games, articles, worksheets, movies, apps, and activities on Engineering.com.
  49. Free kids learning classes: Keep the school year going on a budget with free summer school learning classes from Khan Academy online.
  50. Teach your kids typing: Teach your kids valuable typing and computer science skills online for free from NitroType.com this summer! Teach your kids f
  51. Teach your kids how to budget: Start your children on the part of debt-free living early in life by creating a kids-friendly budget this summer. Click here for more ideas!
  52. Visit a fish hatchery: Teach kids about fish and water safety with a free trip to a fish hatchery. Contact your state forestry department for locations.
  53. Plant a butterfly garden: Teach kids about metamorphosis up close and personal by planting a butterfly garden at home.
  54. Pretend to be pirates for a day: Dress up in costumes, plan a treasure hunt, and challenge your kiddos to walk the plank. Then learn about the real Blackbeard, colonialism, and Carribean pirate culture here. Later you can recreate your summer fun on September 16th this year for Pirate Day at your local Krispy Kreme, where when you dress up like a pirate you get a free doughnut!
  55. Cow Appreciation Day: Raid your closets and play chests for your best DIY cow costumes. Then mosey on over to your local Chick-Fil-A restaurants on July 11th for a free meal on Cow Appreciation Day!
  56. Free Behind-the-Scenes Tours: Make communication and multimedia come alive this summer by contacting your local tv station to set up a free kid-friendly tour this summer!
  57. Microsoft Youth Camps: Check your local Microsoft Store for free in-store Youth Spirit kids computer science camps this summer!
  58. Free Bowling: Strike up two free games of bowling every day of the summer with free bowling pass coupons from KidsBowlFree.com.
  59. Reward your kids for reading: Reward your kids reading this summer by enrolling them in the Pizza Hut Book-It Summer Reading Program!
  60. Go to college: Many colleges and universities hold free overnight, week-long dorm-style summer learning camps for middle-school aged kids each year. Camps designed to prepare tweens for college live. Contact schools in your area to find participating institutions this summer.
  61. Free Camps for Military Families: Click here to see listings for free all-expenses-paid camps for children of active military and veterans this summer.
  62. Tour historic homes: Check with your state’s historic league to find free historic home tour dates in your area this summer.
  63. Kids Skate Free: Treat your kiddos to a day of free skating this summer at participating Kids Skate Free rinks. Click here for more information.
  64. Free AMF Bowling: Register your kids for the Summer Games program at AMF so they can enjoy free bowling every weekday this summer from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. and weekends from until 4 p.m. The Summer Games program runs May 22nd through September 4th. Click here for more information.
  65. Scholastic Summer Challenge: From May 8th to September 8th, kids can log their minutes spent reading and unlock online activities, earn rewards, and even enter to win books from Scholastic online. Click here for more information.
  66. TD Bank Summer Reading Program: By reading 10 books and recording them in the TD Summer Reading Form, your kiddos can earn $10.00, which is deposited into a Young Saver account. Kids in kindergarten through 5th grade are eligible for this program.
  67. Pottery Barn Kids Book Club: Every Tuesday from 11 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., join other local parents and kiddos at Pottery Barn for free story time sessions this summer! In addition, kids will receive a special free gift after attending five sessions. Click here for more information!
  68. Free App Friday’s: SmartAppsForKids lists free educational and art learning apps for kids, for both ios and Android, each Friday at 8 am EST. Also, check out their list of the 100 best free apps for toddlers, preschoolers, multilingual, and special needs students too!
  69. Youtube Videos: Check out this list of the best YouTube family-friendly children’s learning channels!
  70. Kindle e-Books: Check out this list of awesome free Kindle e-books, learning games, videos, and learning software this summer!
  71. Lego Magazine: Click here to score a free 2-year subscription to LEGO Club or LEGO Club Jr. Magazine for your child!
  72. Turn the backyard into a carnival: Create a carnival at some with DIY face painting and DIY Palette games.
  73. Create Totem Poles: Create DIY Totem Poles and introduce your kiddos this summer to awesome Native American history!
  74. Perform Shakespearean Play: Learn about Shakespeare, the Globe, and all things Elizabethan and then put on your own kid’s Globe-style play! Click here for more information!
  75. Learn about Bollywood: Check out this list of some of the best Bollywood family-friendly movies for kids. Also, check out this Bollywood dance routine video for kids and then create your own Bollywood-style dance number at home this summer!
  76. Learn about the Hispanic Culture: Learn about the Hispanic culture, music, art, language, and cuisine this summer at home! Click here for free lesson plans!
  77. Learn about the African American Experience: Teach your kids about the rich cultural heritage of the African-American experience, created by several renounced African-American professors, and NPR and PBS personalities this summer with resources found here.
  78. Learn Riverdance: Teach your kiddos about Irish Culture and then try your hand at traditional Irish Riverdance this summer at home!
  79. Introduce your kids to Opera: Introduce your kids to opera, learn about famous composers such as Verdi, and then watch Hansel and Gretel the Opera!
  80. Stargazing: Learn about stargazing and identify as many constellations as possible. See if there are any local astronomy groups for kids in your local homeschool co-op or public school central offices.
  81. Learn with Starwars: Bring the Force into your home this summer with free, fun Star Wars-themed learning materials online here.
  82. Puppeteering: Teach your kids how to create and mastering puppeteering at home this summer. Click here for more information!
  83. Kabuki Theatre: Learn about Kabuki Theatre history and then throw your own performance at home this summer!
  84. Learn about Aesop Tales: Teach your children valuable moral tales by learning about Aesop this summer!
  85. Norse Mythology: Teach your children about Norse mythology, culture, religion, and history. Click here for free online lesson plans!
  86. Free Piano Lessons: Receive free online piano lessons for kids from the Hoffman Academy of Music, here.
  87. Splash Pad Fun: Check your local parks and recreation department for times and dates of free summer splash pad activities this summer.
  88. Free Cooking Lessons: Cook with your kiddos this summer with free interactive online cooking lessons from the Chop Chop Cooking Club!
  89. Free Vocal Lessons: Receive free beginner vocal lessons for kids online from the Pitch Perfect Media.
  90. Learn about baseball: Teach your kids the history of America’s best-loved sport and then break out your baseball gloves and start a game, Sandlot style.
  91. Go fossil hunting: Bring out your inner archeologist and try your hand at a public archeological dig in your area this summer.
  92. Learn about Women’s History: Teach your kiddos about women’s history this summer with these free online lesson plans.
  93. Learn Civics: Schedule a tour of your local courthouse and municipal building to teach your kiddos hands-on examples of civics and local politics this summer!
  94. Visit a fire station: Help your kiddos learn about fire safety by scheduling a tour of your local firehouse. Then reward your local firefighters by bringing them a homemade meal you and your kids make at home!
  95. Game night: Take in a family game night at home or challenge other families online on the Hasbro Family Game Night site!
  96. Online Family Talent Show: Bring the whole family online with Google Hangouts, Skype, or Facetime. Then have each family member perform a 2-minute skill or talent. Take turns enjoying the fun with friends and family far and near for free this summer!
  97. Visit a police station: Visit a police station. Familiarize your family with your neighborhood precinct. Also, learn at home about ways to prevent police brutality, racism, and create dialogues for positive cultural tolerance for others in your own community. Then create a family police interaction strategy with your family this summer.
  98. Teach kids about voting: Teach your kids about voting and create your own mock-family election at home!
  99. Host a debate: Teach your kids about open dialogue and positive communication skills by learning about the history of the Lincoln-Douglas debates and then throwing your own debate at home this summer!
  100. Make a comic: Click here to learn basic comic book drawing techniques for kids and then have your kiddos try their hand at making a comic book this summer!
  101. Become an Olympiad: Teach your kids all about the Olympic games and they have your hand at creating a DIY Olympic games at home with your kids this summer!

So those are my 101 suggestions for free, fun, and frugal family-friendly summer activities for kids! I hope this list will inspire you to think outside the box when it comes to planning fun and frugal activities for your kiddos this summer at home! So now, I have to ask, how do you and your kiddos plan to have fun this summer? I’d love to hear about it below!

101 Free Family Summer Activities

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DIY Natural Bleach Alternative

DIY Natural Bleach Alternative

Since being diagnosed with PCOS and with an MTHFR-gene mutation three years ago, one of my missions in life has been to rid my home of necessary chemicals and toxins. While this may seem like a relatively simple process, but as I’ve transitioned to fully working from my home office I’ve stopped seeing cleaning as a series of weekend cleaning marathons and now more a daily stream of necessitated chores and routine maintenance that requires cleaners, tools, and a litany of products to be kept on hand at home.

With having health issues I’ve been at odds over which cleaners to buy. Should one go with tried-and-true cleaners or making products that may or may not work for our family’s needs? I’ve truly anguished over whether or not what I believed to be the best way to clean my home was correct, as most of what I know about cleaning and home care came from my Grandmother. All of which makes buying cleaners, solvents, and detergents more and more difficult.

One of my most difficult quandaries? Chlorine bleach. Growing up I cannot tell you the number of times I remember my Grandmother pulled out her trusty jug of bleach. From cleaning counters to laundry to even adding a capful of bleach to hand washed dishes, bleach was a staple in our home. My issue? Bleach causes me skin allergies, induced asthma symptoms, and makes my eyes water horribly. As a result, I stopped buying bleach.

But while my bleach allergies stopped the need to not have dingy, grayish laundry did not cease to be a need or concern in our home. Which led me to rethink my ban on bleach. Except, this time I needed to find an affordable, lasting bleach alternative. Particularly a natural, homemade alternative that brightens your clothes, smells good and doesn’t irritate my skin. A tall order indeed.

So I began with a little research to find the right natural bleach. I started working  with the following commonly known brighteners to find a viable at-home solution:

  • hydrogen peroxide
  • lemon juice
  • baking soda
  • vinegar
  • citric acid
  • lemon essential oil

While all of the items above will whiten and brighten clothes, not all of these products can be used together. For example, mixing vinegar and hydrogen peroxide creates peracetic acid, an acid which can be incredibly irritating to the skin, eyes, and nasal passages. So to avoid allergic reactions while cleaning, I eliminated vinegar off my list.

So using the remaining ingredients and after numerous rounds of washing our reusable kitchen cleaning clothes, I’ve come up with a combination that gets the job done and is very affordable! Here’s how to make it:

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup Hydrogen Peroxide
  • 1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
  • 15 Drops Lemon Essential Oil
  • 3/4 Cup Baking Soda
  • 7 Cups Water
  • 1 Teaspoon Citric Acid
  • 1/2 Gallon Mason Jar

Method:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a container.
  2. Shake blend well before each use.
  3. Use 1 cup per load, washing with hottest water setting available.

A few final thoughts:

While some other DIY recipes for bleach alternatives call for equal parts hydrogen peroxide and lemon juice, I thought that it would be a tad expensive with so much lemon juice. The 3:1 ratio I went with, in conjunction with the jugs of lemon juice I can purchase from Sam’s Club for a song, is enough to get the job done and keeps costs affordable.

As well, as a rule, hydrogen peroxide should be kept in a cool place and preferably in a dark bottle, and as should this blend. The water you add can be plain tap water. No need to use filtered water when it’s only going to be combined with tap water in the washer anyway.

Also, the water you add can be plain tap water as there will not be a  need to use filtered water when it’s only going to be combined with tap water in the washer anyway.

Now if you have ultra dirty clothes you might want to soak dirty clothes and solution in the washer overnight and then add detergent and finish cleaning cycle in the morning. Another tip is to wash dirty clothes twice in a row before drying, and of course, to wash in hot water to help make your laundry it’s lightest and brightest.

Cost breakdown for this blend:

  • Hydrogen Peroxide: $0.07
  • Lemon Juice: $0.18
  • Lemon Essential Oil: $0.18
  • Baking soda: $0.11
  • Citric Acid: $0.09
  • Total cost for 1/2 gallon all-natural homemade bleach alternative: is just 63¢!
  • This is an 89% savings over conventional bleach alternative products!

As the cost for store-bought bleach at Costco and Sam’s Club averages about 3 cents per ounce, but this homemade version costs just 0.5 cents per ounce, so you’re not only saving money but harmful chemicals from your home and laundry, too!

So, everyone, I have to ask, do you use bleach or are you more into the bleach alternative camp? I’d love to hear your opinions below!

 

DIY Natural Bleach Alternative

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