Uses for Peroxide

I got an email a couple weeks ago saying that Peroxide is safer than bleach and offering lots of uses for it. Well, some of the uses in the email are true, but not all of them. I thought I would post some uses here based on the research I did.

I found that hydrogen peroxide is seen as an environmentally benign alternative to chlorine-based bleaches. I'm not sure if it was really used during WWI, but it was first isolated in 1818 by Jacques Thenard. Remember to always keep peroxide in dark bottles and in dark places. The light causes the peroxide to "break down" and not work as well. It has something to do with its chemical makeup. Here are the uses:

1. Take one capful and hold in your mouth for 10 minutes daily, then spit it out. This is known to help whiten your teeth and keep canker sores away.

2. Let your toothbrushes soak in a fresh cup of peroxide to keep them free of germs. This can be done weekly, but definitely would be a good idea after any illnesses.

3. Clean your counters and table tops with peroxide to kill germs and leave a fresh smell. Simply put a little on your dishrag when you wipe, or spray it on the counters.

4. After rinsing off your wooded cutting board, pour peroxide on it to kill salmonella and other bacteria.

5. Fill a spray bottle with a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water and keep it in every bathroom to disinfect without harming your septic system.

6. If you like a natural look to your hair, spray the 50/50 solution on your wet hair after a shower and comb it through. This will give natural highlights that lighten gradually, so it's not a drastic change.

7. You can add a cup of peroxide instead of bleach to a load of whites in your laundry to whiten them. It there is blood on clothing, pour it directly on the soiled spot. Let it sit for a minute, then rub it and rinse with cold water. Repeat if necessary.

8. If you have blood or other stains on your carpet, put a few tablespoons on to the stain. The excess liquid can be bloated after a few minutes. Always test in a small area first as this can sometimes bleach the carpet.

9. Some gardeners use it to enhance root development and treat root rot. Add 1 tablespoon to every quart of water.

I hope you find some of these useful. Always make sure you look into the claims you find in emails. You never know what kind of false information is floating around!

Homemade Glass Cleaner

Homemade Glass Cleaner

Mix in a sprayer bottle:

1 cup rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol
1 cup water
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon ammonia

According to my friend, this worked better than Windex. She uses Bounty paper towels to clean her mirrors and glass and says this cleaner didn't leave a film to collect more dirt.

I cleaned mirrors today with the Windex I still have, and it left streaks as always. I'm dumping it today and making my cleaner!

Natural Fabric Softener

Before I post, I have to thank my friend Rebecca for telling me about many of these homemade products posted on my blog. The following is a recipe for homemade fabric softener.

Natural Fabric Softener

2 cups white vinegar
2 cups baking soda
4 cups water

Carefully combine all ingredients (the baking soda and vinegar will fizz). Pour into a plastic bottle, cover, and shake. Use 1/4 cup in your laundry's final rinse, or use a Downey ball.

The alternative to this that works just as well is plain white vinegar. Put it in the Downey ball, or use 1/4 cup in the final rinse, and your clothes are super soft. If you like fragrance, you can add a drop or two of essential oil to your laundry water.

Some more Money Saving Ideas

I don't know about you, but every day I pack a lunch for my daughter and think about how much snacks cost. I do my best to compare prices when I shop, but I still cringe sometimes. Well, one thing I have discovered is that buying the prepackaged little bags is expensive. Yes, it's nice to reach into the cabinet and pull out a bag that has the perfect amount of teddy grahams for lunch. Well, today I bought a box of teddy grahams for $2.18 at Wal-Mart. You can probably get them cheaper on sale or with coupons, but this is probably a good average price. I put about 1/2 cup of the bears into a ziploc bag. This works out to 9 little bags with the same amount of grahams as the prepackaged things. So, these little snack bags cost me $0.24 each! Not bad! I compared this to the prepackaged bags at our local grocery store. There you get 12 little bags for $4.49 which works out to $0.37 each.

Ok, I also wanted another healthy snack. Ritz has those baked chips now that are yummy and healthier than regular chips. They were $2.50 at Wal-Mart. I know that many stores carry a generic that are just as good, so shop around! Anyway, the bag says about 13 crackers equals 1 serving. Again, this bag made 9 servings which equals $0.27 per bag.

I buy my ziploc bags at Sams Club and they cost about $0.01 each, so you can add that to the total cost of each bag of snacks. It only took a few minutes when I got home to bag all these things and put them in the pantry. Tomorrow when my son makes his lunch and I make my daughter's lunch, they will have ready to go snacks that didn't cost much! If you have done this with other snacks, please share about how much it cost. Happy saving!

I wanted to post a really yummy, and inexpensive, dessert recipe. This is great for potlucks, parties, family get-togethers or just whatever. Enjoy!

Crock Pot Triple Chocolate Mess

1 package chocolate cake mix
1 pint sour cream
1 small package instant chocolate pudding
1 small bag chocolate chips
3/4 cup oil
4 eggs
1 cup water

Spray crockpot with non-stick spray. Mix all ingredients. Pour into crockpot.
Cook on low for 4-5 hours.
Serve in a bowl with ice cream.

Cost for homemade detergent

Ok, here is a breakdown of costs for the homemade detergent.

55 oz box of Washing Soda, average cost of $2.07
76 oz box of Borax, average cost of $2.89
1 bar of Fels Naptha, average cost of $1.14
The liquid recipe is about 64 loads and the powder detergent is about 24 loads.

Liquid RecipeAverage	Cost
1/3 bar Fels Naptha	$0.38
1/2 cup borax	$0.18
1/2 cup washing soda	$0.21
TOTAL COST PER RECIPE	$0.77
Cost Per Load	$0.01

Powder Recipe	Average Cost
1 bar Fels Naptha	$1.14
3/4 cup borax	$0.26
3/4 cup washing soda	$0.29
TOTAL COST PER RECIPE	$1.69
Cost Per Load	$0.07

I then compared this to Tide. Here is what I found:

At Sams club you can get a 300 oz jug of Original Tide
Liquid (about 75 loads) for $16.42 = $0.22/load

At Sams club you can get a 300 oz jug of HE Tide Liquid
(about 78 loads) for $15.70 = $0.21/load

On Amazon you can get a 211 oz box of Original Tide
Powder (about 120 loads) for $24.35 = $0.20/load

On Amazon you can get an 81 oz box of HE Tide Powder
(about 31 loads) for $8.04 = $0.26/load

I hope this helps!

Homemade Laundry Detergent

One day I got an email from a friend what mentioned some homemade cleaning products. Now, I like my house and clothes clean, and I also like to save money. The recipes seemed easy enough so I decided to switch over to homemade cleaning products as my current ones ran out. The first thing I ran out of was laundry detergent. Here are two recipes that I have used. Both work great, are easy to make, and save LOTS of money! I'll post a run-down of costs so you can see how much you can save. These detergents do not make suds and are fine for the newer machines. You can also add a little essential oil to the liquid detergent if you would like some fragance.

Homemade Laundry Detergent (liquid)
6 cups water
1/3 bar of Fels Naptha soap, grated
1/2 cup Arm & Hammer washing soda (not baking soda)
1/2 cup 20 Mule Borax
1 1/2 gallons water, plus 1 pint hot water (26 cups)

In a large pot (an old canner works well) put 6 cups of water and the grated Fels Naptha. Heat over medium heat until the Fels Naptha is melted. Shut off the heat and add washing soda and borax. Add the 1 1/2 gallons plus 1 pint of hot water and stir. Remove from the stove, cover and let set for 24 hours. Mixture will thicken and gel as it cools. After 24 hours stir and bottle. ( I used old milk bottles, but you can use old detergent bottles as well). Gently shake before each use. Use 1/2 cup of mixture per load. If clothes are heavily soiled, use 1 cup of mixture per load.

Homemade Laundry Detergent (powder)

1 bar grated Fels Naptha soap
3/4 cup Arm & Hammer washing soda
3/4 cup 20 Mule Borax

Mix all ingredients together and store in a container. (I used a tupperware container that had a lid). Use 2 Tbsp for light/regular loads, and 3Tbsp for heavily soiled loads. For the newer energy efficient machines, use 1 Tbsp for light/regular loads and 2 Tbsp for heavily soiled loads.

Welcome to my blog!

Well, this is my first post and I just want to welcome you to my blog. I have a lot I want to post, and i would love to read your comments. I will be blogging on topics related to being "penny-wise" and also making certain homemade household items. If ever there is a topic you would like to know more about that I haven't covered, post a comment. I will do my best to address that issue. Hope you enjoy my blog, come back, and tell your friends! God Bless!