Cleaning Made Easy: Hydrogen Peroxide

Any frugal mom blog or diy website probably has at least one article about the many, many uses for hydrogren peroxide. In times where so many of us struggle to be positive about our economic futures, it becomes pertinent to figure out more cost effective ways to do things. On top of that, so many people are becoming more environmentally conscious that we are beginning to micromanage our carbon footprint. Instead of 15 cleaning products for 15 rooms and types of surfaces, that number can be seriously reduced with hydrogen peroxide, a nontoxic substance often found in a first aid cabinet. It is simply a combination of 2 hydrogen and 2 oxygen atoms that none of us worry about having in our homes.

Hydrogen peroxide can be used for first aid purposes, to lighten hair, treat clothing stains, treat carpet stains, disinfect countertops, and whiten teeth. It can also be used to lighten whites as a safer alternative to bleach. On top of all this, it can be used to treat foot fungus, and when used with a nasal douche in a diluted form, it will help cure a sinus infection.

Hydrogen peroxide alone can replace multiple products in the home and provide safer alternatives to chemical based ones that aren't during the environment any favors. And the better fact is that this is all much friendlier on the wallet.

I use it myself for carpet stains, to treat acne, as a tooth whitener, countertop cleaner, and stain remover. My plans are to explore and expand its use in my home.

Make Your Own Carpet Powder

This carpet powder is extremely cheap and extremely easy to make. For enough powder to cover a standard-sized living room or bedroom (not small or large), get out a medium mixing bowl. Pour in 1 cup of baking soda. Add 1 cup of borax. It's important to understand that this means borax, the laundry additive, and not boric acid. Do not use boric acid. Then add a few drops of essential oil for a lovely scent. I prefer NOW Foods orange oil. The borax and baking soda are odor absorbents/neutralizers and work to reduce any smells in the carpet just like the store-bought versions. If you have any concerns with using borax, simply use 2 cups of baking soda with the essential oil.

What's even better is that you can use this same powder mixture, a few coffee filters, and a bit of ribbon or lace to make your own air fresheners. These are the last ones I made.

All it takes is a couple tablespoonfuls per coffer filter. Then you pull the edges together and tie it off. Now, you can have some lovely odor neutralizers to place around the house. 

The First Post: Gardening With Kitchen Scraps

One of the best ways to recycle while also working towards self-sufficiency is to garden from food scraps. This can be done with several different items. Five of these items will be included in the following list. More lists will follow.

1. Pineapple

This one is very simple but does take some patience. All you need to do to get started is take your pineapple, cut the green top off, and remove all the yellow fruit. At this point, some experts say it is better to stand the top upside down in a bowl to let the newly exposed end harden for a few days up to a week. Some never bother with this step. In my experience, hardening has worked. The top should then be placed in a glass of water as shown above and placed in a sunny location. Roots will begin to grow, but this will likely not take place immediately as the plant has to get over the shock of what has happened and restabilize before adding new growth, so don't give up! Change the water every few days. When roots begin to form, place the plant in a sunny patch in the yard or in a pot with potting soil. 

2. Garlic

If you've ever had a bulb of garlic sitting in your refrigerator too long, you may have noticed one or more of the cloves starting to sprout already. Regrowing garlic from a leftover clove is simply that easy. It doesn't even have to sprout before you plant it. With a spout, plant it in a sunny location either in the yard or in a pot with potting soil sprout side up. If there's no sprout, plant it pointy side up. The sprouts will eventually grow leaves. When the leaves turn brown and die off, it is time to pull your garlic bulb from it's location and start the process all over again. 

3. Onions

This includes green onions as pictured above as well as any other variety. I, myself, grow both green and white onions with the same method. First, you cut off the rooted end of your onion leaving a good portion of the onion bulb or fleshy part attached to the roots. Put this in a bowl and let it harden a few hours up to a day. With my method, I simply transfer the root to a pot with potting soil root side down and lightly covered with soil. Some methods say to let the onions stay in water as pictured above. Either method works depending on what you prefer. Each onion used can regrow a new one for an endless supply. Green onions are easy to recognize when ready. With red, white, or yellow onions, you can tell the onion is ready when the leaves begin to flop over and turn brown. 

4. Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes

When cutting up your store bought potatoes for any dish you're using them for, simply save the eyes with a little bit of flesh attached and plant them in rich soil. And, trust me, the eyes do not have to be as large as the ones in the featured picture above. The last time I made Shepherd's Pie, I cut off about 12 of the tiniest eye spots from my red potatoes. Not every single one has sprouted, but most have which is very encouraging. This takes very little effort and provides you with a staple addition to your food list. Sweet potatoes can be done the same way. Another method that is fun for the kiddos is to poke 4 toothpicks into the sides of a potato and place it onto a glass so that at least 1 eye will be under water when the glass is filled. With this method, you and your child or children can track the progress of the potato's growth easily. 

5. Leafy Greens (like cabbage, romaine lettuce, leeks, and even celery)

The method for most leafy greens is basically the same. First of all, you cut away the parts that you'll be using as usual. The part needed to regrow the vegetable is the base of the stalk. When this part--the base--of the vegetable is all that's left, let it sit in a bowl of water in a sunny location with the cut parts facing up. After 5-7 days a few of the leaves will already be regrowing. At this point, you simply transfer the vegetable into a pot with soil or into your garden.