All Things Supercinski

It has been ages since I wrote a “Getting Greener” post, and I apologize. Perhaps you have a New Year’s resolution or goal to make less of an impact on our environment? Have you tried making your own household cleaners?

The heating element in our oven went out in the middle of baking a birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas day. I resolved to clean our oven before it was replaced, and I did it without harsh chemicals or hours of scrubbing. I’m horrible about oven cleaning, and commercial oven cleaners are one of the most toxic cleaners you can buy. Have you ever read the warning label on those things? Frightening! I used this recipe from the book, Clean House, Clean Planet by Karen Logan.

Sleep-It-Off Oven Cleaner
Ingredients: salt, baking soda, water, a shaker (I used an old Parmesan cheese shaker), and a spray bottle with water and a couple tablespoons of Dr. Bronner’s or dishwashing soap (like Dawn).

Mix ¼ cup salt with ¾ cup baking soda. Fill the shaker.

Spray the oven with soap and water spray. Shake the salt-soda mixture on. Spray again with water until the mixture is slightly damp and pasty. For the side walls, make a thick paste and sponge it on.

Leave it overnight. In the morning, get a putty knife/scraper, and scrape off the goop and pile it onto an old newspaper. Use a scotch-brite sponge to work off any tough spots. Wipe down with a soap and water spray. Rinse.

That’s it! It worked amazingly well, even on my oven that I haven’t cleaned in over two years.

Over a month ago, I made and began using homemade laundry detergent. It works very well, but I haven’t used it on diapers, I’m too scared of buildup. I made a powder detergent since I didn’t have a bucket large enough for liquid. It was so easy and cheap, cheap, cheap.

Powder Laundry Detergent
1 bar Zote soap, or Fels Naptha or Ivory (in laundry aisle of your supermarket)
2 cups washing soda (not baking soda, this is also in the laundry aisle of your supermarket, made by Arm & Hammer)
2 cups Borax (also in your laundry aisle)

Cut soap bar into large chunks and feed through your food processor grater. Combine grated soap, borax and washing soda in food processor with the processing blade. You may need to do this in two batches depending on the size of your food processor. This will mix it all up and make it into a fine powder.

Store it in an old plastic tub or some other sealing container. You only need 1-2 tablespoons per load. It won’t make as many suds, but it really cleans amazingly well, and it does not leave your clothes smelling like perfume. I was able to wash my food processor easily with lots of hot water, but next time, I’m just going to make a quadruple batch since the hardest part is cleaning the food processor.

If you want a simple and easy cleaner to start out with, you’ll be hooked with this easy to make tub cleaner. I think it’s in the other recipe list, but it’s so easy, you don’t even need to measure!

Tub Paste
Squirt some peppermint (my favorite for cleaning) Dr. Bronner’s soap, about 1/4 cup or more, into a sealing container. I use a cleaned, 32-ounce, plastic yogurt container.

Add about half as much water as you did soap.

Mix in baking soda, adding a little at a time until it forms a nice thick paste, about the consistency of store-bought cake frosting. If you add too much baking soda, thin it with a little water.

To use, scoop some cleaner out onto a dampened sponge and scrub your bath tub. It works amazingly well and smells so good, you’ll want to eat it.