The Green Spring Cleaning Event 2010

Dates: March 20-27
Spring is Here! And so is our Spring Cleaning Event. Mark your calendars,there will be spring cleaning tips and challenges through the whole week long event. So roll your sleeves up and get ready for some green spring cleaning fun!


























The first thing to do before the event starts is to gather your supplies. I am going to show you how to make a Spring cleaning apron...This is not our pretty spring apron. We will make that later.

Tutorial -- No Sew Spring Cleaning Apron

It's that time of year again.... time for Spring Cleaning. Here's an easy and frugal way to make your own no-sew Spring Cleaning Apron. Start by making a pile of three flour sack towels. Lay them flat and place a ribbon across the middle as shown below.


Fold over the towels.



Tie the ribbon around your waist, and you are done. Whenever you need a cleaning towel, pull one out and hold the other layers in place. Flour sack towels are perfect for this, since they are light and have large surface area for cleaning. You can get lots of mileage out of just one towel.
Happy cleaning!





And of coarse, nothing will make cleaning more fun, then a new pair of Spring Cleaning Gloves. You can can make these yourself.

This is one hilarious project. I love these dish gloves! For the lady that wants to stay fashionable at all times, even while cleaning. Think hostess gifts! Maybe pair them with a matching apron. . .






Not Your Mama's Rubber Gloves Tutorial

What you'll need:
Household rubber gloves (Walmart has white ones, Target has blue--check dollar stores, too)
Oil Cloth (¼ yd. cut is enough)
Ribbon or trim
Sewing machine
Hot glue gun



Okay, let's get started!


1. Put the gloves on and measure around the end (largest part of the glove that is on your arm). You want your finished, pleated oilcloth to be ½ an inch larger than this measurement. My gloves were 10 inches around so I wanted my pleated oilcloth to be 10 ½ inches long.

2. Cut your oilcloth. I cut my oil cloth to be 4 inches wide and approximately 37 inches long. Pleat the oilcloth by making small folds (about 1/4" to 1/2" long) and sewing over the fold across entire piece.


3. Take the short edges of the oil cloth, put them right sides together, and sew them using a ¼" seam. You should now have a ring of pleated oilcloth.


4. Slide the glove onto your sewing machine. Place the oilcloth wrong-side out on the machine over the glove, leaving a 1/2" of glove at the top, and stitch together.


5. This step is optional, but very cute. Use pinking shears to cut the unsewn, bottom edge of the oilcloth.


6. Hot glue coordinating ribbon around the glove, leaving two long tails on the top of the glove (if you want a bow). Tie the tails in a bow. Tip: It's easier to tie the bow if you can have someone else wear the gloves while you do it.

7. Go do those dishes like the hot mama that you are!









The next step is to make your environmental friendly, green cleaning products.I am storing them in spray bottles and old laundry detergent containers. The recipes follow:

Here are some ideas to try for making your own household cleaners. This is a way to help both our budgets and the environment. Have fun playing Chemist!



Windex: Mix 1/2 teaspoon of liquid soap, 3 tablespoons of
vinegar, and 2 cups of water. Shake well and store in a spray bottle.

Disinfectant & Glass Cleaner
1 cup rubbing alcohol

1 cup water

1 tablespoon vinegar

Tile Floor Cleaner
Mix 1 1/2 gallons of hot tap water, 1 1/4 cups of vinegar, 1/8 cup of lemon juice and mix them together in a bucket. This is a great mopping solution for ceramic tile floors. Just make sure that the mop is well wrung out and that the mop water stays clean. If you don't keep the water clean by changing it often enough, you will leave a dirty film on the floor. There's no need to rinse when you clean with vinegar.

Pledge Furniture Polish: Mix 1/2 teaspoon tea tree oil and 1/4 cup vinegar together. This will make any furnitur you may want to polish actually gleam! Be sure to buff it dry.

Tilex: Mix 2 teaspoons tea tree oil and 2 cups water in a spray bottle, shake it up, and spray it on anything that has mold or mildew. Don't rinse it.

Spray Cleaner: Combine 1 teaspoon washing (not baking) soda, a squirt of liquid detergent, and 2 cups hot water. Mix and store in a spray bottle. This will work great as a general cleaner.

All-Purpose Cleaner #2: Combine 1 teaspoon Borax, 1/2 teaspoon washing soda, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, a few drops of lemongrass oil (optional) and 1 cup hot water in a spray bottle.

Multi-Purpose Deep Cleaner: Combine 1 cup household ammonia, 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1/4 cup baking soda and one gallon warm water.

Oven Cleaner: Sprinkle the bottom of your oven with 1/3 cup baking soda and then spray over it with twater. Leave it alone overnight. After letting it sit, you can scrape off the spills with a spatula. Rinse the oven well with water.

Laminate Floor Cleaner: Combine 1/2 cup vinegar, 1-2 squirts liquid dish detergent and a gallon of warm water.

Air Freshener: Use your favorite liquid fabric softener. Put two caps-full in a spray bottle and add water to fill. Mist the air wherever it needs refreshing.

Dish Soap: Mix 2 cups of castile soap with 1/2 cup warm water in a recycled squeeze bottle. Can add a few drops of essential oil if desired. Shake well before using.

Fabric Softener: Combine 2 cups inexpensive hair conditions, 3 cups white vinegar, and 6 cups water. Store in a gallon container.

Liquid Laundry Detergent: Shave half of a Fels Naptha Bar (or Zote bar) until it is in tiny pieces. (Jennifer used a vegetable peeler.) Place in a large pot with 2 cups of hot tap water. Stir over medium heat until it melts. Take off the stove and add 1/2 cup washing soda and 1/4 cup Borax. When completely dissolved, pour into a 5 gallon bucket and fill with hot tap water to within 4 inches from the top. Stir until everything is dissolved. Cover tightly with a lid and let sit overnight. Transfer to a smaller container if desired. Use 1/2 cup per load in top-loading washing machine, or 1/4 cup in a front-loading one.

Powdered Laundry Detergent: Grate one Fels Naptha Bar, or process in food processer, until powdered. Mix with 1 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda and 1/2 cup Borax. For a light load, use one tablespoon; for a heavy load, use two tablespoons.

You can also add a few drops of essential oils you like to cleaners to add fragrance that is natural. Lavender, Rosewater, and Lemongrass are good choices.
You can use lavender sachets instead of dryer sheets.

If your really not up to making your own green cleaners...you can always use commericial products designed to be more green friendly ...like these.