Brittany Cole
Why Homesteading?
• Doomsday Prepers
• What happens when
technology fails us?
• Penny Pinchers
• Cost for both long and
short term
• Safety First
• Reduce our waste and be
aware of what we are
putting in our homes and
bodies
So What is
Homesteading?
It's about using less
energy, eating
wholesome local food,
involving your family in
the life of the
community and making
wiser choices that will
improve the quality of
life for your family, your
community and the
environment around
you.
- Mother Earth News
Your cleaning arsenal…
 Baking Soda
 Vinegar
 Liquid Soap
 Borax
 Washing Soda
 Lemon Juice
 Water
 Hydrogen Peroxide
Baking Soda
 Science
 Sodium Bicarbonate or
Sodium Hydrogen
Carbonate (NaHCO3)
 Leavening agent and
exfoliator
 Use – read the box, there
are so many uses for
simple powder.
Vinegar
 A mild acid
 Uses – Much like baking
soda, far too many to list
here.
Liquid Soap
 Castile Soap
 Made from vegetable
fat, primarily olive oil,
not tallow (animal fat)
 Good Brands
 Seventh Generation
 Meyer
 Method
 Ecover
Ingredients:
Aqua (water), sodium lauryl
sulfate and caprylyl/myristyl
glucoside (plant-derived
cleaning agents), lauramine
oxide (plant-based cleaning
agent), glycerin (plantderived foam stabilizer),
citric acid (plant-derived
water softener), magnesium
chloride and sodium
chloride (mineral viscosity
modifiers), essential oils
and botanical extracts* for
scented varieties only (see
below for
details), methylisothiazolin
one and
benzisothiazolinone
(synthetic preservatives).
Borax and Washing Soda
 Borax
 Similar to baking soda it
has many uses listed
right on the box
 Washing Soda
 Science


Sodium Carbonate
(Na2CO3)
Strong Base, lowers pH
 Use in mostly laundry
but it too has many uses
listed on the box
Lemon Juice and Hydrogen Peroxide
 Both of these are natural
bleaches.
 Hydrogen Peroxide very
good at sterilizing cutting
boards, tooth brushes.
 Lemon Juice has a strong
acid that is a bit more nice
smelling, not as strong as
Hydrogen Peroxide but
good for disinfecting
So why do we like these natural
cleaning products?
 Cheap – Most of these can be purchased in bulk and
have many uses. Big bang for a little buck.
 Safe – While Little Johnny should never be eating your
general cleaner, no poison control needed if he does.
 Feel good – This is a big one, too often do we find
ourselves reading labels for everything. We feel better
about homemade cookies, let’s feel better about what
we clean with.
Do It Yourself Cleaning Recipes
 All purpose spray
 Laundry Detergent
 Toilet Scrub
 Deodorizing Disks
 Glass cleaner
 Drain-O
 Tile & Tub
All Purpose Spray
 1 c vinegar
 1 Tbs lemon juice
 3 c water
 1 Tbs castile or liquid
soap
Laundry Detergent
 1 bar fels-naptha or plain
soap
 ½ c borax
 ½ c washing soda
Grate soap, mix together.
Use 1 -2 Tbs per load,
warm-water wash
Toilet scrub
 ¼ c Borax
 ¼ c Baking Soda
Shake in toilet bowl, spray
with all purpose spray; let
sit 5 mins.
Scrub with toilet brush,
then rinse.
Deodorizing Disks
 2 cups baking soda
 2 cups distilled water (or
boil water for 10 mins)
 Essential oil (lavender or
citrus)
 Silicone mold or muffin
pan
http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/09/freshen-up-your-home-make-your-own-homemade-deodorizing-disks.html
Glass Cleaner
 ¼ cup vinegar
 4 cups warm water
 Put in a spray bottle,
spray and wipe with a
newspaper or microfiber
towel.
 There are a few other
versions, but I like this
one best.
Drain-O
 ½ cup baking soda
 1 cup vinegar
 Hot water
 Keep flushing till the
fizzing stops
Tile & Tub
 2/3 c baking soda
 1/3 c borax
Mix well, put in shaker
container
Use in moldy or damp
areas. Let sit before wiping
away.
Citations
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Alyssa. "Cupcake Apothecary." : 165 Uses for Vinegar. N.p., Feb. 2012. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.
Cole, Brittany. "Keep It Clean, Keep It Home." Pinterest. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.
"Difference Between." Difference Between RSS. N.p., 21 Mar. 2011. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.
"Green Cleaning Products - NaturalCleaning Products|Ecover." Green Cleaning Products
- NaturalCleaning Products|Ecover. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.
"GreenerChoices.org." GreenerChoices.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.
Hunt, Heidi. "Homesteading and Livestock." Mother Earth News. N.p., 13 July 2007. Web.
04 Mar. 2014.
"Natural Dish Liquid." Seventh Generation. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.
Noyes, Amy Kolb. Nontoxic Housecleaning. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green
Pub., 2009. Print.
"The Ocean." National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2014.
"One Good Thing by Jillee | Sorting through the Beautiful Clutter of Life to Find That
"One Good Thing" Every Day and Sharing It with You!" One Good Thing by Jillee. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.
Seymour, John. "Start a 1-Acre, Self-Sufficient Homestead." Mother Earth News. N.p.,
Aug.-Sept. 2011. Web. 04 Mar. 2014.