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Top 3 Cleaning Products I Use That You Can Make At Home

I’m a big fan of inexpensive, non-toxic cleaners that actually work.

Here are the top 3 that I use regularly in my own home along with popular uses and instructions on how to make each one.

Put these items on your shopping list!

1. GLASS AND WINDOW CLEANER

Magic ingredient: Joy Liquid Dish Soap

Uses: All-purpose glass cleaner for indoor and outdoor windows, mirrors, appliances, and sealed wood furniture. It shouldn’t be used on marble, which doesn’t like citrus-based products. For cleaning marble, you can substitute Ivory dish soap instead.

When using on exterior windows, hose the window down prior to cleaning in order to remove heavy dirt, pollen, or other debris.

Recipe:

–Fill a clean, empty spray bottle with water – I like the 32 oz. size. Use distilled or filtered water if you live in a hard water area.

–Add 1-2 tiny drops of Joy liquid dish soap (more is not better)

—Optional – add a drop of food coloring if you simply must have blue window cleaner.

I’m not kidding, that’s it.

It really is the best glass cleaner you’ll ever use and it will cut the wax residue left by previous ammonia-based cleaners.

I purchased a bottle of Joy on sale for $1.00 at Walgreen’s. It should last me about 600 years.

It’s best to use a lint-free cloth instead of paper towels on glass. My favorite window rags are cut-up old t-shirts. You could also use micro-fiber cloths. When you wash the rags, skip the fabric softener.

I discovered this recipe through one of Angela Coffman’s readers over at the Grocery Shrink.

2. KITCHEN COUNTERTOP CLEANER, DISINFECTANT, SAFE FOR WOOD FLOORS

This product is a staple in our house and I use it Around My Home multiple times a day. Continue reading →

Tags: Baking soda, Bolke, Cleaning, Dishwashing liquid, Disinfectant, homemade cleaners, Melanie Bolke, non-toxic cleaning products, Vinegar, Window cleaner

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Categories Cleaning and Organizing

Making Fruits and Veggies for Your Baby

28 Mar

Making baby food is simple – if you have the right tools – and doesn’t require as much time as you may think. I spend 30 minutes to 1 hour once a week preparing baby food and I have a well-stocked freezer for my ravenous little 11-month old. I’ve been making his food since he was 5 months old.

TOOLS

These items will make preparing your baby’s food fun and your clean-up quick and easy:

1. Steamer insert and pan with a lid.

Simply Calphalon Multi-Pot – this one is my favorite. It’s got a large capacity and is so easy to clean – nothing seems to stick to it. You can put it in the dishwasher, but I prefer to hand-wash my pots and pans. I’ve had this set for about 3 months now and love it.

My Simply Calphalon steamer set that I Simply love.

Calphalon Universal Steamer Insert – this insert comes with a lid and if you already have Calphalon pots, it should fit. I like it, but I only use this one now when I have a small amount of food I’m making or if I’m cooking multiple batches. It does work well, however, it’s not easy to clean in my opinion and has a much smaller capacity than the multi-pot steamer above.

Calphalon Universal Steamer Insert

2. High-powered blender.

I purchased a VitaMix blender at Costco last fall before undergoing jaw surgery. I have no plans to go back to a regular blender, but if you have one that can get the food smooth, there is no need for you to buy something else. Baby J is at an age where he can have more texture. But for first foods, it’s important that they are very smooth, with no chunks lurking.

Note: a food processor is a good alternative if you already have one.

VitaMix blender I purchased at Costco

3. Wilton Silicone Brownie Mold Pan.

I’ve tried many other options and this one is simply the best. I just ordered another one while writing this blog post, so now I’ll have three.

Blueberry puree before freezing in my Wilton silicone brownie mold pan

4. Plastic wrap

5. Gallon-size freezer bags

6. Sharpie marker or label-maker.

I used to think that my friends who owned label-makers were a bit eccentric…until my friend gave one to me as a gift. I seriously don’t know what I did before having one…oh, wait…yes, I do – I spent hours looking for things!

INSTRUCTIONS

Step One

Wash and chop fresh food for baby or use frozen bagged food.

Most foods for your little one need to be steamed before being eaten, including fruits. Two that do not are bananas and avocado, which simply can be mashed with a fork and served immediately.

Frozen food has several benefits:

1) It’s super-fresh when it’s frozen

2) You can keep it on hand longer than fresh food

3) You can give your baby his/her favorites even when they are not in season.

It’s your choice if you want to use organic or not. For me, it simply depends on the type of food and where it was grown. If it’s in a tough outer skin like mango or banana or avocado, I’m not as concerned about it being organic. Continue reading →

Tags: Baby food, Blender, Bolke, Cooking, Costco, Healthy food kids, Home, Melanie Bolke, VitaMix