A Good Stain

Parties and spilled drinks, rainy days and muddy shoes, flour on the floor from your latest cake, plates of sloppy spaghetti and a bit of wasted, splashed wine... a good life is often a messy one.  Mess in your house can often be cleaned - but sometimes a stain sets in.  If you are lucky, you can flip the couch cushion or angle the rug under the chair, or pre-treat the tablecloth.  Maybe just a quick wipe up or a little elbow grease.

But sometimes the sweating cup has done its damage or the spill has been concealed and the stain is set in.  I have quite a few in my house - from a cup ring that I hide under a box of tissues to towels that I have just dedicated as work or non-guest towels. 

Hey, stains happen.

My most recent project has been all about staining - on purpose. Like the people who spend too much time in the sun with no protection - they looked weathered and older than their age.  So, after enlisting the help from my dad (again) - we decided to stain and seal the fence and deck.

Now, the whole project could have gone the way of Tom Sawyer painting the fence - except I didn't have any friends that I could con into helping me - so we went country on the project.  Dad brought up a sprayer that we typically used to spraying weeds - we cleaned it out and filled it up with stain.

Dad sprayed - I smoothed it out.  We got my entire fence in less than 3 hours.  Then came the back deck.  While the floor could be sprayed - the railing and detail work had to be hand stained and sealed.  The deck took about 4 or so hours - I won't lie - it was painful.  But at the end of the project, I looked out into my backyard and I was proud of what I had accomplished.

In about 7 hours and less than $200 later, my back yard was transformed and protected.  The deck looks awesome and the fence has new life.  You can't tell much from the pictures as you can in real life.  I am just glad to have something other than weathered wood surrounding my house - and I know that it will last longer now that it is sealed.

Before:

After:

 

Spring Cleaning - DIY Style

I recently was having lunch with a Vegan.  I personally am a red meat kinda girl - I enjoy eggs in the morning and steak at night with plenty of other animal products along the way.  I respect anyone that is Vegan/Veggie - I know that I could not be that dedicated - heck, I can't even turn down a doughnut. 

But I digress - so we are at lunch and somehow get on the topic of chemicals.  Now, this person is a green cleaner - with no harsh chemicals.  It is a green thing for them.

Me?  I actually am not longer using any store chemicals for cleaning either - but not necessary for the "green cause".  While it has the benefit of saving the world, I find that DIY cleaners are MUCH cheaper and work just as well if not better.  I don't think I would be willing to convert if they didn't - for example - I do not use DIY dishwasher detergent - my dishwasher just doesn't clean as well with it. 

What does work for me?  DIY Clog Clearers (think Drano), DIY soap scum scrub, and DIY universal cleaner.  What are you going to need for all of these?  Baking Soda, White Vinegar, and Water - easy right?  Start buying in bulk!

DIY Clog Clearer - I LOVE this - even Drano doesn't work for me all the time - this has always worked for me.  Feed about 1/2 a cup of baking soda down the drain.  Then pour 1/2 cup of vinegar down the drain and immediately put a cup/bowl over the drain (it will foam like a science experiment and the cup forces it down the drain to work on the clog).  While your science experiment is working its magic, go boil some water (a big pot - around a gallon).  After it is boiling (think about 15 minutes) - remove the cup/bowl and pour the water down the drain.  Watch it flow right down - clog cleared!  All of this for under a $1 (compared to over $4 for a bottle that *may* work)!

DIY Soap Scum Scrub - I have used this a few times in my tub - I just sprinkle baking soda directly on the surface (or on my rag) and then spray on my Universal Cleaner and wipe away.  For really bad situations - I let it set for a few minutes and then wipe away.  Again - pennies to use!

DIY Universal Cleaner - My favorite and every day cleaner.  One part vinegar, one part water.  Mix in a spray bottle (Dollar Tree has great industrial ones with different handle colors for a $1 - this is nice to help distinguish what is in what bottle if you use them for many things like I do).  Just spray and wipe this stuff.  I use it on my tubs, toilets, sinks, kitchen counters, windows, mirrors, for spot clean up on my hardwoods, I spay on my tiled floors and wipe off too - it really is universal.  Again - pennies to use!

What is the catch?  Okay - these don't smell like roses - we are using vinegar here!  So what is the resolution?  First, the smell dissipates quickly - like in a minute or two - and I personally, don't find it offensive as some of the harsh cleaner's smells.  OR - you can do what I now do - follow up immediately with my DIY Frebeze (so like in the bathroom I will spray on my rugs or towels).  Then you have a clean room with a fresh scent! 

Suzy Homemaker DIY Cleaners - saving your wallet and the world - one project at a time!

So Fresh and So Cheap Clean!

Pinterest fever has struck the nation and I have a bad case of it!  It is a DIYer's dreamland.  I mainly started with recipes because it was around the holidays.  I made amazing homemade Almond Joys and an awesome Butterfinger pie.  Breakfast casseroles, salads, you name it - there is a recipe for it.

Then, I moved over to the DIY/crafts page - and hit the jackpot!  First, I made my own Febreze.  With the real stuff costing around $5 a bottle, I was ready and willing for a cheaper alternative.

You need 4 things:
1.  a big spray bottle (I used my latest empty Febreze bottle)
2. 1/8 cup of liquid fabric softener
3. 2 tbsp of baking soda
4. hot water

Just add the fabric softener and baking soda then fill the rest of the bottle with hot water and shake.  I have used this on my curtains, furniture and clothes.  No residue, no damage - only freshness!  Besides how cheap this stuff is to make - I love that you can decide what scent you want - you get to pick out the fabric softener.

Okay - now my current obsession - Homemade Laundry Detergent!!  Now, this one takes a bit more effort than Febreze.  You will need the following:

Required: 1 box of Borax, I box of Washing Soda, 4 lbs of Baking Soda, 25-30 oz of Fels Naptha bar soap
Optional: 3 lbs of Oxy clean or the like, 1-2 bottles of dry fabric softener (Purex Crystals)
Tools and et cetera: Grader, huge bucket - preferably with a lid

Attention all shoppers - I could only find all of these ingredients at the grocery store - I could not find the soap or washing soda at Target.  That being said, if you are going to add Purex and the Oxy Clean - unless they are on sale, it is usually a dollar or two cheaper to get these at Target or Walmart.  And as you see from the photo - I don't care about brands - so I often use the generic if possible.

Once you have everything - grade your cheese soap - it definitely looks like cheese, but is more of a pain to grade.  Use the fine grader to keep the soap pieces small.  It took me about an hour to grade all of the soaps.  This is the hardest part.

Next (and finally) mix everything together.  2 notes about this - I would mix it outside if possible - there will be dust and I can't imagine that it is good to inhale that stuff.  Next - I would layer - pouring parts of everything in so that mixing is easier.  Once everything is in - mix it up.  I found having a lid and just shaking the bucket was easier than trying to mix it by spoon.

You are done.  Start washing your clothes - they are going to smell wonderful and be just as clean as the stuff you pay an arm and a leg for.

It only takes about 2 tbsp of this stuff to wash a load of clothes.  I have washed it with all blacks in cold/cold and it left no residue.  Now, I will start the water and add the detergent then add the clothes - but I have always started laundry this way.

You will see that this recipe makes several pounds of detergent.  Cost-wise, I spent less than $20 on everything to make it.  At 2 tbsp a load and 1-3 loads a week - this stuff could last me nearly a year (if I wasn't giving out samples to all of my friends to try).

So, if you are interested but want to try it out first - let me know - I will give you a "sample"!

I am Suzy Homemaker - keepin' it clean!

Please be seated.

I was getting the mail last night and the gentleman that was cutting my neighbor's yard greeted me (we have a very friendly neighborhood) and I greeted him back.  He then proceeded to tell me that he used to take care of my yard and that it would get a ton of leaves.  Now, I know he is just looking for me to hire him-but, God blessed me with an able body and I plan on maintaining my yard myself.  Thank you, I will save money and do it myself. 

On the same note, I find that often DIY project can save money - as with the windows treatments I did.  So lets move to my favorite part of the house - my screened in back porch.  It is a small area, but one that I wanted to highly utilize - but didn't want to break the bank in making it that way.

So, I started looking at outdoor furniture.  Oh boy that stuff is expensive - or huge - or really small or really uncomfortable looking or boring.  Nothing seemed to fit my porch - I mean, how hard is it too find a rectangular table and chairs?  Finally, at Ikea I found a table I liked.  It seemed pretty sturdy and it was white - I have an issue with clashing wood colors my porch is 90% natural wood already.  So I got it - worse comes to worse - I could always paint it a color I wanted or return it - right?

Now, I have my table.  Great - so buying piece by piece has the potential to be cheaper - but a much bigger hassle.  I found a rug randomly online that I LOVED - so of course, I bought it.  It is a Turkish print with blues, greens, yellows and some purple.  I liked how bright it was.  Okay - table and rug check...


All that is missing now were the chairs - which are crazy expense (I am STILL trying to find something I like for my dining room).  Randomly, my parents have 4 straight back small chairs that they are getting rid of - did I mention that they were old and faded?


Not a problem for me - I just sanded them down and spray painted them in the back yard.  They look perfect with the rug and table!  I got creative and blew all of the dust from the sanding away with my new blower - quick and easy (very opposite from the sanding).


One lesson learned: when sanding - wear a dust mask or something over your nose - just trust me on that.

Below are the before of the chairs and the after with my porch - and all for under $100!