5 Helpful DIY Hacks For Your Home

With just a few household items you probably already have around your house, here’s five home made DIY helpers that can either help save you in a pinch, or save a few dollars off your next shopping trip.

To make your own home made oven cleaner that will get your oven as clean as most store bought oven cleaners, mix 2 cups of baking soda and 3/4 cup water into a spreadable paste. First, scrape off all the large particles from the sides and bottom of the oven with a heavy duty plastic or wood spatula, then spread the paste onto the side walls and bottom of the oven (avoid the heating elements if cleaning the top). Leave the home made oven cleaning on overnight and clean the oven with a sponge the following day.

For a more fragrant cleaner, add 8 to 16 drops of your favorite essential oils to the mixture. But if you do, be sure to use a glass bowl to mix the ingredients in. Plastic or metal bowls can react badly with essential oils.

For a  surprisingly shiny home made window cleaner, mix together a half cup of white distilled vinegar with 2 cups of water. You can even add 8-10 drops of lemon essential oils for a lemony fresh scent! Place mixture in a spray bottle, shake well, and you’re ready to clean your windows. For cleaning extra dirty window glass, add 1/2 teaspoon of your favorite dish detergent.

You can also save money on expensive paper towels by cleaning your windows with crumpled up newspaper. Don’t use rags for window cleaning, they will leave streaks and smudges on the glass. After spraying the DIY window cleaner on the glass, rub the newspaper in a circular motion to loosen the grime, then wipe up and down or sideways to get rid of any streaks.

One of the best ways to relax and unwind is to plunge yourself into a tub of warm, aromatic bath oil. To make your own home made bath oil, add a few drops of your favorite perfume or cologne to 1/4 cup (2 ounces) of baby oil in a jar. Shake well and add the fragrant mixture to your bath water.

You can also use essential oils when making home made bath oil. Mix 24 drops of essential oil to 2 ounces (app. 2% dilution) of the carrier oil of your choice, such as olive oil, grapeseed, fractionated coconut oil, jojoba or sweet almond oil.

To remove bacteria from your teeth and gums and help prevent tartar and plaque buildup, dissolve one teaspoon of Himalayan sea salt into 5 ounces of boiling water, and add 6 sage leaves. Allow to cool and store in a glass jar or bottle to use a mouthwash and gargle. Bonus: Salt also helps to whiten your teeth!

For an even quicker DIY mouthwash recipe, you can simply mix 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda and 1/8 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of warm water. You can also add a drop or two of your favorite essential oils, like tea tree oil, to give your home-made mouthwash a refreshing flavor.  For really fresh feeling breath try using spearmint or peppermint essential oils.

Tea Tree Therapy Tea Tree Oil – 2 fl oz

For a nutrient rich fertilizer your garden plants will love, try this free ‘weed tea’ – just fill a 5 gallon bucket or other large plastic container (with a lid) with weeds, cover them with water and the close lid. In 2-3 weeks pour the water on your garden soil around the base of your plants. You’ll be giving them all the nutrients they need without spending a dime on expensive store bought fertilizer. You can put just about any type of weeds in your container, but avoid using toxic plants like poison ivy, poison oak or poison sumac.

Weed tea can be very strong, so you can dilute the tea with water before applying it to plants. Start out with a 10:1 ratio of water to tea, but experiment with different dilution ratios and see what works best with your garden plants..

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