10 DIY HOME PRODUCTS WE CAN MAKE FROM HOME
Homemade products seem to be the biggest trend lately, everything from deodorant to cooking spray! I was a little hesitant at first to try any of them– I suppose I preferred to just take the lazy way out and buy all of my familiar products at the store. I mean, I just love the smell of Gain! I can’t give that up, right?
After doing a ton of research, I actually discovered that most of the popular homemade products are extremely easy to make, require less than 5 ingredients, are a fraction of the cost of commercial products, but most importantly, they’re better for you and your health! After reading the long list of ingredients in some of the stuff I was buying, I finally decided to give some of these DIY products a try for myself.
I created a list of some of my favorite homemade products (basically the ones that were easy enough and actually worth the time). There were a few popular homemade products that I left off of the list (laundry detergent and dish detergent) because after reading the reviews and trying to find the best recipes, they just didn’t seem to hold up or work as well.
Here’s the beauty of it, a lot of these household recipes contain ingredients you probably already have at home! But, you may need a few things to get started like varying size spray bottles, jars, essential oils and a cute set of labels like this chalkboard label pack. Just about everything else you can find at any grocery or health food store.
Homemade products seem to be the biggest trend lately, everything from deodorant to cooking spray! I was a little hesitant at first to try any of them– I suppose I preferred to just take the lazy way out and buy all of my familiar products at the store. I mean, I just love the smell of Gain! I can’t give that up, right?
After doing a ton of research, I actually discovered that most of the popular homemade products are extremely easy to make, require less than 5 ingredients, are a fraction of the cost of commercial products, but most importantly, they’re better for you and your health! After reading the long list of ingredients in some of the stuff I was buying, I finally decided to give some of these DIY products a try for myself.
I created a list of some of my favorite homemade products (basically the ones that were easy enough and actually worth the time). There were a few popular homemade products that I left off of the list (laundry detergent and dish detergent) because after reading the reviews and trying to find the best recipes, they just didn’t seem to hold up or work as well.
Here’s the beauty of it, a lot of these household recipes contain ingredients you probably already have at home! But, you may need a few things to get started like varying size spray bottles, jars, essential oils and a cute set of labels like this chalkboard label pack. Just about everything else you can find at any grocery or health food store.
1. Homemade Bug Repellent
2. Homemade Deodorant
DIY
deodorant is something I’ve been very hesitant about (I mean why go
through the trouble of making it when I can just buy it?), but I’ve had a
few friends that have experimented with it and claim that it works so
much better than the store-bought stuff. Hmm, perhaps I should give it a
try.
I went on a hunt for the best homemade deodorant recipe, and this is the one I found to have the best reviews. Place the shea butter and coconut oil in a glass mason jar, and put the jar in a small pot of hot water until barely melted. Remove from the heat and mix in the baking soda, arrow root powder and the essential oils of your choice. If you don’t have arrow root, add more baking soda. Let it cool completely (doesn’t need to be in the fridge), and scoop it into an empty deodorant container. Voila!
I went on a hunt for the best homemade deodorant recipe, and this is the one I found to have the best reviews. Place the shea butter and coconut oil in a glass mason jar, and put the jar in a small pot of hot water until barely melted. Remove from the heat and mix in the baking soda, arrow root powder and the essential oils of your choice. If you don’t have arrow root, add more baking soda. Let it cool completely (doesn’t need to be in the fridge), and scoop it into an empty deodorant container. Voila!
3. Homemade Cold Remedy
Mix
all three ingredients and heat in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
Drink once a day as needed. That’s it! This concoction will probably
make you pucker, but it’s worth every bitter sweet drop. It helps with a
cold, sinus infection, and sore throat. If you plan on drinking this
often, be sure to rinse your mouth out with water after to save the
enamel on your teeth (this mixture is very acidic). If you’d like to
learn more about this knockout remedy, you can get more info here.
4. DIY Wood Scratch Repair
It
doesn’t get any easier than this, and yes, it works! I used this
mixture years ago on my kitchen cabinets, and I was flabbergasted at
what a difference it made– they looked brand new! It was like taking an
eraser and using it on all of the scratches.
Simply mix together 1/4 part white vinegar with 3/4 parts olive oil (I’m pretty sure canola or vegetable oil would work, too). Don’t worry about getting the measurements exact, you can even just eyeball it. Dip a rag or other soft cloth in the mixture and rub it on any piece of finished wood furniture or cabinet that needs a little sprucing up.
Simply mix together 1/4 part white vinegar with 3/4 parts olive oil (I’m pretty sure canola or vegetable oil would work, too). Don’t worry about getting the measurements exact, you can even just eyeball it. Dip a rag or other soft cloth in the mixture and rub it on any piece of finished wood furniture or cabinet that needs a little sprucing up.
5. Homemade Fruit & Veggie Wash
Just
a couple of ingredients that you probably already have at home to make
this all-natural fruit and veggie wash! Fill a spray bottle with the
baking soda, lemon juice and water, shake gently, then spray and rub on
your fresh produce. Don’t forget to rinse. If you’d like to label your
bottle, check out this pack of 40 unique labels in varying sizes.
6. Homemade Jewelry Cleaner
I
don’t wear jewelry, but I do have a wedding ring that gets neglected.
Even though I wear it everyday, it’s the one thing I just never think to
clean! After 15 years of marriage, I think I forgot how shiny is was
supposed to be.
If you’d like to bring back some of the luster to your jewelry, simply mix together these common household ingredients with hot water and let your jewelry soak for as long as you’d like (you really only need 10-15 minutes). Use a soft toothbrush to scrub if you have a lot of grooves and crevices that need reaching.
If you’d like to bring back some of the luster to your jewelry, simply mix together these common household ingredients with hot water and let your jewelry soak for as long as you’d like (you really only need 10-15 minutes). Use a soft toothbrush to scrub if you have a lot of grooves and crevices that need reaching.
7. Homemade "Goo Gone"
One
of my biggest pet peeves–I mean the one that really gets under my skin
and causes smoke to blow out of my ears–is the sticker residue left
behind from price tags! It is so frustrating to buy a picture frame only
to have thick sticker residue left behind right in the middle of the
glass cover! Arg!
The only thing I’ve found to make the process of getting it off not so daunting is Goo Gone, but it’s unfortunate how much that stuff stinks. The entire house smells like gasoline when I’m done, not to mention you can never find the stuff when you need it. In a pinch, try mixing together vegetable oil and baking soda. The oil helps lift the sticky residue and the baking soda assists by making it abrasive. For a thicker paste, add a little more baking soda until you get the consistency you want.
The only thing I’ve found to make the process of getting it off not so daunting is Goo Gone, but it’s unfortunate how much that stuff stinks. The entire house smells like gasoline when I’m done, not to mention you can never find the stuff when you need it. In a pinch, try mixing together vegetable oil and baking soda. The oil helps lift the sticky residue and the baking soda assists by making it abrasive. For a thicker paste, add a little more baking soda until you get the consistency you want.
8. Homemade Detangle Spray
Duh,
right?! I’ve never really thought about it before, but detangle spray
is really just watered down conditioner (the cheap conditioners actually
work better because they are usually not as concentrated). You can make
a bottle of this stuff for less than a quarter!
Fill a good quality spray bottle about 1/4 full of conditioner (even less if you’re using a more expensive brand or a thicker hair mask), and the rest with hot water. To get it mixed really well, only fill the bottle about half full of water, give it a good shake, fill the remaining space with more hot water, and then label it with tape or something a little nicer like these.
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Fill a good quality spray bottle about 1/4 full of conditioner (even less if you’re using a more expensive brand or a thicker hair mask), and the rest with hot water. To get it mixed really well, only fill the bottle about half full of water, give it a good shake, fill the remaining space with more hot water, and then label it with tape or something a little nicer like these.
9. Homemade Ear Drops
To
prevent swimmer’s ear, put about 4 drops of this homemade ear drop
solution (1 part vinegar to 1 part alcohol) in each ear after a day in
the water. This is not for use if you already have an existing ear
infection– the alcohol simply helps dry out your ears while the vinegar
helps combat the build-up of bacteria. For more information, check out
this article here.
10. Homemade Carpet Powder
You
may already know that baking soda works wonders in getting nasty smells
out of carpet, rugs, and car upholstery, but the addition of essential
oils leaves your home smelling fresh, just like the commercial carpet
powders you can buy at the store, only cheaper and much better for you
to be inhaling!
Mix several drops of essential oil in with a box of baking soda in the container you plan on storing it in (an empty parmesan container is a good choice!). Sprinkle the mixture onto the areas of your carpet that need odor control, let it sit for about 15 minutes, and then vacuum it up.
Mix several drops of essential oil in with a box of baking soda in the container you plan on storing it in (an empty parmesan container is a good choice!). Sprinkle the mixture onto the areas of your carpet that need odor control, let it sit for about 15 minutes, and then vacuum it up.
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