DIY Antiseptic All-Purpose Cleaner

I have been making this particular cleaner for years. Non-toxic all-purpose and kitchen cleaners can be pricey. This recipe literally costs pennies to fill a spay bottle. Pennies! 

I have have tried at least a half dozen different formulations of homemade all-purpose cleaner and I have found this one adapted from Better Basics for the Home: Simple Solutions for Less Toxic Living by Annie Berthold-Bond is the most effective. This is a great cleaner for everything from wiping down kids stuff, to crayon marks, washing baseboards, and kitchen and bathroom countertops. It's almost always the cleaner I grab first. Just let sit a few moments on crusty kitchen cleanup to let it do its work before wiping up. 

DIY All-Purpose Antiseptic Cleaner

- 1/2 tsp washing soda (you can also use baking soda, but it isn't as alkaline and so won't be quite as effective)
- 1 tsp borax 
- 1/2 tsp liquid castille soap or dish soap
- 2 cups hot water
- 1 tsp total antiseptic essential oil (i.e. I like 3/4 tsp lemon and 1/4 tsp rosemary but you can also any combo of: sweet orange, lavender, tea tree, thyme, rose, cinnamon, eucalyptus, or birch) 

Add washing soda, borax and soap to a clean spray bottle. Pour in the hot water and essential oil, cap, and shake until the minerals are dissolved. Give the bottle a shake each time before using. 

Makes 2 cups. 

DIY: Poster to Canvas Wall Art

I was cleaning out a cupboard that had evaded any sort of de-cluttering for a very long time (I'm currently on a big purging kick), and I found a map of the world that had been a free pull-out from a National Geographic a few years ago.

I had been trying to think of something to use an old canvas for to put on L's bedroom wall, so it seemed like it could be a perfect match. This project cost me absolutely nothing as I used all things I already had around. However, even if you were purchasing all the materials, it would still be very inexpensive.

What you need:

- Mod Podge
- brush
- poster
- stretched canvas
- paint of choice (optional)
- spray sealer (I used this one because that's what I had)

How to:

1. Prep your canvas. For mine this meant painting it with leftover paint, however if you'd prefer to leave it white or if your poster is an exact fit, skip this step.

2. Working very quickly, use a brush to coat surface of canvas in mod podge. Wet your poster well. This is the important step when working with paper. Apply poster to canvas and position. Once positioned don't move it around but use your hands or a roller to smooth out air bubbles. Don't stress too much though, they'll get better as it dries and it's impossible to get it absolutely perfect. Allow to dry fully.

3. Brush over entire surface one or more layers of mod podge.

4. Let dry then spray surface with spray sealer.

5. Hang!