Spring Cleaning

The next few months are those of crisp, sunny days with gentle winds occasionally peppered with the mild rainstorms we are accustomed to here on the west coast. During those rainy, indoor days what better to do with your time than make some natural cleaning products and tackle those winter cobwebs and dust bunnies! We have formulated a few great recipes for cleaning your home naturally without toxic chemicals. Here are a few recipes we'd like to share:

Natural All-Purpose Citrus Spray Cleaner

Ingredients:

3 tbsp D-Limonene
3 tbsp Polysorbate 20
1.5 Cups plus 2 Tbsp Water - Warm
3 tbsp White Vinegar
3 tbsp Liquid Castile Soap
2 tsp Borax Powder
¼ tsp Citricidal Grapefruit Seed Extract
10 drops Essential Oils of choice

Directions: In a large measuring cup, mix together the d-Limonene and Polysorbate 20. Slowly add all the other ingredients with gently agitation, making sure the borax is fully dissolved. Then pour into 2 x 8 oz spray bottles (try our Aluminum Bottles) and spray onto appliances, counter tops, and any other dirty surface! This recipe is super simple to make and works great!

Environmental Deodorizing Room Spray

Instead of spending money on brand-name air fresheners and odour eliminators, you can make your own at a fraction of the cost! This recipe uses 0.5% natural Tinosan to not only preserve your spray, but to help kill the bacteria in the air causing bad odors. Use as a bathroom or household air freshener, and an anti-bacterial spray for smelly shoes, pet bedding, sports gear, garbage cans, or musty closets.

Ingredients:

Part A
71.5%   Purified Water            343 grams
25.0%   Denatured Alcohol     120 grams
0.5%   Tinosan                      3 grams

Part B
2.0% Polysorbate 20                   10 grams
1.0% Essential Oil or Fragrance Oil   5 grams

Directions: Measure out Part A into a measuring cup and stir to mix. In a separate container mix together Part B and stir fully to combine. Add Part A to Part B, stirring gently, then package into glass or aluminum bottles with misters. This recipe makes 4 x 4 oz bottles of room spray.

Natural Veggie Wash

This recipe is one of my favourites because I eat a ton of vegetables and I really don't enjoy finding critters in my lettuce or that waxy coating on my apples. Our natural fruit and veggie wash recipe helps remove the water-resistant wax on your fruits and vegetables, as well as any surface pesticides, chemicals, bacteria, and dirt that may be remaining. Simply spray the natural cleaner on your produce, rub, and rinse with fresh water.

The citric acid solution used in the recipe lowers the pH and helps to break down wax and other surface contaminants. To make the citric acid solution, simply add 2 tbsp citric acid to ¼ cup warm water and dissolve. (Use our pH test strips to test the pH of any product you are making to ensure the highest quality and recipe accuracy.)

Directions: In a large measuring cup mix together 800 ml Purified Water with 200 ml Amphosol Surfactant. Then add your citric acid solution drops at a time until the pH is lowered to 3.5 or 4. Add 1/8 tsp Potassium Sorbate natural food preservative and stir until dissolved, then pour into 2 x 500 ml Cleaner bottles with trigger misters.

For more Natural Household Cleaning Recipes like these ones, take a look here!

Tawnee

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New Fleur-de-lis Mold!

Nous avons décidé de rapporter ce moule savon à cause de la grande popularité de nos autres moules fleur-de-lis. On peut créer des savons délicats et compliqués facilement avec les outils corrects et une peu de patience.

We decided to bring in this soap mold because of the huge popularity of our other fleur-de-lis molds. You can easily create delicate and intricate soaps with the right tools and a little patience.

Here's what you'll need:

1 lb Natural White Melt and Pour Soap base

8 oz Pre-Coloured Melt and Pour Soap in various colours and/or

Micas or Iron Oxides of your choice in a Clear Melt and Pour Base

Denatured Alcohol for spritzing

Fleur de lis Tray Milky Way Soap Mold

1 tsp Fragrance Oil of your choice

Soap Injector Tool

Soap Detailing Tool

Here's a quick how-to:

Start with a large, clean workspace lined with newspaper or paper towel. You’ll need at least one glass measuring cup or microwaveable container and smaller containers for different colours of Melt and Pour if you so choose. Decide how many colours you would like to use and melt about an ounce of melt and pour for each cavity’s fleur de lis. Colour the soap base with mica, such as heavy metal gold, or iron oxides.

Take your soap injector (we recommend cutting the tip of it so the opening is about 2 mm wide) and suck up some of the coloured soap. Squirt the soap very gently into the recessed fleur de lis, being careful not to push down on the plunger too hard. Keep a glass of hot water handy in case the soap starts to solidify in the injector and to rinse it out in between colours. If you have any bubbles forming on the tops, spritz the mold with denatured alcohol. If you’d like to get the “outlined” look of the soaps on the left and right of the picture above, only squeeze the soap into the deepest parts of the fleur de lis, tracing a layer of soap around the edge. If there is any over pour, simply take the soap detailing tool and clean up those areas. Repeat until you have coloured all the fleur de lis, then let the layer harden fully or approx. 10 minutes.

If you desire a background behind the fleur de lis, such as the soap at the bottom of the picture above, melt an ounce of melt and pour per cavity and colour it with the desired colourant (we used black iron oxide). Spritz the bottom layer with denatured alcohol then pour the soap over top until it reaches the bevelled edge. Hint: Be sure that the temperature of your soap is no higher than 160 F before pouring (you can comfortably hold your hand against the bottom of the measuring cup), otherwise the colours might bleed into each other.

Melt the 16 ounces of white melt and pour soap, then add your fragrance. Wait for the soap to cool slightly, and then pour it into the tray. Spritz the top with denatured alcohol if you see any bubbles forming. Wait 24 hours then gently de-mold your soaps. If you find they are sticking, place the mold in the freezer for 5 minutes before trying again.

That's all there is to it to create these beautiful soaps that are adorned with a culturally and historically rich emblem!

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Mommy and Me Natural Baby Products

Baby fever is in the air! Now is around the time when we start seeing more expectant moms and dads and we would like to share a few recipes that will help cut down costs while caring for baby's new skin and mommy's belly.

Here is a fantastic recipe for an all Natural Baby Shampoo and Body Wash:

Ingredients:

96% Natural Bath and Body Soap Base - 576 grams

3% Glycerin - 18 grams

0.3% Silk Amino Acids - 2 grams

0.5% Panthenol - 3 grams

0.2% Citricidal Grapefruit Seed Extract - 1 gram

Essential Oil or Fragrance Oil to scent if desired

Directions: Simply combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir well to combine.  Add any scent if desired (try soothing Chamomile or Lavender essential oils) and package into bottles.  This recipe makes 600 grams (or 500 ml) of shampoo, which is such a gentle, nourishing cleanser it can be used as a daily baby body wash too!

Another great, natural recipe is our Non-Petroleum Baby Jelly. So simple, this natural jelly provides a protective barrier to the skin which holds in moisture and helps prevent irritation and chafing. This recipe makes 500 grams of baby jelly. 

Ingredients:

94% Castor Oil - 470 grams

5% Beeswax - 25 grams

1% Vitamin E MTS-50 Antioxidant blend - 5 grams

Directions: Melt the beeswax in a pot on the stove then remove from heat. Microwave the castor oil to just above body temperature, then whisk in the castor oil and Vitamin E to the beeswax. Keep whisking gently, allowing the product to cool into a jelly-like consistency. Once cooled, package into cosmetic jars or tottle bottles.

Check out our other baby product recipes, such as our fantastic zinc ointment and belly balm for mom, on our website here.

For a limited time we have a sale on many of the ingredients used in these baby products like castor oil, beeswax, and zinc oxide powder. Click here for a list of what's currently on sale!

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