Patio Gardening Idea

I love to garden.  It is very fulfilling when you see something you planted grow and to be able to harvest it when it's ready.  However, living in apartments for years has prevented that from really being possible.  Florida has a hard climate to grow many things in.  However this patio I have now has just the right amount of sun and weather for gardening.  We have recently planted heirloom tomatoes, peppers, aloe, and a few other decoration type plants that have all done well so far.

I saw the idea online to use a closet shoe organizer to hang on a door or wall when space is an issue.  It has to be a sturdy canvas one to allow drainage and air to get to the plants.  Then simply fill with soil and seeds of your choice.  Make sure the hardware used to hang the organizer is sturdy and the door is able to close.  I had to bend my hooks to fit on this thicker style of metal door.  I have planted Basil, Parsley, Cilantro, and Leaf Lettuce.  I am eager to see how this works and will definitely post progress pictures on the blog as I go along.

Comment on your favorite things to plant and any other space saving tips you may have!

Easy Soap Scum Remover/Sink Cleaner/Overall Cleaner

There are a million cleaning products on the market, especially those targeted at removing soap scum and cleaning your shower/tub.  However a lot of them make you feel like you are going to pass out from the fumes and still don't do that good of a job.  I found a very easy DIY cleaner online.  After using it to clean my tub/shower, bathroom sink, and kitchen sink I have to say that I am sold.

Easy Soap Scum Remover

Equal Parts Vinegar and Liquid Dish Soap.  Put into a spray bottle, preferably one that has a mist option, and shake.  That's it!  Then spray on surface to be cleaned and let sit for 10-15 minutes.  Wipe clean with a sponge and rinse.

I found all surfaces to have a nice shine and clean look. The vinegar smell is apparent but it fades away and honestly it is still better than smelling toxic chemical fumes.  As with any cleaner if your shower or other areas are heavily soiled it may take a few applications to get it clean then you just need to clean more regularly to keep it that way.  Another site suggested putting some of this mixture in one of those sponges that have the handle attached so that you can just clean the walls as you are showering.  Which is a benefit of this because its just soap and vinegar.  I would not be in the shower cleaning with a more toxic cleaner but I can see how using this tip would keep it clean on a more regular basis.

Try it out and leave your comments below with your opinions!

DIY Dishwasher Detergent

After trying my own laundry soap and loving it I decided to try dishwasher soap.  Now this took a little more research as there were many opinions on it.  I do like the one I have and had to do a little trial and error with it but overall I am happy.  The results of this depends a lot on your water (hard or soft) and if your dishwasher is clean.

There are products out there that can clean your dishwasher, but there is a easier way.   Fill a glass measuring cup, or something similar, with about 1-2 cups of vinegar and place it in the bottom basket of the dishwasher.  Run your sink faucet for a few minutes to make sure HOT water is running through the pipes then turn on the dishwasher for the longest setting.  The vinegar will eat away the grime, mold, hard water, and clogged up sprayer jets.  Once completed sprinkle a cup or so of baking soda on the bottom of the washer and run again on just the rinse cycle.  This will freshen and shine the dishwasher.  I would suggest doing this every 1-2 months depending on how heavily you use your machine.

Now on to the recipe.  In this recipe you can replace the Lemon Kool-Aid with Citric Acid, which is a little harder to find but works as well.  You will need to look up a recipe with that if you choose to because the amount is different.  The first ingredient in Kool-Aid is Citric acid, so it works the same and much cheaper.  You will need to experiement with this, as some people suggested using Lemi-Shine product along with this to help the cleaning power, while other suggested placing 2-3 drops (no more or you will have bubbles all over your kitchen...yes I learned the hard way!) of dish soap on the inside of the door before closing it.  Lastly the best rinse aid is...vinegar.   Vinegar is amazing and I have many more posts about how awesome it cleans, not to mention is cheap.  Fill you rinse aid compartment and you will have spotless shiny dishes.

This comes out to around $0.04/Load!  Way cheaper than Cascade or Finish which can run upwards of $0.30+/load.

Dishwasher Detergent

1 Cup Borax

1 Cup Washing Soda

2 Packets of Lemon Kool-Aid (other store brands work too)

1/2 Cup Kosher Salt (Acts as a natural scrubber)

Simply mix all together and place in an airtight container.  Use 1-2 tablespoons per load by placing it in the normal soap compartment.

DIY Powdered Laundry Soap/Fabric Softener

For those that asked here is the recipes for these two items.  They both worked great and are much more friendly to the wallet!  I did not add fragrance to my soap but you can add drops of any essential oil that you choose.  Just be sure they are pure essential oils and not room fragrance oil.  Many sites suggested using at least some Tea Tree Oil because of it's anti-fungal and bacterial qualities.  Lavender, Rosemary, and Thyme are also popular scents.  If you use these in conjunction with the, very fragrant, DIY Reusable Dryer Sheets also featured on this blog, you will not need to add fragrance to your soap.

The Laundry soap averages out to about 6 cents a load.  Tide is roughly 12 cents a load and Sun is roughly 9 cents.   I did both whites and darks and both came out clean. The Fabric Softener worked as well.  Vinegar is an amazing household item that you can also make pretty much any household cleaner out of.  The smell does not linger at all.  In fact from doing some research many laundry professionals have been adding it undiluted to their wash loads for years.  It is a stain fighter, whitener, color brightener, and fabric softener.

Laundry Powder Soap (1 Batch)

1 Bar of Soap (Ivory is cheap and works best, plus many times almost free with coupons.  You can use what you want just remember some soaps contain a lot of fragrance and additives that can irritate some people.)
1 Cup Washing Soda (Comes in the same yellow box as baking soda, but much larger.  In Laundry Aisle.)
1 Cup Borax (20 Mule Team is most popular brand)

I made this batch times six.  Grate the bar of soap with a cheese grater or you can use the grater attachment on a food processor to make it quicker.  Then simply mix with the two powders and place in a container.  I bought a cheap coffee scoop to portion it out. 1 Tbsp for regular loads, 2 Tbsp for heavy Soil loads.  It works in HE machines and even in cold water.

Fabric Softener

2 Cups Hair Conditioner (I used Suave because of the price and the Ocean Breeze Scent, but you can use any.)
3 Cups White Distilled Vinegar
6 Cups Warm/Hot Water (The warmer water helps to break up the clumps of conditioner)

Simply mix together well with spoon or whisk and place into a container. I bought a cheap plastic pitcher.  I use the Downy Ball so just poured into it the load size I was using as I would regular softener.

*Update (1/7/13) - I have now used this for a little over 5 months and I am in love with it.  My clothes are clean without the use of harsh chemicals. I have not had to buy laundry soap or fabric softener. I only recently had to make a second batch of softener, but still have PLENTY of soap left.  And that was a 6 times batch which took me less than 20 minutes.  So I have saved money and time with this.   Used in combination with the DIY Reusable Dryer Sheets I could not be happier with my DIY laundry experience!

Welcome to "The Penny Pinch"!

Welcome to "The Penny Pinch" blog!  I am always looking for ways to save money, because like most of us I live paycheck to paycheck and like to do whatever I can to pinch my pennies.  This blog may not be updated constantly but it will include DIY projects, homemade items, recipes, couponing ideas and stories, and more.  Please feel free to comment or suggest topics for posts as I am sure anyone reading would like to see how you save money as well.  So thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy!  Please "LIKE" our Facebook (link on the right side of this page) page to keep updated on new posts and quick tips.