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Green Practices: Green and DIY Chemical Recipes

You're probably wondering "How can I make all of these wonderful Green Chemical Substitutes?!" Well, you're in luck because you can find them all right here!

Below you'll find recipes for:
Homemade Laundry Detergent
Glass and Surface Cleaner
Crushed Egg Shells
Deer Repellent

Homemade Laundry Detergent

1/3 C Fels-Naptha
1/2 C Borax
1/2 C Washing Soda
*All ingredients can be found in the laundry/cleaning section of your regular grocery store.

1. Grate Fels-Naptha and put it in an 8 quart pot
2. Add 6 C water, heat, and stir until melted
3. Add Borax and Washing Soda, heat, and stir until dissolved
4. Add 4 C hot water and stir until simmering
5. Add additional 1 gallon plus 6 C hot water, heat until just below a simmer, stir occasionally
6. Allow to rest 24 hours - detergent will become a gel consistency
7. Store in a large bucket and use 1/2 C per load of laundry

Surface and glass Cleaner

1 Part White Vinegar
2 Parts Water

This one is pretty easy folks! Just fill your spray bottle 1/3 of the way with White Vinegar and the rest of the way with water. Feel free to make it stronger or weaker although this ratio works well to remove water spots on bathroom fixtures and finger prints from windows. Also, don't fear - the vinegar smell disappears quickly.

Crushed Egg Shells

As you use them, rinse and save your egg shells. When you're ready to use them, dry them out in a slow oven, about 200 degrees F for 20-30 minutes until they're dried out but not browning. This may smell funny but never fear. Once they're dried out, you can crush them in a coffee grinder just be sure to wipe it out well before you grind your coffee in it the next morning!

To apply, before the dew dries on your plants, sprinkle liberally on the plants you want protected. Works great on our roses and hibiscus.

Homemade Deer Repellent

3 Eggs
3 Tbsp Cayenne Pepper
3 Cloves Garlic, Crushed
3 Tbsp Milk or Yogurt
1 Gallon Water

Blend first 4 ingredients in a blender and add to a container or bucket that can be covered. Add 1 gallon of water and let sit for a couple of days to 'ripen'. Strain into a garden sprayer and spray on plants and shrubs you want protected. It's gonna stink but the smell goes away after a couple of hours but the deer can still smell it. And even after they can't, if they take a nibble of your plants, the cayenne pepper acts as a deterrent.

Try to not let the overspray get on you because then you'll stink! And make sure to rinse your sprayer well after application as the dairy and cayenne can dry and clog the nozzle. Reapply after rain or every few weeks.

Planning a visit to Galena, Illinois? Make your reservation with us now to experience what makes us the next generation of bed and breakfasts. Afterall, if you're not staying at Aldrich Guest House, you haven't experienced the best Galena has to offer!