DIY Enzyme Cleaner Review

So after waiting a long two weeks for my Enzyme Cleaner to be ready, it's finally done! I was so excited the first thing I did this morning was prepare my Enzyme Cleaner in concentrate form. This basically consists of you straining the enzyme mixture through a thin cloth and storing it. That's it!

To make my All-Purpose Cleaner for around the house, I poured 1/2 cup of the liquid into a spray bottle and then filled the spray bottle the rest of the was up. I was using a 32 oz. spray bottle so my ratio was 1:7 (enzyme:water). You don't have to use that much enzyme, in fact on my last post on the enzyme cleaner I told you all you had to use was a 1:10 ratio. It's just whatever is your personal preference.

If you would like to see how the Enzyme cleaner did in my bathroom and in my kitchen you can watch my Youtube video below. Click here for the recipe for Enzyme Cleaner.

♥ Mrs. Suzie

Making the Bun in the Oven a Blanket

So lately I've been hard at work making things for our soon-to-be addition to the family. As of this past week, it has consisted of brainstorming what the baby's quilt should look like. I know I wanted to do something with elephants and the colors blue, white, and gray so I searched the internet for ideas. I finally just decided to make up my own because their weren't very many on the internet that looked fit for a nursery.

I started with my elephant cookie cutters that I bought a couple months ago, some white fabric paint, and an old gray sheet. I dipped the cookie cutters in the paint and stamped them onto the fabric longways in variating rows. Once that dried I added a 4" white border from another old sheet I had lying around.

If you have watched my Cloth Revolution Diaper Tutorial you would know about my blue and white polka dotted "microfleece"situation. Well after having to find a use for it I felt like this quilt was perfect for the use of that fabric. So I sketched out half of an elephant on the back of it, cut it out, "heat bonded" it to the fabric I just got finished stamping, and sewed a blanket stitch around the border in a dark gray thread.

Here's a close up so you can see the endless hours and hurt fingers I put into this simple border.

Then I decided the quilt needed something else. So I took some more embroidery floss and made rough thick stitches with 1/2" places in between. Here you can see it getting started and the quilt as a whole.

Here's a close up of the stitching. Needless to say there were more soar fingers involved in this process (I guess that's why people wear thimbles?).

So I eventually added enough stitching to the border to make me satisfied using a pattern of: Light blue, Blue, Dark Gray, Dark Gray, Blue, Light Blue. Then I pinned the back of the quilt to the front. This was just a piece of white fabric (left over from the sheet I cut up) so I didn't take pics.

Then I got to work pinning the binding around the quilt. I choose light blue because I didn't want the quilt to be predominantly gray.

Once I got that stuff sewn on using my sewing machine (might I say binding isn't as easy as it looks to put on) I was finished. I think it turned out just gorgeous. Now I just have to work on the mobile, the bumper, and the lamp. Good thing I still have until January!

♥ Mrs. Suzie

How to make your own enzyme cleaner!

So lately I've been on this kick to make my own house cleaning products. After revising my laundry detergent post and seeing how amazingly cheap it is to make, I wanted to make some more cheap products around the house because I go through that stuff like water! After numerous hours of searching and experimenting I found a recipe for Citrus Enzyme cleaner. Words can't describe how excited I was. (Mostly because when you cloth diaper it is good to have an enzyme cleaner to get the "funk" smell out of them and that stuff isn't cheap!)

This cleaner is very comparable (pretty much identical!) to other enzymes sprays such as BacOut. This spray runs about $9 per bottle NOT CONCENTRATED! The ingredients are enzyme cultures, Lime extract, Stabilizers, Surfactants, and water (so basically lime, water, and sugar). After researching enzyme cleaner I found out that pineapples have the most enzymes and make a better cleaner.

So I guess you guys are ready for the recipe:

What you will need is:

1. A container with a lid that can hold 2 liters (I used an old milk jug)
2. 1 1/2 to 2 cups of fruits scraps (such as lime peels)
3. 7 tbsp of brown sugar (this is to feed the enzymes)
4. 1 tsp of yeast (doesn't matter which kind)
5. 1 liter of water
6. funnel
7. 2 weeks time!

How to make it:

1. Cut up your fruit scraps so that they will fit into the opening of your container (I used pineapple and lime!) and put them into a measuring cup to measure out about 2 cups of fruit scraps.
2. Stuff the fruit into your container and add the yeast and the brown sugar into the container using a funnel.
3. Pour in your 1 Liter of water through the funnel to collect any extra sugar and yeast.
4. Screw the lid on and shake the container to mix everything together.
5. Loosen the lid to let any gas buildup flow out of the container.
6. Label with the date you made it and the date for 2 weeks from the day you made it (this is when it will be ready for use).
7. Store in a cool, dark place (such as your pantry).
8. Shake the container everyday for the first week making sure when you put it up for storage that the lid is loosened (We don't want explosions people!).
9. Once the two weeks are up strain your enzyme cleaner and store for further use.

How to use it:

• All purpose cleaner = 1 part enzyme to 10 parts water.
• Stains and Odors = just dilute
• Dishes and Laundry = 1/4 of enzyme
• Drain blockages and smell = concentrated or use strained fruit scraps
• Mopping floors = 1 part enzyme to 20 parts water
• Face cleaner = 1 part enzyme to 2 parts water
• Insect repellent = unse diluted
• Clean washing machine = 2 cups enzyme in detergent drawer (run through normal cycle at 98 degrees F)
• Glass cleaner = 1 part enzyme to 3 parts water

If you would like to watch how I made my enzyme cleaner you can view it here:

Check back in two weeks for my review on this cleaner and it's wonderfulness!

♥ Mrs. Suzie

Cloth Revolution Diaper tutorial

I FINALLY have made a cloth diaper tutorial using the Cloth Revolution pattern. I used 1 1/2" velcro in the tute while following the directions for the pocket diaper. I absolutely love it and will make more! So here is the video, let me know what you think :)

♥ Mrs. Suzie

Mermaid Tail Towel Tutorial

I know this is a little late in the year but I figured little girls could not only use this towel when getting out of the pool in the summer but also use it for dress-up in the winter. I have made the tutorial on youtube so I am posting the video below along with the free pattern I created. Have fun!

Click here for the pattern.

Let me know what you guys think and if you end up making your own mermaid towel be sure to send me pictures so I can feature them on my video :).




♥ Mrs. Suzie

How to Make Yarn with Plastic Bags

People have been trying to find new ways to reuse a lot of plastic and paper items to help in the effort to clean up the earth and what better way to recycle plastic bags then making your own yarn. You can make practically anything with it which makes it so awesome. Remember though that it is still plastic, so no potholders and such!


What you will need:

• Plastic bags
• Scissors
• Crocheting Needle (Size G preferred)
• Pattern (I'm making circles)

How to do it:

• Lay your plastic bag out and press it flat. It's going to look kind of rectangular

• Cut your bag into strips that are 1/2" or a thumbs width wide, cutting the bag from the bottom towards the handles. They will be end up being little loops.

 

• Once you have cut up as many bags as you think you need, start chaining them together by stringing one bag loop through another and then back through itself and pull tight, but not too tight, you don't want to stretch the bag loop out.

• Keep doing this until all of your loops are linked together. At this point you can roll your links together into a ball for easier clean-up and organization.
• Now that you have made your plastic bag yarn you can use basically any pattern to create something unique!

Here is a circle that I have crocheted using a pattern I found on youtube:

♥ Mrs. Suzie

♻ Fabric Grocery Bags ♻

With the amount of plastic bags pilling up in landfills it has become a great effort to bring your own bags to the grocery so why not make them unique and personalized.

What you will need:

•  durable non-strechy material
• scissors
• sewing machine or needle and thread
• thread of your choosing
• ruler

What to do:

• Lay your fabric out on a clean, solid surface. For a bag measuring 15" x 17" x 7", measure out a rectangle 40" long (this includes the two sides, the bottom, and seam allowance of the bag) by 18"wide (this is the width plus seam allowance).
• Cut out the rectangle you just measured out. Fold each of the long sides in 1/4" and press with an iron. Fold in again another 1/4", press, and sew a 1/4" seam. Do this to the shorter sides also.
• Fold the rectangle in half and mark the middle. From the middle measure out 7" on both sides and mark. Pull these marks towards the center and sew towards the center following the the seam already sewn.
• Sew up the side seams and your bag is finished. You can add ribbon for handles or cut some of your remaining fabric 4 1/2" wide by your desired length. Fold rectangle long ways and sew up the seams with 1/4" allowance. Turn tube inside out, press and sew to your bag.

For extra personality you can use the Screen print post and add a design to the front of your bag.

♥ Mrs. Suzie