Category: Home

  • Take a Rare Glimpse Inside a Singapore Heritage Home

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    Ren, founder of Matter – a socially motivated lifestyle brand – invited me to tour her home. Ok, I asked… but that’s one of the perks of writing this blog – I have the privilege of seeing these incredible spaces and I’m delighted to share them with you!  Singapore is a fast-paced, modern city – the nation is just 49 years old – so when I found out Ren lived in a heritage home, I jumped on the opportunity to see a part of history.

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    Ren and her husband spent 2 years renovating their home, which has been in the family for over 20 years – which Singapore years is ancient! Ren’s house is filled with stories – tales of travels and discovering relics of a past time. She has an incredible modern aesthetic, but also great respect for history – and the combination is absolutely inspiring!

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    As I followed Ren around her house, I noticed there’s was no excess – everything there was purposeful. I can’t help but to think that what we choose to surround ourselves with has an impact on the way we see ourselves in this world. I returned home inspired to see the story that my  home tells. In mine, I saw snippets about a young family, who spend time together making things… It’s a simple story, but it made me feel really good – and with this new eye, I’m inspired to purposefully fill my home my home with only those things that reflect and reinforce it.

    I think this is an interesting question: when you look around your home, what story do you see? Does it match with the story you want to tell? Tell me in the comments!

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    Want to know more about Ren’s brand, Matter? She operates her business from her home (I would too!) so I also got to see a glimpse into her day at work. Check out the slide show below, to see pictures of the process and the new collection – I also encourage you to check out their website. Thanks to Ren for inviting us into your lovely space! :

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  • How to Choose Green Cleaning Products

    We just wrapped up September’s SIMPLIFY Home workshop, teaching students to make their own natural homecare products. SIMPLIFY Home is about keeping it real – simple, practical and effective solutions that we can easily integrate into our lives to create a home we love!

    Everyone was surprised to learn how simple it is to turn everyday kitchen ingredients – into powerful multi-purpose cleaners. And what I know after years of doing this – is that it saves money, reduces the amount of waste that comes out of your home and the amount of chemicals that come in!

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    4But what about the things we buy? Today I want to share a lesson from the workshop that helps you take control over the products you allow into your home. It’s a tried and tested system to help you when you’re out shopping. You’ll be able to make better choices and avoid information overload. It’s a technique that I use which helped me come across Ecover, a range of plant-based cleaning products that I use in my home.

    A Simple System for Choosing Green Cleaning Products

    The only way to know if a product is safe is to become informed. But, honestly, it’s incredibly difficult to keep up. There are thousands of potentially harmful chemicals in our household products – and one chemical can go by 6 different names.

    Don’t feel stressed if you get confused by labels – they are often designed to be tricky and greenwashing is a very real thing. A product may appear to be safe, but can still be loaded with junk.

    Simplifying your life is about making those better choices – but not becoming a slave to them!

    We don’t want to be spending an entire afternoon in the supermarket deciphering labels. I’ve been there, and I’d rather be getting on with my life! So – throughout the years, I figured out a way to shop better. We live in a modern world, we have technology at our fingertips – so lets use it!

    I’m going to show how to make informed choices within seconds. You’ll reduce toxins, support better brands and feel good in your home!

    Make-Better-Choices

    Here’s what you do

    The next time you come across a product – before you buy it, check out the Environmental Working Group’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning. It’s a fantastic resource to help you make informed choices. It lists out the ingredients and gives it a health score rating. Green is good. Red is bad.

    What will you find?

    EWG has 2,000 home care products listed, but if the brand you’re searching for doesn’t show up in the database – then type in the ingredients and you’ll get its health score rating. If you see red (which is unhealthy) within the first 3 ingredients – look for a product that has a healthier score rating. Browse the Top Products category to find good brands!

    If you can’t find ingredients listed on a bottle – It’s a good indication that this brand is not being transparent and open with you. Move on and find another company that is willing to have an open communication with their consumers – Little Green Dot

    Get started with EWG –  start by looking into some of the products that you’re currently using. You may be surprised at what you discover!

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    We go into this and more automated systems to keep your home stocked with safe and natural products in my workshops. But for now, give EWG and Ecover a try! I love using them both!

  • Ten Smart Uses for Dish Soap

    Ten Smart Uses for Dish Soap | littlegreendot.com

    I once chatted with the manufacturer of a natural skincare line and he revealed a secret to me… Let’s see what you think. He offers a range of around 8 different natural products, from shampoo to body wash to toothpaste. But actually, for most of the products – the contents are exactly the same. Same ingredients, same formulation – just differently labeled and sold in different bottles. Why does he do this? Because people don’t want to use a product labeled “shaving lotion” to condition their hair.

    He’s the good guy – he created a safe and natural product – but unable to change his customers perspective, he felt that he had to play into it.

    I see this in my workshops all the time. When I tell my students that they can use a baking ingredient to clean their kitchen, at first it sounds weird –  until they make it and see that it actually works! It just takes that mind switch.

    I’m not saying you should try washing your hair with your toothpaste – but there are probably a few products in your home right now that you could be getting great multi-uses from, if only you look at them differently.

    Let’s start with your dish soap! I’m going show you how you to use the one product in 10 different ways. It’s going to help you save money, reduce clutter, remove the potential for toxin and chemical buildup – and it’s going to help you keep things simple!

    1. Stain Remover

    Ten Smart Uses for Dish Soap - Stain Remover | littlegreendot.com

    Dish soap makes a great pre-wash treatment. Soap is especially good at lifting oil, grease and dirt stains. Squirt a small amount directly over the stain and rub it gently with an old toothbrush. Do this before you put it through the laundry and it should lift right off!

    2. Shoe Cleaner

    Ten Smart Uses for Dish Soap - Shoe Cleaner | littlegreendot.com

    My daughter wears white sneakers as part of her school uniform and they turn black by the end of the week! Fill a small bucket with a solution of soap and water and clean them with a toothbrush. It’s safe on canvas, on leather and the rubber soles.

    3. Wash your Make-Up Brushes

    Ten Smart Uses for Dish Soap - Wash Your Make-Up Brushes | littlegreendot.com

    Twice a month, clean your brushes in a solution of water and dish soap.  It’s a healthy habit that will help keep acne-causing bacteria off your skin. I’m not a beauty expert – but I’ve heard plenty of advice to always wash your brushes with the bristles facing down – so that you don’t get water into the base of the brush, where the glue is.

    4. Wash Outdoor Furniture

    Ten Smart Uses for Dish Soap - Wash Outdoor Furniture | littlegreendot.com

    Give your outdoor furniture a good wash with a bucket of warm water and dish soap. Since you’re outdoors, you can then hose them down to clean of the soap – it’s much more fun that way!

    5. Clean Outside Windows

    Ten Smart Uses for Dish Soap - Clean Outdoor Windows | littlegreendot.com

    I learned this tip from the granddaughter of Dr. Bronners: when washing your windows, the outside of the window will get dirty with dust, dirt, mud… so you’ll want to clean that off with soap. Fill a spray bottle with water and a few drops of dish soap. Spray all over and wipe clean with a micro fiber cloth. Then rinse with clean water (she uses soda water) and use a window squeegee to dry the windows so that no water marks are left behind. Check out my post here for the cleanest windows ever!

    6. Mop the Floors

    Ten Smart Uses for Dish Soap - Mop the Floors | littlegreendot.com

    Dish soap has more suds than a floor cleaner – so unless you want some indoor slip-and-slide action, make sure to use the tiniest drop of dish soap in a big bucket of warm water. It makes a great floor cleaner – picks up all the dirt and grime – and a little does go a long way!

    7. Clean Marble & Granite

    Ten Smart Uses for Dish Soap - Clean Marble & Granite | littlegreendot.com

    I use vinegar to clean all around the house – but you can’t use it on natural stone like marble and granite. Vinegar eats up minerals and can dull the surface over time. It’s better to use a soap cleaner. Fill a spray bottle with water. Then add in a drop of dish soap. Use this to spray on your stone counter top and tiles.

    8. Make Bubble Solution

    Ten Smart Uses for Dish Soap - Make Bubble Solution | littlegreendot.com

    Kids, and most adults 🙂 are easily amused by bubbles – it’s in every parents arsenal. Instead of buying and tossing out the bottles – now you can make your own bubble solution to fill a bottle or… a mini pool (true story)! Here’s the recipe: 1 Tbsp of dish soap for every 1 cup of water.

    9. Natural Pesticide

    Ten Smart Uses for Dish Soap - Natural Pesticide | littlegreendot.com
    Keep little critters away from your plants by spraying them with a natural homemade pesticide solutions: one tablespoon cooking oil and a few drops of dish soap into a spray bottle with water. On contact, it will kill soft-bodied bugs. To prevent caterpillars and other bugs from eating your plants, add tabasco or blend in a few chili peppers this your solution.

    10. Homemade Scrub Cleaner

    Ten Smart Uses for Dish Soap - Homemade Scrub Cleaner | littlegreendot.com
    This scrub does wonders on your pots and pans, in the oven, stove-top – in the bathtub and sinks! Simply blend together 1/2 cup of baking soda and enough dish soap to form a thick paste. It’s a great abrasive – work it onto any surface with a cloth. To finish – spray a solution of  1 part vinegar/2parts water and wipe clean. It will eat up any baking soda residue and leave your surface sparkling! Just like in the commercials – but without the chemicals!

    Hope you give these ideas a try! I’d love to know – what’s a product that you use differently and have found a cool multi use for?

    p.s. If you’re looking for a good, natural dish soap – check out Ecover

  • Speed Cleaning // The Oven

    How To Clean Your Oven

    I once heard that if you’re renting or buying a home, a good way to check how well it’s been maintained, is to check the oven. If there’s baked on mess from years of lasagnas – it’s not a good sign!

    The oven is often neglected and if it’s gotten bad, it’s not an easy mess to clean up. That’s when we need to use strong oven-cleaners, but these things are one of the most toxic products you can clean with. Classified as hazardous – they’re incredibly corrosive, full of harsh chemicals and you don’t need that anywhere near you, your family or food!

    This is a natural solution that I use at home. It’s so easy – it takes five minutes to do. And when done regularly – there’s just no need to bring in the big chemicals! Here’s how:

    step 1: pre-heat your oven

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    You want it warm enough to loosen up any baked on mess – but not too hot to burn yourself! Set it at warm, when it reaches temperature, shut it off.

    step 2: scrub

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    Make a simple scrub cleaner by combining baking soda with your natural dishsoap, until it becomes a creamy paste. Use this to scrub the inside of the oven, the grills and all around. Get into it! 🙂

    step 3: spray

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    This is the secret trick: to clean up the baking soda, use a vinegar cleanser as a final spray. Try this recipe.  This spray will dissolve any left on baking soda, clean up dirt and leave your oven ready to cook up another meal! Wipe clean and you’re done.

    It’s easier to maintain your home when you get into the habit of routines – 5 minutes a week is all it takes – and when it comes to keeping harsh chemicals out of the home, prevention is really key. Once the problem has gotten bad, it’s hard to fix. So try this once a week and see how it works for you!

    credits:
    photography – Jeff Samaniego for Little Green Dot

  • 5 Ways to Go Green at Home

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    Want to create a happy, healthy home you love? Here are five easy tips to help you live a little more green and feel good in your home!

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    Green Tip #1: Keep it simple

    You don’t always need to use a spray product to clean. A dry micro-fiber cloth can easily buff out water stains on glass, mirrors and chrome.

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    Green Tip #2: Save water

    Instead of draining over the sink, drain water into a bowl. If you didn’t add salt, you can use the water for your plants. If you did add salt, you can reuse the water again to cook rice, pasta or other veggies.

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    Green Tip #3: Avoid clean-ups that require tough chemicals

    Prevention is key! Vinegar is great at preventing and eliminating water stains, soap scum and mould on tiles. After every shower, spray a solution of 1 part vinegar/2parts water over your tiles, fixtures and glass – you don’t even need to rinse. If you don’t love the scent of vinegar, add a few drops of essential oil, just make sure to shake before every use to distribute the oils. Make a batch in a bottle, and keep it near your shower. Easy!

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    Green Tip #4: Plan your meals ahead

    Food wastage is a big problem – one of the best ways to minimize food waste is to plan out your meals for the week. You’ll be able to make healthier choice, buy only what you need, save money and reduce waste!

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    Green Tip #5: reuse your bottles

    They make great, multi-use storage containers and with glass you don’t need to worry about chemicals leaching. Here’s a trick to get rid of labels: First, peel off as much as you can. Soak a cloth in neat vinegar and place it over the glue. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then rub it off with a solution of baking soda and washing up liquid. It’ll come right off!

    Hope these tips helped! I’d love to know – what green tips work for you in your home? Please share in the comments!

    PS – are you in Singapore? Join me Sept 13th, 2014 – at the Natural Home Workshop, where you’ll learn and spend the day making natural homecare products! Don’t miss it! click here for the details

    credits:
    photography by: Jeff Samaniego for Little Green Dot

  • Kitchen Tips // Don’t make this mistake

    I sat down with Chef Clement to talk oils, because in our circles, oil is a pretty hot topic! 🙂 We want to know – which are the best, how to use them, how to properly store them… Chef is all about cooking and eating foods that makes you feel your best – so I thought why not ask him about his approach.

    Honestly, I expected to come back to you with a long list of oils everyone should have in their pantry , but his answer was: Keep It Simple! And I have to say, I like that attitude much more!

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    When it comes to choosing an oil – you have plenty of options, each boasting different health benefits. I’ll be the first to admit, I’m quick to pick up the latest healthy oil and enjoy having variety for my salad dressings and cooking. In my house right now, I have:

    Pumpkin Seed, Grapeseed Oil, Almond Oil, Coconut Oil, Safflower Oil, Olive Oil, Sesame Oil and Infused Chili Oil. 

    And if you’re like me – you’re going mostly cold-pressed, extra virgin oils for the health benefits. But, these oils are highly perishable, and every time you use them, you’re exposing it to light and air causing it to oxidize and go rancid quicker.

    toomanyoilsThe oils in my kitchen today…

    If you have have a few different oils on the go – ask yourself – can you really consume them all before they turn rancid? Once a bottle has been opened, it should be consumed – on average  – within six months. The more stable oils like coconut and olive oil can go for up to 1 year. 

    But, unlike wine, there is no benefit to keeping oil for a long time. Within 60 days of opening, the oil will begin to oxidize and change in flavor. So, instead of stocking your kitchen with different oils – Chef Clement recommends that we go minimal and stick with one or two at a time. 

    goodamountofoilsKeeping it simple

    • One heat-stable oil for cooking, like refined olive oil or coconut oil (or butter)
    • One cold-pressed oil for salads, like extra virgin olive oil

    Once you’ve finished a bottle, you can always try another new type of oil. It’s always good to play and experiment, but perhaps not with too many at the same time!

    Pro Tips:

    1. If you cook daily, don’t use from the oil bottle directly. To avoid constant light and oxygen exposure, decant your oil into a smaller oil dispenser or squeeze condiment bottle and re-fill it as you need. Store the main bottle of oil in a cool, dark cupboard.
    2. Add variety and flavour to the same oil by using different ingredients:
    • Blend some oil with fresh herbs and use it throughout the week in your cooking. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week
    • When you roast veggies like capsicum, mix the juice in with the oil. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week
    • Use freshly squeezed juices like calamansi lime, orange or pineapple to create new dressings and sauces! Store in the fridge for up to 1 week
    • Stock up on vinegars! Try fruit vinegars, apple cider, red wine, balsamic – they are more shelf stable and will produce completely different flavors!

    Hope this helps you! Chatting with Chef, really helped me to simplify my kitchen even more – so I wanted to pass along this tip to you too!

    PS: If you have a ton of oils in your kitchen, here are some other great ways to use them:

    Do you live in Singapore? Check out Chef Clement’s take-out cafe, Simply Eden! Get the red velvet muffin and chia seed baguettes to bring home with you!! YUM!

  • Get Crafty

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    Organised junk? Yes! Absolutely – your kids (and you) will love this! Instead of buying crafting materials, set up this craft box to reuse what’s around you.  As you collect materials that can be re-purposed, just add them in. That way, instead of keeping a stash of toilet paper rolls around the house – you’ll have this beautifully organised craft box – making all of your junk seem more purposeful! When ever your kiddo get a little restless – pull this out and let them get creative! It’s so much fun – check out below how to put together  your own eco craft box!

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    I think it’s important to set yourself up for success. Having everything in one place will make your life so much easier – and this craft box will inspire hours of fun! If you don’t have a little one – hopefully this idea inspires you to organise your own crafting box!

    Here’s what you can include:

    The container – I love Ikea’s see-thru containers. Get the caddy attachment, which helps to organise everything nicely and it’s dead cheap!

    The tools – In mine I have: markers, crayons, paint, paintbrushes, tape, scissors, a stapler, glue and a hole puncher. The basics that they need for crafting.

    The materials – Look for things that you can repurpose, even if you don’t yet know what you’ll do with them! Stretching their creativity is half the fun. Here are some ideas:

    • disposable plates, cups, straws, chopsticks and cutlery
    • juice & cereal box containers
    • scrap paper
    • wrapping paper and ribbon
    • left over party supplies – balloons, decorations
    • old magazines
    • newspaper

    There’ll be lots of cutting, gluing – making collages… but if you need a little inspiration for a certain item – use the internet! Search on pinterest for chopstick kids craft or cereal box kids craft – and you’ll have a ton of instant ideas.

    Have fun making!

  • Curated Living // Urban Gardening Supplies

    Even if you’re not yet a gardener – I think setting yourself up with the right tools can be great motivation to do the things you want for yourself… Here’s a little inspiration for you to create a home that gets you in the mood to spend time in your garden. No back-yard required!

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    Green house // Fork & Trowel // Mini Heirloom Watering Can // Long Blade Shears // Happy Face Planter // Paper Pot Press

    ps:
    Indoor Composting Made Easy
    How to Choose Plants at the Nursery
    How to Repot your Plants

  • Learn // How to Repot your Plants

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    I have a confession… and this isn’t easy actually… but here it is: I’ve managed to kill three trees, twice. I bought the first round, to create a privacy wall from my neighbour. The nursery potted them for me and delivered them to my door. It was perfect – but within a few months, they all died. I blamed the cats. So I bought another set of trees, repotted them and… a few months later, dead…

    This has been a big shame for me – how can I kill trees?! Finally I asked my friend Nova to help me. Turns out that it wasn’t entirely my fault (or my cats!) She came around to teach me how to properly repot a plant, to give it a good start. Let me show you four great tips that  I learned!

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    We spent the afternoon with Nova, my friend Alina from Abundant Earth and my two little monkeys – playing in the dirt… I learned more in those two hours about keeping my plants alive, than years of Google searches ever taught me!

    When you buy plant from the nursery or a shop – you really don’t know what’s in the soil. Honestly, I would just bring it home – transfer it from it’s plastic pot, to a new pot – add in a little extra soil and call it a day. But if you want beautiful plants, much like our own wellbeing, it all comes down to what’s going on underneath the surface!

    You can start with your plants at home now. If you find that the soil is hard and dense, you can fix it. Gently pull out the plant and follow the steps below:

    Pro Gardening Tip 1: Correct the Soil 

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    Nova was not impressed with the soil that the nursery had used for my trees. Full of clay – you can see the soil is dense, and balls up easily. “We can make a ceramic bowl with this soil!” Clay is often used because it’s cheap – but too much is terrible for our plants. Water and oxygen can’t flow throughout the soil to keep them healthy. Nova dug up the soil to loosen it all up and then mixed in fresh, new soil.

    If the nursery repots your plant, make sure to buy a bag of good compost soil and tell them to use it for the repotting.

    Pro Gardening Tip 2: Add Compost

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    Nova taught us how to make your own compost, if you haven’t seen it, check it out. If you don’t have compost ready yet, you can buy a bag – look for organic and fully composted.

    After you mix in the fresh soil, add in some compost to nourish your plants. Mix everything around – the old soil, the fresh soil and compost. Get your hands in there!

    Make a well in the center, and  you’re ready to put your plant in. Top up with more soil to secure the plant.

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    Pro Gardening Tip #3: Give it a GOOD watering

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    I was surprised at the amount of water Nova added in. It was a lot! But she explained that the plant will initially go into shock after repotting, so help it out by giving it plenty to drink. With the new soil, all that water that we poured in got soaked up right away! That’s what were looking for – she was happy that it meant there was good drainage.

    Pro Gardening Tip #4: Dig for Worms

    Worms are great to help aerate and correct the soil. You can add them to any plant that you have at home – and if you’re wondering where you’re going to get worms from, I did too at first! When she said, let’s go dig up some worms outside, I thought – you can just do that? Turns out you can!

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    Nova says, “Keep adding more worms; they will only do good things for your soil”. Now I have something to look forward to doing once a week with the girls!

    There you go, 4 tips to help you repot your plants. To review:

    1. Correct the soil. Loosen up any dense, clay soil. Mix in a good quality soil
    2. Compost. Make your own or buy a bag of premade – organic and fully composted.
    3. Give it a good watering. You should see the water get soaked right up. That means you have good drainage.
    4. Dig for worms. Let these guys aerate the soil for them, and in turn provide them a nice place to live.

    Hope that helps next time you repot your plants!

     

    P.S: don’t forget:

  • Recipe // Natural Fridge Cleaners

    How-to-Clean-Your-Fridge

    Cleaning out your fridge does not require toxic chemical sprays! It’s crazy that they make it, but guess what – we can make it better! In our DIY cleaner – we won’t add phtalates, found in fragrance which are an edocrine disruptor. We won’t add triclosan, found in many dish soaps and antibacterial products which are causing antibiotic-resistant bacteria. We won’t add 2-Butoxyethanol which can cause kidney and liver damage… 

    I spent the day with my friend Holly, showing her how we can make an effective product –  that will work like a charm – but still be safe for us, our family and the environment. Here are those recipes for you to try too! They’re super simple, great for tackling fridge spills and keeping it nice and fresh in there!

    DIY Natural Fridge Cleaners

    scouring-scrub
    Scrub it down:
    Make a quick scouring scrub to remove any caked on stains, like that bit of sauce that spilled and solidified in the back of the fridge!

    ingredients:

    • baking soda
    • liquid dish soap

    method: 

    • add baking soda into a bowl
    • squirt in liquid dish soap until it forms a creamy paste  
    • make as much as the job requires!

    Natural-Spray-Cleaner-for-your-Fridge
    Spray it clean:
    Vinegar is a powerful cleaner not to be underestimated. It’s antimicrobial – the strong acids killing bacteria, viruses, fungus and mold. Plus it’s a great deodorizer, helping to freshen the air. The vinegar smell dissipates, taking bad odors along with it.

    ingredients:

    • white vinegar
    • water

    method: 

    • fill a spray bottle 1/3 way with vinegar
    • fill the remainder with water
    • spray without worry! 

    Next time you clean out your fridge, give these recipes a try! Maintaining our home should be simple and you’ll feel good knowing that you’re not spraying toxins anywhere near your food! Yuck!