Little Stinkers {Natural Carpet Deoderiser}

I like to use natural cleaning products at home. Partly because I don't want to expose my kids to all sorts of potentially nasty chemicals. Partly because I really hate the artificial smells of store bought cleaners and partly because of the effects on the surrounding environment. But mostly because I'm cheap, although I think it is the fashion to call oneself frugal. I love being able to throw together a big batch of cleaner for cents rather than spending a bulk of our grocery bill on cleaners, that way I have more money to spend on important things like new shoes. Hooray for frugality!

From time to time I thought I would share my own recipes and tips for cleaning with natural, homemade cleaning products. Here is the first, an easy and economical natural carpet deodoriser.

Natural Carpet Deodoriser.

Fact - Children are smelly and they generally smell up anything that they come in contact with. Like my lounge room rug.

Fact - Commercial carpet deodoriser does not smell pretty and is a big waste of money.

Fact - It is super easy to make your own.

Ingredients

1/4 cup corn flour

1/4 cup bicarb soda

5 drops of your favourite essential oil. (Optional). I like eucalyptus or lemon for their fresh clean fragrance. Vanilla essence will also work.

Method

In a bowl combine all ingredients. Stirring until will combine.

Put mixture in a sieve; sprinkle the mixture evenly over the carpet. Leave it for an hour. Vacuum up well.

Do a little spot test on an inconspicuous part of the carpet if you are unsure.

You can make a bigger batch and store for later but the essential oils will lose some potency.

My Secret Minimalist Heart

Secretly, deep down in my heart I yearn to be a minimalist. Not your Grand Designs minimalist, living in a concrete and plywood box with sleek furniture and uncomfortable chairs. I want to be a Kinfolk minimalist, where colours are muted and every piece in my house be it a greying farmhouse table or the hand carved wooden spoon, is beautiful and functional.However, my love of bright pastels and rooms full of brown furniture betrays my minimalist heart, so does every horizontal surface in my house. I think every parent of small children will at some point desire uncluttered bench tops and a meal free of brightly colour plastic plates. A home free from randomly scattered toys, books strewn from one end of the hall to the other. Piles of paper, unopened mail, children's artworks, unidentified pieces of food and shoes that are never ever where they are meant to be. I don’t want to just get rid of stuff for the sake of a minimalist lifestyle. I like, even love a majority of the things in my home. I just want our lives to function better, I want to be a more considered consumer, I don’t want to feel overwhelmed, I want to feel organized and in control but still be able to be spontaneous and creative. So imagine my joy when I read this article on 7 Tiny Steps for the Beginner Minimalist on Be More with Less. I think seven tiny steps is a very good place to start. Much less scary than 101 Steps to a Simpler Life, which sounds a little excessive, don’t you think? So my aim for the next few weeks is to start these steps. And see how we go, who knows I may want to tackle those 101 steps next. How about you, do you want to live a simpler life? Maybe you already do. What are your tips for a beginner minimalist?