Crafts & DIY

Natural Cleaning Tips with Heinz Cleaning Vinegar

We have taken on a more natural approach to things in our house over the last few years. We have been trying to use more “green”, eco-friendly, and natural methods of cleaning and running our household. We will be using energy saving lightbulbs to cut our electricity bill down to size, burn wood in our wood-stove to save on our oil bill, and will be using more natural methods for cleaning.

When a friend suggested that I try Heinz Cleaning Vinegar I went looking for it in my local grocery store to give it a try. I know you can clean with vinegar but I didn’t know what Heinz Cleaning Vinegar had to offer and what was so different about it.

I didn’t find it in the cleaning supply aisle, although that is where I would assume it would be. I found it in the aisle with the other vinegars. You might have to search around the store until you find it. I guess that is where you would expect vinegar to be but I really expected to find this cleaning vinegar in the cleaning supplies department. I read the label and it said it is “safe for cooking, perfect for cleaning”. Sweet! Now I can use it for cooking and cleaning, all from the same bottle. Now that I know it is good for cooking and cleaning I see why they had it there. Maybe they should put it in both places so it’s easier to spot. If you don’t find it then I suggest you ask for help.

Heinz Cleaning Vinegar is available at most grocery stores, Walmart and on Amazon. It comes in a big gallon plastic jug, has a bright green label. The Gallon jug of Heinz Cleaning Vinegar was $2.98, such a bargain.

When I was checking out, the sales person at the store told me she used Heinz Cleaning Vinegar and told me, “vinegar is magic that God gave us” and that we should go back to “old school methods of cleaning” and stop using chemical cleaners. She even gave me her tips for cleaning with vinegar. One tip I thought was especially interesting was how to use vinegar to kill weeds.

Her suggestion for weed was, “When it is humid outside in the summer, add half water to white vinegar and put in a spray bottle. Then spray on your weeds. Next day they will be all withered up. She said to make sure you don’t do this if it is going to rain though.

What a great idea! Not only can Heinz vinegar clean it can kill weeds!

Another one was how she uses Heinz Vinegar to clean her clothes. She uses Purex and adds half water to the vinegar, a little detergent, and a little lemon juice to get the smell out and she swears her clothes come out cleaner.

Back at home I read the bottle more and learned that Heinz Cleaning Vinegar is still all natural vinegar but it is diluted with water to a cleaning strength of 6% acidity. Regular Heinz White Vinegar is only 5% acidity.

When you try something, it takes time to learn and my new methods of cleaning are going to take some “retraining of the brain” but I think we are off to a good start with Heinz Cleaning Vinegar.

The things I like the most about this product are that it is non-toxic, eco-friendly, and is so natural you could even cook with it. That is one safe product to use in my house in my book.

Natural Cleaning Tips with Heinz Cleaning Vinegar

Make Your Floors Shine: Combine one-half cup Heinz Cleaning Vinegar and one gallon of water to clean tile or linoleum. For tough stains, apply undiluted Cleaning Vinegar directly on the stain.

Eliminate Bathroom Film: Remove bathtub and tile film buildup by wiping surfaces with Heinz Cleaning Vinegar.

Keep Coffee Tasting Great: Remove mineral deposits from your coffee pot by filling the reservoir with Heinz Cleaning Vinegar and running through a brew cycle. Rinse thoroughly with two brew cycles of water.

Cut Dust and Grease: Keep exhaust fan grills, ceiling fan blades and air-conditioning grills grease- and dust-free by wiping with Heinz Cleaning Vinegar

How to Make Balloon Flip Flops

Here’s a fun craft project kids love to make in the summer, Water Balloon Flip Flops. You can buy flip flops cheap at the dollar store. We bought the most colorful ones we could find. You will also find cheap flip flops at Michaels and ACMoore crafts stores.

Level of Difficulty:

Easy

Supplies Needed:

cheap flip flops
120 water balloons

Water Balloon Flip Flops are easy to put together. I would say this is a beginner kids craft project.

Instructions:

1. Begin at one end of a flip flop strap, tie a water balloon onto the strap to make a knot. Make sure the knot is facing outward.

2. Continue tying water balloons onto the strap until the entire strap is covered. Make sure to place push each balloon tight to the previous one after it is tied onto the flip flop strap.

Play around with different colors to create the look you want to achieve.

Helpful Tips:

Remove all of the water balloons from the bag and have the kids stretch each of the out. This will make them easier to tie onto the flip flops. Some water balloons are small so stretching them makes them longer.

Use larger balloons for smaller children as small hands may not be able to tie water balloons because they are quite small.

Quick and Easy Summer Craft Projects

Here are some quick and easy craft projects you can make with your kids this Summer using ordinary household items.

How to Make Pinwheels

Pinwheels are a lot of fun. When the wind blows, the pinwheel goes round and round and kids really enjoy watching them. Make your own from colorful construction paper. It’s quick and easy!

You will need:

construction paper
12″ ruler
scissors
single hole punch
plastic drinking straws
metal brads

Instructions for Making a Pinwheel:

1. Cut a 6-inch square out of any color construction paper you have. Fold the paper in half, diagonally. Fold it again diagonally and then open it out flat. Before you fold the paper you might want to decorate it with stickers or markers.

2. Cut along each folded line up toward the center of the square, stopping 1/2-inch before reaching the center of the square.

3. Punch a hole in the top corner of each triangle.

4. Punch a hole 1/2-inch down from the top of the straw.

5. Put the brad through the corners of the triangles. Then put the brad through the center of the square and then through the straw. Fold the edges of the brad over to secure it.

How to Make Paper Streamers

Why buy expensive paper streamers to decorate for a party when you can make them for free at home by using scrap pieces of construction paper or even regular print paper. Let the kids make paper streamers to decorate you next Summer picnic or birthday party.

Supplies Needed:

You just need several sheets of 8-1/2 x 11″ paper to get started.

Paper Streamer Instructions:

Cut one of the sheets of paper in half the long way.

Then fold the paper over crosswise as shown.

Cut slits every 1/4″ to 1/2″ wide – one starting from the bottom and then next starting from the top. Do this all of the way across the paper.

Then open it up and you will see the cool design it makes.

Then tape or staple the ends together and keep making them until your streamer is a long as you need it. Use your homemade paper streamers to decorate you next Summer picnic or birthday party.

How to Make Finger Paints

Here’s a simple recipe for making your own finger paints at home. Kids love playing in paint and finger paints are washable and won’t stain fabrics. Finger painting is a lot of fun for kids too and older children can help make the recipe.

Finger Paint Ingredients:

1 envelope unflavored gelatin (Knox in the orange box)
1/2 cup cornstarch
3 tbsp sugar
2 cups cold water
food coloring
dishwashing liquid
white shelf paper

Homemade Finger Paint Instructions:

1. Soak the gelatin in 1/4 cup warm water, stirring occasionally so it won’t gum up. Set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan combine cornstarch and sugar. Gradually add water and cook slowly over low heat, stirring until well blended.

3. Remove the pan from the heat and add softened gelatin. Divide the mixture into separate containers for each color.

4. For each color first add a drop of two of liquid detergent and then add food coloring a drop at a time until you have the shade you want.

Store your homemade finger paints up to six weeks in the refrigerator.

How to Make Homemade Bubble Solution

Kids love blowing bubbles in the summertime but spending money on commercial bubble solution can get expensive unless you find it at the Dollar store. Making your own bubbles solution could be cheaper and if not, at least it is a fun project you can let the kids help with.

This recipe uses Joy dishwashing liquid, probably because it is the best for bubbles, but you can also use Dawn, Ivory, and Palmolive.

The key secret ingredient for more colorful and thick bubbles is Glycerin. This is available at most pharmacies but it can be a expensive. You might also want to try Karo Syrup which is available at grocery stores and is cheaper but can be a bit sticky.

Bubble Solution Recipe

9 parts water
1 part dish washing liquid
1/2 part Glycerin
Plastic container with lid

Mix all ingredients in a plastic container. Replace lid when you are not using them.

Bubble Activities:

Giant Bubble Maker
Save your coffee cans. Cut off the tops and bottoms. Hammer the edges smooth. Dip the cans in a pan of the bubble solution and wave it through the air.

Bubble Contest
Have a bubble contest for the biggest bubble, smallest bubble, and the bubble that floats the highest.

How to Make Flour and Salt Dough

This four and salt dough recipe is used in many crafts and commonly used to make Christmas ornaments. Use your imagination and you can decorate your kids decorate their projects with paints, glitter and other craft objects. This dough recipe is perfect for Summer camp projects too.

This kind of dough is safe if the kids accidentally eat some of it.

Ingredients:

4 cups flour
1 cup salt
1-1/2 cups water

Instructions:

1. Mix all ingredients well.

2. Roll out on a counter and cut shapes with cookie cutters.

3. Put the shapes on a cookie sheet so you can bake them.

4. Bake the completed designs in a 350 degree oven for at least 1 hour.

5. Paint and when dry dip in polyurethane, shellac, or use clear nail polish or Decoupage on them to seal the finish. An adult might want to do this step.

Make Dough Beads: You can also make beads for necklaces out of this. Just use a dowel rod or similar item to pock a hole in the center before baking. Then, once they are decorated the kids can string them on a rope to make a necklace or bracelet.

Now you have lots of fun, and easy, Summer craft projects to make at home with your kids using everyday household items.

10 Easy Spring Crafts for Kids for Ages 3 to 5

Spring is the perfect time for kids to get creative with fun and colorful crafts. These simple projects use basic supplies like glue, paint, paper, yarn, sequins, buttons, and scissors. Here are ten delightful spring-themed crafts to keep little hands busy.

Handprint Paper Flowers

Trace your child’s hand onto colorful construction paper and cut it out. Glue the handprint onto a green paper stem and add leaves. Decorate the palm with buttons or sequins to create a bright, blooming flower.

Paper Plate Butterfly

Fold a paper plate in half and let your child decorate both sides with paint, stickers, or sequins. Attach a pipe cleaner as antennae and glue a craft stick in the middle to serve as the butterfly’s body.

Egg Carton Caterpillar

Cut an egg carton into a strip of connected cups. Let kids paint it in bright colors, then glue on googly eyes and add pipe cleaner antennae. Draw a smile with a marker to bring the caterpillar to life.

Yarn-Wrapped Birds Nest

Cut a small paper bowl in half and have kids wrap it with yarn, securing the ends with glue. Add small paper or pom-pom “eggs” inside for a sweet little bird’s nest.

Tissue Paper Rainbows

Draw a rainbow shape on paper and let kids glue small squares of tissue paper in rainbow colors along the arc. Add cotton ball clouds at the ends for a fluffy finishing touch.

Button Blossoms

Draw flower stems and leaves on paper. Kids can glue colorful buttons on top to create beautiful, textured blossoms. Mix and match button sizes and colors for a lively garden scene.

Popsicle Stick Dragonflies

Glue two popsicle sticks together in an “X” shape for the wings. Let kids decorate them with paint, sequins, or glitter. Add a clothespin in the center for the body and glue on googly eyes.

Fingerprint Spring Trees

Draw a simple tree trunk and branches on paper. Let kids dip their fingers in pink, yellow, or green paint and dot the branches to create spring blossoms.

Cotton Ball Sheep

Cut a simple sheep shape out of paper and let kids glue cotton balls all over it for a fluffy effect. Add a black paper face with googly eyes to complete the adorable farm animal.

Printed Tulip Garden

Cut a tulip shape out of a sponge and let kids dip it in paint to stamp a tulip garden on paper. Use green paint or markers to add stems and leaves for a cheerful spring scene.

These easy and engaging crafts are perfect for sparking creativity in young kids while celebrating the beauty of spring!

How to Dye Easter Eggs And Keep Them From Cracking

It’s that time once again to dye eggs for Easter and here are a few tips to help keep them from cracking and make them easy to dye. Did you know that Americans dye and decorate more than 180 million eggs during the Easter season each year. First, you must gather your supplies to dye Easter Eggs. You will need fresh eggs, Distilled white vinegar, food coloring or Paas color tabs, saucepan, water, spoons, and small dishes or cups. Distilled white vinegar is easily found in most grocery, big box, and drug stores around the country and is very affordable at around $1.34 for a 16-ounce bottle.

How to Dye Hard Boiled Eggs for Easter

You can also prepare hard-cooked eggs in the oven instead of boiling them.

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2. Place uncooked eggs into muffin tins.

3. Cook for 30 minutes.

4. While the eggs are cooking, fill a large bowl with cold water.

5. When the eggs are done, remove them using a pot holder and transfer the eggs, one at a time, to the cold water in the bowl. Be careful because the eggs will be very hot.

6. Wait 10 minutes and remove the eggs from the water.

Eggs cooked in the oven will have brown spots on the egg shells where the eggs were in contact with the hot metal from the muffin tin. The discoloration may fade in the water but it may also leave marks on white eggs.

Tips for Preventing Cracked Hard-Boiled Eggs

To help make your Easter egg colors vivid and bright, add one Paas color tablet or 3 drops of food coloring and three tablespoons of Distilled White vinegar to a mixing cup. Once the tablet has dissolved (no waiting for food coloring), add 1/2 cup of water and gently stir.

To help keep hard-boiled eggs from cracking, add two tablespoons of Heinz Distilled white vinegar per quart of water before placing the eggs in the pot to cook. By adding vinegar the shells will also peel off faster and easier when you are ready to eat them after egg hunting is over.

Do not over cook the eggs.

Quickly cool the eggs after cooking by running them under cold water.

Wait until the boiled eggs have cooled and refrigerate eggs in their shells until they are ready to use.

Tip Source: Heinz Vinegar.