Getting those kitchen towels super clean!

On yesterday's post I mentioned how I get my kitchen towels nice and clean, using a mixture of cleaning supplies and letting nature help out with it's heat from the sun.

I spent many a year just doing what everyone else did, going to the store, buying this and that product, trying bleach and all sorts of chemicals to help me with my housework.  I didn't really think about it, I just went with it like so many others.

As my homemaking journey continued, I started wanting to be more independent and self sufficient.  I would sit and wonder how our ancestors got by, what did they use, because we know for sure that they didn't have all of these hundreds of products at their disposal.

We know that they had to use a lot of what was available to them, and use it to the maximum of their advantage.

The tip I'm about to share with you, is one such way to make use of products you already have on hand, but also to make use of nature and what God has put at our disposal.

But let's gather your grimy kitchen towels, and get going.  The first thing you will need is a big tub.  I use my dish tub for this and it works just great.

You're going to start by mixing in 3 to 4 tablespoons of baking soda, 2 cups of vinegar and about a cup or so of powdered detergent.

Give it a good mix, you will notice that it will bubble up as the vinegar and baking soda combine.

Boil some water, I use a big pot to boil quite a bit because I want enough to cover all the kitchen towels.  This is where you can judge for yourself, if you're only going to do a few then cut back on the ingredients, but I tend to keep my towels and wash them all once a week, using this method.

Also, I don't just put in white or light colored kitchen towels, I put in my colored ones as well, and they get nice and clean too.  This mixture and way of washing them, takes out grease and even stubborn stains.  I've never had an issue with it and always get great results.

Pour the boiling water into the tub, and then start adding your towels pushing them down with a wooden spoon so that you don't burn yourself in the hot water.

Once all the towels are in and covered completely with water, just set it out in a nice sunny spot and leave it.

I do this first thing in the morning and leave them out until about 5pm or so.

After it's been sat out all day, the water will still be warm, but you'll be able to grab the towels with your bare hands.  Go ahead and give them a ring, and then pop them in the wash.  Once done, hang out to dry.  You can use your tumble dryer, but I always hang mine out because I find that the sun helps again with the last whitening that I need.

I tell you nature is your best friend when it comes to getting things done, especially if you use it the correct way.

Look how bright and white they look?

How to whiten kitchen towels in the sun:

One big tub
Boiling water, 1 gallon
Baking soda, about 4 heaping tablespoons
Vinegar about 500ml  (2 and a half cups)
Powder detergent, 1 cup
Plastic bag to cover


Mix the baking soda, vinegar and detergent well, then pour in the boiling water.  Carefully add in your kitchen towels, be careful not to burn yourself.  I use a big wooden spoon to stir the towels into the water.

Place a plastic bag over the tub to cover. You're basically going to give it a nice steam bath, or a sauna if you will.  You don't have to cover with the bag, if the sun is hot enough, you can leave it as is, and that is what I did today.

Let it sit in the sun for a couple of hours.  It's best if you place them out in the morning and leave them until later in the day, or even overnight.

Wring them out really well, then throw in your washer.


I now have a fresh pile of towels ready to be used in the kitchen.  They smell good, they look amazing and I know they're clean and sanitized.  Next week Friday I will again repeat the process, once I've used them up in my day to day kitchen chores.

I do hope this tip helps you, and if you decide to try it out, do let me know how it worked for you. 

{ Sunday in the country }

The window is open, the curtains are pulled back and the only sounds you hear are the loud chirping of the birds as they sing back and forth between the trees.

I lived most of my life in the suburbs or on military housing.  Neighbors were never too far, noise was constant.  Cars sped up and down the road, loud airplanes boomed overheard, voices, yells of children playing or random dogs barking.

I knew that if and when I had the chance, I would move to the country, far from the craziness, the noise, the congestion and the traffic, to a place where all that my ears would be subjected to, would be birds singing, horses neighing in neighboring fields and the sound of thunder as the storms opened their clouds above us and sent down a deluge of fresh cold water.

But God knew exactly what He was doing and where He was taking us, and the blessing came the day we were able to sign and put down a deposit on the house we currently live in.  It had everything, and more, that I had always imagined.

Curt and I have been doing quite a bit of yard work this weekend, even though it's hot as all heck already and we would much rather be inside, with a property this big comes a lot of responsibilities and maintenance which can't just be ignored.

During a break from the weeding and mowing, we took a walk around checking out the trees and the wild flowers (which I love collecting to bring indoors).  We have a massive and I mean ｍａｓｓｉｖｅ  pine tree.   Every year it litters the ground with beautiful pine cones, which I also bring inside and use for decorations during the Fall and Winter.

Have you ever stopped and admired the growth of a pine cone?  It's amazing to say the least, above you can see a few, and just a note, don't touch them, those brown protrusions are sharp.  Yikes!!!

We also have a pear tree out back, along the property line.  I would love nothing more than to transplant that tree to the front or even the back yard, but I wouldn't even begin to try for fear of killing it.

When we first moved to this house, I discovered the pear tree, and it was quite a sad looking one, it was half dead, not producing much fruit and the little it had produced had been eaten by birds.

It's been doing so well lately, it is now filled with pears, albeit tiny ones, but it's no longer dying, there are new shoots and growth.  Just really wish it was closer to the house so that I could keep an eye on it.

We have 5 big pecan trees on our property, and they don't produce every year, only every other year so we had nothing last year.  This coming year however is going to be a good one, I can tell.  The pecans are already growing and there are thousands of them.

Honestly can not wait for this harvest.  Hoping to get some pecan milk out of it.

And here we have some Buffalo gourds.  There are hundreds of these vines not only around our property but the neighboring fields too, they are a nuisance for sure.

Pretty, but a nuisance and I don't quite see the point of these, but if you do a quick search online you will learn that Buffalo Gourd was used by the Native Americans for medicinal purposes.  They would also use the mashed up plant as a poultice to treat skin sores and ulcers.  Leaves and stems were used as laxatives, and the dried gourds would be used as rattles or carved into spoons and ladles.



Quite interesting isn't it?

I must say they do make for a very pretty picture.  These were all in a neighboring field.

And last but most certainly not least, we came across some gorgeous Day Lilies in the back yard.  I don't think they were planted there specifically, they may have been inadvertently planted by a bird carrying a seed or whatnot.



God's creations are truly nothing short of amazing, the details, the colors, it's just......no words!

One of the perks of living surrounded by all this nature, is that my inside vases are often filled with the prettiest of flowers, bringing nature indoors and adding a splash of color here and there.

Back to work after that wonderful walk around the property.  Hubby got the rest of the yards mowed and I did some much needed weeding around the garden bed.

My tomato plant is huge.  I got it as a tiny little baby who wasn't doing very well in the Garden Center at Walmart.   Since then I've babied it and taken care of it and it has grown tremendously, already given me a ripe red tomato and has a ton more growing.

My Tabasco Chili plant is also growing tons and producing chilies.

And my cantaloupe that I grew from seed has hit the ground running.  It is doing SO well, has tons of blossoms and I can not wait to see some cantaloupe and know that I grew it myself.  Is there anything better than the feeling of growing your own fruit and vegetables?

And while out there, I may have given a little squeal of fright when I looked up and realized this furry caterpillar was right above my head, on the wall.

All yard work completely, the skies turned grey and we knew we had storms incoming, so thankfully got everything done just in time.

I then started on a few things around the house, like making myself some DIY scented plugins.  They are extremely easy to make, let me know if it's something you would like me to show you and I can do a whole post on that.

These were for my master bathroom.

Also enjoyed making some Chicken Taquitos using up leftover Chicken.  Actually, to be honest, these were made the other day, but I hadn't shown it to you yet.  I'll have a recipe on the food blog either tonight or tomorrow.  By the way, if you haven't been over there lately, I have been updating quite frequently and have added a few new recipes for you all to enjoy :)

We had an amazing, yummy, filling brunch of Cast Iron Biscuits with Sausage gravy, maple sausages, bacon, hash browns and scrambled eggs with ham and cheese.  As you know I don't often cook dinner on Sunday nights, the family have told me to take the day off and we either eat leftovers, or sandwiches, or pop in a frozen pizza, just super simple things.

I've since then taken my shower and actually popped on my pajamas already.  We don't plan on going out or doing anything else today, so I'll be on my bed, with the tv on and probably a good movie or period series, and my crochet project.
 

As I finish up this post, the skies have gone dark and the rain has started coming down.  It's been about a week or more since we've had a good rain and the garden is surely needing it's sustenance.

I think I may pop into the kitchen for a coffee and a brownie and then come and relax.

Whatever it is that you've chosen to do with your weekend, I hope it's been a good one, and that you've managed to replenish your soul for the upcoming week.  I will see you all tomorrow bright and early with our Happy Homemaker Monday.