Homemade Four Thieves Household Cleaner Spray ~ Homemade Window Cleaner Spray

I said we were getting a "slight" warm up, but it's a smidgen of warmth.  The temperature today is 0°F with a windchill of -11°F.  The wind has settled, but they are saying we may get a teensy bit more snow.

Oh boy!  Why I cannot have magazine subscriptions.  I used to LOVE getting magazines from my Mom, after she read hers.  I haven't had magazines around since Mom passed.  I picked these up at the library book sale for free, but that was a year ago.  The magazines are all Cook's Illustrated magazines.  I have moved them from kitchen table, to end table, to coffee table and back to kitchen table.  Sigh.  The magazine shuffle madness must end!  I am forcing myself to get thru them, and pass them on.  Good grief.  However, it is part of my "take back the organized house" mode I am currently in.

Is there something you "shuffle" around for one reason or another?

On to the cleaners part of the post. . .

 I have been using a homemade cleaning spray for a few years, but for some reason, could not find my original post on it.  I have mixed up another batch this week, and I love this for the counter tops, and especially the stove top.

The "thieves" recipe is online with Mountain Rose Herbs - Thieves Household Cleaner.  I use an amber glass spray bottle for this cleaner.  I do use distilled water for this one.

Before (see the grease on the vents?)

After being cleaned.

It smells great, cleans great, and cuts the grease on the stove top.  I have not used it for anything else in the house.  Mostly bathroom sink counter tops, kitchen counter tops, door knobs, light switches etc.

The other homemade cleaner, that I absolutely love, is the homemade window cleaner.  It's very easy to make and oddly has arrowroot powder in it.

It has not failed me in keeping the windows or mirrors clean.  Love this stuff.  I have no idea which friend shared it with me, but they are blog writers, so here is how to make the window spray . . .

I buy a BPA re-fillable spray bottle for this spray.

Mix the following ingredients in a spray bottle.

1/4 cup white vinegar

3 Tbsp. rubbing alcohol

1 tsp. arrowroot powder

3/4 cup distilled water

I do use distilled water for this cleaner as well.  We have well water, and it's not the best for a cleaner such as this.  I double this for a large spray bottle.  It's great for windows and mirrors.

Homemade Four Thieves Household Cleaner Spray ~ Homemade Window Cleaner Spray  ©  January 2026 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Kitchen Tip ~ Cornmeal Shaker ~ Baking Easier

 

The temperature here plummeted again to -15°F and below.  The wind is so bad, you can hear it inside the house.  The wind is causing drifting across the already plowed roadways now.  It looks like we'll be sub zero for another week, before it very slightly warms up.  Meanwhile I still get that ice cold fresh air every day one way or another.  The chickens are not laying eggs every day, but we are still getting them thankfully.

You'd think I'd have enough "snowed in" time to read a dozen books, but that's not the case ha ha!  It seems I can find all sorts of things that need done around here, leaving me very little reading time.  Phooey!  Positive Petunia here, has gotten quite a bit organized and back in order, but the deep cleaning continues.  I am thankful for the time to get it done however.  No one wants to do "inside" work in the spring/summer and fall.  Unless it's a rainy day of course.

I have made tedious notes to get another recipe (fruit cake for one) post up soon.  I'm going thru a lot of sticky notes lately.  I may need to restock those soon (insert big chuckle).

A good cook may already use this tip, but it never occurred to me, until I was rooting around a drawer and found this unused shaker.  A Tupperware dealer gifted it to me many years ago.  I think there is another one somewhere around here too.    The holes in the shaker part are a bit big for salt and pepper (say for a camper), but perfect size for cornmeal.

I was making homemade biscuits (new recipe), and needed to "sprinkle" cornmeal onto the baking dish.  I also sprinkle cornmeal when I make homemade English muffins and other items as well.

I decided to wash this little shaker up, and fill it with organic cornmeal for my "shaker" now.  One more item out of a drawer and being used, and baking just got better (easier). 

Kitchen Tip ~ Cornmeal Shaker ~ Baking Easier  ©  January 2026 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart