Little Changes. Big Difference

You will need a 5 gallon bucket, Washing Soda, Baking Soda, a Bar of SWS Plain Soap OR .5 bar of Fels Naptha washing soap and .5 bar of SWS soap (shredded), Borax Powder, and water. 

Add the shredded soap to the water and bring to a simmer. Stir until it dissolves and pour into 5 gallon bucket. Add 1 cups of Borax, 2 cups of washing soda and 1 cup of baking soda. Stir well. Add hot water to the bucket until it is about 80% filled. Stir - Stir - Stir. Cover and let it set overnight. Feel free to add essential oils of your choice just make sure they are stirred in.

It may have congealed but that is okay - mix it up and use 1 cup per load or as a spot treatment. It lasts forever, costs pennies per load, and cleans well.

I use this method on my driveway (it is gravel) where the weeds make my husband crazy but I wont allow the use chemical weed killers because I love my lizards and toads. 

Boil a large pot of water (I use a pasta pot) with at least 2 cups of salt. After the salt is dissolved, CAREFULLY - CAREFULLY pour the boiling salt water on to the weeds. DEAD. You can add white vinegar on top after you pour the water to seal the deal. Make sure you are only pouring this on areas where you aren't worried about the surrounding foliage. Even better - pour boiling salt water, wait for them to die, yank them then add the vinegar. That will teach em'!

I use my aloe plant for many things and I have never regretted having it. They live a long time and require minimal care.

For Burns. First and foremost, do not play around with bad burns especially with children, even sunburns. They can become easily infected, cause complications, and leave awful and painful scarring. When in doubt seek medical attention. Never Put oil or lard on a bad burn and run it under cool (not cold) water first.

With that said and common sense at the forefront, My aloe plant has taken the sting out of many cooking and curling iron burns for me. Split the leaf and lay it on the affected area. The worst burn I had - it stung for a minute but pulled the heat out straight away. I wrapped gauze around it to hold it on. If you know you will need more - break a few off and put them in the fridge so they are cold when you use them.

If you have a sunburn, and you don't have my After Sun Lotion on hand, aloe leaves work for that as well but I would just scrape the insides of the leaves to get the gel so you don't scratch the burn. Make sure you drink plenty of fluids if you have a sunburn! 

Darkening Skin on Elbows or Knees. Again, sometimes this can mean you are suffering a condition such as diabetes. Seek a physician to rule out any health issues that may be manifesting through your skin. After you rule out a medical condition, exfoliate well with an SWS sugar scrub or loofah soap, then lay the cut open leaves on the area wrapping it in a towel to make sure they stay on. Rinse and hydrate with Momma's Thick Ass Lotion for Bone Dry Skin (the hardcore healing version). Make sure you are well exfoliated (weekly) and moisturized (daily).