Homemade Upholstery Cleaner

After months of preschoolers with markers, slime, play dough, wet nail polish, and of course, food on my dining room chairs, I couldn't stand them anymore. (The chairs, not the kids! lol) I really needed to try to get them clean, and prefer homemade remedies to store-bought chemicals. I found this recipe posted on http://do-it-yourself.tribe.net/thread/480e9776-2d06-4ecd-b0cf-bd4fbd56d307 by Meander. I immediately tried it and it worked miracles! The nail polish wasn't affected by it, but everything else from chocolate and spaghetti sauce to colored markers came out with very little work. In fact, my 5 year old did most of the scrubbing with a small manicure brush. Remember to only use the foam, not the liquid at the bottom of the bowl, and the chairs will dry out quickly.

• Ready In: 5 mins
• Yields: 2 cups

Ingredients

• 6  tablespoons  pure soap flakes (make your own with a cheese grater and a bar of plain soap.)
• 1  pint boiling water
• 2  tablespoons  borax

Directions

1. Mix everything together, let it cool until it gels. Whisk or beat until it foams. (I used my Kitchenaid mixer.).
2. Use the foam only with a rough cloth or a brush to scrub the upholstery, making sure not to soak the fabric.
3. Re-beat the soap as necessary to get more scrubbing bubbles.
4. As you work, use a clean damp cloth to wipe away the soiled suds.