Friday, October 10, 2008
How to Clean with Natural Products
White vinegar has been proven to work just as well as chlorine, which kills everything living—the good along with the bad. To clean soap scum off a tub or shower stall, apply hot vinegar with a sponge or rag, then scrub hard with a stiff-bristled scrub brush. For a DIY dusting formula, add a few drops of olive oil to 1/4 cup vinegar. Dampen your dust cloth with the solution and to mop the floor, fill a bucket with hot water, 1 cup vinegar, and a drop of dish liquid or Murphy Oil Soap. 
Baking soda is unbelievably useful in every room of your house. Clean greasy stove and drip pans by putting them in a large stock pot and submerging them in a solution of 1/2 cup baking soda per gallon of water. For your kitchen or bathroom drain begins to smell pour 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain and chase it with 1 cup vinegar. When the fizzing stops, pour down a kettleful of boiling water. Also, did you know that you can remove hardened crust from a pot or pan by filling it with a solution of 2 tablespoons baking soda per quart of water, and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let the pan cool for awhile and when you return the crust will lift right off. 
Lemon juice is a natural odor-eater. Use lemon juice to soften hardened food spills by first putting the lemon juice in a cup of water and boil it in the microwave. Let the boiling water sit for a few minutes before you take it out. Then wipe the interior of the microwave with a sudsy rag, rinse with a clean wet rag, and wipe dry. Lemon is used in store bought products for dusting your furniture here's how you can make your own by mixing one part lemon juice with one part olive oil. Mix in a blender or shake vigorously, then apply sparingly. If the mixture begins to separate, shake it up again before applying. Let the mixture soak into the wood for a few minutes, then wipe dry with a clean soft cloth. 
Table salt can be used for more than salting your food, you can clean coffeepots and percolators by filling them with water, adding 4 tablespoons salt, then bringing the water to a boil. Let the water sit and cool, then pour it out and rinse well. You can remove rust from tinware by rubbing it with a peeled potato dipped in salt, you can loosen dirt and kill flea and moth eggs in carpet, sprinkle with salt, work it into the nap with a stiff broom, them vacuum it up. Mix it with lemon juice, it can clean copper; mixed with vinegar, it can polish brass. 
Essential oils like the pressed oils of oregano, basil, clove and thyme in particular are highly antimicrobial, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. There are hundreds of different essential oils to choose from, you can douse cotton balls with your favorite oils, and place them in the air vents of your home. You can place a damp cloth with a few drops of oil on or near the intake duct of your heating and cooling system or make your own potpourri by adding essential oils to cedar chips or place a bowl of water and a few drops of your favorite oil on a wood stove. Wonderful aromatherapy, too.Source
Labels: cleaning, living holistically, natural products
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Clean Your Home - Naturally...
Project 365, Day 131 - 1/20/08, originally uploaded by Life In Focus.
The cleaner your home is, the unhealthier it may be, because of toxic cleaning products made from petroleum-based chemicals.
Many of these commercial cleaning products contain dangerous chemicals that are not listed on the label. A manufacturer can omit any ingredient that is considered a secret formula from its label, and many of these secret ingredients are toxic and carcinogenic.
Using homemade natural cleaning products makes “cents,” because it is cheaper, healthier and non-toxic, and it is fun.
To clean with natural products all you need is:
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
- Borax
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Liquid castile soap
- Organic essential oils (optional)
- Mixing bowls
- Spray bottles
- Micro fiber cloths
- Vodka (optional)
Baking Soda is great to scrub your bath and kitchen. Put it in a glass grated cheese container with a stainless steel top that has holes in it, and just sprinkle the baking soda on the surfaces and scrub. You may add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to this. Lavender and tea tree oil have anti-bacterial qualities.
Baking soda mixed with apple cider vinegar is a bubbly combination that has many uses. As a drain cleaner, sprinkle baking soda down the drain then add apple cider vinegar and let it bubble for 15 minutes, then rinse with hot water. This is a safer alternative to dangerous drain cleaners. Baking soda and apple cider make a wonderful spa-like bath for soaking away aches and pains and detoxing. It also cleans the tub and the drain.
Baking soda can also be used as a fabric softener in your laundry.
Vinegar can clean almost anything in your house; you can add liquid castile soap, essential oil (optional), and filtered water, then clean floors, windows, bath, kitchen, etc. Vinegar can also be used as a fabric softener. Never use dryer sheets -- they are toxic too. In the laundry, use vinegar in the wash cycle to prevent fabrics from fading.
Commercial window cleaners contain butyl cellosolve -- a toxic ingredient that is not listed on the labels, so vinegar and water is much safer. Use a micro fabric cloth, not newspaper, which contains toxic dyes.
Borax is a good laundry booster and cleaner (it can even remove mold) -- and is safe and non-toxic.
Hydrogen peroxide is a disinfectant, and is safer to use than chlorine bleach for disinfecting and whitening. Lemon juice is also a natural whitener.
Liquid Castile Soaps can be found in health food stores and are safer than commercial liquid cleaning products.
Organic essential oils may be used in homemade cleaning products depending on your personal preference and tolerance to these scents. Never use synthetic fragrances or air cleaners.
Commercial fabric refreshers also contain dangerous chemicals, therefore, use vodka in a spray bottle to freshen up chairs and upholstery. The vodka is cheaper, non-toxic and the alcohol evaporates, and is not harmful. The alcohol in hand sanitizers is harmful, however, and should not be used on children since the alcohol absorbs into your body via your skin. Therefore, use only hand sanitizers that are plant based from the health food store, or just good old soap and water.
Making your own natural cleaning products is rewarding and fun, and you can use the natural scents that you prefer while ensuring that your home is safe from dangerous chemicals that are harmful to your, and your family’s, health.
SOURCE
Labels: Baking Soda, cleaning, DIY, hydrogen peroxide, non-toxic
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
A Natural Cleaner
(To strengthen the mix, add one teaspoon of baking soda. But don’t use baking soda on a wood floor or on wood cabinetry.)
Thanks!
Labels: cleaning, living holistically, natural products, tips
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Home Grown Clean - Make Your Own Cleaners
Rid your windows of small, buttery fingerprints with equal parts vinegar and water. Use newspaper instead of paper towels for extra gleam.
Wood floors shine with 1/4 cup vinegar in a gallon of warm water. Double the vinegar for linoleum floors.
Polish wood furniture with 1/4 cup vinegar and a few drops of olive oil.
BAKING SODA
Ham drippings disappear when you sprinkle baking soda throughout the oven, spray with water, and let sit for several hours before rinsing.
Dip a halved lemon in baking soda to scrub off kitchen counter residue. Unclog drains with 1 cup baking soda. Follow with 3 cups boiling water and repeat.
CORNSTARCH
Remove oily stains (like salad dressing) by rubbing cornstarch onto the stain. Let sit for at least 20 minutes and brush off with a dry washcloth.
Sprinkle cornstarch (1 cup per medium room) on carpets to deodorize. Let sit for 30 minutes and vacuum.
Labels: cleaning, DIY, natural products
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Donate Anything...
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Non-toxic Cleaning for Your Home
Countertops: Skip the harsh chemicals and clean countertops with an all-purpose cleaner made of baking soda and water. Dissolve 4 tablespoons of baking soda into one quart of hot water and put in a spray bottle. The baking soda acts as a mild abrasive and deodorizer. This cleaner is safe and effective for cleaning cooked-on foods and other unsightly kitchen messes.
Silver: Tarnished silver and silverware buff up to their shiny best with an application of white toothpaste. Rub regular white toothpaste into the silver and wipe with a soft cloth; rinse with water or a damp sponge. Silver is left tarnish-free—and minty-fresh!
Stainless Steel: White vinegar on a sponge cleans any stainless steel surface or appliance. Seriously. The vinegar kills 99% of all bacteria, and is great for cleaning grease and grime and making that steel shine. Don't worry—the vinegar smell evaporates quickly.
LAUNDRY
Whitening: Borax is a natural mineral, and can be purchased at your local grocery store. Add 1/2 cup to the washing machine during the wash cycle. OR Try ready-made eco-friendly non-chlorine bleaches like Ecover.
Fabric Softener: Yes, it's our old friend vinegar again. Add 1 to 2 cups of white vinegar to the washing machine during the rinse cycle for super-soft clothes and sheets.
Starch: Instead of spending money on store-bought spray starch, make the real thing by adding 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to a spray bottle full of warm water. Spray on shirts while ironing.
Stain-removal: Next time you spill red wine on yourself (or someone else), try to treat the stain immediately. Place cloth under the stained area, and pour club soda on the stain. Add salt and let it sit—the salt will lift the stain. Brush off the salt and launder as usual.
BATHROOM
Toilet bowl: Cleaning the toilet just got a whole lot easier. Simply pour about a cup of borax into the toilet bowl and leave overnight. (Make sure children and pets do not have access to the bathroom.) In the morning, give the toilet a quick brush and then flush.
Clogs: It's not glamorous (unless you have a really special plunger), but your first defense against a clog should be a good old-fashioned plunger, as over-the-counter drain openers can be highly toxic. If that doesn't work, consider using a small plumbing snake (or augur) or eco-friendly products like Earth enzyme drain opener. These drain openers work overnight breaking down the, ahem, organic matter and don't contain caustic chemicals.
Tiles: To clean tile floors, walls, and showers, mix two tablespoons of borax and a little lemon juice into a spray bottle full of hot water. Borax disinfects while fighting mold and mildew; lemon is naturally acidic and great for cutting mineral build-up. An eco-friendly ready-made cleaner like Seventh Generation Bathroom Cleaner is also a good option.
LIVING ROOM
Windows: It must be the easiest cleaning solution ever: simply crumple up a sheet of newspaper and wipe your windows clean. Not only does this polish the glass, it also leaves a film that resists dirt.
Wallpaper: Remove wallpaper smudges by rubbing white chalk on them. Chalk naturally absorbs dirt. Simply brush off the chalk residue with cloth and the smudge will come off with it.
Wood furniture: Polish wood furniture with olive oil on a cloth. A little goes a long way towards gorgeous, shiny surfaces. A good store-bought eco-cleaner is Method's Wood for Good Furniture Polish.
Carpet: Deodorize carpet by sprinkling baking soda on the surface and letting it sit to absorb odors. Then simply vacuum it all up.
SOURCE
Labels: cleaning, DIY, non-toxic, tips
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Keep your White Tee's White!
To remove perspiration stains from white T-shirts, dissolve two aspirins in half a cup of warm water and apply to the area of the fabric where the stain is. This should be left for a couple of hours before washing.
Labels: cleaning, laundry, T-shirts
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Household Cleaners - Healthier, Less Toxic and Cheaper!!
Baking soda: provides grit for scrubbing and reacts with water, vinegar or lemon by fizzing, which speeds up cleaning times
Borax: disinfects, bleaches and deodorizes; very handy in laundry mixes
Distilled white vinegar: disinfects and breaks up dirt; choose white vinegar over apple cider or red vinegars, as these might stain surfaces
Hydrogen Peroxide: disinfects and bleaches
Lemons: cut grease; bottled lemon juice also works well, although you might need to use bit more to get the same results
Olive oil: picks up dirt and polishes wood; cheaper grades work well
Vegetable based (liquid castile) soap: non-petroleum all-purpose cleaners
Washing soda: stain remover, general cleaner, helps unblock pipes; should be handled with gloves due to its caustic nature. Washing soda is usually found in the laundry aisle of grocery and drug stores.
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Labels: cleaning, going green, natural therapy, non-toxic
