Removing Easter egg dye the non-toxic way!

Yep! My fingers were almost pink and purple for Easter Sunday. I opted for the simple Egg Dye kit my kids got as a gift with eggs we don't plan to eat. Of course we didn't have any newspaper to keep the counter clean, so it looked stained, too. BUT baking soda did the trick. 99% of the dye is off my fingers (I can still tell were it was, but I don't think anyone else would notice.) And the counter is clean.

Baking soda makes a nice hand scrub--it's not rough at all but still scrubs. Now all I need is to figure out how to put it in a soap and sell and I'll be ready to retire early :)

Wishing You a Blessed Easter with Clean Fingers!

More Amazing Uses for Baking Soda

This week I cleaned my stove. It's a white gas stove that had lots of burned on stuff that I'd given up on coming off. Enter baking soda. Now it's clean again. Oh and I got rust almost totaling off a stainless steel bowl WITHOUT scratching it. (I got too tired to get the last little bit off--maybe I'll try it again later.

A friend said the other day she uses baking soda whenever a baby spits up, so the clothes don't get stained. Sprinkle a little on as soon as possible. I don't have a baby to try it on, but if someone gets sick, I'll know what to try.

If you have any favorite uses for baking soda, be sure to share it in a comment. And check out the previous cleaning posts if you missed them.

It's white again!--more tips on cleaning.

Since my last cleaning article was quite a hit, I thought I'd share more: a story, a tip, and a link.

I just have to share how I shocked my husband. You see after juicing some carrots, I was cleaning our juicer (a Juiceman Jr. ). Carrot juice is like a dye and never really comes totally off (I thought) and so after years of use, the juicer was a nice orange/brown instead of off-white. BUT suddenly it hit me--try baking soda. (Do you think God whispers about cleaning a juicer?) So I sprinkled some on and continued washing with my soapy sponge and VOILA. The stain was gone. When I went after the clear cover of the juicer, well, we will just say it's clear again! My husband wanted to know what I did to it. It looked like I had bleached it!

Several years ago, I found that lemon juice takes stains off my stainless steel pan in almost the same way. So, for that white-ish stuff on you pans, squeeze a little lemon juice (fresh or the bottle) watch the magic.

This week I found a great new website: http://www.clean-things.com/. If you like detailed instructions, you'll love all the picture and step by step directions for cleaning with vinegar, baking soda, and other natural things. Check on the toilet or sink cleaning tips. The writers are motivated by helping the environment, which is a good thing. But remember that you are also greatly affected by the personal environment you create in your home. Indoor air pollution is worse than outdoor air pollution! So, make your home a safe place, and then watch how a little good health can affet the world around you.

Cleaning up the world--one home at a time!

Clean without chemicals AND save money!

You can safely disinfect countertops (proven in studies) by filling 2 spray bottles with things you may already have at your home: white vinegar and hydrogen peroxide (3%). The mistake I first made was to put them in the same bottle (it makes something totally different-oops!) Some you take the 2 separate bottles and spray one and a time on counters, cutting boards, or whatever and it disinfects. Or spray them on veggies and rinse off to clean them. Use the the hydrogen peroxide with baking soda to scrub stains, such as bathtubs and toilets. Use the vinegar and peroxide for windows and mirrors. And throw out all those toxic cleaners and don't spend money on them again!

Now for those of you that aren't convinced that the chemicals in your house get absorbed, you might want to try this experiment. There is an old home remedy to put onions on your feet for a cold. Try this. Slice an onion. Put a couple slices in a bag on the floor and stick your feet on them. Within minutes, you'll have a faint taste of onion in your mouth! So, think about touching the sink faucet if it's cleaned with bleach and remember chlorine is a carcinogen. Then think about how stuff gets absorbed into the air, which never really gets out of your house. Then think of the how cheap hydrogen peroxide and vinegar are!

Till we all have cleaner and healthier homes....