Another reason to use natural cleaners

Convenience could be called the god of our age.  And we sacrifice a lot on the alter of convenience. One of those things is health.

I am a big believer in getting the chemicals out of your house.  Sadly, I read a news story today about how kids things that Tide Pods are candy.  Click here to see the story at ABC.

Tide is working on better child-proof packaging, but really, if it is poison,do you really want it on your clothes everyday, even in small amounts?  In addition to danger for children who might swallow it, chemicals can get into your air. They remain behind after use.  And all-day everyday exposure for our whole life just doesn't seem safe.  With a large dose, the body works to get it out.  But what about a tiny, but steady does?

At our house I use Soap Nuts for washing.  I also use white vinegar occasionally for rinse.  And I have found that I need a spotter (I used diluted amounts of Meyer's laundry detergent--which was what I used before Soap Nuts) and OxyClean (OK, probably not the best) for my whites.  I recently found a recipe homemade version for OxyClean, so when I get around to trying it, if find that it works, I'll be sure and share.  I didn't throw out all my chemicals in a day.  I adopted the philosophy of chemicals aren't good and slowly work at it. 

Little by little is way to win the race.  And good health is definitely a marathon!

Are you aware that some cleaners in you home contain dangerous chemicals?  Do you want to know which ones are the worst? Environmental Working Group has come out with a hall of shame for the worst cleaners:

http://static.ewg.org/reports/2012/cleaners_hallofshame/cleaners_hallofshame.pdf

Did you see the Green Cleaner in the list?!? Guess you can't trust marketing!  Did you know there is really no need for Comet (which is found in the hall of shame) if you have baking soda?  If you are wondering how to clean without chemicals, you can learn more under natural cleaners.

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....