I'm hoping that this will be a lasting thread. Back in the Al Gore thread,
many people indicated that it would be nice if we had a thread to share
ideas about healthy lifesyles. I was talking to honey and she
recommended a book by Deidre Imus. Well, anyway, I went to buy the
book and found another one instead that is absolutely the kewlist thing.
It has all sorts of recipes for homemade cleaning products. It also talks
about how bad purchased products are but also talks about the safest
and most harmful products on the shelf. I'm thrilled to find this as I have
been looking for alternatives. The book is called Clean House, Clean
Planet by Karen Logan.
It is alarming to learn from this person just how commercial cleaning
products can affect your health and your childrens health. She gives
recipes for every type of cleaning product you would need to clean your
home. She also has lots of information about essential oils and how to
use them. I would love to hear from anyone who has any ideas about any
healthy ideas for every day living. Hi, Lori, great idea, my husband has a cleaning 'solution' for every job, and I wonder if his allergies aren't from using so many of those different chemicals. ? , it would be great to have the names of the best and safest cleaning products! (but I'd be the last person to complain about anybody in this housE CLEANING! Sarahi had my bathroom remodeled...and was told by the company...to only use glass plus(no alcohol) or this solution...on my acrylic tub, so not to scratch it
2TB Dawn
1Cup vinegar
1 Quart water
i put this in an empty squirt bottle...it cleaned up my cabinets pretty good, also, was also good for cleaning the kitchen floor, for tile, not laminate or wood Thank you. I have been usiong lysol tub and tile and I guess it is one of the
worst. Anything in an aerosol can is bad both economically and
environmentally. I have fiberglass tub in my master and I can't find anything
but the lysol to take it off...i'll try this. What does everyone think about the new Clorox Anywhere spray? I think that's what it's called. It's supposed to be so safe, you can spray it literally ANYWHERE. I bought some, wanting to see how well it works. It has no smell, and so far it's cleaned everything I've needed it for. And supposedly it disinfects too. I hope that's not on one of the bad product lists!!! I really like it!
i got rid of all cleaning products out of my house 3 years ago. and bought enjo cleaning cloths . my house has never been cleaner and cleaning is done in less than half the time. i have severe asthma and now when i go to peoples houses who use cleaning products my allergies start up imediately. with enjo you just use water and nothing else.I use an Orange Oil based trigger pump spray called Shower Power. It's an Australian product. It's amazing on shower walls, and ceramic, acrylic, plastic, tiles, fibreglass, stainless steel, sinks, toilets, benchtops, glossy surfaces, flyscreens.light fittings, window frames, in all - it's a little beauty. No hard scrubbing. Removes scum grime grease and stains. No harm in septic tanks and Shower Power Meets or exceeds Australian Standards for biodegradability.
I tried it recently on the filter in my range-hood, thought I was due for a new one, but this stuff did the job, even on that.
It has a lovely orange citrus smell. I have been using it for ages, and it's about the only cleaner that I use now. Best thing I've ever used.
Well, according to all the books I looked at. Clorox is the very worst.
Chlorine is very dangerous to breathe in and is toxic to children especially.
She warned not to have this chemical in your house. I love clorox so this is
going to be hard for me. Katie, with you and your boyfriends autoimmune
diseases, I would not be spraying anything but essential oil mixtures.I have never heard of enjo, i'm gonna have to check into those, do they have
a website?Lori,
Mine is an acrylic tub, 2 yrs old, and i have the cleaning instructions taped inside my kitchen cabinet, so i just went and got them..If, i don't follow their recommendations for cleaning, the warranty won't be good...SAFE to use, diluted Spic & Span, Limeaway, Scrubfree, Mr. Clean, Simple Green, Diluted bleach, Dawn, Joy, Ivory dish soap...NOT to use:Lestoil, any type Clen shower, ammonia, Lysol, Tilex, Fantastic, and no aerosol..
...also, Irish Spring soap, is the hardest to get off the acrylic bath surround..i usually use the vinegar soultion or glass plus... yes they have a website. you'd be amazed at all the soap and chemical residue left behind from cleaning products. it took 6 mths before it was all gone from my house. you know when you use cleaning products and later you see all fingerprints on the bench etc if you kids especially well thats from chemical residue. with enjo it stays cleaner longer because there is no residue.oh yikes. i didn't know that. I only use liquid soaps so never have the scum
problem but this tub is hell to clean. Most of those cleaners are listed as
hazardous to our health. I know the lysol is. She advocated the use of
dishsoap.the website is www.enjo.net Oh Man, I used to be accused of brushing my teeth in Clorox I use so much of it! I use Clorox Clean Up for almost all my cleaning- floors, bathrooms, kitchen,dishwasher (with Cascade), garage, outside furniture, anything that won't bleach out. I use it in any laundry I can and my fridge too. I even pour some in my carpet shampoo,(carpet is very light). I don't think I could give it up, even though I have had to go outside for air when I soak my mini blinds in the bathtub in clorox. What does it do to ya, or maybe I don't need to know since I've used it for 35 yrs, lol....GenLOL genesis, you sound just like me. I'm a clean freak. Not so sure that
is not why I'm sick now, you know, the clean theory. Clorox is bad bad
bad. It is a gas and it is toxic to every cell in our body. I am not going to
use it anymore. I just don't want to expose myself to anything else.
There are some really good, safe cleaners out there. I am going to make
my own. It is cheaper and safer and I love essential oils. I'm not much
into any air freshners in cans and the trees, they smell fake to me. I love
the natural smells of essential oils. And they are so much better and
safer. A bit expensive but a little goes a long way. I figure I need to
spend a bit more to have good health. I really want my white clothes to
be white and clorox is the only thing I have found that will do that. The
author talked about using the sun, hanging the clothes onthe line. I love
the smell of line dried clothes but it is not always possible to hang clothes
out where I live. I think it is so important for all of us to look at what we
expose ourselves to daily.Thanks alleycat, I"m gonna check these out. Lori, I do put white tennis shoes and some light rugs on the deck to dry but I don't have a clothesline. Couldn't carry wet clothes if I did because of heart issues. I've read baking soda will whiten but I use clorox mainly for the germ killing. I'm a clean freak about certain things such as my dishes,toilets, sheets, and towels. I buy mostly white towels, sheets, and underwear just so I can clorox them. They don't last long though......wonder why? lol. I've used those no chlorine bleaches but they don't work.I use pure white vinegar and hot water for mirrors and windows and it works great. The Mr Kleen sponge thingie works in my fiberglass tub real well also. Calcium builds up on it after every shower and is so hard it has to be scrubbed off. I have to get in the tub to do it but it's so big I have to... Gen Oh, and where do you get essential oils. I use candles and plug ins for air fresheners, are they bad too
I have been looking for a book. Maybe someone knows which book it is.
This book is written by a woman I heard an interview on WGN radio talk
show. She wrote a book about understandning what range free and
vegetarian actually means and explains how to buy healthy foods.
One thing she said was that when you buy fruits that are labeled from
another country like grapes from chili, these foods have ddt in them
because they use ddt in other countries. It is illegal to grow food and
use ddt in the united states but it is OK to buy foods from other
countries that use ddt.
Well this book was loaded with this type of info. I dont remember the
author or the name of the book. I tried to look it up on the wgn radio
website and no help there.
If you know about this book please let us know the name.
Thanks
OH How did I miss this thread???? My favorite topic. Genesis, a good site for essential oils is Vitacost.com. Also, if you all just think about your daily habits you will be shocked to realize the amounts of chemicals you are coming into contact with. Everything from getting out of your shower and maybe spraying one of those "shower clean" sprays, deodorant, hairspray, kitchen sink cleaner, dishwashing detergent, carpet powder - the kind you sprinkle and vacuum up. Etc. I use these cloths called "Miracle Cloths". You can find them on Amazon.com. I use WATER and a miracle cloth to clean mirrors, glass bathroom doors, even my granite countertops. If i want to disinfect, i use a little white vinegar. For laundry, I use what's called an all purpose plant-based soap. You can use it on anything from laundry to your vegetables. I add a little to my machine, I put a bit of white vinegar in the fabric softener compartment and that's it. In the dryer, take a wet washcloth, add a few dabs of essential oil of lavendar and your laundry smells great. We also have to get out of the mindset that "clean' has to smell like anything. Clean smells like nothing really!
If you do some research on essential oils you will find they have medicinal properties. A few drops of Oregano oil (no your house will not smell like a pizza) in a bottle of distilled water and spritzed on doorknobs will be a better antibacterial than your Lysol. Lysol, aside from being a cancer causing chemical, kills good bacteria as well as bad bacteria. Same for Chlorine bleach.
We actually had our pool changed over to a saltwater pool this year. It's amaziang.
You can get your favorite essential oils and put them on cotton balls and shove them in your air conditioning vents in your home. I also have my "mixtures" for each room. I have little spray bottles in each room where I have distilled water and an apprpriate scent for the room, lavendar for bedrooms, or ylang ylang, lemon and eucalyptus for the bathroom, rosemary and lemon for the kitchen.
Have fun with it.The Clorox Anywhere only has the name brand Clorox attached to it. It's actually not even in the "ingredient" listing. That's what I thought was so strange about it. When I get a chance, I'll post what's in it.
We had a little streak of Justin and I feeling ill after eating home cooked meals. We had NO idea what it could have been. I decided that somewhere along the way, we had to have contaminated something with maybe uncooked chicken, or beef. I just don't know what else it could have been. I threw out a couple of older, scratched up pans and bought antibacterial dawn and cleaned everything I could reach. So far, so good. But out of curiosity what does everyone recommend for dish soap? I really like the antibacterial dawn so far....
Katie, the problem with the antibacterial soaps is that it kills good AND bad bacterias. The good bacterias we need. Sort of like when we're on antibiotics they tell you to eat lots of yogurt to replace the "good" bacterias that the antibiotics are killing. Don't use those non-stick pans. they become toxic if heated to too high a temperature. You can use white vinegar and a 1/2 alemon to clean your pots and pans. You can use a plant based soap as well. THey cost about the same as the other brands. Do you have a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's by you? A lot of big supermarket chains are starting to stock "green" cleaning products.
http://housekeeping.about.com/cs/environment/a/alternateclea n.htm
http://eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm
Oooooo I love the idea about the essential oils on cottonballs and putting them in your vents. That is a great idea!!! I have to do that one.
Interestingly enuf...there is only one ingredient to the clorox anywhere listed on the bottle. it is Sodium Hypochlorite. then all it says is other ingredients. What other ingredients??? Here are some uses of sodium hypochlorite and what it is.
Sodium hypochlorite is commonly known as bleach and frequently used as a disinfectant and as a bleaching agent. It is produced by absorbing chlorine gas in a cold sodium hydroxide solution. But get this...it is commonly used in root canals for disinfecting the canal and dissolving any remaining pulp tissue. Also used for sanitizing smooth surfaces prior to the preparation of making beer. Also the choice of sanitizer for many American hospitals. All indications are to rinse surfaces after using. All used for shock chlorination of wells oir water systems.
So maybe this stuff isn't as safe as Clorox lets it on to be!!!
I have a hand held steam cleaner that I bought to clean the oven because that easy off spray stuff always manages to burn my nose and throat. It really works! It cleans those things that are really grimy and would require lots of elbow grease.
I'm thinking of buying one that will clean floors (not hand held). My husband does the vacumming and mopping but it would be great to make it easier and better.
Steam kills germs so you could sanitize all the work surfaces in your kitchen - with no chemicals at all.
Now THAT'S an idea marian. How much do they cost? I spent 60 on mine but I have seen them as low as 30 on sale. I think overstock.com has then for 35 right now. Bump I want to buy one of those steam cleaners. Does anyone recommend a brand? i want to use it to clean the boys bathroom, our oven and our bbq out back. Hubby thinks it's a great idea. Ive been telling him about this thread and he agrees we need to cut down on the chemicals we use to cleanAaaah, back in my happy place again! the reason i think this is so important to us especially is we need to really be conscious of what is going into and onto our bodies as we are already soooo incredibly compromised. It's finally airconditioner weather here in Jersey - 90's! Put those cotton balls and essential oils in your air conditioning vents to scent your homes with lovely!Honey, I did just that. I had a bottle of lavendar from L'Occotane and got out the cotton balls. I put on the air conditioner and I think it smells just right not oo much either. Thank you so much for a great idea.
Hey I have a Shark Pro Steamer and I love it, It's a little bigger than a hand held but has a stap on it to carry on your back. I'm not sure how much it cost but I'm thinking 9.00. It has the poles and extensions so you can mop floors and everything. I got it at Lowes and I will say that my first two were defective but had no problem returning. I especially like it for the microwave and fridge, no chemicals.It does great on outdoor furniture too. I would recommend it but I still love my Clorox 2 I had this post on the plastics and cancer thread but I dleted it and moved it
here, where it seems more topical.
Well, now there are completely biodegradable, compostable take out
containers made from corn or potato starch, but the big fast food
corporations aren't switching to them because they have long term contracts
with their current container suppliers (who do not offer these products) and
it would cost them too much money to get out of those contracts. Drrrr....
A lot of high end hippie markets use them and they're great! Just don't leave
your lunch out in the sun too long because these containers biodegrade fast,
haha!I am new here and saw this thread! I loved it. I also have a couple of ideas for you all. I don't know about being environmentally safe but they work for cleaning. My #1 have to have is a Mr. Clean Eraser. It works on so many things you wouldn't even think of. I use it on my tub when something is impossible to get off. If you have something on your rug that you think is going to stain wet the sponge and rub into the spot. It does take off crayon from the walls just like they say.
Another thing I have picked up from surfing the web is denture cleaning tablets for a soaking solution in slow cookers that have stained or have something hard to get off. Also fabric softener sheets put into a pot of hot water will take just about anything burnt on off in 1 hr. Somethings I have had to soak overnight but usually not. You only need half a sheet to do the trick.
I do use Clorox Cleanup for just about everything! I spray that on my cutting boards that are plastic. Before I had the plastic I would even spray it on wood. My daughter in law had an extremely dangerous bacteria from what they think was from chicken. She through out all her boards and got one that was marble.
Does anyone have a good idea for wood laminated floors? How do you keep them shiny? I recently got them and haven't been all too crazy about how they look after I clean them. I hope this thread keeps going because I found this so helpful.Well, for all of you that cannot get the finger prints off your stainless steel.
Murphys oil soap is the best. I just dab it on a wet rag and clean the
stainless steel and then go over it with clear water and towel dry it. it also
resists future prints. I have 6 different brands in my cupboard of stainless
steel cleaners and not one of them work or they streak real bad. Anyway,
wanted to share that because it is a fairly safe cleaner and actually
works...and it is cheap. You guys sound like you are all doing great! The more I read about how everyone eats so well and now this thread, I feel a bit inadequate. I do better on food, than on the all natural cleaning products. I don't eat meat or any processed food, that's a start maybe? I am really learning alot with this topic. Someone mentioned earlier the dangers of Downy softener. I have never heard of that, just like I have never heard of the clorox danger. Could you please elaborate more on the 'Downy danger.' I am addicted to using this in my wash every day! &n bsp; ThanksLorster, my repairman told me to use a little baby oil and rub it on the stainless appliances for fingerprints - buff it out w/hubbys old t shirts. I haven't tried it yet. I did use a little olive oil on a papertowel though and it worked pretty well. I can't stress enough how great t hose Miracle cloths are though. I made myself my own cleanser for bathroom countertops, doorknobs, doors, pretty much anything. I got a big plastic spray bottle, added distilled water, a couple squirts of plant based soap (from Whole Foods - or Mrs. Myers is good) and added a few drops of essential oil. Shake and squirt and wipe. Sandy, if you do a googlge search on "Dangers of Fabric Softeners" you will see a) they contain known carcinogens, b) chemicals that are classified as toxic waste/pesticides c) upper respiratory tract irritants etc. d) pancreatic cancer-causing chemicals. two tablespoons of white vinegar in your fabric softener cup in the washing machine will take any minerals from the water off of your clothes so they will be soft. If you want scent, add a couple drops of essential oil to a damp washcloth and toss into the dryer cycle. Dryer sheets are dangerous because their chemicals become heated in your dryer and more noxious.
People, try doing google searches on your favorite cleaners.
I was thinking - a great industry would be to start up a "Green" housecleaning service. I never hire a house cleaner because when I did, they'd spray soooo many chem's in my house i couldn't breathe. I'd have to run through the house and open all wlindows. That was BEFORE i learned of all the dangers.
Those of your with stainless sinks, try this and let me know what you think: take 1/2 lemon, sprinkle baking soda in the sink, rub the lemon all over it, rinse. It shines like no other cleanser makes it shine.
everyone do me a favor: Today buy a gallon of distilled water (about .00), baking soda, and a gallon of white vinegar (also about .00) and make your own cleansers. Thte funny thing is, it's much cheaper to be healthy with cleaning. Too bad healthy food is so expensive though! Honey, thank you for your advice. My downy is going in the garbage. I have
some essential oils I'm going to try. Now, what can I do about the static
cling?Ecover makes an organic plant-based fabric softener that takes care of static cling. Otherwise, adding a bit of white vinegar to your rinse cycle should do the trick. Try to buy natural fiber clothing (cotton). Synthetic materials tend to have more static. Don't throw your fabric softener down the garbage. You have it, you may as well use it up = just don't buy it in the future. You can pretty much do google searches on all-natural remedies for just about any kind of cleaning dilemma.Another thing I do is I put distilled water in a sprayer bottle and add some essential oils (I make a potion depending on the weather, my mood, etc.) If someone is sick, I add Eucalyptus oil, in the kitchen, I may use lemon and Rosemary oil. anyway, I make the mixture, put it in a spray bottle and spritz the house. Better for you than Lysol or some of those room "fresheners".
Another trick, when I'm sitting outside at night w/my husband I put some peppermint oil in a little dish, keeps mosquitos away.I am throwing my fabric softner sheets away. I am going to have a hard time with the clorox clean up but will try and use my eraser instead of that.
I just bought Lysol disposable popup sheets. Are they bad too? I use them all the time in bathroom and in the kitchen.
I am still looking for something that will work on laminated floors.
LindaI'm pretty sure that the Lysol sheets are bad. Lysol is soooo unhealthy. If you use distilled water and oregano oil it is just as "bacteria killing" as Lysol. Problems with those types of cleansers is they a) have cancer causing ingredients, but b) kill "good" bacteria as well as "bad" bacteria. Don't throw out what you've already got, you may as well use it since you've already bought it, just know for the future not to buy it again. AS far as those dryer sheets, after you take them out of the dryer you CAN use them to wipe your tv screens to deter dust builtupJust bumping it to the front again what other green ideas do you have folks????
I do use fabric sheets for the dryer. Someone said you can buy biodegradable at Walmart? What are they called? and do those have the dangerous chemicals in them as well? I have always used vinegar in the washing machine to "set" the red color in clothes so they do not run - it was a tip I picked up from my grandma, I think.
Please, let's keep this going, I would like to learn as much as I can.
Not sure about your biodegradeable softener sheets but I think that any cleanser that doesn't list the ingredients is pretty toxic. They aren't required by law to list toxic chemicals - nice isn't it??? in this heat I've been using tons of lemons in my water (just refreshing drink) but if i have a half a lemon that has seen better days I squeeze it w/some baking soda and polish my brass bathroom fixtures and rinse. You will be shocked at the sparkle. Then I throw it down the disposal for added aroma in the kitchen. Oh, by the wayPLEASE THROW ALL YOUR PLASTIC CUTTING BOARDS AWAY!!!!! THEY ARE THE ABSOLUTE WORST GERM HARBOURERS. WOODEN CUTTING BOARDS HAVE A NATURAL ANTIBIOTIC IN THEM AND KEEP THE GERMS DOWN NATURALLY. GLASS IS THE BEST AS IT IS NOT POUROUS AND CAN BE THOROUGHLY CLEANED AFTER USE.
http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/infxtra/infcuttingboard.h tml
We began our research comparing plastic and wooden cutting boards after the U.S. Department of Agriculture told us they had no scientific evidence to support their recommendation that plastic, rather than wooden cutting boards be used in home kitchens.
Then and since, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Meat and Poultry Inspection Manual (official regulations) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's 1999 Food Code (recommended regulations for restaurants and retail food sales in the various states of the U.S.) permit use of cutting boards made of maple or similar close-grained hardwood. They do not specifically authorize acceptable plastic materials, nor do they specify how plastic surfaces must be maintained.
Our research was first intended to develop means of disinfecting wooden cutting surfaces at home, so that they would be almost as safe as plastics. Our safety concern was that bacteria such as Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella, which might contaminate a work surface when raw meat was being prepared, ought not remain on the surface to contaminate other foods that might be eaten without further cooking.
We soon found that disease bacteria such as these were not recoverable from wooden surfaces in a short time after they were applied, unless very large numbers were used. New plastic surfaces allowed the bacteria to persist, but were easily cleaned and disinfected. However, wooden boards that had been used and had many knife cuts acted almost the same as new wood, whereas plastic surfaces that were knife-scarred were impossible to clean and disinfect manually, especially when food residues such as chicken fat were present. Scanning electron micrographs revealed highly significant damage to plastic surfaces from knife cuts.
Although the bacteria that have disappeared from the wood surfaces are found alive inside the wood for some time after application, they evidently do not multiply, and they gradually die. They can be detected only by splitting or gouging the wood or by forcing water completely through from one surface to the other. If a sharp knife is used to cut into the work surfaces after used plastic or wood has been contaminated with bacteria and cleaned manually, more bacteria are recovered from a used plastic surface than from a used wood surface.
"Manual cleaning" in our experiments has been done with a sponge, hot tapwater, and liquid dishwashing detergent. Mechanical cleaning with a dishwashing machine can be done successfully with plastic surfaces (even if knife-scarred) and wooden boards especially made for this. Wooden boards, but not plastics, that are small enough to fit into a microwave oven can be disinfected rapidly, but care must be used to prevent overheating. Work surfaces that have been cleaned can be disinfected with bleach (sodium hypochlorite) solutions; this disinfection is reliable only if cleaning has been done successfully.
The experiments described have been conducted with more than 10 species of hardwoods and with 4 plastic polymers, as well as hard rubber. Because we found essentially no differences among the tested wood species, not all combinations of bacteria and wood were tested, nor were all combinations of bacteria and plastics or hard rubber. Bacteria tested, in addition to those named above, include Campylobacter jejuni, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus.
We believe that the experiments were designed to be properly representative of conditions in a home kitchen. They may or may not be applicable to other plastic and wooden food contact surfaces or to cutting boards in commercial food processing or food service operations, but we have no reason to believe that they are not relevant, except that not all plastic surfaces are subject to knife-scarring.
Before our first studies had been published, they were criticized incorrectly for not having included used (knife-scarred) cutting surfaces. We had been careful to include used surfaces, and so were surprised that others who did later experiments and claimed to have refuted our findings often had used only new plastic and wood. Although some established scientific laboratories say their results differ from ours, we have received multiple communications from school children who have done science projects that have reached essentially the same conclusions that we did.
We have no commercial relationships to any company making cutting boards or other food preparation utensils. We have tested boards and cleaning and disinfection products, some of which were supplied to us gratis. We have not tested all of the products that have been sent to us, simply because there is not time. We are aware that there are other food preparation surfaces made of glass or of stainless steel; we have done very little with these because they are quite destructive of the sharp cutting edges of knives, and therefore introduce another class of hazard to the kitchen.
We believe, on the basis of our published and to-be-published research, that food can be prepared safely on wooden cutting surfaces and that plastic cutting surfaces present some disadvantages that had been overlooked until we found them.
In addition to our laboratory research on this subject, we learned after arriving in California in June of 1995 that a case-control study of sporadic salmonellosis had been done in this region and included cutting boards among many risk factors assessed (Kass, P.H., et al., Disease determinants of sporadic salmonellosis in four northern California counties: a case control study of older children and adults. Ann. Epidemiol. 2:683-696, 1992.). The project had been conducted before our work began. It revealed that those using wooden cutting boards in their home kitchens were less than half as likely as average to contract salmonellosis (odds ratio 0.42, 95% confidence interval 0.22-0.81), those using synthetic (plastic or glass) cutting boards were about twice as likely as average to contract salmonellosis (O.R. 1.99, C.I. 1.03-3.85); and the effect of cleaning the board regularly after preparing meat on it was not statistically significant (O.R. 1.20, C.I. 0.54-2.68).
We know of no similar research that has been done anywhere, so we regard it as the best epidemiological evidence available to date that wooden cutting boards are not a hazard to human health, but plastic cutting boards may be.
So I'm guessing the Febreez that we LOVE at our house is probably bad too? I see where you use distilled water and essential oils...1) How much oil do I use? 2) Do you think Wal-mart has the oils? That's the only place close to us..not sure where else to find them?
Plastic cutting boards---so my Pampered Chef one probably isn't ok to be using? What's safe to use?
I need to go back and read again what's good for getting soap scum out of the shower safely.....I've always used either Tilex or "The works." And I always have to cover my face with a towel because it (obviously) burns my eyes, nose, mouth.....I just don't know what else to use to get the scum out without having to scrub like crazy---which my hands don't appreciate. Try Methodhome.com tooHoney, I noticed that method is also sold at target and lowes. I love their
green tea cleaners. I just made all my house hole cleaning supplies with
essential oils for scent and I love them. I don't feel so guilty about dumping
stuff into my sewage system as our community recycles human feces and
sells it to the farmers for fertalizer.Aaaah, I've been gone for a week and come back to find my happy little green thread. Just wanted to stress to you all that if you make your own cleaners, use distilled water - the minerals have been taken out and won't leave a "film" on your countertops etc. Did you buy the plant based soap? It's sort of concentrated so I dilute it (a lot) with the distilled water and then add my essential oils. It cleans my granite counters, corian counters in the bathroom, toilet seats etc. For the doorknobs and stuff I like to use oregano oil (has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties) and distilled water. I am going to try and get my butt out of "vacation mode" today and do some cleaning. Also, don't forget, you can also use the plant-based soaps on your laundry AND your fruits and vegetables. I use those dryer balls all the time and I do find they cut down drying time....I also use vinegar for a lot of cleaning jobs...interesting thread...we must go green
have a good day rose
do they cut down on dryer time because they are keeping the clothes
fluffed? I just don't get how the ball work exactly
Honey, welcome back. What does the oregano oil smell like? I'm interested
in how this makes the house smell?
And don't forget murphys oil soap for stainless, it is absolutely the best.
Question for everyone. I had to buy bleach because I have an icky mold problem in the bathroom that is giving my asthma just the fits. So we are attempting to get rid of this gunk. The cure is worse than the sickness!!! Phew that bleach really gets to me. Any other suggestions on what I can do to kill mold?? If I can't get rid of it the landlord is going to have to tear my bathroom apart. UGH!!! And that is going to take a letter from my doc etc. to even get that to happen.
Also....I set the bottle of bleach on my bathroom countertop when I got done pouring it into the spray bottle. Now there is a nice yellow stain on my countertop! What can I use to get rid of that!!
I can't win for freaking losing lately I'm tellin ya.
Mold removal can be done with a thick paste of vinegar or lemon juice (an acid) and baking soda. Leave it sit a while on your grout and scrub with a bristle brush and rinse. The real trick is to never let it get out of hand. If you have those noisy ceiling fans in your bathrooms, use 'em.Thanks for the tips on the mold. It isn't in my tile grout it is everywhere!!! I think I don't have it in my tile grout because that gets scrubbed weekly lol. We have NO vent fan so hence the mold problem. Even opening the window in the bathroom as we have done from day 1 has not helped.
My landlord is a slacker and it is going to take a letter from my doc to get this repaired. It's looking as if they are going to have to tear up my bathroom.
I guess it is just my turn for one thing after the other syndrome.
Well, try to open the window a little crack from the top down (keep it this way - about 1 inch open on top) because steam rises and it will go out easier. Maybe also you could get some sort of a tabletop fan for the countertop and just keep the air circulating while showering. Try the baking soda / lemon juice and let me know if it helps. Let it sit a good 20 mn or so.lori,,,,,,,,,,,,the dryer balls do cut down on the lint, don't have to use bounce sheets. etc. don't know how they work but clothes dry quickerHere is the mold problem that I am worried about.
Mildew and mould:
Banish black spots with one part vinegar or lemon juice to one part bicarbonate of soda. Apply and leave for one or two hours. Rinse off. It may need to be reapplied or left longer, depending on how severe your mould or mildew is.
Liz- hope this helps
We are going to do something like that. Only problem is I can't do it right now with Danny sick. He has to get up on the little step ladder and paste the mixture on the mold lol. I am disallowed from the step ladder since I have fallen off of it We were supposed to have a ventilation fan installed and I keep hearing from my landlord that they are going to do it. We told them we would do it but they said no that they would take care of it.Yeah...it's definitely a problem to say the least. It is in the sheetrock. I guess we are going to have to get some Kilz and see if that works. And keep on our landlord about that ventilation fan. My little place is so not up to building codes it's not even funny. We don't even have a ventilation hood over our stove.
Gramma, has the landlord seen the mold for himself? He may want to just re-sheetrock, then uyou can paint with the kilz paint to deter further mold damage. Otherwise, Kilz makes products that you use to wash the mildew spots first and then paint on the product. Good luck. Definitely keep on the landlord. mold can cause all kinds of health problems.Honey!! Look, I found it. It was on page 3 Ug don't we all just want to kick ourselves for all the money we've wasted on cleaning products which are all toxic?Look what I found.I have this neat little book called CHANGE THE WORLD FOR TEN BUCKS. 'We are what we do' is a quote on the front cover. It's not just about 'green' stuff. Just little bits of anything that you can do to make the world a better place.
Watch less TV
Have a bath with someone you love
Use public transport when you can
Decline plastic bags whenever possible
Give your change to charity
Write to someone who has inspired you
Turn off unnecessary lights
Have more meals together
Give blood
Bake something for a friend
Recycle your books
Shop locally
Recycle your spectacles
Talk to strangers, start with the ones next door
The back of the book says: This book contains 50 simple, everyday actions that are easy for anyone to do. And if enough of us actually do them, we really will change the world. This book shows how a single person can truly make a difference.
Excellent advice. I never thought about recycling my spectacles. Do theyhttp://www.lionsclubs.org/EN/content/vision_eyeglass_recycli ng.shtml
The glasses are given to people in developing nations who have vision problems.
pammy, thank you for that. i will bookmark that and have 3 or 4 pairs