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Wives of Faith Health Watch
Each month
will feature health related articles and tips to help you keep
yourself, husband, and family as healthy as God intended!
Make Your Home Cleaners the Natural
Way
Natural Cleaning Products
What happens to the household cleaners that you wash down your drain
or throw away? You probably know the answer already. They
contaminate our groundwater, our soil, and our food sources.
They affect our health and the health of our children too. In fact,
the statistics are staggering. So staggering that scientists and
physicians have come to the conclusion that the rise in asthma and
allergies in our society is a direct result of household cleaners
and the toxins in our environment.
Fortunately, the effects are reversible. In fact, they very easily
can be reversed. We can renew our environment and improve our health
with one simple commitment. The bonus is that the solution is also
cost effective—you’ll save money.
The solution is homemade natural household cleaners.
Whether you want to make a significant personal contribution to the
environment, or you want to ensure the health and safety of your
family and pets, or you simply want to save money, natural household
cleaners are the absolute best way to go.
Organizing the process
For each recipe, choose a storage solution that fits the need. If
you’re making an abrasive, then use a container that has a sprinkle
top (a top with holes in it) so that you can best utilize the
cleaner. For a spray cleaner, you can purchase a spray bottle at
your local grocer for about 50 cents. A label maker or a black
Sharpie® marker works well to keep all cleaners identified and safe.
To make the entire process easier, we’re going to break the cleaners
down into categories, provide a few trusted recipes, and offer
suggestions for how to store and utilize each cleaner.
Air Fresheners
The biggest problem with commercial air fresheners, besides the fact
that they are potentially toxic, is that they simply don’t work.
Commercial air fresheners merely cover up the offending odor with a
stronger odor, or they numb your olfactory senses so that you simply
don’t smell anything.
Easy Air-freshener Recipes:
* Soak a cotton ball in real vanilla extract, not imitation, and
place the cotton ball on a plate in the middle of your table or near
the offending area like a kitty litter box. A fun spin on the
vanilla-soaked cotton ball is to soak a cotton ball in your favorite
essential oil like eucalyptus or lavender.
* Another warm and wonderful air freshener is to steep cinnamon and
cloves on the stovetop for an hour or two. Your home will fill with
the wonderful aroma and offending odors will dissipate.
* One of the most pungent areas of a household is the kitchen sink
and garbage disposal. A quick and lasting remedy is to place a wedge
of lemon or orange into the garbage disposal. Grind it up while you
run cold water for 60-90 seconds. The citrus acid serves to both
disinfect and deodorize your drain and surrounding plumbing.
* Baking soda, as the box says, works wonders as a refrigerator
deodorizer and if you find that your water bottles, coffee mugs, or
Thermos® bottles have stains, place ¼ tsp of baking soda and warm
water in each and let them soak overnight. The smells will have
vanished in the morning.
One last suggestion to keep your home smelling fresh and clean is to
open your windows every day. A few minutes of ventilation will help
clean the toxins out of your home and replace the stale air with
freshness.
All-Purpose Cleaners
All-purpose cleaners are the ideal solution. They clean bathroom
surfaces, kitchen surfaces, laundry- room surfaces and anything else
that you can think of. In addition to cleaning and disinfecting,
they also deodorize thanks in large part to the baking soda
ingredient in most household cleaners. When stored properly they can
last for several weeks.
Basic cleaner
1/8 cup baking soda
1/2 cup ammonia
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 gallon warm water
Mix ingredients and store in tightly capped container. A large empty
milk jug works well for storage.
Abrasive variation
½ cup vinegar and ½ cup kosher salt
Mix together in a small bowl or storage container
Bathroom or kitchen Surface Cleaner
Dissolve 4 tablespoons baking soda in 1 quart warm
water
Furniture Polish
2 parts vegetable oil and 1 part lemon juice
Apply polish with a soft cloth and buff to a shine
Label and store in a Mason jar
Laundry Supplies
- Fabric softener and deodorizer
1/4 to 1/2 cup baking soda per wash load
- Starch
Mix together 1 tablespoon cornstarch in 1 pint cold water
Dissolve cornstarch
Place in a spray bottle
Shake before using
Stain Removers
* Chocolate
Soak stain with club soda before washing
* Cola
Apply undiluted vinegar directly to the stain within 24 hours and
wash as usual
* Perspiration stains
Sponge stains with a solution of 1 cup warm water, 1 tbsp of white
vinegar or lemon juice
* Grease on suede
Dab grease stain with a white cloth dipped in vinegar
Air dry
Restore suede texture with a suede brush
Metal Cleaners and Polishes
- Aluminum
Fill cookware with hot water and add 2 tablespoons cream of tartar
to 1 quart of water
Bring solution to a boil
Simmer 10 minutes
Wash as usual and dry
- Brass
Mix a paste of lemon juice and salt in a glass or ceramic bowl
Rub with a soft cloth
Rinse and dry
- Bronze, pewter, and copper
Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of white vinegar
Add enough flour to make a paste
Apply paste to bronze and let sit for 30-45 minutes
Rinse with warm water and dry/buff with clean towel
- Silver
Mix together a paste of ¼ cup water and enough baking soda to make a
paste
Wearing cotton gloves apply paste using a soft cloth
To remove tarnish from silverware, sprinkle baking soda on a damp
cloth and rub it on the silverware until tarnish is gone
Rinse and then dry
- Stainless steel
Dampen a cloth with undiluted white or cider vinegar
Polish silverware with damp cloth
Wipe clean
- Oven cleaners
Dampen a steel wool pad with water
Sprinkle baking soda onto pad or oven bottom
Rub gently
Wipe off scum with dry paper towels or a sponge
Rinse well
Carpet Cleaners
Cleaner and deodorizer
Sprinkle baking soda liberally over dry carpet
Wait at least 30-45 minutes (you can leave overnight)
Vacuum
Carpet Stains
- Blood stains
Sponge stain immediately with cold water or club soda and dry with a
towel
Repeat until stain has disappeared
- Ink stains
Place a teaspoon of cream of tartar on the ink stain
Blend with a few drops of ice water
Rub the cream of tartar and water into the stain (do not saturate)
Brush with a clean toothbrush and sponge immediately with warm water
Repeat if necessary
Bathroom Cleaners
Toilet bowl
Sprinkle ¼ cup of baking soda into your toilet bowl
Pour in approximately ¼ cup of white or cider vinegar
Scour with a toilet brush
Bathtub
Use baking soda as a scouring powder
Using a damp sponge and a little elbow grease, rub powder into tile
and tub surfaces
Rinse thoroughly
Glass and window cleaner
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 gallon warm water
Mix in a large bucket, or for ease of use you can place into a spray
bottle
Use paper towels or clean lint-free towel to clean
Avoid newspaper as most have a water-based ink now and ink will
smear
Floor Cleaners
- Hardwood floor cleaner/deodorizer
Mix a 1:1 ratio of oil and vinegar into a solution
Apply a thin coat with a mop or small towel (depending on the size
of your floor)
Rub in well
Repeat once a week
- To remove grease spots
Pour kosher salt on the grease spot to absorb grease and prevent
staining
- To eliminate hardwood floor scratches
Mix equal parts of lemon juice and vegetable oil
Rub into scratches with a soft cloth
Repeat until scratches disappear
Pet Stains
New carpet stains
New carpet stains are fresh, wet stains. It is important to absorb
as much of the urine as possible before treating the stain. Place
newspaper or paper towels on the stain and press or stand on the
paper to absorb as much moisture as possible. If it is an option,
place newspaper under the stain as well since the urine may have
soaked through to any carpet padding.
Once the paper is soaked, change it out and start again. Repeat
process until the stain is barely damp. Once the stain is as dry as
possible, rinse it with cool clean water. Repeat the paper process
again until stain is almost dry.
You can be done at this point, but if you would like to ensure that
all scent is gone, I recommend treating the stain with our odor
remover and cleaner, found on page 30, or a commercial enzyme
cleaner. Enzyme cleaners contain natural organisms that actually eat
away the odor-causing bacteria in the stain, removing stains and
odors from your carpet and the padding below.
Old carpet stains
Old carpet stains are stains that have already
set. They can be a problem to clean, but your persistence will pay
off. Your cat or dog’s sense of smell is so developed that they can
smell the difference between a gallon of water with a teaspoon of
salt in it and plain water. Imagine how strong urine smells to them.
If you have previously used cleaners or chemicals on the area, then
you will need to remove them for the enzymatic cleaners to work
properly. The best method to remove the cleaners is to use an
industrial carpet-cleaning machine that is easily rented at your
local hardware or grocery store. Use the machine with clean water
only. No detergents as they'll interfere with the enzymatic
cleaner's ability to target the stain directly.
You may want to use a cleaning machine as your first step even if
you haven't previously used chemicals on the area. They do the best
job of extracting dirt and will leave less work for the enzymatic
cleaners.
Machine-washable Items: upholstery, bedding and clothes
For machine-washable items that have been stained by a pet, toss a
one-pound box of baking soda into the wash along with your
detergent. Air drying the items is recommended. If you can still see
or smell the urine after washing, wash the items again using an
enzymatic cleaner and follow the directions on the label.
Upholstery
If it is not an option for you to remove the cover of your couch
cushions and launder them, then dab the stain with a cloth or paper
towel. Dampen stain with cold water or club soda and blot again. Mix
1 tablespoon of vinegar and 2 cups of warm water and apply to stain.
Repeat process until stain has been removed. If odor persists, apply
an enzymatic odor remover to ensure that odor has been eliminated.
Make sure to test for color fastness and follow the directions on
the label.
Microfiber upholstery
Blot the urine with cold water or club soda and a towel. White is
recommended so that you can see the transference of the yellow
stain. Cover the stain with baking soda, let it sit for an hour or
until dry and then vacuum.
Hardwood floors
Your pet’s urine can harm your hardwood floor and cause it to rot;
however, there are a few options.
If you catch the soil while it is still fresh, blot the area
immediately with paper towels. Wash the area thoroughly with
undiluted white vinegar and rinse completely with warm water. Blot
dry immediately with paper towels. Apply an enzymatic odor remover
following the manufacturer's directions.
If the stain remains, you can buff the stain with
a fine-grained steel wool and floor wax. Buff in the direction of
the grain until the stain begins to blend with the finish and the
wood is restored. If the stain persists, you can make a paste of
pumice powder and vegetable oil and rub into the spot with a soft
absorbent cloth. Rub in the direction of the grain until the stain
is removed.
If the stain is old, you may try to sand out the
stain if it doesn't go too deep. After sanding, apply a polyurethane
sealer. Several coats may be needed to seal in the odor.
Rosemary spot remover
Use this to remove and sanitize urine spots on rugs or fabrics. The
scent may deter your cat or dog from using the same area again.
1 bar of grated Castile soap
1 oz of rosemary oil
1 oz of rubbing alcohol
1. Melt the soap in the double boiler.
2. Add rosemary oil and alcohol and blend well.
3. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and let it set.
4. Use as you would any soap or cleaner.
As you can see from the abundance of natural cleaning recipes, it is
an easy and effective way to both deodorize and clean your home
while keeping your family and the planet safe from harm. This small
contribution will make a huge difference. You’ll feel great about
your contribution to the environment and your family will receive
noticeable health benefits and you will have saved money. At the
same time, your home will be clean and smell fresh!
Source:
http://wivesoffaith.com
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