Green Cleaning Part 2
Had a blast in Bancroft and the ladies at the Green Cleaning talk were amazing, lots of questions and great ideas!
Here are some of the other tips from my handouts:
PETS:Deter ticks and fleas by adding 1 tsp. of vinegar (white or apple cider) to every litre of water in your pets drinking bowl.
Make a small sachet with cedar chips, dried lavender, and lemon peel and put it in their pet bed. Change it once a month.
KITCHEN:
To deodorize a smelly drain: pour 2 tbsp. of Baking soda down the drain followed by ½ cup of vinegar. Leave 20 min. and flush with cold water.
To clean the chemical residue off non-organic fruit & veggies: soak in cold water with 2 tbsp. of vinegar in it. Remove fruit and rinse under cold water. Works well with fruit like apples and grapes!
Microwave: to clean a microwave, boil a bowl of vinegar in your machine and then wipe down with a rag. Not only does it help clean, it deodorizes any of those lingering meals!
Fruit-flies: to get rid of fruit-flies put a dish of apple cider vinegar and dish soap near your fruit bowl. The vinegar attracts the flies and the soap traps them. Change up the dish as the body count rises!
Coffee and Tea stains on mugs: Fill the item with a solution of baking soda and water. Leave until the staining disappears then rinse. For really stubborn stains, soak with a solution of baking soda and vinegar.
Stinky Fridge Solution: a bowl of baking soda will absorb bad odours in the fridge, BUT when you’re done, dump it down the sink and follow it with a kettle of boiling water… this will clean out your drains and keep them running well. For a nicer smelling fridge hide a cotton ball with vanilla extract on it in the fridge to further deodorize.
Stale smelling lunch boxes or tins: Dip a piece of fresh bread (I use the end piece because nobody in my family likes it but the dogs) in vinegar and leave in the tin overnight.
Wooden Chopping Boards: clean, deodorize and disinfect with either lemon juice or vinegar.
Painted Walls and Woodwork:
Make a solution of two parts vinegar, one part baking soda, and three parts warm water. Using a soft rag, wipe down surfaces to remove dirt and rinse with clean water
Ring marks on wood furniture: Make a solution of one part vinegar and one part olive oil. Use a soft cloth and rub the ring with the solution, then polish with natural beeswax.
Websites for more info:
http://www.womenandenvironment.org/ ~ Lots of info on the chemicals in regular cleaners and why they are bad. ALSO, info on how to host a Green Cleaning Party for your friends!
www.care2.com ~ look for the healthy & green living section. They have a Non-Toxic Cleaning section there!
www.eartheasy.com ~ they have TONS of homemade cleaners for every problem!
www.planetgreen.discovery.com ~ check out the Home & Garden section.
www.care2.com ~ look for the healthy & green living section. They have a Non-Toxic Cleaning section there!
www.eartheasy.com ~ they have TONS of homemade cleaners for every problem!
www.planetgreen.discovery.com ~ check out the Home & Garden section.
4 comments
Wow!
ReplyDeleteYou guys are on quite the daily adventure!!
I fear you would be very disappointed in our not so green lifestyle...but I will absolutely be trying the fruit fly thing!
I hate those guys, but love to keep certain fruit out of the fridge.
Speaking of kids growing up, weren't you just pregnant with your first like yesterday?
Does this mean we are aging?
Hi guys,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your projects and am looking for a few kindred spirits to join us in the conversation at:
http://sensiblesimplicity.lefora.com/forum/
Thanks and keep it up!
Jay
I am with you on maturing Steph...my favorite scripture at the moment is that My youth is renewed like the eagles..I plan to be living proof!!!
ReplyDeleteHad a chat with a young man that might one day be found looking for a piece of land up your way.
In a very serious conversation about some issues he was facing , (and I might add, almost blew it all over one simple POOR decision), I asked him about his dreams for the future.
Just as serious and sincere as possible, he informed me it was to settle on a piece of land with a wife and a couple of kids and a little grow-op that he assured me would only be for his own use...he plans to do this in Brazil or somewhere, because he can't picture working for a living, so they will eat the fruit around them and he will hunt.
Are you two up for some mentoring, I'd really like him to rethink the grow-op part though!!!LOL
I thought I'd heard it all!
http://earthtainer.tomatofest.com/
ReplyDeleteCheck out this link, I did post in on my Blog too. Makes you re-think gardening in containors. This assures you great soil and no water waste or weeding!
Holly