Did you know that store-bought household cleansers can pretty much all be replaced by four simple ingredients without losing effectiveness? Plus you will save money and using these natural cleansers is a much more healthy alternative both for you and the earth!
- Baking Soda- has a scouring and antifungal property
- Vinegar- an acid that counteracts bacteria and mold
- Castile Soap- cleans naturally and effectively
- Hot Water- no explanation necessary!
Additional, but nonessential cleaning ingredients:
- Borax- A natural mineral that kills mold and bacteria. This is a great alternative to bleach. It deodorizes, removes stains and boosts the cleaning power of soap.
- Cornstarch – Starches clothes and absorbs oil and grease.
- Herbs and Essential Oils – For disinfecting and adding fragrance
- Lemon Juice – Cuts through grease and removes perspiration stains from clothing.
- Salt – An abrasive
- Toothpaste – Can be used as a mild abrasive
If you decide to try making your own household cleaners, there are some potential dangers to keep in mind.
Follow these guidelines:
1. Only use directions from a reputable source. Skip recipes that use hazardous ingredients such as bleach, ammonia, alcohols, turpentine, etc.
2. Never mix chlorine bleach and ammonia or chlorine bleach and a strong acid.
3. Don’t make more product than you can use at one time unless you don’t mind having to store products.
4. If you do store products, always mark your containers clearly with labels that say what the product is for and what it contains.
5. These products also need to be stored out of reach of children.
Simple Recipes and Suggestions:
General Cleansers:
- Vinegar and Salt:Â Mix to make a good surface cleaner.
- Baking Soda:Â Dissolve 4 tablespoons baking soda in 1 quart warm water for a general cleaner.
- Baking soda on a damp sponge:Â Cleans and deodorizes any kitchen or bathroom surfaces.
- Liquid castile soap and baking soda or Borax: Use in different ratios. Try a little soap and soda/borax with large amount of water for floors, walls and counters. Try more soap, soda/Borax for tubs and sinks and anything that can be rinsed well.
- Paste of baking soda and water:Â Makes an effective scouring cleanser.
Disinfectants:
- Half-cup of borax and 1 gallon hot water:Â Add a few sprigs of fresh thyme, rosemary or lavender. Steep for 10 minutes, strain and cool. You could also add essential fragrant oils instead of fresh herbs. Store in a plastic spray bottle.
- 2 tablespoons Borax, 1/4 cup Lemon Juice, 2 cups hot water:Â Combine the borax and lemon juice with the water in a spray bottle. Use to replace any commercial all-purpose cleaner.
Glass Cleaners:
- Undiluted vinegar in a spray bottle
- Equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle
- 1/2 lemon juice and 2 cups water in a spray bottle
Bathroom Cleaners:
Toilet Bowl Cleaners:
- Baking Soda and Vinegar: Sprinkle baking soda into the bowl, then squirt with vinegar and scour with a toilet brush.
- Borax and Lemon Juice: Mix enough borax and lemon juice into a paste. Flush toilet to wet the sides, then apply the paste. Let sit for 2 hours and scrub thoroughly.
- 1 cup borax, 1/2 cup white vinegar:Â Flush to wet the sides of the bowl. Sprinkle the borax around the toilet bowl, then spray with vinegar. Leave for several hours or overnight before scrubbing.
- Liquid castile soap and baking soda or Borax:Â Scrub with a toilet brush.
Drain Cleaner:
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 gallon boiling water
- 1/2 a used lemon
Pour baking soda down drain/disposal, followed by vinegar. Allow the mixture to foam for several minutes before flushing the drain with boiling water.
Tub And Tile Cleaners:
- Baking Soda:Â Sprinkle baking soda just like scouring powder. Rub with a damp sponge. Rinse thoroughly.
- Vinegar and Baking Soda:Â Apply vinegar full-strength to a sponge and wipe. Then use baking soda as you would scouring powder. Rub with a damp sponge and rinse thoroughly with clean water.
- Vinegar:Â Use 1/4 cup (or more) vinegar to 1 gallon water.
- Baking Soda:Â For grout cleaning, use 3 cups baking soda in a medium-sized bowl and add 1 cup warm water. Mix into a smooth paste and scrub into grout with a sponge or toothbrush. Rinse thoroughly.
Porcelain Cleaner:
Cream of Tartar:Â For cleaning porcelain surfaces, rub with cream of tartar sprinkled on a damp cloth.
Plumbing Fixtures:
- To clean stainless steel, chrome, fiberglass, ceramic, porcelain or enamel fixtures, dissolve 2 tbsp baking soda in 1 qt of water. Wipe then rinse.
- Hard lime deposits around faucets can be easily removed by covering the deposits with vinegar-soaked paper towels. Leave the paper towels on for about one hour before cleaning. Leaves chrome clean and shiny.
Shower Heads:
- Metal Shower Heads: To remove deposits combine 1/2 cup white vinegar and one quart water. Completely submerge the shower head and boil 15 minutes.
- Plastic Shower Heads: Combine 1 pint white vinegar and 1 pint hot water. Completely submerge the shower head and soak for about one hour.
Rust Stain and Hard Water Deposit Remover:
- Apply full-strength vinegar or lemon juice and allow to set until spot disappears, rinse and repeat if necessary.
Mildew Remover:
- Dissolve half-cup vinegar with half-cup borax in warm water.
Lime Deposits:
Stay tuned – next time:Â Kitchen Cleaners, Carpets and Upholstery, and Miscellaneous Solutions!
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in one of those luxury New York City condos? While this is not really my cup of tea, there is even a small part of me that does wonder what living life in New York City would be like. Definitely nothing like what my little life is like, I’m sure.
The internet is a great way to dream a little bit and exploring condo living like this is an easy thing to do from the comfort and safety of your home. Looking at various condos for sale can be a very interesting and entertaining way to spend a few minutes if you are curious. Why not look? Certainly no harm dreaming.
Can you think of activities that make you feel good instantly? Most people have some…unfortunately many of these are unhealthy. Eating junk food, drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes and taking drugs are a few of the negative coping strategies utilized by many. If these are your only options, think about expanding your repertoire.
Try thinking of ten activities right now that bring you instant tension release. If you can’t think of ten, take out a sheet of paper and brainstorm all the things you could do to make yourself feel better. Do you have a special hobby you love? Does a specific subject interest you? How about a friend you enjoy talking to? Write down as many things as you can and keep the list nearby so you can refer to it for instant relief when you’re stressed or tense.
Keep in mind that these are only temporary solutions, though. If you haven’t dealt with the real cause of your stress you will still have the same situations that caused your stressful feelings and the feelings will eventually return. You will be more effective in transforming your perceptions when you’re in a resourceful frame of mind, so with that in mind, these techniques can be very valuable.
Achieving a Resourceful State of Mind:
- Do something positive to feel better immediately
- Achieving this resourceful state of mind is important for a number of reasons:
- Acting from a place of stress is likely to produce more stressful effects
- You can’t solve a problem from the same frame of mind you were in when you created it
- When you are in a resourceful frame of mind you can see your situation more objectively
- From a relaxed state of mind, you can more effectively explore the situation that is causing your problems
These ideas are designed to help you reduce your stress so that you can be in a more resourceful state of mind.
Mailboxes have become an important factor to consider when taking steps to safeguard one’s identity from identity theft. A few years ago, we decided it was time to replace our mailbox. Once we started looking at all of the varieties of mailboxes to choose from, it became clear to us that we wanted to invest in a mailbox that was not only attractive but also secure enough to protect us from mail theft.
Quality mailboxes that are not just beautiful but also secure are the best choice for both residential and commercial needs.
As long as we are talking about ways to save money today, I have another suggestion for saving money and this one involves discounts for online shopping. As the internet has evolved, it has become a great resource for bargain hunting. Whenever I am shopping for something specific online, I always take the time to scour around for the best deals.
Here is a site that I have used to help me find the best deals, the promotional codes I may need, or the free online coupons that will save me money. The resources at www.savings.com are easy to use and will streamline your bargain-hunting efforts.
This site is definitely one to bookmark and use before making any online purchases.
Most of us are looking for ways to cut out unnecessary expenses these days. It doesn’t have to be hugely painful to trim your budget. It doesn’t have to involve big sacrifices and giving up everything you love. It does involve taking the time and making the effort to look hard, though. It also takes being willing to examine and perhaps rethink just about every expenditure from the big ones all the way down to the smallest ones. This is the way change is made.
- Look at the biggest expenses first. Housing, transportation, food, insurance, health care and clothing are the biggies. Consider refinancing, raise insurance deductibles, and even perhaps challenge your property tax assessment.
- Cut the premium TV services.
- Cut phone service extras like call waiting, etc.
- Cancel landlines and go completely cellular
- Look into a bundled service (phone, high-speed Internet and cable television) to see if it’s less expensive.
- Wash only full loads of clothes and dishes
- Use a clothesline whenever possible
- Install a programmable thermostat
- Don’t overheat or overcool the house
- Use compact-fluorescent bulbs and turn lights off when not being used
- Cancel collision and comprehensive insurance on cars older than five years
- Bike or walk as often as possible
- Consider carpools if you commute
- Maintain vehicles properly to reduce expenses
- Group your errands
- Bring lunches and snacks to work
- Cook once, eat twice -this means double your recipes and freeze half
- Eat meatless at least once a week
- Stop buying overpackaged and overprocessed foods
- Buy fruits and vegetables in season
- Use leftovers before they spoil
- Use weekly coupons
- Stop dry cleaning clothing
- Stick to classic clothing styles
- Drop the health club membership and exercise for free (walking, running, videos)
- Do a clothing swap with friends
- Shop thrift stores
- Start paying only cash
- Start a spending diary
- Cook more simply – avoid fancy ingredients
- Buy in bulk
- Cut back on subscriptions
- Make yourself “sleep on” a purchase before you make it
- Pay bills on time
- Pay bills online
- Learn to cut hair
- Stop buying brand names
- Grow a garden
- Use the library
- Make gifts instead of buying
And that was pretty much right off the top of my head! This is only the beginning. Please share your favorites!
At some point I would really like to experience New York City. I am almost embarrassed to tell you that I haven’t visited New York. At some point, I think everyone should at least see a 5th Avenue Penthouse for themselves just to be able to say that you have seen NYC Real Estate for yourself.
I know that the lifestyle of New York City is not for me, but I would like to see the sights, go to some shows, do some shopping, and take a look at some of the condos and apartments. The 5th Avenue Real Estate is something to behold, I’m quite sure.
Then once I’ve seen it I can happily go back home to my little life and cross that off my list!
What amount of happiness would be added to one’s life by learning how to find meaning and joy in everyday life.
With simple awareness we can learn to find pleasure and delight in the normally overlooked moments in life. What might be there every day…all along….that we are not seeing? What do we take for granted?
Simple pleasures are finding joy in everyday things and everyday happenings. I liken these kinds of pleasures as the same kind of happiness that you become aware of when you walk with a small child…constantly seeing and finding excitement in things that adults take for granted.
We can take pleasure in simple chores when we try. Even folding laundry can bring joy if you consider it the right way. As you fold, think about the person who wears or uses each item and how much this person means to you.
Sometimes it is beneficial to remind ourselves to slow down and watch the world. Ask yourself if what you are doing today will contribute to what you think is important in your life. If not, take steps to stop doing it.
Another good idea is to turn negative annoyances into positive pleasures when you can. Instead of being annoyed when family members don’t put away their shoes, turn it around to the place where you can feel fortunate to have the love and presence of these loved ones. This frees you from anger and replaces it with love.
What can you find simple pleasure in today?
One of my favorite things is finding new products for my family that are not only delicious but nutritious as well. I just found something that fits both of these criteria and there is even a bonus! These new FreshExpress salads are a feast for the eyes as well as the palate and the body.
The two new salad varieties are Tender Ruby Reds and Sweet Tender Greens and these salads are powerhouses of phytonutrients. That means that by buying these and serving these to my family, I am effectively helping to boost their immune systems and at the same time I am serving them something delicious that provides antioxidant protection.
Car shopping is not something I take lightly or try to do quickly. Both my husband and I are the kind of car shoppers who feel it necessary to compare almost every make and model and read everything we can find about any vehicle we are considering purchasing. Whether foreign or domestic, Toyota or Ford…the process is the same.
For example, if we were contemplating purchasing a Ford Expedition, we would first read all the Ford Expedition reviews we could find online. Then after that if liked what we read and were still interested, we might go and look at and actually drive a 2009 Ford Expedition to see if we liked it enough to proceed further.
