We mix it up in a quadruple batch and put it in plastic shaker-type containers that powdered creamer comes in. Then we keep one in each bathroom (we use it for tubs, showers, toilets and sinks) and one in the kitchen.
Glass & Window Cleaner
2 cups alcohol
2 cups water
2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
Mix and put in a 32oz. spray bottle.
All Purpose Spray Cleaner AND Fruit & Veggie Wash
2 cups white distilled vinegar
2 cups water (use filtered or spring water for veggie wash)
40 drops Grapefruit Seed Extract (a.k.a. GSE - this stuff does everything!)
Mix and put in a 32 oz. spray bottle. This is great for counters, stove, fridge, high chair (baby safe!), inside and outside of toilets and potty seats, veggies, fruits, lunchboxes, coolers, anything that needs a good antibacterial cleaning.
Be sure to let the cleaners do the work for you! Spray on, let it soak until gunk is softened (at least long enough to kill the germs) and then wipe off.
Want to count the kid's chore time for chemistry extra credit? Read on.
Vinegar's Virtue
We have listed vinegar as an ingredient in a lot of things (don't forget the fabric softener in June's Laundry Room article). Have you ever wondered how it's made, what exactly it does and why? According to Internet articles, Annie Berthold-Bond is cited to have done research into vinegar's effectiveness.
She wrote, "Heinz company spokesperson Michael Mullen references numerous studies to show that a straight 5 percent solution of vinegar-such as you can buy in the supermarket-kills 99 percent of bacteria, 82 percent of mold, and 80 percent of germs (viruses). He noted that Heinz can't claim on their packaging that vinegar is a disinfectant since the company has not registered it as a pesticide with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). However, it seems to be common knowledge in the industry that vinegar is powerfully antibacterial. Even the CBS news show 48 Hours had a special last December with Heloise reporting on tests from The Good Housekeeping Institute that showed this."
For many more household miracles plain ole' vinegar can do visit the The Vinegar Institute and Heinz Vinegar.
Baking Soda's Super
Why do we list a baking ingredient in our cleaning recipes? Baking soda cleans, deodorizes, balances pH levels and helps in baking foods (among many more things!). "What is that stuff", you ask? "ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda™ not Animal, not Vegetable, but Mineral! Baking Soda, alias sodium bicarbonate, is a naturally occurring substance that is found in all living things, where it helps regulate their pH balance. ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda is made from soda ash, also known as sodium carbonate. To make ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda, the soda ash is mined in the form of an ore called trona. The soda ash is then dissolved into a solution through which carbon dioxide is bubbled and sodium bicarbonate precipitates out, forming "Pure, Safe and Natural"
ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda. You remember that from chemistry class, don't you?"
For a mineral rich education on baking soda and it's many home and health uses visit Arm & Hammer.
Borax's Beauty
That powerful powder in the 20 Mule Team box is mineral, too. "20 Mule Team® Borax is made of 100% Borax, a naturally occurring mineral composed of sodium, boron, oxygen and water. 20 Mule Team® Borax is not harmful to washing machines, plumbing or septic tanks and does not contain phosphates or chlorine."
Borax is good for laundry, cleaning and as a deodorizer. Check out the informative site at 20 Mule Team Borax for uses and be sure to download their booklet on many more uses.
We have used these recipes for quite a while now and have found them to thoroughly clean out everything but our wallets!
The Laundry Room
Folks in the northern American states do spring cleaning after the houses have been shut up for the long winter. Here in the south we have the houses closed and the A/C cranking away for the long summers. Now is the time for fall cleaning - opening up the house, airing out and cleaning up before decorating for fall and winter holidays.
The homemade laundry soap in June's e-newsletter (you can see that recipe in the
October2008
"Laundry Room" of our "house" on the Internet now) is now cleaning clothes in Welcome Home Families homes all over the U.S.! There are several other household cleaning items that we make and use to clean our home. These are all natural so they are not only non-toxic to the family but also environmentally friendly. The ingredients are found at your local grocer or superstore and when mixed up are more cost effective than the ready made, weird chemical-laden brands. Here's the scoop on theses clean and green essentials:
Scouring Powder
1 cup baking soda
1 cup borax
1 cup salt
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