Going Natural

AT THE SHORE
Wind Speed: 10 knots
Wind Direction: E
Sea State: Moderate chop
Condition: Chest high
Ocean Temp: 53 F
Wave Height: 5 ft
UV Index: 5


Everyone is going green. It's not new because it has been around since the 1960s. Most are not overboard on it they just want to keep things simple and clean.
There is something refreshing about not using harsh chemicals all the time so we opt for natural soaps, shampoos, dish liquids etc.

There seems to be a lot of evidence that some chemical cleaners are harmful to your health because of the fumes and even from touching them with your hands.
Also a lot of researchers seem to think that our chemical filled environment even in the home might be a cause of the increase in neurological conditions and depression.
I found these "recipes " for homemade cleaners that really work.
So here they are if you wish to try one of them.

By the way, see that sink in the photo? I love those! We had one long ago and it was wonderful.You can't kill them and the faucet is indestructable too I have found the new faucet sets are just not as good as the old ones though they cost an arm and a leg. I think that having an old fashioned kitchen would be nice.



Furniture polish:
Mix two parts of good vegetable oil or olive oil with one part lemon juice. Mix as well as you can. Apply sparingly with a soft cloth and polish up!

Drain Cleaner:
Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain.
Follow now with 1/2 cup of white vinegar.
Let that sit for several minutes. It is going to bubble up, so don't panic.
Now pour a kettle full of boiling water down the drain to flush it all out.

Surface cleaner :
Mix salt with white vinegar and scrub the surface. Rinse off with hot water.

You can clean counters with 4 Tablespoons of Baking soda in a quart of warm water.
Just wipe things off with it. It cleans pretty well and deordorizes .

Homemade Air Freshener:
Try using natural herbal and spice incense.
Opening windows for a while each day will go a long way to freshening the house.

Rust remover:

Mix lemon juice with coarse salt and scrub!

Natural Disinfectant :

Use natural soap like Dr. Bronner's pure Castile soaps.
Add 15 or so drops of tea tree oil and 15 drops of lavender oil.
Tea Tree oil kills bacteria. Lavender makes it smell better.
Spray on cutting boards, kitchen counters, bathroom counters, etc. and wipe off.

Mold:
You can prevent it from starting by cleaning your tub and shower once a week with Borax and hot water. You can clean any area thats prone to mold with borax and it will help stop it from starting.
Once it starts bleach will kill it and remove the stain. Lysol kills it too but won't take out the discoloration.

Window Cleaner:

Clean windows with white vinegar.
Professionals use dish detergent (because it rinses off well and leaves no residue) and hot water and then remove with squeegee.
Never use hot water on cold windows though since they might crack.
This leaves no residue like spray cleaners can.
Wiki how says:
Clean the window frames thoroughly with your soaked sponge.
Soak your sponge in water and start cleaning your windows following one of these methods:
Start on the upper-left side of the window and make an s-shape downwards until you reach the bottom-right corner of the window.
Start cleaning the window from the upper-left corner and drag the sponge straight down. Use a chamois or a dry rag to remove any excess water from the squeegee and start cleaning the next line until you reach the right side of the window.
Don't forget to dry your squeegee with a chamois or dry rag after each stroke you've made. Otherwise, you will have visible lines on the window pane.
Dry the window frames. After cleaning the window panes, dry off the windows using a chamois or dry cloth.


Clean windows make the house smell fresh too. Dust and grime that collect on things actually have a scent! You learn something new everyday.

Today is pond cleaning day but it's also a day for sciatica pain so yuk. Won't be pretty!