Clean It Up – Spring Cleaning

It’s Spring people and that means it’s Spring cleaning time. Usually Fridays is about buying stuff, but today I thought it would be a fresh idea to make good cleaners, instead of recommending good cleaners. That’s my idea!!!

Drain Cleaner – Try a plunger first, if that doesn’t work pour 1/2 cup baking soda down drain, add 1/2 cup white vinegar, and cover the drain. The resulting chemical reaction can break fatty acids down into the soap and glycerine, allowing the clog to wash down the drain. Do not use this method after trying a commercial drain opener–the vinegar can react with the drain opener to create dangerous fumes.

Scouring Powder can be made from baking soda or dry table salt.

Window and Glass Cleaner is easy with these tips: to avoid streaks, don’t wash windows when the sun is shining. Use a vinegar-and-water solution, cornstarch-vinegar-and-water solution, or lemon-juice-and-water. Wipe with newspaper unless you are sensitive to the inks in newsprint.

Floor Cleaner and Polish can be as simple as a few drops of vinegar in the cleaning water to remove soap traces. For vinyl or linoleum, add a capful of baby oil to the water to preserve and polish. For wood floors, apply a thin coat of 1:1 oil and vinegar and rub in well. For painted wooden floors, mix 1 teaspoon washing soda into 1 gallon hot water. For brick and stone tiles, use 1 cup white vinegar in 1 gallon water and rinse with clear water.

All-Purpose Cleaner can be made from a vinegar-and-salt mixture or from 4 tablespoons baking soda dissolved in 1 quart warm water.

I think that should be enough to kick start you into the joys of Spring cleaning…enjoy.

-Cara

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Reason 55 from, 101 Reasons Why I Am Vegetarian:

People who eat a lot of fish are increasingly falling victim to the debilitating effects of mercury poisoning. Women, in particular, are putting their babies at risk for irreparable brain damage when they eat seafood high in mercury while pregnant and even beforehand. According to the EPA, about 630,000 newborns in the United States every year–roughly 15 percent of all–may be exposed to dangerous levels of mercury in the womb.