Natural and effective cleaners you can DIY

When I first got married I was tasked with cleaning out my husband's bachelor pad that he had rented out for a while.  There were cats, guys, and a huge mess.  It was a small condo that had little cross ventilation and I knew it would take a few days to clean. I looked for non toxic products that I could use and came across some 'recipes' that I modified.  I loved how they worked and how easy it was to make.  Finally, people are starting to realize that indoor home health is important and seek out products that are "green" and safe.  I buy bulk baking soda and vinegar, essential oils from Jimbos Naturally or Amazon.com, Castile at Trader Joes, and alcohol and borax at Walmart. 

All-Purpose Cleaner
1 cup vinegar
½ gal. water
1/2 cup lemon juice (I added this to weaken the vinegar scent)
Directions: Spray on surface and wipe clean with a dry cloth (let sit longer for heavily soiled areas)

Disinfectant
¼ cup baking soda
4 tbsp vinegar
3 cups hot water
¼ tsp castile soap
Directions: Spray and wipe down. You will want to go over again with a cloth soaked in hot water so there is no baking soda residue leftover.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner
½ cup baking soda
1/8 cup castile soap
10 drops essential oil 
If possible, make this in a cleaned out ketchup or mustard squeeze bottle. Squeeze out along rim of toilet bowl then spray with pure vinegar, allow to foam for 10 minutes then flush. No scrubbing needed (unless extremely soiled)!

Glass Cleaner
1 cup rubbing alcohol
1 cup water
1 tbsp vinegar

Don't add oils or you'll get streaks. Spray and wipe clean.

Wood Floors
¼ cup vinegar
30 oz water
(do not allow vinegar to stay on wood, make sure it is rinsed properly.)
Or
¼ cup olive or vegetable oil
¼ cup vinegar
10 drops essential oil
Directions: Use microfiber mop to apply and go over again with damp cloth with hot water to get vinegar off.

Dusting – Wood
1 cup olive oil
½ cup lemon juice
Directions: Rub in with cotton or microfiber cloth using wide strokes.

Baseboards, countertops, and walls: Dissolve ½ cup borax in 1 gallon hot water and pour the solution into a spray bottle (which you can store for later use). Spritz generously, wipe down and let air-dry.

China (including hand painted): Soak china in a dishpan filled with warm water and ½ cup borax; rinse well.

Dishwasher: If the machine is smelling like last night’s chicken cacciatore, sprinkle borax in the bottom, let it sit overnight, then wipe down with a damp sponge. No need to rinse; just run the next load.

Pots and pans: Rub borax into cookware with a damp sponge; rinse well.

Toilet: Pour borax in the bowl and let it sit overnight.

Ten creative gift wrapping ideas.

Need some inspiration for wrapping presents? In a hurry? Try these ten ideas!

1. Use plain brown or colored paper and add 3-D stickers. Totally custom and very eco-friendly. Do the same with plain gift bags...add your own embellishments (photos, ribbons, buttons, bows, the list is endless) for gorgeous presentation.

2. Have some fabric remnants? Wrap a bottle of wine, some bath soaps, or a gift that fits the fabric size.  Fabric stores often have clearance fabrics that can work for year-round gifts. Furoshiki is the Japanese technique and is an environmentally friendly substitute for paper gift wrapping. It encourages reuse — depending on size, the recipient can use the wrap as a scarf or pocket square or pass it along as another gift wrap — and eliminates ribbons and tape. Have wallpaper instead? That works really well too!

3. Try decorative tapes instead of paper wrapping. You can customize a plain gift box, dress up a recycled box and make your holiday shipping boxes snazzier.  


4. Sheet music and maps make wonderful wrapping. Along the same lines, the comics from your newspaper, pages from large books (damaged!), foreign language newspapers (often at your local bookstore or large news stand), and old posters, make a great presentation and can be selected based upon the type of gift. Add a tag that fits the theme!

5. Instead of traditional tags, use a cookie tag. You can tie on a gingerbread man with the recipient's name, and even protect the cookie with a glassine envelope. Along those same lines, I like to tie on candy canes, coasters, small ornaments - that I write the name on -  dried magnolia leaves sprayed with gold, pressed oak and maple leaves, key chain tags, small picture frames, paint color cards, and even cut outs from old holiday cards.

6. Have an old scarf? Use it instead of ribbon. Other ribbon replacements I've used...jump ropes, pony tail holders (for top ties),  a mans tie, colorful rubber bands, seam binding, twine, chain, and even re-purposed electrical wiring. These ideas look very cool on the right gift.

7. For an elegant and natural gift, tie pine cones, small branches and other items from nature on with raffia ribbon. Using brown paper bags with the writing on the inside, tissue paper and other re-purposed papers, will make your gift eco-friendly.

8. Ever thought of using a mesh bag (from fruit) for a gift? Work well for children's toys, balls, sports equipment, and - with a tissue paper liner - can be great for other items as well. Dress it up with a candy cane, lollipop or other fun item.

9. When coming up with the idea to package your gift, think outside the "box".  An old lunchbox is perfect for many gifts, small items 'hidden' in a large can filled with candies is fun. How about using an empty cookie tin, a wooden wine box, an empty candy box, the old tennis ball container, a flower pot, a colorful sock, a great dish towel?

10. Use the shirt, sweater, or clothes as it own wrap. Since you'll likely clean clothing before wearing, you can add the accessories wrapped in the clothes for an interesting, time saving wrap.

Spring = Clean Top Tips for Ten Minutes of Clean

I'm always in a hurry to get my home clean; I love neat but hate to clean. When unexpected clients or guests are on their way, doing one room at a time in just a few minutes works well so that I can always keep a neat appearance despite twins, dogs and cats. I developed a system that works for me in about 10 minutes.  It doesn't take the place of a thorough dusting with vacuuming, but does take care of the daily stuff.  I hope you can complete your room in ten minutes but it depends on the scale of the room and what obstacles you face. 

To make this work, you need to have cleaning supplies at hand. I make 'green' cleaning products with water, vinegar, borax, olive oil-based liquid soaps, and essential oils for fragrance. They are stored in clear spray bottles under my kitchen and bathroom sinks so I don't have to go far, and re-fills are easy. Bring out your dust cloths, vacuum, and other cleaning equipment, so everything is within reach before you start. Start with the main rooms. If you’re having guests and you’re trying to clean before they arrive, concentrate on the rooms they are most likely to see such as the living room, the kitchen and the bathroom. Leave bedrooms and other rooms until the end and clean them only if time allows.



1. Start in one corner of the room, and move in a circle around the room. Pick up any items on the floor, from tables, counters, and chairs as you walk along, and anything out of place. For large or joined rooms - like a kitchen/family room combination -  divide the room into squares and complete everything in one square before you move on.

2. Put things away as you move around the room or - if they belong elsewhere - place things into a laundry basket or fabric tote. Fortunately, toys don't have far to go since I have some storage in every room. I load them and then can easily carry clothes and shoes to the bedrooms, or mail and newspapers to the office area. 









3. As I walk and pick up, I carry my solutions to spray. My dusting solution is Murphy's oil and my counter cleaners require no scrubbing. Wood sprays don't get used unless there are messy fingerprints - I have a small "Magic Duster" that I swipe accessories, lamps, tables and wooden chairs with. Start with the right cleaner for the surface, spritz on and move on to clean somewhere else while you wait a few minutes for it to work.  This is great for greasy counters, scuff marks on floors, and letting cleaners work on grout. For living rooms you may just need to dust, but this helps if you have to wipe a window, glass display items, and non-wood surfaces.



4. Go back and wipe up all of your sprays. I use old washcloths or dishtowels instead of paper towels and I use several in one room so the counter one doesn't get used to wipe appliances, or dust tables, or clean mirrors and windows. 

5. Dust, starting with anything that is dark wood, as dust shows more clearly on dark surfaces. Here is where that Magic Duster comes in handy.  The fibers attract dust, and I can do one whole room without cleaning the duster. Don’t use a dry rag since you don't want dust from flying around the room as you clean. Some Swiffer products work well, but their disposable nature is costly and an environmental disaster since they are not recyclable. Again, old towels, diapers, dishrags and underwear work well and can be washed with regular laundry as needed.

6. Now I clean my wood or other non-carpeted flooring. If there was a stain in the grout or a scuff mark on the floor, my solutions have had time to work should make this step a wipe-up one.  I DO have an old mop but I started using a Shark cleaner that takes seconds to lift up everything!

7.Next is to vacuum. Nothing will give a better impression of a clean room than freshly-vacuumed rugs. I have area rugs in every space so I do the wood floor and the rug at the same time.  You can use a fragranced vacuum powder to improve the overall air smell of the room as you clean. Don’t bother vacuuming curtains but DO remove pet hair from the upholstery.

8. Spray a bit of room spray in the air - something seasonal is great - and voila, you are finished!

Trends for the long-term.

What defines a trend? Take a look at the latest design magazines. You'll notice a 'new' classic is developing  It's called transitional style.  Furnishings and finish materials are being made with new design details, color and shape. A clean-lined style with an easy-care sophistication is the result. The details come from classic lines, updated patterns, use of bolder fabrics, and a new scale. From tile to seating to lighting, this is a trend that is here to stay.

             

From classic Hepplewhite oval back chairs in a new form. The attention to leg and back detail and use of crisp ivory fabric with a slight sheen, gives a stunning aesthetic and fabulous function.

A sleeker version of a traditional sofa, with squared-off arms in lieu of rolled, and tapered block feet. Classic and sophisticated yet very updated. With a textured green fabric that's not standard sage....gorgeous!

    

Silk drum pendants are more often replacing multi-armed chandeliers for transitional styling. The brushed nickel fittings and frosted glass diffuser add elegant detail.

A change for the better from wood burning to bio-fuel fireplaces. They provide warmth and a fabulous aesthetic with an eco-friendly benefit. With no special venting required, and a variety of sizes and materials, they can be installed in indoor and outdoor spaces.

Porcelain tile has come a long way. With elegant patterns and sheens, new sizes and trim pieces, and a huge array of colors and textures, US and Italian porcelain tile manufacturers have given us a new classic surface.

Making faucets lead-free, water saving and with universal design in mind, form does follow function. New finishes are luxurious and easy-care...what a great combination.

Certified woods are being fabricated into strand forms that are as elegant as they are eco-friendly. Luxurious color and grain, along with wide scale planks, make these floors right for nearly any style decor.

Kermit was wrong....it's easy being 'green'!

There are so many reasons why we should be 'green'. Reduced dependence on fossil fuel use, environmental protection for now and future generations, and personal cost savings are just the tip of the iceberg. So, how do you do start?  You can do something small and realizing energy savings right away by looking and water use and lighting; even the smallest step helps make a difference! Here are my  top 5 ways to embrace 'green' practices: 

1) Upgrade to green.  With new government standards and improved technology, modern faucets are more efficient than ever. Saving up to 32% on your water usage, WaterSense certified faucets make going green practically effortless.  Big box hardware stores sell models that are well under $100.  A quick, first step toward going green, is installing flow optimized aerators -$3-$5 - which enable more effective performance for older faucets without much cost.

2) Go on-demand. If you have a large or growing family, tank-less water heaters offer a great way to cut home energy costs without impacting performance. By flash heating water and eliminating the tank water heater's long cycles you can cut energy use by 20%. You won't have to waste water while the shower gets warm, every shower will be warm for your whole family, and you can even run a washer at the same time if you use the right capacity. The water and energy savings is immediate, although to get a 100% return on your purchase can take a few years. Can't install one? Time your showers for 2-5 minutes.

3) Light it Right. With the new options for lighting being more available, less expensive, easy to understand, and offered in dimmable and color controlled bulbs, you'll light your homes better, for less, for a longer time. Light emitting diodes (LED) last 10X longer than dated incandescent bulbs do. Use them in your recessed housings and don't worry about changing them for 10 years. The cost to run LED is a fraction of your 'usual' costs.  One 7 watt LED bulb will emit as much light as a 60 watt incandescent one. Compact fluorescent lighting (CFL) is better than ever. No long waits to warm up, and color temperatures being soft and warm, make them easy replacements for incandescent bulbs.  CF's will last 4-5X longer, save up to 7X the energy, and many municipalities sell them for under $2 each to help get your energy use down.

4) Ditch the bottle This is a daily challenge for some people, but the end-result would be to lower the number water bottles we use and toss. In the US that number is an astounding 1500 bottles PER SECOND. All those plastic bottles use a lot of fossil fuel and pollute the environment. In fact, Americans buy over 29 billion water bottles a year and manufacturers use 17 million barrels of crude oil to make them. That’s enough oil to keep a million cars going for twelve months. Avoid the need for plastic bottles with water filtering faucets. You will save your wallet and help unclog waste disposal sites. When you're on the go, use washable BFA free or stainless (keeps drinks cooler) bottles.  If you knew that for every six water bottles we use, only one makes it to the recycling bin does that help inspire you? 

5) Keep water in check  It's important to check all water-using products regularly, with the bathroom accounting for roughly 60% of your home's water usage a leaky toilet or faucet can waste thousands of gallons a year without you knowing it. We waste gallons of water everyday by leaving sink faucets running. With hands-free faucets you ensure that water is used only when needed. Even simpler - and free - is to turn off the water while loading the dishwasher, brushing your teeth and shaving. Flow optimized shower heads can help further reduce water usage in the bathroom. New heads with fabulous pressure that leaves you feeling clean and energizes, use only 1.75 gallon per minute flow cutting water consumption and energy costs by up to 30%. 

Good design is essential for a healthy home.

No VOC paints, cabinet substrates, stain, along with
 recycled counter material, tile, water saving plumbing fixtures
and LED lighting are sustainable and luxurious.

When you want to make a change to your home you want a fabulous aesthetic and products that are safe. Think carefully about the long-term results of your design decisions. Is the carpet you selected a budget price but will off-gas toxic chemicals?  Does the surface you choose require chemicals to clean and seal?   Can you conserve water and energy that benefits you for the long term. When you're concerned for the health and safety of your family, do the research and find products that provide a healthy environment as well as the right aesthetic.  

A functional and fun space that was repurposed
from an unised niche. Using NO VOC furnishings
and shelves, re-used wood flooring, bold colors
in soothing shapes, and LED lighting with a warm glow.

You know when you have entered a healthy home. Regardless of the period and style, there is a sense of harmony and purity that nourishes both body and soul. Over time, you may also notice that you breathe more easily, feel more content, and begin each day with heightened energy and enthusiasm. The very technologies intended to enhance our well-being have often undermined our health through heating and cooling system issues, additives to building materials, furniture and paints, and synthetics and composite construction materials appear to save money, yet their ingredients trouble us with ailments ranging from mild headaches to severe depression. 

The basics of a health home include sensitivity for the environment, energy-efficiency, economical, sustainable, and use of products and materials that are non-polluting. These are the basics:

Stunning glass pendants and back splash tiles are 100% recycled.
No VOC stains and wall paint create rich, elegant color.
High post-consumer recycled content in easy
care porcelain tile, and energy and water saving appliances and lighting
make a beautiful, eco-luxurious kitchen a pleasure to use.

1. Free your home from toxins - that includes cleaning products, construction materials, floor and wall coverings and furnishings.
2. Select mood enhancing colors, textures and patterns
3. Arrange furnishings for comfort and ease of use and maintenance 
4. Get rid of bulky, dust-collecting items
5. Vent moisture from damp rooms
6. Create special places for exercise and relaxation
7. Clear away clutter by considering good storage options. Weed out what you really don't use and need.
8. Let the outdoors in - natural light and fresh air are
9. Strive for simplicity and moderation
10. Respect the environment by starting with water and energy use, generation of garbage, and recycling.