Floor Cleaner

Numerous studies cited by Michael Mullen of the Heinz Company have shown that a 5% solution of vinegar (straight out of the store-bought bottle) kills 99 percent of bacteria, 82 percent of mold, and 80 percent of germs (viruses). And, unlike most commercial antibacterial cleaners, vinegar is non-toxic!

This terrific floor wash formula combines the germ-fighting power of vinegar with sweet-smelling herbs for clean floors that can’t be beat. Perfect for ridding the house of the stale smell of winter.

Floor Cleaner with Fragrant Herbs

1/8 cup liquid soap or detergent
1/4 to 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar or lemon juice
1/2 cup fragrant herb tea (peppermint is great as it adds antibacterial qualities)

Combine ingredients in a pail or bucket. Swirl the water around until it is sudsy. Proceed as normal.

Shelf Life: Discard unused formula



I used seventh generation dish soap. I found that I really like just using straight up vinegar with a little EO of my choice. The soap left the floor a little slippery and it would be a good idea to remop it with just water.

Make your own soft scrub!

CREAMY SOFT SCRUBBER
Simply pour about 1/2 cup of baking soda into a bowl, and add enough liquid detergent to make a texture like frosting. Scoop the mixture onto a sponge, and wash the surface. This is the perfect recipe for cleaning the bathtub because it rinses easily and doesn’t leave grit.

Note: Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable glycerin to the mixture and store in a sealed glass jar, to keep the product moist. Otherwise just make as much as you need at a time.

I used this recipe on my tubs and it worked really well!! I used seventh generation liquid dishsoap; lavender floral & mint...smells oh soooo good!!! I made just what I needed so I have no idea how the glycerin trick works. Let me know if you try it!

Goo Gone is going to be long gone from my house!

So I'm trying to get a sticky label off a candle jar and it will not budge. I remembered I had a bottle of goo gone in my laundry area and decide to try it. Folks, I'm surprised I'm still standing! I now have a headache and can still smell the stuff and I'm in a whole other room! So I did some research on goo gone and to my surprise this is what I found. It may be non-toxic but it still uses chemicals that is obvious to me cannot be good for anyone. So I will be finding a new label remover.
From the goo gone web-site:
Goo Gone has been proven safe, in that it is orally non-toxic and non-irritating to eyes and skin, according to The Federal Hazardous Substance Act. It contains no hazardous air pollutants or ozone depleters. However, it is a chemical and should be respected as one, and kept out of the reach of children. Older children can be supervised and taught to respect Goo Gone just as they would a fruit-scented bath soap or candle.

How to make toilet bowl cleaner

1 1/2 cup white vinegar
1 cup baking soda
1/4 cup salt
Toilet brush
5 to 10 drops of tea tree essential oil for scent and its antibacterial properties (optional)


Step1
Pour baking soda, salt and essential oil (if using) into the water of the toilet bowl.
Step2
Slowly pour the vinegar into the toilet bowl. If it foams up too much and looks like it may overflow, stop pouring briefly until the foam subsides a bit.
Step3
Let sit for 10 to 20 minutes.
Step4
Scrub the whole toilet bowl with a brush and then flush. Now the toilet is clean, disinfected and smelling clean

This worked AWESOME! I'm never going back to a commercial brand! My toilet turned out so white and clean and I didn't flush down a single chemical!...This rocks!

Carpet Freshner

To make your own eco-friendly carpet freshner use 2 cups borax (found in the laundry aisle) and 25 drops of an essential oil of your choice. Disperse oil in bowl with borax and mix well...voila! I used a fragrance oil. The smell is peace of mind. I burned this incense in my 20's...sometimes still do. When I saw they had the fragrance oil I was so super excited..now my carpeted rooms are going to have peace of mind!


I found that it helps to let it sit for awhile...Ahhh it's great..

All-Natural Hairspray

So I decided to try this out. All you need is 4 lemons (I used organic), water, spray bottle, and a pan. You cut up the lemons in slices place in the pan with aprox 3 cups water. Let simmer for 1 hour adding water as it evaporates. Voila you have your own eco-friendly hairspray! Before you pour into the bottle let completley cool.


I felt a little hold but a VERY flexible hold. So those who like crisp hair this will not be what your looking for.

Salt Lamps..thought this article was interesting.

People love hearing about salt lamps when I give talks, and how crystalline salt helps to increase negative ions. The feeling generated by negative ions is one you find at the ocean, or in the high you experience in the midst of a big storm, or near a big waterfall. Positive ions, on the other hand, are full of pollution. Learn how to benefit.

Yosemite Falls has a negative ion count of over 100,000 per cubic centimeter. Fresh, country air has a negative ion count of around 2,000 to 4,000 per cubic centimeter. Los Angeles during rush hour has a negative ion count of around 100 per cubic centimeter. Humans respond most positively to a ratio of 2 negative ions to 1 positive ion, but such a ratio is rare at best.

Salt lamps provide a simple, natural way to increase the negative ions in your home.

Crystalline salt is a natural air ionizer that boosts the negative ions in the air. Tests show that lit salt crystal lamps improve the ratio of negative ions to our environment. The heated salt crystal pulls water molecules from the air to its surface, the salt goes into the solution of the water, neutralizes any positive ions (and the attached pollution), and emits the neutralized molecule back into the environment.

Most common negative-ion generators incorporate electrostatic technology to produce ions. But many think they stop working after two or three months because the fine-tipped metallic needles become blunted and stop working.

Natural salt lamps are made from salt mined from deep within the Earth and it naturally occurs in white to coral colors. Many salt lamps are from crystals mined in the Himalayas.

~Annie Bond