Natural Guide to Clean Living

Most of us do not realize the alarming number of chemicals and toxic items we are exposed to each day, not in our environment, but even in our own homes. 

Clean living is not only about maintaining a clean house or home but maintaining a clean environment. Living a so called GREEN lifestyle.

Most commercial cleaners harmful to both you and the environment and are to be avoided, they are expensive and not cost effective.

Facts that you should be aware of:

• That permanent press drapes and sheets, particle or pressed board furniture, and most carpets and rugs all contain and emit formaldehyde fumes? 

• That most air fresheners routinely have a toxic chemicals in them called paradichlorobenzene? 

• That foam rubber cushions contain and leak both pesticide and formaldehyde fumes into the environment?

• That virtually all beauty products and cosmetics on the market have isopropyl alcohol and other poisons in them?

• That most household cleaners and detergents are toxic to animals, and contain environmental and heavy metal poisons.

• That Teflon coated cookware affects the chemistry of your food and places poisons into your system and into the air. (Teflon cookware and microwave ovens are toxic to domestic birds!)

There are many more issues to be considered and I've only listed a few of the most common ones.

There are alternative cleaning methods, more practical solutions to common household problems and much safer products on the market to insure that we live as  to live a longer purer, and more healthy life with fewer side effects.

You'll find that all you need to take care of all your household cleaning chores are baking soda, borax, salt, water, lemon juice, and white vinegar.

►Laundry Detergent: Use plain borax powder also known as 20 Mule Team Borax, available in any supermarket, (yes Wal-Mart's sells it) or Arm & Hammer brand washing soda.

Borax can also be used for "spot removing" when used with a toothbrush or nail brush and a little time.

Instead of chlorine bleach, which pollutes the Earth's water supply and kills off beneficial bacteria in your septic system, use bluing, a product derived from indigo dye, available in any supermarket laundry department, usually next to the liquid starches.

Adding a ¼ cup of white vinegar to laundry will also act as a bleaching agent.

►Window Cleaner: Five tbsp. white vinegar mixed with one qt. of warm water. Place in an empty spray bottle and use like regular window cleaner. It is both cost effective and non streaking!

►General Cleaner: ½ a cup of borax mixed with 1 gallon of warm water or use homemade lye soap.

►Drain Opener: ½ a cup of baking soda, one cup vinegar, boiling water. Mix thoroughly and pour down the drain. Continue to flush with hot water until the clog clears. Another alternative is a ½ cup of salt down the drain followed by boiling water.

►Scouring Powder: Apply any lye soap to a sponge or cloth to remove surface dirt. In the event of tougher 'dirt' or stains, borax , baking soda, or salt directly to a damp sponge, and a little muscle will work!

►Oven Cleaner: Scour with baking soda.

►Dishwasher Soap: Mix one part borax with one part washing soda and use in electric dishwashers.

Doing dishes by hand? Melt lye soap in water and shake periodically. a spoonful in a sink full of dishes is effective.

►Toilet Bowl Cleaner: Sprinkle baking soda into toilet, sprinkle white vinegar over it and scrub with toilet brush.

►Mildew Remover: ½ cup vinegar, ½ cup borax, and warm water. Mix fresh for each use.

►Tough Bathroom Cleanser: For tiles, tub, and sink use borax mixed with lemon or orange juice. The acid in the citrus cuts soap scum and removes bathroom odors.

►Shoe Polish: Rub shoes with the inside of a banana peel, then buff with cloth.

►Silver Polish: Use toothpaste with an old toothbrush or soak tarnished silver in an aluminum container with salted water in it, then rinse and dry thoroughly.

►Furniture Polish: Mix one tsp. of olive oil with ½ cup of lemon juice. Mix well. Dip cloth in liquid and wring out. Use this to dust furniture. Works great on wooden floors also.

►Air Fresheners: Avoid commercial sprays! We use herbal sachets, dried or fresh flowers, potpourri. You can also boil or simmer spices on the stove, such as cloves, or cinnamon sticks, lavender, rose petals or orange and lemon peels.

►Paints: Always use latex paint, never oil based. While the latex still has some solvents in it, the level is much less than the oil based. When painting, always keep the area well ventilated.

►Body Soap: Use lye or plain castille soap. Commercial soaps contain perfumes and dyes that are irritants to the sinuses and skin.

►Shampoo: Use lye or castile soap. Commercial shampoos contain a large list of chemicals that are unnecessary!

►Hair Lightener: Brew some chamomile tea and repeatedly pour over the scalp, let hair dry. This adds great highlights and does lighten the hair. For a stronger effect, add some lemon juice. For streaks, straight lemon juice and exposure to sunlight will create striking results!

►Hair Darkener: Brew a tea of sage or rosemary or black walnut hulls in place and pour over the hair.

►Hair Gel: Aloe Vera gel works well.

►Mouthwash: Brew up some peppermint or spearmint tea and refrigerate. Use as needed. Tea will keep for about a week.

►Astringent: The following herbs can be made into infusions or brewed as if for a tea and splashed or applied to the skin:

• Chamomile: Tones up relaxed muscles. (Faux Facelift)

• Lemon Balm: For wrinkles. (Tightens pours as well)

• Mint: All mints are excellent astringents.

• Thyme: Excellent astringent, use for acne.

• Yarrow: Use for acne.

• Coltsfoot: Use for oily skin.

►Bath Salts: Sprinkle a few drops of your favorite essential oil into a cup of rock or table salt mixed with a little baking soda. Mix well. Use a spoonful at a time.

►Deodorant: Use a sponge or powder puff to place a bit of baking soda under your arms. Corn starch also works well.

►Perfume/Cologne: Use your favorite essential oils, just one or two drops on wrists and neck. Be careful though as some oils are very irritating, cinnamon. Vanilla is a classic. Always test spot a small part first.

►Toothpaste: Baking soda mixed with water.

►Massage Oil: Olive oil can be scented with a few drops of your favorite essential oils again taking care not to use a known skin irritant.

►Roach Powder: Sprinkle boric acid around area but be sure to keep away from pets! Another mix is one cup borax with ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar.

►Ants: For ants, wipe down counters and floors with white vinegar every few days.

►Fleas: Mostly for your pets, rub a few drops of pennyroyal oil into their fur and rub in well; this almost always works. For a quick treatment flea bath, infuse one cup of rosemary in one quart of boiling water. Cool. Remove herbs. Wash your pet and then pour this rinse over him or her. Let them dry naturally.

►Disenfectant: Marigolds, also known as calendula, boiled and steeped in water to form an infusion, is an all natural disinfectant for sickroom and can be used to clean, wipe, sprayed on items to disinfect them.

Household Furnishings and Clothing

►Use epoxy adhesives or carpenters’ glue in place of adhesives, glues and mastics that emit toxic fumes.

►Do not buy particle board furniture: it gives off formaldehyde fumes. Opt for cheaper real wood furniture made of pine boards instead.

►Avoid synthetic carpets and rugs with rubber backings, which can contain a host of chemicals, choose a natural wood, ceramic tile instead of linoleum , or concrete floor. Older rugs, made of natural wool or cotton, are also good options. Natural animal furs are good options too.

►For those with dust or animal allergies, forgo the carpets altogether and opt for cotton throw rugs than can easily be washed and cleaned.

►Select 100% cotton for drapes, bedding and other household items.

►Avoid man made fibers when purchasing clothing.

►Avoid plywoods, oriented strand board or OSB, pressed woods, or fiberboard products.

►Avoid the use of any product that emits strong odors and contains chemicals and words you do not understand!

►Avoid the use of a microwave oven! It does after all emit small levels of microwaves into the air, and is toxic to domesticated birds.

►Cook with cast iron instead of the modern Teflon and T-fal. If Teflon kills domesticated birds what will it do to your and your children?

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and should not be construed as a license to break the law or a substitute for medical advice. 
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