Eco-Wednesday:Sore Throat Remedy

Colds and flus always seem to strike at their worst in transitional seasons such as Spring and Autumn, don't they. If you've got a family, than even worse - once one member of your family has the cold - you are all usually doomed. There are of course healthy practices such as exercise, good nutrition, and hygiene to prevent those nasty little viruses from preying on you and your loved ones continually. But eventually, they are gonna getcha. 

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Marley recently came down with a nasty sore throat and head cold, which of course as soon as she began to get better, Jeff and I picked up as well. Sore throats are probably the worst part of a cold, and I really felt for my baby girl, because other than infant motrin - I thought there was nothing I could do for her (not now, or even when she's older - children's medicines have become too suspect for me). Regular cold medicines always make my body feel weird too...

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So I did some research, and created a delightful tea that is easy to make and the ingredients you are likely to have in your spice rack and refrigerator as well. It really soothes the throat for two - three hours, better than any lozenge or numbing spray I've ever tried - and it tastes yummy too! I felt so good knowing that my family was feeling better with all-natural, organic and healthy ingredients that work with our immune systems naturally. ***If you're pregnant - this is also safe for you to take, so don't suffer a minute longer!***

Here's the recipe (Per mug of tea):

Hot water

Ginger, sliced 1/4" thick, and lightly crushed (toss about 4-6 slices in depending on taste)

1 tsp anise seeds, crushed

1 tsp organic lavender flowers, crushed (you can find these in the spice aisle)

1 tbsp organic thyme or lemon thyme

1 - 2 tsp honey depending on taste

1 tsp lemon juice

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Leave the ginger in the bottom of the mug, but place all seeds and herbs in a tea strainer (the clamping kind are best). Let steep at least five minutes. Remove tea strainer and ginger with a spoon. Drink and rest.

***For little ones, hot drinks are not generally a big hit, so let it cool down - while the heat is generally a soother - the natural power of these herbs and other ingredients are really what soothes. They can drink it lukewarm, tepid, or room temperature.

I'm sorry to say I haven't come up with a cure for a runny nose - other than just accepting that it's your body's way of beating the cold. It can be downright miserable though, especially when you get to a chapped nose. For that, I recommend using Organic Sleep Balm by Badger, the balm soothes your skin, and the lavender, ginger, rosemary and other essential oils really help you breathe easy. Try it as a relaxing massage on your upper chest too instead of products like Vick's VapoRub. 

Here's hoping you don't get a cold - but if you do - here's hoping this helps you this season!

Best,

Tara

Eco-Cleaning: In The Bedroom

In the bedroom, nearly all previous recipes and cleaning techniques apply from the living areas - and even the linen spray from the laundry day. But there is still work to be done:

• Remove all bed linens and window treatments, launder as prescribed. If your drapery calls for dry-cleaning - try and find a "green" dry-cleaner. I'm sure there's not much green about the process; but it's gotta be better than your standard guy.
• Now that your bed mattress is exposed, go ahead and sprinkle your lavender scented baking soda deodorizer atop. Leave it for thirty minutes. Then vacuum the mattress (be sure and use the extensions/attachments, She-Ra) , flip it over - and rotate. If you've got a pillow-top mattress, it won't be necessary or possible to flip it over; but rotate it. If you've got a standard mattress, repeat the deodorizing sprinkle, the 30 minute wait, and the vacuum. Now you've got a dust free, sweet-smelling mattress.

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While those thirty minutes of baking-soda-magic are ticking away, there are a few things you can do:

• Dust your windows inside, hose them off outside, then use your glass cleaner and a squeegee to finish the job in/out. It's time consuming, and may take an extra day - but once those flowers outside start to bloom; you'll be oh-so-happy you can see them. And if you have screens, take those down and scrub them with some dish soap and hose them off - they collect a lot of yuckiness).
• Probably a more appropriate chore for the half hour(s) you'll have on hand are taking care of the floors: vacuum or sweep/mop.

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• ...Or, you could begin the process of storing away your winter wardrobe, and bringing the spring/summer wardrobe in. This is always my favorite part - because after an entire season or two of not seeing part of my wardrobe - it's like I've just gone on a shopping spree!
• If there are any clothes that you can't stand any longer, don't fit you, whatever - place them in a bag or box (depending on how many there are) and donate them to your favorite cause. Or, if you're strapped for cash, take them first to your local consignment shop and see what you can get for them. Then donate.
• And before you seal the box on that winter wardrobe, toss a couple of small rags with about 5 drops of your favorite essential oil on them to keep your clothes smelling fresh when you return to this box in Autumn.

Don't forget to give cushions a smack down, most bed pillows can and should be laundered, vacuum the upholstered lovely slipper chair or fainting chaise, and dust the knickknacks. Just reread the living room(s) post for a reminder on what needs doing. But by now, I trust you are all little eco-cleaning divas.

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Eco-Cleaning: The Bathroom (My Least Favorite)

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We can all admit it, no one likes cleaning this room. It's generally yucky - with bits of funk I don't even want to describe. Fortunately for you, you may have already begun to tackle this funky chicken of a room with some of the recipes you've been supplied with already. 

I realized all that's left from yesterday's recipe list, which is applicable to your toilets, sinks, and tubs as well is the all-natural drain de-clogger. Do you remember when you were a kid, there was the erupting volcano experiment?

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All you knew was that something was going to happen, but you didn't know what, and it was so exciting! Who knew unclogging that sink that's been stuck draining slow for a while now could give you (and moreover, your kids) the same thrill?!

• First, pour one cup of baking soda down the drain
• Then, pour one cup of distilled white vinegar (add a few drops of yellow/red drops food coloring if the kids are there)
• After the eruption and the kiddos bubbling and squealing -- pour one pot boiling water down the drain to finish it off.
• Flush, or turn the water on - you'll be amazed at how the water flows now!

Here's a great great antiseptic soap solution for you and the kids (triclosan is the key ingredient in those antibacterial soaps); and not only does it work, it's really bad for you because it kills the good germs too:

• In an 8 oz squirt bottle, fill bottle with purified water, leaving about an ounce. Add 1.5 tbsp of baby-scent castille soap, and 20 drops of lavender essential oil. Gets hands clean, and gets rid of bad germs. For little ones, help them remember to wash hands long enough by singing the "ABC" song - that's about as long as it takes to really get your hands clean. Use warm water.

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Cleaning the shower is no fun: there's soap scum to deal with - and possibly, mildew:

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For mildew and soap scum on hard surfaces, your soft scrub and spray cleansers will do. But if  you have shower curtains and liners - you'll need to wash those. The curtains can likely be laundered in the machine; but you'll probably need to take that liner outside, and either scrub it down or spray it and then scrub. Or both. 

Now, onto the tools of the trade:

• A natural bristle brush
• Recycle your old toothbrush, don't throw it out (just boil before using) - it's great on grout and the metal sleeves for shower doors; and really just about any other disgusting little crevice.
• Bucket with sponge and warm water to wipe away any excess baking soda from your soft scrub.
• Lint-free cloth for glass
• Micro-fiber dust cloth

Eco-Cleaning: Smelling Good

This is my absolute favorite part of the entire week, teaching you how to make your house smell delicious with the simplest of ingredients. It's also one of the hardest to find photos for, since our sense of smell just doesn't seem to translate well visually. Ah well.

Here's a quick and simple recipe which will use: some of your produce that's past the point of eating, but not the point of redemption, fresh herbs, fresh flowers from your garden (or just go for a walk and take a few here and there, like I do), and a few spices you'll likely have in your spice cabinet.

• The simplest variation on this recipe is a starting point - you'll find what you love as you play around with it; but do start here so you get the idea: citrus peel, cloves, cinnamon sticks, 1-2 twigs of fresh rosemary, and perhaps the petals from a fragrant rosebud. Toss into your smallest saucepan with water, and bring to a simmer on the stove. Replenish water as necessary. Should last approximately 6 hours for a 1500+ sq.ft house (even with the windows open!)

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• If you aren't going to be around the house for a while, but you've just got some lingering smells - like in the bathroom - or maybe the kitchen after a particularly smoky, meaty meal, than I suggest an odor capturing Fragrance Spritz: 8 oz spray bottle filled with distilled white vinegar and 30 drops of your favorite organic essential oil. Since we aren't trying to kill germs here - and we're just trying to make the place smell lovely, feel free to go CRAZY and choose an essential oil that truly appeals to your sense of smell. I'm a huge fan of Ylang Ylang, it makes everything smell better. *Bonus: it's antiseptic as well! Oh, and in case you were thinking, "But now my whole house is going to smell like vinegar!" - it won't - the vinegar smell dissipates in about twenty minutes, and the essential oil sticks around. That goes for all the cleaning solutions as well. 

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• And here's a bonus for freshening up your car without that awful dangling cardboard tree: In a small jar, soak a cotton ball or two with the essential oil of your choice. Place the jar under the seat of the car (no lid). When the scent wears off - the cotton ball has dried off. Just repeat with a new cotton ball. No more pine-scented parabens making their way through your car.

And a quick product plug from my Etsy shop, if you'd like to try my Simmer Sachets, please take a look - they are made on the premise of the first recipe I've shared with you; but I've been doing this for a while, and they are heavenly.

Finally, a word about the big "why" as to making the change to these forms of air fresheners vs. incense, scented candles, plug-ins, air-sprays, etc.: 

• Incense smell lovely - particularly the Japanese ones. I used to be quite the fan, until I found out all that smoke was also packed with resin. I just didn't want that for my lungs or Marley's developing lungs. I have missed you lovely Japanese incense, I really have.

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• Scented candles, those little diffusers with the tea lights and the yummy "fragrances", plug-ins, and air-sprays all have one thing in common - synthetic fragrances. Synthetic fragrances, just like perfumes, include dangerous chemicals to achieve the fragrance - which have been linked to allergies and asthma. For more information on "Fragrance", see this link.

This is A Test...This is Only A Test

This is a test, just a quick interruption of our regularly scheduled Eco-Cleaning How-To program for the week. Because, well, for the most part - it's sounding a lot like this around here:

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That's right, crickets. I'm getting a lot of silence from you, dear readers - and I'm getting a wee bit nervous that I might be boring you to wander...

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Now that that's out of the way, if you won't mind filling in the blanks on your own brand of survey...

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And just leave a bit of feedback here or anywhere else this week to let me know you're still here and all okay. Then I can ditch the "Anxiety Girl" cape and particularly the tights - yuck.

Thanks everyone!

Eco-Cleaning: The Kitchen

This is probably, second only to the bathroom, my least favorite part of cleaning. The kitchen's always got icky food-stuffs that trip-up my mild case of OCD, and as if seeing it up close isn't bad enough - you've gotta get your hands in it. Okay. Now that that's out of the way, I'll stop procrastinating with this entry and help you to get through this. We can all get through it together.

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The first thing is to make sure you've cleared off all countertops and work surfaces of any dishes that need washing. If you've got a dishwasher - good for you. Even if you have got one, sometimes there's just too many dishes to fit in one lead and you have to hand wash. I love handwashing dishes (weird, I know). It is a time of the day after the cooking, entertaining, and enjoying the meal that I can digest not just the food, but the whole of the day. It's one of life's uncomplicated processes that allows for remaining efficient, and drifting off into a world of one's own. Int the event that you love to hand wash as much as I do, the following are some tips that will make the nastier bits (i.e. crusted on grease) a cake-walk:

• First, it helps if you have a split-sink; but if you don't, you can create one with a deep rectangular tub that sits atop your countertop or in part of your (perhaps) one great-big sink. 

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• Here's the order to handwashing dishes that makes it all like butter baby:
• First and foremost, scrape all the food bits off the plates, pots, pans, and pyrex. (Extra points for composting said food bits).
• Now, before even thinking about those dishes, sprinkle a bit of baking soda into each crusty pot, pan and pyrex (and if there are funky cooking utensils - toss them in a large crusty saute pan). Add a bit of hot water, gently agitate the water with a dirty utensil, and set those pots aside for your grand finale!
• Now, regardless of your sink set-up, if you're still with me here - you've got two basins of some sort. On one side, you have a basin filled with warm soapy water; on the other side, a basin filled with warm rinse water with a splash of white distilled vinegar. And of course, you have a dish rack or loving partner/friend to help dry those dishes you're working so hard to clean.
• First, clean, rinse and dry all of the glassware. Second, the plates and bowls. Third, the silverware and cooking utensils. 
• And now, for your grand finale: The dreaded greasy, crusty pots and pans. With hot water (do this over the soapy basin), rinse the baking soda out of your pans. Voila! Can you believe it?! Almost every nasty little bit of stuck-on gunk that would have required gobs of harsh chemical cleaners and way too much elbow grease for my style is gone! Just give it a swish in the soapy water, rinse in the vinegar rinse water, throw it on the drying rack - and pat yourself on the back!

The dishes are done, now comes the time for potentially polishing your cabinets if they are wood (you can find the recipe here), or using the all-purpose surface cleaner for any painted surfaces, plastics, enamels, and yes - you heard me - stainless steel (without streaks!) For cutting boards or other work surfaces that regularly have food prepped upon, spray with all-purpose cleaner overnight and allow to absorb. To quickly sanitize any areas, spray with the all-purpose surface cleaner, and follow with a quick spritz or wipe of Hydrogen Peroxide.

• You'll want to be sure and deodorize your microwave: Using 3-5 slices of Lemon, placed in a bowl with 1 cup of water, microwave on HI for 3 minutes. Keep door closed for 3 mins. Open, and wipe down inside of microwave. Deodorized and clean.

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• Obviously, your sponges need some TLC too. Perhaps you use dishrags and simply launder them frequently; but if you use sponges, you're probably in the habit of keeping them longer than you should without sanitizing, or just throwing out. Those sponges can be reused and it's easy as pie: Either in the microwave for 3 minutes (in a lidded bowl) or on the stovetop in boiling water - with slices of lemon for good measure. If using the microwave, be ever so careful when removing that lid - the steam is SO hot, and can scald you. Let the water cool for a while, then remove and rinse your freshly sanitized and deodorized sponges in cool water for five minutes.
• If you need more scrubbing power for your basic sponge, but don't want to buy one of those plasticky scrubbers from the shop - here's a great solution and reuse of something that was going to be tossed or recycled at best: take the mesh bag from garlic, onion, you know the type - and cut it to size so you can toss your sponge in there. Wrap with rubber bands or secure with butcher's twine. It's gentle on your dishes, but gets the grubbies off.
• Now of course, you will need to scour and scrub your sink to it's original shine. Recipe to come later today.
• And in the event that you find yourself with clogged drains - I've got the simplest, healthiest, and funnest drain de-clogger you'll ever make and use. Later.
• Oh right, cleaning and deodorizing the refrigerator: This is something I used to do only when I would move from a place (which was FAR too often), but everytime I do it, I see the benefit of doing it more frequently. If you're smelling something funky coming from your fridge, and all offending products have been removed - you're smelling the fridge. It's time to clean the fridge with Antiseptic Soap Spray shelf-by-shelf, and get some new baking soda in there. The classic 16 oz. Arm & Hammer baking soda box should be refreshed every month.
• Last on the list, sweeping and mopping - and I promise to include those recipes for mopping today. 

Just think, when you're all done with these steps, you will feel as lovely and safe as she does in her kitchen:

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Eco-Cleaning: Indoor Air Quality

In cities across the world, the health of the air is monitored. Particularly in the summer, in a big city or a valley, you can see a "Bad Air Day".

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We primarily can't see the air pollution in our homes, unless you're talking about those little dust faeries you catch a glimpse of in a sunbeam. Most of the pollution in our homes is either brought in from the outdoors, tracked in on our shoes and trapped by our carpeting; or is actually from the stuff our homes are made of. 

Three simple solutions:

• Take your shoes off when you come home, leave them in a basket by the door, and wear a sweet, cozy pair of house slippers.

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• Make sure you're using a HEPA filter vacuum. Otherwise, you might as well do this with the contents of that vacuum bag when you're done:

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• Unless it is a "Bad Air Day" or it's freezing outside, throw open those windows - and invest in some houseplants. They keep the indoor air clean and healthy - and they're pretty.

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There are many more things to be done, these are the beginnings to a healthy home. If I've missed any tips/tricks you know about - please share. Always, always, share. If you want to learn more, try first my favorite resource for this info: Healthy Child, Healthy World. You don't have to have a kid to want to have a healthy home.

Eco-Cleaning: The First Recipes

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These are the first of the recipes that you will be using as you clean your living areas; but keep in mind that you will use them in other rooms, and perhaps in other capacities. That's one of the great things about these cleaners - they are so very versatile.

Every cleaning kit needs the multi-tasking, all-purpose surface cleaner - your new, improved, organic kit will be no different:

• Fill a 16 oz. squirt bottle with a 1:1 solution of distilled white vinegar and water. Add 15-20 drops of an essential oil with antiseptic qualities of your preference (tea tree, lavender, lemon).

Use this recipe for cleaning surfaces after dusting, such as plastic or metal blinds, painted wood surfaces, painted walls, molding - and those once-funky fan blades.

• Furniture Polish: Fill a 16 oz spray bottle with 1 cup light olive oil, 20+ drops pure essential lemon oil, 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar, and fill remainder of the bottle with purified water*.

Shake well before each use. Spray onto your rag, or directly onto furniture. Buff dry immediately. *Purified water is optional, but recommended based on pH levels of tap water being too hard/soft for proper treatment of wood. You can and should also use this polish on any wood cabinetry you may have throughout your home.

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• Glass Cleaner: Fill a 16 oz. spray bottle with Club Soda. That's it. Spray your glass. Wipe with a lint-free rag. 

I promised you all a fabulous carpet cleaning method that is all natural, as well as some remedies for removing stains:

• Mineral Water is an excellent all-purpose stain remover
• For fruit juices/red wine: blot with towel and cold water. Keep blotting and add kosher or sea salt or club soda to lift the stain.
• Grease: Pour boiling water over the grease, then dry baking soda.
• Blood: Cold water or hydrogen peroxide OR a paste or cornstarch with water. Allow to dry and brush away.
• Rust: Saturate with lemon juice. Rub with Salt.

Now that you've pretreated your stains, prepare a mixture of 1/8 cup castille soap to 2 gallons of hot water. Steam clean using standard equipment. Repeat process until water comes up clear. Allow to dry before heavy use (translate: kids, pets).

And as for deodorizing the carpet, depending on how much square footage you have to cover, you'll need a 1/2 cup to a cup of baking soda. Add about 20 drops of lavender essential oil per cup, and stir. Sprinkle the aromatic blend atop your carpet, and let sit for 30 minutes to do its thing. After that half hour, vacuum as normal - and enjoy the fresh, clean, phthalate-free air.

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Onto the tools of the trade. As I've mentioned, 16 oz. spray bottles are a favorite of mine. As well, a glass shaker (like from the pizzeria) is perfect for the baking soda deodorizer sprinkle, lint-free rags - like the ones you can find from the company Twist are a favorite in my kit for dusting and mopping (I even attach them to the base of my old Swiffer).

Now I am going to completely blow your minds and go against the gospel of Martha, Mothers, Grandmothers, and French Maids everywhere by saying this: Feather Dusters do nothing but further spread the dust. Unless you have the right kind (expensive ostrich feathers) – you are just making a bigger, allergy-fest of a mess. So unless you feel the need to dress up like this when you clean:

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Just don't use it, it doesn't help with anything. What you need are microfiber dust cloths: they pick up the dust and keep it held on tight – it's like some sort of dust magnet. When you collect too much dust on one cloth, just take it to the sink, clean it off in warm water with a drop or two of tea tree or lavender oil; and set it in the sun to dry. On to the next dust cloth. 

Eco-Cleaning: The Living Spaces

When cleaning your living spaces such as living rooms, studies and offices, etc.; there is a method to the madness that will have your space spruced up in no time:

• If you've got clutter that needs organization, you're obviously going to have to start there - and I'm not even getting into that. By now you're a big girl (or boy) and have found the way that works best for you (or you can work on it with a little humility and research).
• And as you've walked around your rooms, you couldn't help but notice the occasionally accumulating dust bunnies or drop of this or that that's become a Pollock-like mark on your lovely hardwood floors. Thank goodness for carpets - you don't actually see all the funk that is in those!
• Once everything's tidied up, unless you are a die-hard minimalist, you will have knickknacks or ob jet d' art (depending on the eye of the beholder), books, artwork on the walls...the list goes on. You've naturally thought about dusting everything at eye level - but to be really efficient - look up first.
• Yuck. There's probably the odd cobweb that's managed to avoid detection and collect dust; if you've got a ceiling fan, just step up on a stool or chair to see what's been blowing around the room...eeeww!

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I think you can see where I'm going with this - you want to start at the top, because dust settles naturally at the bottom. If you want to save yourself some extra time, and have the manpower or She-Ra like strength, move upholstered furniture out of the area you'll be dusting in - and take the cushions outside at this time, laying out on a canvas tarp for a later beat-down. Oh yes, cleaning can be good for you in many ways - I forgot to mention the free therapy.

Okay, by now, you've worked your way from wiping  all those cobwebs and disgusting fan blades off; now it's time to dust the knickknacks, electronics, books, etc. on the shelves and tabletops. Don't forget as you remove the knickknacks, books and what-nots for dusting to dust and polish those shelves and tabletops. Now it's time for the walls. First, remove the artwork from your walls, and set aside - you're going to clean your walls with a very mild solution. Dust, grime, and grease from our hands and even from so far away as the kitchen travels and settles in on our walls - so while this may be the most tedious of tasks for the day - just do it! You'll be so happy with how bright and colorful and clean your walls look again. Now dust the artwork, and polish the glass with the glass cleaner of course. Rehang. Gorgeous.

Time to dust and polish and furniture with a hard surface (think tables, desks, built-ins, mantles and fireplaces, wooden chairs, etc.). Be sure when polishing the wooden furniture to buff it dry so that there are no streaks and no possibility of water damage from the polish. As you're polishing each piece, She-Ra, 

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you might want to consider moving it (the chairs and the like); because your next move is treating the floors. For hard surface floors - sweep and mop. Recipes later today will include both hardwood mop solution and all-purpose hard surface mop solution. If you have area rugs, take them outside and leave them with those dusty cushions - they too are in for a bruising. 

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Wall-to-wall carpeting is a labor of love: first you'll need to pre-treat any stains, and then use the carpet steaming technique/recipe I'll be sharing with you later. If you're just too pooped for this, I hear ya. I've got another neat trick up my sleeve that will not only deodorize those funky carpets, but leave each room smelling sweet. Plus, it's going to give you the half hour you need to go outside and kick the crap outta dust.

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This part is really simple, because it's all based on your own brand of Kung-Fu, Grasshopper. There is no right or wrong way to beat the dust out of a cushion - just get yourself one of those blue dust masks even if you don't have bad allergies 'cause all that dust is super gross. When you've finished with the dusty smack down, head back inside and rev up your vacuum. Run it over the carpets/rugs a couple of times. So fresh and so clean.

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Consider it done my friends.

PS - This will all go SO much faster with really great music.

Eco-Cleaning How-To Week: Kickoff

A little over a year ago, while Marley was still just a wee thing - I began assessing not only how I wanted to raise my daughter - but what kind of environment I wanted to raise her in. Amongst the myriad books that I read as I descended into my exploration of homemaking, was one with the credible title, "Healthy Child, Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home" by Christopher Gavigan. 

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Well that seemed like the book for me: I knew I wanted my daughter healthy; I figured it couldn't hurt to learn a few more tips and tricks - but figured I already pretty much had the "green" part covered (i.e. recycling, compost, biodegradable diapers, "green" products like Mrs. Meyers, Seventh Generation, Burt's Bees, and the like). And I most definitely wanted Marley growing up in a healthy world! So I read on...and quickly realized that my home was in fact overrun with chemical toxins and pollutants. Not only were they bad for the environment-at-large, it turns out they are incredibly toxic to our bodies - particularly little bodies.

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I don't want to freak you out and turn you off to reading on - but I admit I experienced my own panic attack at this point. The Environmental Working Group has a great list on their site of popular consumer products, and the effects of those formidable-to-pronounce ingredients, on our bodies. When I took a look at this list, I went on a zealous tirade and disposed of all offending products immediately. Whew! We were safe at last.

And then I was in a real conundrum: I still had to clean my house. How was I going to wash my dishes? Deodorize and vacuum my carpets? Mop my floors? Wash the laundry? Good God! How was I going to get tough on grease and grime? Keep my bathroom sparkling clean?! Would we all need protective suits? Gas masks?

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As it turns out, my brief moment of panic was easily subdued when I realized that I already owned nearly all of the ingredients necessary to make my own, tough-on-grease-and-grime, sparkle-inducing, non-toxic cleaners; and they were all in my kitchen pantry. O Happy Day!

Without further ado, here are the raw materials for your basic eco-cleaning kit:

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• Baking Soda
• Distilled White Vinegar
• Lemon Juice
• Light Olive Oil
• Club Soda
• Isopropyl (Rubbing) Alcohol
• Cornstarch
• Lemons
• Purified Water (only necessary if the water in your tap is too hard/soft)
• Borax
• Washing Soda (cleans as well as Borax; but also softens the water - optional)
• Castille Soap
• Vegetable Glycerin
• Organic Tea Tree Essential Oil (antifungal, antimicrobial, antiseptic properties)
• Organic Lavender Essential Oil (antimicrobial, antiseptic properties)
• Organic Lemon Essential Oil (antimicrobial, antiseptic, insecticidal properties)

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You can purchase these ingredients at your local supermarket, but some of them (essential oils, castille soap, vegetable glycerin) may be more difficult to find. Try looking in your local Whole Foods or any natural foods/health market. Since I end up using so much of the stuff, particularly baking soda, vinegar, castille soap, and those beloved essential oils - I try to buy in bulk. 


While they don't have the vinegar - they do carry just about everything else - and maybe other products you'll be wanting from other recipes later this week. I highly recommend my beloved Mountain Rose Herbs. They carry primarily certified organic products, and if it's not organic - it's sustainably harvested. And their business practices would make Rachel Carson proud. (You can also click-thru to their site directly from the banner ad at the bottom of my blog).


Now that you know the ingredients for a well-stocked, merciless-on-funk and gentle to your bodies and the planet, cleaning kit are so simple - feel free to go on your own zealous disposal tirade. Just make sure to check with your local waste provider as to the proper disposal method for these chemicals. 

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Never flush down the toilet; and especially never mix bleach and ammonia, it's a lethal combination.


Later today, I'll be back with the agenda for the week, so you can know in particular which days you definitely want to check in, if not all - not to mention: what's ahead.


Best,
Tara