Category Archives for "Cleaning"

21 Ways to Clean Naturally with Lemons

The Lemon ( Citrus limon (L) )   is a species of small evergreen tree in the flowering plant family Ruaceae, native to South Asia, primarily North Eastern India. ( Wikipedia)

The tree’s yellow fruit is popularly known for its culinary use and also has other uses such as in cleaning.

Lemons are antiseptic, antibacterial and cleansing. It is an incredibly useful item in natural cleaning. In fact, it is one of the three substances in the cleaning triumvirate in non-toxic cleaning, the other two being baking soda and vinegar.

The acid in lemon juice kills mold, bacteria and germs and for many, it is preferable to vinegar as a cleaning agent because it smells better.

The Lemon is a Miracle Cleaner and is extremely useful in a natural home.

There are many ways lemons can be used for cleaning:

Caution: Like all substances, lemon can damage surfaces if used incorrectly. Check a small hidden part of an item to see if it is safe. Then proceed with cleaning the entire thing. In most applications, rinse and wipe with dry cloth.

  1. Deodorizer for the Refrigerator –  Cut the lemon in half and put it in a small bowl, cut side up to absorb all the odors. Change every week.
  2. Barbecue Grate Cleaner – Scrub cut lemon into grates to remove stubborn dirt. Rinse and dry.
  3. Countertop cleaner ( Not Marble or any stone) – Dilute lemon juice with a little water and wipe countertop with cloth
  4. Plastic container Stain Remover  – Soak your plasticware with a bit of lemon juice and soapy water, leave for a few hours and Rinse.
  5. Copper Pot Cleaner –  Scrub bottom of pots with a lemon juice solution. Rinse and dry.
  6. Stainless Sinks – Wipe with a cloth with lemon and olive oil solution to have a shiny and clean sink
  7. Brass Cleaner – Use lemon and salt to clean
  8. Chrome Faucet  – Rub with lemon to let the shine come through
  9. Cutting Boards Revitalizer – Get the stains out of cutting boars by rubbing a lemon onto the surface. Leave a few minutes. Rinse and dry.
  10. Grout – Use a toothbrush with lemon juice to remove grout stains easily
  11. White clothing/bedsheets –   Soak stained clothing in a bowl to with water and lemon juice. For stubborn stains, apply directly on stain. Dry in the sun. Launder as usual.
  12. Garbage Disposal Sanitizer–  squeeze lemon juice onto sanitizer. Leave half an hour. For hot water.
  13. Dishwashing – For hand dishwashing, cut a lemon in half and leave in your dish bowl to help degrease dishes.
  14. Smelly Hands Saver– Rub cut lemon in hands to remove kitchen smells like garlic
  15. Window Cleaner–  Put lemon juice and water in a spray bottle. Apply on cloth or newspaper and rub onto windows until clean.  Avoid doing this when it is sunny as it will create streaks on windows.
  16. Toilet Bowl Cleaner – Spray with lemon and water solution. Leave a few minutes and Rinse.
  17. Hair Rinse– Clean hair with water with a little lemon juice to remove residues from shampoos and conditioner. Doing this can make your hair shinier.
  18. Air Freshener– In a spray bottle, put a little lemon juice, a bit of baking soda and warm water. Spray and smell the fresh scent.
  19. Baby Formula Stain Remover– Apply lemon juice to stain. Rinse.
  20. Sole plate of Iron Cleaner–  Rub with lemon and salt to remove stains on iron plates.
  21. Furniture Polish–  Mix lemon and olive oil to make a great and natural furniture cleaner.

Tip: To soften lemon, roll the fruit with the palm of your hand a few times on top of a countertop. Squeeze away.

Warning: Do not use lemon on leather, suede, silk and delicate fabrics, marble and stone.

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Wool Ball Dryers

The Wool Ball Dryer


The wool laundry ball. It is such a small, seemingly unimportant item. Yet, immensely indispensable in a natural home.

Back in the day, the most natural way of drying laundry is by line drying. It is not only energy efficient , it does not involve harmful chemicals and it is safe. But in the modern urban setting, doing this is close to impossible.


What is the next best thing to line drying? In our modern world, our de facto solution has been drying our clothes in the dryer machine. It is efficient and saves precious time so we can do more things in our busy lives.

In the 1960s, we have started to use dryer sheets during the drying process. Dryer sheets are used to reduce static cling, add fragrance to clothes and make the clothes softer. Unfortunately, they leave harmful chemical residues on the dryer machines. They are also not healthful to us humans.

According to Scientific American, “the chemicals in dryer sheets get released into the air when they are heated up in the dryer and can pose a respiratory health risk to those both inside and outside the home.”

Using either dryer sheets or liquid softener to our laundry pose harmful threats to our health.

According to the health and wellness website Sixwise.com “some of the most harmful ingredients in dryer sheets and liquid fabric softener alike include benzyl acetate (linked to pancreatic cancer), benzyl alcohol (an upper respiratory tract irritant), ethanol (linked to central nervous system disorders), limonene (a known carcinogen) and chloroform (a neurotoxin and carcinogen), among others.”

But what can be our natural alternative?

A good one is using a wool laundry ball. Like dryer sheets they reduce static and soften fabrics. With essentials oils added, it can also be used to make your clothes more fragrant. 

Wool balls are natural and no chemicals are used and they last for a quite long time- as long as 1000 uses -which translates to a lifespan of a few years. Compared to plastic dryer balls, wool balls are definitely quieter during the tumbling in the dryer.


How do they work?

When the wool balls tumble in the dryer, the balls absorb the moisture in the wet clothes and separates the clothes from each other so the heat can reach more surface area and hence dry the clothes faster.

The wool balls costs- around 15 to 20 dollars for 6 balls. Using them will save you electricity long term as it is known to reduce drying time.  They are good for fluffing jackets and blankets.  They also are chemical free – hence, not harmful to your skin or your lungs or to your over all health.

There are many brands in the market today. To pick the good ones,  choose balls are made of 100% wool, are hypoallergenic and safe for baby’s skin ( hence to adults, too), will not unravel easily and are a good size.

How do we use wool balls?

Just put a few balls in the dryer with your clean wet clothes in the dryer and press the on button on your machine. Small loads require as few balls as 2 or for larger ones, add more.

If you want your laundry smelling more fragrant, you can add a few drops of natural essential oils on the ball. This should only be done in the last 10 minutes of drying. But even without the essential oils, the clothes will smell just as perfect.

In summary, wool dryer balls help dry clothes more quickly naturally and are indispensable in modern natural homes.



Our favorite wool dryer ball recommendations:

https://smile.amazon.com/Smart-Sheep-Premium-Reusable-Softener/dp/B00GA9P5P0/ref=sr_1_6?crid=1SHDM074J6NRN&keywords=wool+dryer+balls&qid=1550486350&s=gateway&sprefix=wool%2Caps%2C255&sr=8-6​​​


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Cleanin​g Your Home Naturally with Baking Soda

Cleaning with Baking Soda

BAKING SODA

 

One of the Key Ingredients In Making your homemade natural cleaning solutions is baking soda.

Baking Soda is also known as Sodium bicarbonate. (NaHCO3) – It is one of the most useful items in cleaning the home naturally. It is inexpensive and it is non-toxic.

Uses:

  • A paste made from baking soda with cold water ( hot water can corrode steel) can be used as a gentle scouring powder
  • It is an effective cleaner of  bathtubs and sinks
  • A solution in warm water will remove the tarnish from silver when the silver is in contact with a piece of aluminium foil
  • Baking soda can also be added to washing machines to remove odors from clothes
  • It is an odor reducer/deodorizer for the refrigerator
  • It is also effective in removing tea or coffee stains from cups when diluted with warm water
  • Baking soda can be used as a multipurpose odor remover

An interesting anecdote about baking soda (from Wikipedia):

During the Manhattan Project to develop the nuclear bomb in the early 1940s, the chemical toxicity of uranium was an issue. Uranium oxides were found to stick very well to a cotton cloth and did not wash out with soap or laundry detergent. However, the uranium would wash out with a 2% solution of sodium bicarbonate. Clothing can become contaminated with the toxic dust of depleted uranium (DU), which is very dense, hence used for counterweights in a civilian context, and in armor-piercing projectiles. DU is not removed by normal laundering; washing with about 6 ounces (170 g) of baking soda in 2 gallons (7.5 l) of water will help to wash it out.[66]

Baking Soda remains as one of the most important ingredients for cleaning your house without using toxic chemicals. 

 

 

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