Harmless Cleaning Agents and Eco-Safe Formulas

BY LISA S.T. DOSS

The coercive power of commercials led you to try several cleaning products, designed for one part of your home. Since not all formulas lived up to their promises, the outcome resulted in dozens of unused, high-priced bottles cluttering kitchen, bathroom and laundry shelves.

Something new does not deter from the ol’ standard of products you can rely on and costs pennies to make! Combining water with one other ingredient, you’ll likely create a quality cleanser that offers a smile of satisfaction every time!

BAKING SODA: Sodium bicarbonate is a wondrous powder more abrasive than soap to dislodge particles and remove stains from fabrics and fruits to kitchen surfaces. Simply sprinkle baking soda on an area in which you wish to clean, wet a sponge and start scrubbing! As most odors are acidic, the powder neutralizes to absorb and produce a clean scent. • Sprinkle baking soda over dirty dishes, allow to sit; then, wash. • Revitalize kitchen sponges by soaking them in baking soda and water. • Odorous areas, such as litter boxes, carpets, mattresses, upholstery and laundry will benefit from any number of responses, from stain removals to brightening fabrics. • Combining vinegar and baking soda will unclog a drain and remove grease from ovens.

BORAX: The mineral includes sodium’s borate and tetraborate, and a salt of boric acid. As a soft white crystal, it requires water to dissolve. Just mix two tablespoons of borax with one quart of hot water, and the result is an all-purpose cleaner. With greater concentrations of borax, you can have the means to clean mold and mildew or wash floors. • As a rust remover, combine borax, warm water and lemon juice into a paste; then, apply! • Borax, warm water and dish soap combined in a spray bottle can spot clean outdoor furniture! • If urine odors cause you problems, dampen the area first with water, then rub with borax, and allow to dry. A vacuum cleaner will remove the residue. • Save money on laundry detergents by mixing equal portions of borax, washing soda and soap flakes. Add distilled, white vinegar to each load!

CORN STARCH: In the far corner of your kitchen cupboard lies a low-cost, miracle product extracted from corn! Sprinkling on carpets and fabrics, from smelly shoes to stained clothing, will remove stains. Grease stains require time, roughly 10 hours, for complete absorption. • Mixing one-part water with two parts cornstarch offers a non-abrasive scrubbing cleaner, applied to bathrooms and kitchen surfaces, pots and pans!

LEMON: If you adore lemon-scented products, start using the juice for your cleaning needs. • Squeeze the juice of half a lemon onto countertops or cutting boards; then, use the lemon to scrub away stains. Rinse with water and dry! • Tired of stains on Tupperware? Squeeze lemon juice into a container; then, sprinkle baking soda and allow to sit overnight before scrubbing. • Sprinkle salt onto a lemon half and apply to clean tarnished brass or copper!

MINERAL OIL: Think of all the ways you require a means to protect the wood, prevent rust or remove stains. The answer is mineral oil! • Rub the oil over cutting boards to prevent bacteria from lodging into crevices! • Dab onto stains an effective prewashing strategy. • Quick application to stop squeaky doors! • Apply to folding chairs to prevent rust! SALT: According to the Salt Institute, the natural mineral extends to 14,000 uses! It serves as an effective, gentle scouring agent while boosting cleaning and deodorizing. • Pouring salt and hot water down the kitchen sink regularly deodorizes and prevents grease build-up. • A pinch of salt cleans cast-iron! • Need a solution for coffee stains?

Combine salt with a dab of dish soap and scrub! • Swirl an ice cube and salt in a coffee pot for easy washing! • Worried about the excess suds in your laundry or preventing freezing if linedrying outdoors? Add salt!

DISTILLED WHITE VINEGAR: Well-known for its natural, non-toxic cleaning abilities, it slices through grime and kills bacteria! Just use equal parts water to white vinegar to clean kitchen and bathroom surfaces. • Pour directly onto cutting boards to disinfect. • Place the showerhead into a plastic bag, and allow it to rest overnight in white vinegar! Make sure it’s submerged! • Use vinegar in your laundry to protect colors from fading while promoting an added softness to fabrics. • Combine equal parts of water to vinegar solution to keep glass surfaces sparkling!

Find books on the subject of naturally cleaning your home to learn more about the long list of ways you can invest in inexpensive, non-toxic products!

Unleash Your Most Romantic Side This Valentine’s Day or Any Day

BY SUSAN B. B. SCHABACKER

Want to be more romantic this Valentine’s day? There’s more to it than just loving candles, flowers, chocolate, and kissing. And, you don’t have to be a professional poet or songwriter to consider yourself a hopeless romantic. Anyone with a heart can be one, so here are some musings on how to be your most romantic.

CELEBRATE THE TINIEST TRIUMPHS AND SUCCESSES!

We would be much happier if we focused more on celebrating our lives than on counting our failures. You don’t have to be rich and famous or a best-selling author to be successful. The more we can appreciate the small wins and count the blessings we’re given, the more happiness we can experience. Who doesn’t want to pop open a champagne bottle or just sip a good drink to celebrate a special occasion? Life’s worth celebrating! So, get into the celebration mode, get your party hat on, and enjoy! Passion and romantic-ness go hand-in-hand.

CREATIVELY INCLINED?

Put that creativity to good use in all you think and do. Set the romantic tone by adding ambiance to the atmosphere. A little mood lighting can go a long way in creating a romantic setting. From fragrant candles to fairy lights for Valentine’s Day or any time of year, coupled with fresh flowers—spruce and spice it up with an ideal set-up! And, speaking of the fragrant, the nose knows, so appeal to your sense of smell with room spray, incense, or fragrance oils. Remember, aromas can get overwhelming when overdone, so be “scensible” about your scents and make the room smell simply “scentsational.” And, don’t forget your sense of sound, with the right music. Create a passionate Valentines-y playlist that tugs at heartstrings!

TAP INTO YOUR INNER POET AND SONGWRITER

It’s hard not to be wooed by a sonnet spoken passionately, or by a serenaded song. Handwrite your poem or song and record it—either speaking it or singing. Embellish it as much as you like, with instrumentals, harmonies/background vocals, and sound effects. Throughout the creative process, have your target audience in mind. Who is the beloved subject of your artistic love letter? Picture your loved one in your mind’s eye, enchanted and entranced by your way of wooing.

GET YOUR FOOD FIX

You don’t have to be a celebrity chef to wow with delish dishes or bodacious beverages. Tantalize taste buds and tummies with your own version of your fav foods and beverages. Follow the recipe, adding your own signature style or craft completely from scratch, cooking or baking outside the box. Embellish with a garnish, serve, and enjoy! Bless your food before you begin, and savor the flavors.

CONNECT WITH NATURE AND THE NATURAL WORLD

There’s nothing quite like staring up at the sky of changing colors and clouds. Fill your lungs with fresh air, stretch those legs, and benefit from a healthy dose of vitamin D with sunshine by heading outside. Take a walk around the block, head to the park, or take a trip to the ocean or mountains. Want to capture what you see? Snap some photos and compile them in a montage or collage to look at whenever you want to get re-inspired.

WRITING CAN BE MAGICAL

Whether you’re tapping into your inner storyteller with creative fiction and fantasy, or recording your innermost thoughts and feelings, write from the heart and write with soul. Don’t write just to please or appeal to someone. Write what you know to be true from inside of you. Reflect on, and reminisce about, what makes you tick, what you love and hate, what you want and don’t want. Write about what makes you laugh and cry, wonder, and sigh. Develop your authentic voice.

The good news for those of us who don’t feel that romantic—but want to be—is that anyone and everyone can be more romantic if they have the desire to be. You don’t have to try too hard. Remember not to try to be someone you’re not. Be real and be you. Just be true and let the romantic you shine through.

Dero’s