Homemade Stain Removal

Sep 29, 2007 Budget Environmentalism, Cleaning Products, Eco Friendly Home, Eco Friendly Parenting, Environmentally Friendly, Going Green

My daughter and I went through her clothes yesterday because my inlaws got her a bunch of new clothes and some of what she has is looking a trifle worse for wear, if you get my drift. The kind of stuff that happens when clothing is worn by a highly imaginative and active 5 year old.

She’s quite typical for her age in some ways. Very reluctant to get rid of any of the old clothes. The shirt in the very worst condition that she of course adores I showed her the exact problems, and she finally agreed that it didn’t look too good.

But we still had a lot of clothes that she doesn’t want to get rid of, but have obvious stains. So today I’m going to have her help me work on stain removal.

I’ve been looking around for good homemade stain removal options. The one I’m thinking on is a very simple recipe:

1 squirt dishwashing liquid
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 quart water

Mix and store in a squirt bottle. Spray on stains and allow to sit for a half hour or more before washing as usual.

Hopefully this will help to revive some of my daughter’s favorite clothes. One shirt was stained on its first wearing, so I really want to get it looking good again.

I just love doing this with products that are safe enough that the kids can participate. It’s good for children to learn how to do basic household chores from early on.

Technorati Tags: homemade stain removal, household, natural, parenting, clothes, stain removal

Alternative Uses for Vinegar in the Kitchen

Jun 15, 2007 Cleaning Products, Eco Friendly Home

Vinegar is one of the great nontoxic cleaning supplies most people have in their homes. Today I thought I would share some ways you can use it in the kitchen.

1. Cleaning the microwave.
   Soak a cloth with vinegar. Microwave on high for 15 seconds. Once you can handle the cloth, it can be used to wipe the now loosened splatters.
2. Removing coffee and tea stains from cups.
   Combine vinegar and table salt in equal portions. These can rub the stains right off the cups.
3. Remove buildup from the coffeemaker.
   Run 1 cycle of cold water mixed with 1/4 cup of vinegar. Repeat with water only. If you can still smell vinegar, repeat again.
4. Degrease oven vents.
   This is good to do about twice a year. Use a sponge soaked in vinegar to remove grease from the vents of your oven hood.
5. Limit mildew buildup inside the refrigerator.
   Wipe down the refrigerator door seals with vinegar.
6. Degrease pans.
   Simmer 1/4 inch water and 1/2 cup vinegar in a greasy pan for 10 minutes. Wash as usual.
7. Open clogged drains.
   Depending on the severity you can do a couple of things. Light clogs pour 1/2 cup baking soda followed by 1/2 cup vinegar down the drain. Allow to work at least 5 minutes or up to 1 hour. Rinse with boiling water. For more serious clogs, add 1/2 cup salt to the baking soda/vinegar mixture from above. Allow to site for 1 hour before rinsing.
8. Countertops may be wiped with vinegar.

There are many more things that you can clean vinegar with. It’s a very safe cleanser for most surfaces. Some people dislike the smell, but in my experience this fades nicely once the vinegar has dried.

Technorati Tags: homemade cleansers, vinegar, kitchen cleaning, cleaning products, uses for vinegar

Safer Cleaning Products Make Sense

Jun 11, 2007 Cleaning Products, Going Green

Harsh chemicals are common in household cleansers. Just look at the label and see how many have warnings or require that you wear gloves when you use them. Then think about how hard it is for the chemicals which get into your home’s air to get out of your house. It is normal for indoor air to be more polluted than the air outside.

One of the most important rules parents have to follow is to keep the cleaning chemicals away from children, as young children have been known to drink harmful chemicals in all innocence. But wouldn’t it be nice to minimize the need for that?

It can be surprising how easy it is to clean without harmful chemicals. A mixture of vinegar and water, for example, makes an excellent window cleaner. It works on other surfaces as well. Some people do not like the smell, but once it dries, the smell is quick to vanish.

White vinegar even works well on carpet stains in many cases. Mix equal parts water and white vinegar and spray onto the stain. Allow it to sit for a minute then clean with a soapy sponge.

If you have trouble with a stopped up drain, I like combining baking soda with vinegar. Pour the baking soda, then the vinegar into the stopped up drain. Close the drain for a while to let the reaction work. Rinse with boiling water. I’ve had this one successfully improve some pretty slow drains.

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