This is the third spring we've lived in our home and the third spring that we've been invaded by ants in the kitchen.
The first year, we wound up spraying chemicals in the kitchen because we did not know what else to do.
I am very uncomfortable doing that, because of the toxic fumes that are harmful to humans and our three kitties...and I just don't like having that stuff in the kitchen.
It did get rid of them for awhile and then they came back.
We tried vinegar and it did not work.
Last year we pretty much tolerated it, because there weren't very many, maybe because of the heat and drought? who knows...
But this year, they're out in full force, so I researched some natural remedies on the Internet.
I think I will try the jelly/borax mix first since I have both on hand and it's easier than the molasses paste.
Have you had any success with getting rid of household pests the natural way? If so, please post about it!
If not, check out this link:
http://http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/47674/get_rid_of_ants.html
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
More on Being Green and Clean
Last week I posted about using vinegar and water in a spray bottle to clean the bathroom mirrors and marble countertops and how well it worked...
Although it was my first experience using vinegar, I've been using borax to clean sinks, tubs, and toilets for years, with great results.
Baking soda also is a good, natural cleaner.
I also did not know vinegar works as a copper cleaner until I found the following formula on the internet:
Copper cleaner
White vinegar
Water
Salt
Mix equal parts of vinegar and salt (a tablespoon of each should be enough to start, make more as necessary) and apply to the surface with a rag. Be sure to rinse thoroughly with water afterwards, otherwise it will corrode. Don't use on lacquered finishes.
I'm eager to try it, because I don't like using chemical-based copper cleaners due to the fumes and their impact on my respiratory system.
How about you?
Have you tried any green, natural cleaners like baking soda, lemon, and/or vinegar? What were the results?
If not, do you think you'll try some of them in the future? Why or why not?
Although it was my first experience using vinegar, I've been using borax to clean sinks, tubs, and toilets for years, with great results.
Baking soda also is a good, natural cleaner.
I also did not know vinegar works as a copper cleaner until I found the following formula on the internet:
Copper cleaner
White vinegar
Water
Salt
Mix equal parts of vinegar and salt (a tablespoon of each should be enough to start, make more as necessary) and apply to the surface with a rag. Be sure to rinse thoroughly with water afterwards, otherwise it will corrode. Don't use on lacquered finishes.
I'm eager to try it, because I don't like using chemical-based copper cleaners due to the fumes and their impact on my respiratory system.
How about you?
Have you tried any green, natural cleaners like baking soda, lemon, and/or vinegar? What were the results?
If not, do you think you'll try some of them in the future? Why or why not?
Monday, May 12, 2008
Green LIght!
I've been interested in making my own soy candles for awhile now, because they're better for the environment and of course, are more natural.
I decided to look into making my own because soy candles are still a bit hard to find in Middle TN, and they're pricier.
So this morning I did some research and found several websites that give instructions on how to make soy candles. It's not that hard! So I'll probably order the supplies soon...and if I enjoy it, I might even make some extras to sell at the Farmer's Market.
I'll provide the link to the company that supplies instructions and soy wax, but first, here's something from http://www.caringconsumer.com about why soy candles are better from an environmental standpoint:
They're great for helping you relax or igniting some passion for a romantic rendezvous, but did you know that candles often contain ingredients that snuff out animals? Many candles are made from beeswax stolen from industrious bees' hives, stearic acid made from tallow (a slaughterhouse product derived from beef or sheep fat), and cetyl palmitate, a waxy oil taken from sperm whales' heads or from dolphins. Although some paraffin candles are animal-free, they can be bad for your health and the environment. The soot given off from the burning of petroleum-based paraffin candles is essentially the same as that given off by burning diesel fuel. Fortunately, it's now easier than ever to find or make soy candles, which burn cleaner, last longer, are better for the environment, and do not depend on killing and stealing from animals. Check out our list of compassionate candle companies, or get crafty and make your own.
http://www.cajuncandles.com/
I decided to look into making my own because soy candles are still a bit hard to find in Middle TN, and they're pricier.
So this morning I did some research and found several websites that give instructions on how to make soy candles. It's not that hard! So I'll probably order the supplies soon...and if I enjoy it, I might even make some extras to sell at the Farmer's Market.
I'll provide the link to the company that supplies instructions and soy wax, but first, here's something from http://www.caringconsumer.com about why soy candles are better from an environmental standpoint:
They're great for helping you relax or igniting some passion for a romantic rendezvous, but did you know that candles often contain ingredients that snuff out animals? Many candles are made from beeswax stolen from industrious bees' hives, stearic acid made from tallow (a slaughterhouse product derived from beef or sheep fat), and cetyl palmitate, a waxy oil taken from sperm whales' heads or from dolphins. Although some paraffin candles are animal-free, they can be bad for your health and the environment. The soot given off from the burning of petroleum-based paraffin candles is essentially the same as that given off by burning diesel fuel. Fortunately, it's now easier than ever to find or make soy candles, which burn cleaner, last longer, are better for the environment, and do not depend on killing and stealing from animals. Check out our list of compassionate candle companies, or get crafty and make your own.
http://www.cajuncandles.com/
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Happy Mother's Day!
Happy Mother's Day to all!
It's a windy, rainy, cool day here in Middle Tennessee...
This year we decided to fix a barbeque lunch for my mother. There is not a bbq restaurant within her driving range (just a few miles from home into Ashland City) so we decided to bring one of her favorite treats to her.
So yesterday we went to B&C Market at the Nashville Farmer's Market (http://http://www.baconandcaviar.com/files/) where we got a pound of "Q" (my dad's name for it) and some sauce.
I am fixing some baked beans and potato salad, and also made some yummy bananna pudding yesterday afternoon which we already have dipped into. Good thing I made a ginormous bowl of it!
Steve and I got up at 6 a.m. so we could go to early church, http://www.firstchurchunity.org, then be home in plenty of time to prepare the meal for noon.
It should be an enjoyable day even though we won't be able to eat outdoors.
It's a windy, rainy, cool day here in Middle Tennessee...
This year we decided to fix a barbeque lunch for my mother. There is not a bbq restaurant within her driving range (just a few miles from home into Ashland City) so we decided to bring one of her favorite treats to her.
So yesterday we went to B&C Market at the Nashville Farmer's Market (http://http://www.baconandcaviar.com/files/) where we got a pound of "Q" (my dad's name for it) and some sauce.
I am fixing some baked beans and potato salad, and also made some yummy bananna pudding yesterday afternoon which we already have dipped into. Good thing I made a ginormous bowl of it!
Steve and I got up at 6 a.m. so we could go to early church, http://www.firstchurchunity.org, then be home in plenty of time to prepare the meal for noon.
It should be an enjoyable day even though we won't be able to eat outdoors.
Friday, May 9, 2008
A Greener Way to Mop From Fly Lady
I love Fly Lady's organizational and household cleaning coaching and tips, and also her products...I've purchased the "office in a bag" and some of her other items...
Now she has come out with a mop similar to a Swiffee...but the cloths are washable so you don't have to keep purchasing...and wasting...cloths like you do with a Swiffee.
Swiffees changed my life by making cleaning much easier, and now Fly Lady's "green" mop will make it greener as well as simpler.
Check it out below. According to the Fly Lady email this morning, supplies are limited but they will be ordering more from the manufacturer since the product is a success.
http://www.flylady.net/pages/FlyShop_mop.asp
Now she has come out with a mop similar to a Swiffee...but the cloths are washable so you don't have to keep purchasing...and wasting...cloths like you do with a Swiffee.
Swiffees changed my life by making cleaning much easier, and now Fly Lady's "green" mop will make it greener as well as simpler.
Check it out below. According to the Fly Lady email this morning, supplies are limited but they will be ordering more from the manufacturer since the product is a success.
http://www.flylady.net/pages/FlyShop_mop.asp
More Info On My Secret Weapon
This article explains why you might have streaking when cleaning with vinegar and what to do about it:
By Annie B. Bond, Care2 Green Living Executive Producer
If you have tried to clean your windows with plain vinegar and gotten streaks, there is a simple reason and an easy remedy.
Oddly enough, it was the task of cleaning windows thatturned a huge number of well-intentioned, environmentallyfriendly consumers away from non-toxic cleaning using thesimple ingredients that can be found in most kitchen cupboards.Around Earth Day 1990, every newspaper in the country(or so it seemed), offered tips for cleaning in ways that didn’tharm the planet, and the recommendation for windows wasalmost always to clean them with nothing but vinegar and water.People by the thousands tried this, and many swore off cleaningwith homemade products for good because the formula leftstreaks on their windows. (I wish I had $1 for every timesomeone has said to me, “Well, I tried non-toxic cleaning and itdidn’t work. I used vinegar to clean my windows …”)
The problem was that the commercial window cleaner used before the switch to vinegar left a very fine wax residue. The vinegar alone wasn’t enough to remove it, and the result was streaky windows. If instead, everyone had added a dab of liquiddish soap to the vinegar and water, the wax would easily havebeen removed and the windows would have been cleaned perfectly!My favorite recipe is to combine 2 cups of water, 1/4 cup ofwhite distilled vinegar, and up to 1/2 teaspoon of liquid soap ordetergent in a spray bottle. That’s all there is to it. (Make sure tolabel the bottle and keep it out of the reach of children
By Annie B. Bond, Care2 Green Living Executive Producer
If you have tried to clean your windows with plain vinegar and gotten streaks, there is a simple reason and an easy remedy.
Oddly enough, it was the task of cleaning windows thatturned a huge number of well-intentioned, environmentallyfriendly consumers away from non-toxic cleaning using thesimple ingredients that can be found in most kitchen cupboards.Around Earth Day 1990, every newspaper in the country(or so it seemed), offered tips for cleaning in ways that didn’tharm the planet, and the recommendation for windows wasalmost always to clean them with nothing but vinegar and water.People by the thousands tried this, and many swore off cleaningwith homemade products for good because the formula leftstreaks on their windows. (I wish I had $1 for every timesomeone has said to me, “Well, I tried non-toxic cleaning and itdidn’t work. I used vinegar to clean my windows …”)
The problem was that the commercial window cleaner used before the switch to vinegar left a very fine wax residue. The vinegar alone wasn’t enough to remove it, and the result was streaky windows. If instead, everyone had added a dab of liquiddish soap to the vinegar and water, the wax would easily havebeen removed and the windows would have been cleaned perfectly!My favorite recipe is to combine 2 cups of water, 1/4 cup ofwhite distilled vinegar, and up to 1/2 teaspoon of liquid soap ordetergent in a spray bottle. That’s all there is to it. (Make sure tolabel the bottle and keep it out of the reach of children
My New Secret Weapon!
In 1994, I went to work at a chemical company that made paint thinners and strippers and many other products with toluene and other chemicals that aren't good for our respiratory systems.
Not only were we able to smell the chemicals in the company's office area, it was part of my job go into the plant and tank farm (where the chemicals were unloaded from tank trucks into tanks) to document procedures for ISO 9000 certification.
At the same time, I moved to rural Mississippi about 45 minutes south of Memphis. My home was surrounded by soybean and cotton fields, which were regularly sprayed with pesticides by the farmers.
I was getting a double dose of chemicals, and as a result my health began to deteriorate.
That's a big, long story for another time but one segment of it is that I had to discontinue using cleaning products like Mr. Clean and bleach.
I began cleaning the tub and toilet with borax and found it to be a great cleaning product.
The one thing I still clung to, though, was Windex. Although I had read that white vinegar and water worked just as well, I was skeptical.
Well, finally...yesterday I decided to give white vinegar a whirl in the bathroom and wow! It works BETTER than Windex!
The bathroom is sparkling clean and is disinfected, too! Yes, white vinegar is a natural disinfectant and made the bathroom look and feel fresh and safe. It seems like it took less time to clean, too, but that could be my imagination :)
So for all you who'd like to try it, here's a link to what white vinegar can do in your home. It has more uses than I've ever imagined. I definitely want to try it in the microwave, the process is much easier than scrubbing. Just put a bowl of vinegar and baking soda in the oven (amounts are in the article) turn it on, (time is in the article) and it will loosen caked on food! How easy...and green...is that!
http://http://www.vinegartips.com/cleaning/
Not only were we able to smell the chemicals in the company's office area, it was part of my job go into the plant and tank farm (where the chemicals were unloaded from tank trucks into tanks) to document procedures for ISO 9000 certification.
At the same time, I moved to rural Mississippi about 45 minutes south of Memphis. My home was surrounded by soybean and cotton fields, which were regularly sprayed with pesticides by the farmers.
I was getting a double dose of chemicals, and as a result my health began to deteriorate.
That's a big, long story for another time but one segment of it is that I had to discontinue using cleaning products like Mr. Clean and bleach.
I began cleaning the tub and toilet with borax and found it to be a great cleaning product.
The one thing I still clung to, though, was Windex. Although I had read that white vinegar and water worked just as well, I was skeptical.
Well, finally...yesterday I decided to give white vinegar a whirl in the bathroom and wow! It works BETTER than Windex!
The bathroom is sparkling clean and is disinfected, too! Yes, white vinegar is a natural disinfectant and made the bathroom look and feel fresh and safe. It seems like it took less time to clean, too, but that could be my imagination :)
So for all you who'd like to try it, here's a link to what white vinegar can do in your home. It has more uses than I've ever imagined. I definitely want to try it in the microwave, the process is much easier than scrubbing. Just put a bowl of vinegar and baking soda in the oven (amounts are in the article) turn it on, (time is in the article) and it will loosen caked on food! How easy...and green...is that!
http://http://www.vinegartips.com/cleaning/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
