The Green House


Here's a collection of natural cleaning formulas and household hints.

Those that I have tried with satisfactory results are highlighted in all upper case. As I try others, those

with unsatisfactory results will be removed or noted. Please let me know what your results are!

 

Hints

Basic Ingredients

Air Fresheners & Deodorizers

Garden

All-Purpose Cleaners

Glass

Automotive

Insects & Rodents

Bathroom

Kitchen

Carpets & Upholstery

Light Bulbs (CFL)

Disinfectants

Metal

Floors

Miscellaneous Cleaners

Furniture

Scouring Powders

 

 

Basic Ingredients

You probably already have most of these ingredients in your cupboard. They are inexpensive and can be found at your local supermarket, hardware, or drugstore. Most are safe and non-toxic, but note the cautions.

 

BAKING SODA (sodium bicarbonate)  A naturally derived mineral. Baking soda can be substituted for many kitchen and bathroom cleaners. It is mildly abrasive and non-toxic. Cleans, deodorizes, removes stains, and softens fabrics. Baking soda cleans, polishes and deodorizes most hard surfaces. Rinsing is required.


BORAX (sodium borate)  A natural mineral that kills mould and bacteria. An alternative to bleach, it softens water, deodorizes, removes stains, and boosts the cleaning power of soap. Please note safety precautions below.


CORNSTARCH  Use as a clothes starch, washing windows, freshening carpets. Absorbs oil and grease.

 

HERBS and ESSENTIAL OILS   For disinfecting and fragrance


LEMON or LIME JUICE   An alternative to bleach; cuts through grease and removes perspiration and other stains from clothing. For economy, buy the largest bottle of the store brand.


SALT (sodium chloride) An abrasive

 

SOAP – Pure Castile or vegetable-based  Cleans most everything. Sold as Murphy’s Oil Soap among others.


TOOTHPASTE A mild abrasive

 

VINEGAR (acetic acid) Cuts grease, removes mildew and stains; an excellent water softener.


WASHING SODA (sodium carbonate) This is sold under the label of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda and should not be confused with baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). It cleans clothes, softens water, cuts grease and disinfects. Rinsing is required. Sodium carbonate is used to encapsulate and kill mold. When mixed with water and put in a spray bottle, it is sold for its antimold cleaning ability.


Hints

·        Buy ingredients in bulk to save money and avoid excess packaging.

·        Store each cleaner in a reusable airtight plastic containers or spray bottle. A pretty container makes cleaning days more fun and pleasant.

·        Label all ingredients and keep cleaners out of the reach of children. Even natural cleaners can be harmful or even fatal if swallowed by children or pets. See specific safety precautions below.

·        Add your favourite essential oils or herbs to any of these formulas for fragrance


Air Fresheners/Deodorizers

1.      Use cedar chips, lavender flowers or herbs in drawers and closets instead of mothballs.

2.      Place cloves, cinnamon sticks or allspice in a pot of water, and simmer for 1-2 hours.

3.      Put a few slices of orange or lemon rind in a pot of water, and simmer for 1-2 hours.

4.      Stud an orange with cloves to scent small areas, such as closets. Be sure the orange is completely covered or mould will appear.

5.      Place baking soda in an open container of your choice. Good for closets, refrigerators and other small enclosed spaces

6.      Carpet deodorizer: Sprinkle baking soda on the carpet, wait a few minutes, then vacuum thoroughly.

7.      2-3 slices of white bread absorbs refrigerator odours

8.      Place lemon slices in an open bowl in the kitchen

9.      Dissolve baking soda in 2 cups hot water, add lemon juice, pour into spray bottle, spray into air as air freshener

10.  Vinegar in a cup or bowl rids rooms of odours

11.  Simply light a match or burn a candle (scented or unscented). The flame will burn up the bad smelling gases in the air.

12.  Pour vanilla extract into a shallow dish and set in an out of the way place

13.  Add a couple of drops of your favourite essential oil to the inside of the cardboard toilet tissue roll. With each turn, fragrance is released into the room.


All-Purpose Cleaners

1.      For floors, counters and painted walls, mix 50 ml baking soda, 125 ml vinegar, and 4 litres water.

2.      For a general, all-purpose cleaner, try a paste made from baking soda and water or mix salt and water with a little vinegar

3.      Dissolve 4 tablespoons baking soda in 1-quart warm water for a general cleaner.

4.      Mix ½ cup white vinegar and ¼ cup baking soda in 2 liters of water.

5.      Baking soda on a damp sponge can be used for scouring.

6.      Use liquid castile soap and baking soda or Borax in different ratios. Use a little soap and soda/borax with lots of water on floors, walls and counters. Use more soap, soda/Borax for tubs sinks, cat boxes, anything that can be well rinsed.

7.      3 tbsp. vinegar, 1/2 tsp. washing soda, 1/2 tsp. vegetable oil based liquid soap, 2 cups hot water. Mix ingredients in spray bottle or bucket. Apply and wipe clean.


Disinfectants

1.      Borax has long been recognized for its disinfectant and deodorizing properties. Mix 1/2 cup Borax into 1-gallon hot water for a cleaning solution.

2.      Mix a 1/2-cup of borax with 1-gallon hot water. Add a few sprigs of fresh thyme, rosemary or lavender. Steep for 10 minutes, strain and cool. Or add essential fragrant oils instead of fresh herbs. Store in a plastic spray bottle.

3.      2 tablespoons borax, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 2 cups hot water. Combine the borax and lemon juice with the water in a spray bottle. Use as you would any commercial all-purpose cleaner.

4.      Isopropyl alcohol is an excellent disinfectant. Sponge on and allow to dry. Use in a well-ventilated area and wear gloves.


Glass Cleaners

Windows and Mirrors

1.      1/2 cup lemon juice and 2 cups water in a spray bottle.

2.      Zuni’s comment: Works well, with a nice fresh scent.

3.      Mix 2 tablespoons of vinegar in 1 quart (litre) of water.

Zuni’s comment: This cleans fairly well, but I am not keen on the vinegar smell.

4.      No-Streak Glass Cleaner: 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1-tablespoon cornstarch, 1-quart warm water. Mix the ingredients and apply with a sponge or pour into spray bottle and spray on. Wipe dry with crumpled newspaper, buff to a shine. (Use crumpled newspaper instead of paper towels for lint-free results.

Zuni’s comment: Again, works fairly well, but the vinegar scent isn’t the greatest.

4.      Mix 1/2-cup cornstarch with 2 quarts warm water. Apply with sponge then wipe with absorbent cloth or towel. Do not wash windows or glass when sun is on them or if they are warm. The solution will dry too quickly creating unwanted streaks.


Scouring Powders

1.      Use a non-chlorine scouring powder such as Bon Ami.

2.      Baking soda and dry table salt are mild abrasives and can be used as alternatives to chlorine scouring powders. Simply put either baking soda or salt on a sponge or the surface, scour and rinse.

Non-Abrasive soft-scrub:

1/4-cup borax

Vegetable oil based liquid soap (such as Murphy’s Oil Soap)

1/2 teaspoon lemon oil

In a bowl, mix the borax with enough soap to form a creamy paste. Add lemon oil and blend well. Put a small amount of the mixture on a sponge, wash the surface. Rinse well.


Bathroom Cleaners

Toilet Bowl Cleaners

1.      Baking Soda and Vinegar: Sprinkle baking soda into the bowl, then squirt with vinegar and scour with a toilet brush. Cleans and deodorizes.

2.      Add 1000 mg of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Allow to set over night.

3.      For badly stained toilets, mix enough borax and lemon juice into a paste cover the ring. Flush toilet to wet the sides, and then rub on the paste. Let sit for 2 hours and scrub thoroughly.

Zuni’s comment: This is a very effective cleaner with a fresh, pleasant smell.

4.      1-cup borax, 1/2 cup white vinegar. Flush to wet the sides of the bowl. Sprinkle the borax around the toilet bowl, then spray with vinegar. Leave for several hours or overnight before scrubbing with a toilet brush.

5.      Denture tablets are an excellent substitute for toilet cleaner. Drop two tablets into the bowl and clean as you would with toilet cleaner.

6.      Sprinkle baking soda or Borax around the rim and scrub with a toilet brush.

 
Tub And Tile Cleaners

1.      Vinegar removes most dirt without scrubbing and doesn't leave a film. Use 1/4-cup (or more) vinegar to 1-gallon water.

2.      Use baking soda as you would scouring powder. Rub lightly with a damp sponge. Rinse thoroughly.

3.      Vinegar and baking soda. To remove film build-up on bathtubs, apply vinegar full-strength to a sponge and wipe. Next, use baking soda as you would scouring powder. Rub with a damp sponge and rinse thoroughly with clean water.

4.      To clean grout, put 3 cups baking soda into a medium-sized bowl and add 1-cup warm water. Mix into a smooth paste and gently scrub into grout with a sponge or toothbrush. Rinse thoroughly.

5.      Rub the area to be cleaned with half a lemon dipped in borax. Rinse well, and dry with soft cloth.

Porcelain

Rub with cream of tartar sprinkled on a damp cloth.

Drain Cleaner:

Use this drain cleaner once a week to keep drains fresh and clog-free:

1/2-cup baking soda

1-cup white vinegar

1-gallon boiling water

1/2 a used lemon

Pour baking soda down drain/disposal, followed by vinegar. Allow the mixture to foam for several minutes before flushing the drain with boiling water.

 

Plumbing Fixtures

1.      To clean stainless steel, chrome, fibreglass, ceramic, porcelain or enamel fixtures, dissolve 2 tbsp baking soda in 1 qt of water. Wipe on fixtures then rinse.

2.      Vinegar and Paper Towels. Hard lime deposits around faucets can be softened for easy removal by covering the deposits with vinegar-soaked paper towels. Leave the paper towels on for about one hour before cleaning. Leaves chrome clean and shiny.

Metal Shower Heads

To remove deposits that may be clogging your metal showerhead, combine 1/2 cup white vinegar and one quart water. Then completely submerge the showerhead and boil 15 minutes.

Plastic Shower Heads

Combine 1 pint white vinegar and 1 pint hot water. Completely submerge the showerhead and soak for about one hour.

Rust Stain and Hard Water Deposit Remover

Apply full-strength vinegar or lemon juice and let stand until spot disappears, rinse. Repeat if necessary.

Mildew Remover

Dissolve half-cup vinegar with half-cup borax in warm water.

Lime Deposits

White vinegar


Kitchen Cleaners

Dishes

Look for phosphate-free dish soaps.

Automatic dishwasher detergents often have high amounts. Use low phosphate detergents.

Oven Cleaners

1.      While the oven is still warm, sprinkle salt or baking soda on the spill. If the spill is completely dry, wet the spill lightly before sprinkling on salt. When the oven cools, scrape away the spill and wash the area clean.

2.      Sprinkle water on oven bottom. Cover with baking soda. Let sit overnight. Wipe off and apply liquid soap with scouring pad. Rinse.

3.      Retard grease build-up in your oven by dampening your cleaning rag in vinegar and water before wiping out your oven.

4.      Sprinkle/spray water followed by a layer of baking soda. Rub gently with a very fine steel wool pad for tough spots. Wipe off scum with dry paper towels or sponge. Rinse well and wipe dry.

5.      2 tablespoons vegetable oil-based liquid soap, 2 tablespoons borax: Mix the soap and borax in a spray bottle. Fill the bottle with hot water and shake well. Spray on oven and leave for 20 minutes. Scrub off.

6.      Mix 30 ml of liquid dish soap and 15 ml of borax in a 1-litre spray bottle. Spray soiled area, wait 1 hour and scrub with steel wool.


Refrigerators

1.      To clean exterior and interior walls, dissolve 2 tbs. baking soda in 1 qt warm water and wipe all surfaces. For stubborn spots, rub with baking soda paste. Be sure to rinse with a clean, wet cloth. (This works well on other enamel-finished appliances as well.)

2.      To clean interior fixtures, such as vegetable bins and shelves, wash in hot soapy water, rinse well and dry.

Fragrant Kitchen Rinse:

Use any of the following essential oils, alone or in a combination pleasing to you. Add 4 drops of oil to each pint of water. Pour into a spray bottle, store away cool dark place. Use as a final rinse after cleaning kitchen surfaces.

Eucalyptus
Pine
Lavender
Cypress
Lemon
Lemongrass
Lime
Thyme
Grapefruit
Orange
Wintergreen
Rosemary
Sage


Pots and Pans

1.      Burned, and crusted on foods; Soak or boil a solution of 2 tbs. baking soda per qt of water in each pan. Let stand until particles are loosened, then wash as usual. Use a mild or moderate abrasive if necessary.

2.      To clean a greasy pan easily, add 1 or 2 teaspoons of baking soda to the water in which it is soaking.

Copper pan cleaner

Sprinkle surface of pans with coarse salt. Rub salt into stains with the cut half of a fresh lemon.

No-Stick Cookware

To remove stains from non-stick surfaces, pour a solution of 1 cup water, 2 tbs. baking soda into a pan, simmer 5 to 10 minutes. Do not allow mixture to boil or to boil over the side of the pan. Wash in hot soapy water, rinse and dry. Apply a light coating of cooking oil.

Baking Dishes - Enamel, Ceramic or Glass

Soak in hot soapy water, then scour with salt or baking soda and rinse thoroughly.

Dishes

1.      Use liquid or powdered soap instead of detergents - which are petroleum-based. In dishwashers, use equal parts borax and washing soda.

2.      Use Baking soda and liquid soap

Drinking Glasses

1.      Occasionally soak drinking glasses in a solution of vinegar and water to really get them clean. Makes them sparkle!

2.      When a quick dip for crystal glassware is needed, prepare a solution of baking soda in tepid-cool water (l level teaspoon to a quart) and brush with a soft toothbrush. Very good for glass coffee makers and thermos jugs too.

Spot-free Dishwasher Rinse

Add 1 cup of white vinegar to the rinse compartment of your automatic dishwasher. Wash dishes as usual.

Drains and Garbage Disposals:

Use this drain cleaner once a week to keep drains fresh and clog-free.

1/2 to 1 cup baking soda

1-cup white vinegar

1-gallon boiling water

Pour baking soda down drain/disposal, followed by vinegar. Allow the mixture to foam for several minutes before flushing the drain with boiling water.

Garbage Disposal

To eliminate garbage disposal odours and clean and sharpen blades, grind ice and used lemon and/or orange rinds until pulverized.

Fire Safety

1.      Emergency fire extinguisher – Keep a large coffee can filled with baking soda near the stove. If a greasy pan catches on fire, turn off the heat and try to cover the pan. Sprinkle powdered baking soda over the fire.

2.      Oven fires – Close the door and turn off the heat.


Carpets & Upholstery

1.      Club soda is a great non-toxic carpet stain remover. Soak the spot immediately with soda and blot until the stain is gone.

2.      For a heavily soiled rug or carpet: use a mixture of 1 part borax to 2 parts cornmeal. sprinkle it evenly over the rug, let it stand for one hour and then shake or vacuum.

Zuni’s comment: I used ½ cup borax and 1 cup of cornmeal for a small kitchen rug. It worked very well and really freshened the rug.

3.      Pet urine on carpets: Dab area with towelling to absorb as much as possible, wash spot with a drop of liquid dish detergent, and rinse with 1/2 cup vinegar diluted in 1 qt. warm water. Lay towels or paper towels over the spot and weight down to absorb excess moisture. Let stand 4 to 6 hours, then remove towelling, brush up nap and allow to dry completely. Use an electric fan to speed drying.

4.      Red wine stains can be removed from carpet by rubbing in baking soda and vacuuming.

5.      Dry cornstarch sprinkled on rug and vacuum.

6.      To remove grease spots from carpets, first sop up the liquid with a sponge, and then rub a liberal amount of baking soda into the spot. Let it absorb overnight. Next day, remove the excess and vacuum the area.

7.      To remove grease spots from carpets, first absorb excess with a sponge, then rub a liberal amount of cornstarch into the spot. Let sit overnight, and then vacuum.

8.      Carpet deodorizer: Sprinkle baking soda on the carpet, wait a few minutes, then vacuum thoroughly.

Carpet Freshener:

4 cups baking soda or cornstarch

35 drops Eucalyptus essential oil              

30 drops Lavender essential oil

25 drops Rosewood essential oil

or any combination of your favourite essential oils

Measure 4 cups of baking soda into a bowl, add essential oils. Break up any clumps that form, stir until well mixed. Before vacuuming sprinkle powder from a shaker type can or jar. Let it sit on the carpet for about 15 minutes then vacuum.

     Herbal Carpet Freshener:

1 cup baking soda, 1/2 cup lavender flowers
Crush the lavender flowers to release their scent. Mix well with baking soda and sprinkle liberally on carpets. Wait 30 minutes and then vacuum.


Furniture Polish & Scratch Repair

Furniture Polish

1.      Use almond oil.

2.      Mix 1 teaspoon lemon oil and 2 cups mineral oil.

3.      Mix 2 parts olive oil with 1 part lemon juice. Apply mixture to furniture with a soft cloth and wipe it dry.

4.      Use a little olive or lemon oil and some beeswax.

5.      Hide wood scratches by rubbing with the meat of a walnut.

6.      Use a soft cloth and wipe with a bit of mayonnaise.

7.      Rub furniture with a cloth dipped in cool tea.

8.      1/8-cup linseed oil, 1/8-cup vinegar, 1/4 cup lemon juice. Mix ingredients, using soft cloth, rub into wood.

9.      Stains – Remove stains on wood furniture by dabbing white toothpaste onto the stain. Allow the paste to dry and then gently buff off with a soft cloth.

10.  Watermarks – Remove watermarks by rubbing essence of peppermint into the mark, then polishing with a soft cloth.


Floor Cleaners

1.      A pencil eraser removes heel marks from a floor.

2.      A little baking soda on a damp sponge will remove scuffs. Rub gently.

3.      For greasy, no-wax floors:

1-cup vinegar

1/4-cup washing soda

1-tablespoon vegetable oil-based liquid soap

2 gallons hot water

Combine all ingredients, stirring well to dissolve the washing soda. Mop as usual.


Light Bulbs (CFL)

CFL light bulb breakage

If a bulb breaks, open the windows in the room. Do not vacuum the pieces. Carefully sweep up the shards without touching them, and wipe the area with an old cloth or damp paper towel.

Place the fragments and the rag in a sealed plastic bag, and dispose of it according to your local waste collection guidelines. Some municipalities require they be handled like used batteries and paint.


Metal Cleaners

Silver

1.      Use toothpaste instead of toxic silver cleaner to clean and brighten even your best silver. Use an old soft bristled toothbrush and warm water.

2.      Rub with a paste of baking soda and water.

3.      To magnetize tarnish away, soak silver in salted water in an aluminium container; then wipe clean.

4.      Soak in boiling water, baking soda, salt, and a piece of aluminium foil.

5.      When a quick dip for silverware is needed, prepare a solution of baking soda in tepid-cool water (l level teaspoon to a quart) and brush with a soft toothbrush.

Brass Polish

1.      Rub lemon peel with some salt. Polish brass.

2.      Mix equal parts of salt and flour with a little vinegar to make a paste. Apply a thick coat and let stand for 30 minutes. Rub off and rinse thoroughly with water. If surface is left dry, rub lightly with vegetable oil. Do not use salt and vinegar on metals with a lacquer coating.

Chrome

Rub with undiluted vinegar.

Copper

Rub with lemon juice and salt, or hot vinegar and salt.

Stainless Steel

Rub with a paste of baking soda and water.


Automotive Cleaners & Care

Windshield Wiper Frost-Free Fluid

Mix 3 parts vinegar to 1 part water and coat the car windows with this
solution. This vinegar and water combination will keep windshields ice and frost-free.

Car Soap

1/4-cup vegetable oil-based liquid soap, and hot water. Mix in pail. Wash your car on the lawn instead of your driveway to reduce runoff to the street or storm sewer.

Car Wax

1-cup linseed oil, 4 tbsp. carnauba wax (available at automotive stores), 2 tbsp. beeswax, and 1/2-cup vinegar. Put ingredients in top half of a double boiler or saucepan. Heat slowly until wax has melted. Stir, and pour into a heat resistant container. After wax has solidified, rub it on the car with a lint-free cloth. Saturate a corner of a cotton rag with vinegar and polish the wax to a deep shine.


Miscellaneous Cleaners

Adhesive, decal, label or price tag removal

To remove non-slip appliqués and strips from bathtubs, saturate a cloth or sponge and squeeze hot vinegar over decals. Vinegar also removes stick-on hooks from painted walls. Saturate a cloth or sponge with vinegar and squeeze the liquid behind the hook so that the vinegar comes in contact with the adhesive. In addition, vinegar can be used to remove price labels and other decals from glass, wood, and china. Paint the label or decal with several coats of white vinegar. Give the vinegar time to soak in and after several minutes the decal can be rubbed off. (NOTE: Use these methods only on washable surfaces and washable paint)

Candles/Wax

Sponge with a piece of cotton dipped in rubbing alcohol.

Grease Cutters

1.      Use lemon juice, vinegar, or sprinkle with borax and scrub with scrub brush.

2.      1/2 tsp. washing soda, 1/2 tsp. vegetable oil-based liquid soap, 3 tbsp. vinegar, and 2 cups hot water. Mix in spray bottle, spray and scrub, wipe clean.

Paint Brushes

Soften hard paintbrushes in hot vinegar for a few minutes. Then wash in soap and warm water and let dry.

Rust Remover

1.      To remove rust from tin-ware, rub with a peeled potato dipped in a mild abrasive such as baking soda or salt.

2.      Briskly scrub rust spots on car bumpers with a piece of crumpled aluminium foil, shiny side up.

Shoe Polish/Care/Deodorizer

1.      Cold-pressed nut oil, olive oil, walnut oil, or beeswax - Apply oil/wax to leather then buff with a chamois cloth to a shine.

2.      Lemon juice - Good for black or tan leather shoes. Follow by buffing with a soft cloth.

3.      Vinegar - Remove water stains on leather by rubbing with a cloth dipped in a vinegar and water solution.

4.      A dab of petroleum jelly rubbed into patent leather gives a glistening shine and prevents cracking in the winter.

Shoe Deodorizer:

6 Tbsp Cornstarch

3 Tbsp Baking Soda

20 drops Rosemary essential oil

20 drops Tea Tree essential oil

5 drops Lemon essential oil

5 drops Clove essential oil

Mix all, then put 1-2 Tablespoon in each shoe/sneaker and rub it in. Allow the powder to sit in the shoe overnight.

Stain and Spot Removers

1.      Concrete - To remove grease from concrete flooring, sprinkle dry cement or cat litter over grease. Allow it to absorb the grease, and then sweep up.

2.      Ink - Use a non-aerosol hair spray to remove ink stains.

3.      Fabric - Remove spots with a mix of 2 parts water and 1 part rubbing alcohol.

Suede

Dirt marks on suede can be rubbed out with an art-gum eraser. Then buff very lightly an emery board.

Tar Remover

Wet rag with food-grade linseed oil and rub hard.

Vinyl Cleaner

Dissolve 1 tsp. to 1/4-cup washing soda in 1 cup boiling water. Apply with sponge, wipe off with a damp cloth.

Wallpaper Cleaner

Roll up a piece of white bread and use it like an eraser for marks on wallpaper.


Insects & Rodents

Garden

1.      Ladybugs and praying mantis are natural bug killers. Both can be purchased at garden centres.

2.      Marigolds (Calendula) are natural bug deterrents in the garden.

3.      Rust flies – Plant onions near carrots.

4.      Ants – Place lemon peels, damp coffee grounds, bone meal, and lines of chalk in their path.

5.      Red spider mites – Plant garlic with tomatoes.

6.      Borers on fruit trees – Plant garlic around the trunk.

7.      Rabbits – Make a spray of garlic.

8.      Ponds – Spray with garlic-based oil to kill mosquitoes.

Diatomaceous earth insect killer

This is an abrasive powder made from the fossils of diatoms (tiny sea creatures). It works on a variety of critters, including slugs, earwigs, millipedes, centipedes, silverfish, cockroaches and ants. The particles work by cutting open the exoskeleton of crawling insects. With their exoskeletons damaged, the bugs dehydrate and die, usually within 48 hours. Since it works mechanically, pests will not become resistant to it. You can use it safely both indoors and outdoors. Simply sprinkle the powder where pests are likely to crawl, live, or hide. It can be purchased at garden centres under a variety of labels, but you will have to read the active ingredients lists to find it.

General insect spray:

Add four or five pints of water and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to crushed tomato leaves in your vegetable juicer. Strain it. Keep the unused spray refrigerated. Works well on roses.

Organic all-purpose pesticide:

In a jar, combine 1-teaspoon dishwashing liquid and 1-cup vegetable oil. Shake vigorously. In an empty spray bottle, combine 2 teaspoons of this mixture and 1 cup water. Use at ten-day intervals (or more often if needed) to rid plants of whiteflies, mites, aphids, scales, and other pests.

Note: I have not tried this concoction because it seems like the oil would either suffocate the foliage or cause sunburn. If you try it, let me know the results.

Garlic pesticide spray:

Soak 3 to 4 ounces of chopped garlic bulbs in 2 tablespoons of mineral oil for one day. Dissolve 1 tsp of fish emulsion in a pint of water and add it to your solution. Stir. Strain liquid and store in a glass container (do not use metal!) Dilute 1 part solution to every 20 parts of water. Kills aphids, mosquitoes, and onion flies.

Fleas and Ticks

Wash pets with castile soap and water, dry thoroughly, apply an herbal rinse made by adding 1/2-cup fresh or dried rosemary to a quart of boiling water (steep for 20 minutes, strain and cool. Spray or sponge onto pets hair, massage into skin. Let air dry, do NOT towel dry as this removes the residue of the rosemary.

Roaches

1.      Mix equal parts boric acid with flour, sprinkle around cracks and crevices or

2.      Mix equal parts boric acid with sugar, sprinkle around cracks and crevices or

3.      Mix equal parts boric acid with corn meal, sprinkle around cracks and crevices or

4.      Diatomaceous earth (pure silica): sprinkle around flours, cracks and crevices or

5.      Cucumber peels: set out on counter tops overnight to repel roaches or

6.      Mix Borax with a little brown sugar and flour and sprinkle behind appliances, under sink, and in corners. Cockroaches carry the mixture back to their nests or

Heloise's Famous Roach Recipe:

1/4 cup shortening

1/8 cup sugar

8 oz. boric acid

1/2 cup flour

Ample water to form a dough

Mix all, form small balls of dough and set out in open plastic sandwich bags (to retain moisture); when dried and hard, replace with new dough.

 

Moths

Use cedar chips or lavender flowers instead of mothballs.

Mice

They only visit for something to eat! Don't oblige them. Seal food in glass, plastic or metal. Get a cat.


SAFETY PRECAUTIONS:

Borax (sodium borate) and boric acid can be toxic. Keep well out of the reach of children and pets. Clearly label all containers.

Ammonia should also be used with caution. Always refer to safety information and precautions on the package. Clearly label all containers.

 


Automatic Dishwasher Detergents

Here are some common brands of automatic dishwasher detergent and the amount of phosphorus they contain. Phosphate is the phosphorus- containing compound used in automatic dishwasher detergents and other household products.

Phosphorus free*

Bi-O-Kleen, Country Save, Ecover, Seventh Generation, Wave

1.6%

Palmolive Gel

3.7 - 4.5%

Electrosol Gel

4.0%

Great Value Gel, Safeway Gel, Simply Clean Gel,  

4.3%

Sunlight Gel

4.5%

Cascade Gel, Electrosol Powder

5.3%

IGA Pwd, Sunlight Pwd

5.5%

Sun Sations Pwd, Western Family Classic Pwd, 

6.0%

Home Best Pwd, Simply Clean Pwd, Western Family Power Formula

6.3%

Great Value Pwd

6.4 - 7.4%

Cascade Pwd

6.5%

Cascade Complete Gel

7.4%

Safeway Pwd

8.0%

Safeway Tablets

8.7%

Cascade Power Tabs, Electrosol Gelpacs, Electrosol Tabs, Palmolive Triple Action Tabs

 

* Phosphorus free is defined as containing 0.5% phosphorus or less


Thanks for dropping by Zuni’s page!

zuni53@yahoo.com

Last update by Zuni: June 9, 2008

 

Vegetarian? See The Veg-o-Maniac for vegetarian recipes