My Favorite Window Cleaning Tool

When the accountant and I eliminated paper towels in our house I tried everything to clean my windows, newspaper, rags, a squeegee, skoy pads, and just about everything else I could think of. I finally about a month ago found something that eliminated my need for a "special" window cleaner, now I just use water! I bought it under impulse while shopping at Puget Sound Consumers Coop in Edmonds. My secret weapon? A casabella microfiber glass cleaning cloth! I now no longer have to buy "no streak natural" window cleaner (before this the accountant appreciated my window cleaning efforts but had to go over them again for me). This nice little cloth is reusable, all you have to do is get it wet, wring it out tightly,wipe down the windows and let them dry. It took two windows to get the hang of but now I have finger print free windows! With our little Olivia we needed a reusable, simple method because she is ALWAYS touching those windows. When I am done I throw it in the washer machine with my other laundry and drip dry. I love you microfiber cloth. A job I used to hate I now actually enjoy.  

Stainless Steel Scrubbers

I have been looking for a replacement for my scouring pads. I recently (two months ago) came across stainless steel scrubbers.  They are fantastic! They don't rust like steel wool pads and after two months I am still using the first one out of the package! I use mine in the kitchen for cleaning tough pots and pans, I also scrub my cook top with it and it does not scratch it. ( I recommend a test spot on your surface of choice prior to using.) I put the second one in the package in my cleaning bucket. I use it on my tub and shower for those water rings that accumulate so quickly. It works wonders! I clean my kitchen one in the dishwasher when it needs disinfecting and my cleaning bucket one in the washer machine. You can also clean by hand if food gets stuck in the little rings. It rinses out quickly. This has been a great solution for me instead of going through all the steel wool pads that always left little rust stains on my sink ledge when left there to dry.! If anyone knows where to buy them local let me know. For now I found them on amazon.com for $2.99 plus shipping. I am excited to see how long one can last me. So far two months and counting!

Cleaning with baking soda

I thought I would take today to explain why I have such a large bag of baking soda in my home. Well, it all started with this tiny little book I checked out from the library called " Baking Soda; over 500...uses you've probably never thought of". The title was right. There were lots of uses in that little book I had not thought of. I want to share with you the uses I have incorperated into my life since reading that little book. It has saved me quite a pretty penny!

First of all I am currently buying my large bag at Costco:

Baking Soda Uses at my house:

• I clean my cutting boards with it by sprinkling the baking soda over them than pouring white vinegar, followed by boiling hot water over them
• Sprinkle baking soda in hard to clean pots and pans, scour
• After I have been cutting up onions or crushing garlic I wash my hands with baking soda, soap and water. The icky smell goes away
• I store my steel wool pads in a container of baking soda under the sink inbetween uses to help prevent rust. As a secondary function it keeps my sink cupboard smelling fresh!

• I clean my stainless steel sink and stovetop with baking soda in place of bar keepers friend or comet. It works good, is good for my septic system and doesn't scratch it
• Sprinkle under garbage pail liner for decreased odors.
• I scrub my shower with baking soda and vinegar. Works great with a toothbrush on mold
• I clean my tub with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide
• I place open boxes under my sink and in the refridgerator to keep odors down.
• I had a rust stain on my sink from leaving a metal can sit on the edge of my sink overnight. I used baking soda and vinegar. I poured it over, let it bubble and then scrubbed with a brush
• I have mentioned previously that I clean my toilet bowls with a combination baking soda and vinegar. You can also place one cup of baking soda (or half a box) into the toilet tank each month. Let sit overnight. Flush in the morning. Fresh toilet!!
• I sprinkle baking soda on my area rugs to help life stains out.
• I use it in the winter on the ice on my front porch. Works just as good as salt.
• Baking soda helps soothe a sunburn. Place two cups plus 1/2 cup of cornstarch in a lukewarm bath and soak in it.
• I monthly clean my coffee pot with it by placing baking soda in the filter then running the water through like I am making a pot of coffee. It gets rid of any build up improving the taste of your coffee.
• I use it in my dishwasher for washing the dishes. 2tbls of baking soda + 2 tbls of borax.
• I place in a decorative bowl in the bathroom with a essential oil and it smells good!

There are so many other things that I use it for...there are too many to list.

I want to mention one more. Teeth. I brush my teeth with it when I run out of toothpaste. !

My friend uses it to wash her hair...I am going to try this soon. Check out her blog about it at 

http://wombknittings.blogspot.com/2010/02/poo-free.html

Laundry Line

My beloved retractable laundry line. Goes 100 feet. Purchased at Home Depot for $17. Still waiting for the electricity bill to see how much money I am saving. Feels better to hang dry my diapers then constantly run that dryer

I put the clothes out even on cloudy days. They still dry as long as it doesn't rain of course!

Baby smiles when she see's mommy hanging laundry.

Charlies Soap as laundry detergent

I want to share my favorite detergent with you (they are not paying me for this!). I switched to Charlies Soap when I started using cloth diapers due to my desire to avoid diaper rash. I quickly discovered when I started to use it, that my clothes were softer and, I thought cleaner! I now use it for everything. Charlies Soap is made from a blend of biodegradable coconut based detergents and high-grade, completely soluble, Green River washing soda. As evidenced by my babies bottom it is great for sensitive skin, hypoallergenic. It is super concentrated, only requiring one tablespoon per load. It is minus the additive sodium lauryl sulfate that is in most detergents for producing suds. So no suds with Charlies Soap, but who needs suds anyways? My clothes are clean that's what counts right.

Charlies Soap can be used in both warm and cold water washes. It is HE and front loader compatible. You can buy the small 2.2 lb container locally at Whole Foods for around ten dollars( a mere $0.17 per load). It occasionally goes on sale for seven dollars. After I decided I liked it I bought the big 43 pound black container you see above. I must admit I found it on sale for near ninety dollars, normal price is $144. Sounds like a lot but works out to around $0.11 per load. Anyone living near me come get a couple of tablespoons and try it for free. The company guarantees if you don't like their soap they will refund you the purchase price. Sounds pretty good to me! If you "Like" charlies soap on facebook they post deals which is how I got mine on sale.

I Highly recommend their detergent.

Check out their website at http://charliesoap.com/index.asp?cartID=03119CB8F2D745B2BAAA3CC89DF806DF

Nontoxic, affordable cleaning supplies

While I was pregnant I read a book titled " Healthy Child, Healthy World" it inspired me to rethink how I clean and as I changed my ways I realized I was saving TONS of money. The phrase that altered me forever was " 275 number of active ingredients in antibacterial products classified as pesticides" EPA, 2007.

The above three ingredients are my primary household cleaners! I buy the vinegar and baking soda at Costco for around 4 dollars each. The castile soap I found on sale on amazon.com for the tidy sum of 38 dollars. Seems expensive but the last gallon I had lasted me eight months! We use the castile soap among other things for showering, washing the dog, and cleaning the cars. Hydrogen Peroxide is my other cleaning agent of choice.
http://www.amazon.com/Castile-Liquid-Almond-gallon-Ounces/dp/B000PILEWA/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=beauty&qid=1278788670&sr=8-5

Just this morning I mopped my floors ( the whole house is hardwood) with one cup of the vinegar and a gallon of water with two drops of lavender. Now my floors sparkle and smell good!



I clean my toilet bowls with baking soda (for scrubbing) and vinegar.  I use 1/2 cup of soda, 1/4 cup of white vinegar and 5 drops of tea tree essential oil.

 Vinegar kills mold and bacteria and dissolves soap scum and mineral buildup. The vinegar smell goes away after it dries. Tea Tree oil has great anti fungal and antiviral properties.

I probably save the most money having invested in a reusable cleaning tool box. The following is my toolbox list:
Rags: My husband had the hardest time with this as he was a big paper towel user. We have NO paper towels in our house and no longer miss them! I use old diapers, wash clothes, strips of old clothing, old dish towels and bath towels, and old socks (the ones with holes worn in them). I just wash them when they are used and hang them out on my laundry line to dry.
Broom and dustpan: I use this instead of breaking out the vacuum every time I need it. It's a whole lot easier on my back!
Mop: My husband talked me into this. I wanted one of those disposable mop wipe things. He being a former professional cleaner insisted that this was much more economical and less chemicals. So we bought a regular mop and mop bucket at Home depot and haven't looked back. I now love it!
Scrub Brush: A must so you can avoid harsh chemicals to clean places like the tub, shower and bathroom floor.
Spray bottles: I now make my own cleaning products so these are needed for storage.