Dish scum

Are your dishes looking cloudy and filmy from the dishwasher? Your not alone. I have had this problem for a few months and tried all sorts of detergents, totally natural and not. I have a new dishwasher and blamed it on that. I almost unhooked it to return it. Then, my sister in law told me she was having the same problem and also another friend. They too thought it was their machine. We had to do the vinegar rinse just to get the baked on film off our dishes. Thanks to a comment from  Katie, the case of the cloudy dishes has been solved. Don't go out and buy a new machine.


It seems that phosphates have been removed from most dish detergents. That is a good thing in that phosphates are bad for our environment and we don't really want that in our water system or our households. However, it is the phosphates that caused the breakdown of hard water and for the dirt to breakdown in the cleaning cycle. Now, we are left with less than adequate cleaning products. That has been a very recent change so that is why we are all just discovering it. 


I have searched for a more natural cleaning product that still makes my dishes shine like they were hand cleaned. I was successful.

I have tried quite a few powdered natural detergents but was never happy. I have a new love. It is "Wave" detergent in Organic Lavender. I got it at Sprout's but you can probably find it elsewhere. It smells great and contains pure and simple ingredients. No more cloudy dishes and no more worry over chemicals left on my drinking cups. Oh, happiness. 

Thanks for solving the mystery, Katie!

The Vinegar Solution

If you told my father growing up that you had a stomach ache or were suffering some minor health issue, you were sure to hear the words: "Go drink some vinegar". I don't know how many of us actually did this but now that I know a few things, the man was right. Oh the wisdom of elders. Vinegar is the nectar of Gods. Really. It can do everything. It should be in everyones year supply. Both white distilled and apple cider vinegar. It has replaced so many things in my household and it is so very cheap. 


Here are some of my favorite uses:


HEALTH USES


Stops the sting/itch of insect stings


Soothes a sunburn


Help clears acne: mix 1:1 ratio of apple cider vinegar to water. After face is cleansed and dried, dab on this mixture and let dry overnight. The acid in the vinegar kills bacteria that is responsible for acne and will eat away dead skin on the face that leaves a dull appearance.


Fixes a sour stomach. Drink 1T. in a cup of water.


Kills warts. Apply vinegar to a piece of cotton the size of the wart and cover with a band aid. Let sit overnight. 
Repeat until gone. Use Bragg's apple cider vinegar.


For an itchy scalp or dandruff, rinse head with 1:1 ratio of apple cider vinegar and water. Also good for kids that smell like dogs in the summer time!


Cleaning Uses


Unclog a drain. 1/2 cup baking soda to 1 cup white vinegar. Pour in drain and let foam for a while. Follow with hot tap water to flush out.


Removes sticker residue.


Cleanser: 1/4 cup Baking soda, 1 T. liquid soap. Add enough vinegar to make the right consistency. 


Wood floor cleaner: 1 cup white vinegar to 1 gallon water


Cleanse chrome. Spray on full strength and then rinse off. 


Deodorize: plastic containers, fridge, sinks, garbage pails, etc.


Cleans the toilet: Let sit in toilet overnight and flush in the morning.


Takes soap residue off dishes instantly. You know that soap scum that has been baked on in the dishwasher and won't come off with water and soap! Fill the sink with vinegar and a little water and one dip and they are clean!


What is your favorite uses? Love the stuff! Once again, no need for chemicals. Give me some vinegar, baking soda and a little essential oils and my house will shine. Plus, your pocket book will thank you.

The defense system

School has started and with that has come the arrival of the germ pool at the public schools. I already had two come home not feeling so hot but we nipped that in the bud overnight.

It is the season, the season of the passing of germs from little one, to little one and on to the bigger ones. For some, it seems like it never ends.

That is why it is time again to start amping up the defense system of the body so that it can fight what comes it way.

The regime has started at our house. Germs may come our way, but we never let them stay. I give it one night, tops. It has worked.

I start adding in the liquid D3 to their daily juice to help build the immunity. They don't get as much sun now so it is time to add that back in. They get the vitamin C chewables next to their breakfast plate and some allergy A & I tablets for kicking the allergies out. Allergies bring mucous and mucous hosts germs. Get rid of it.

If per chance they do bring home an unwanted germ guest; we hit it with the second line of defense: Spice of Life essential oils, Allimax liquid, Oreganol, increased D3, increased C and anything else I can think of at the time. It kicks it out, lays it to the curb, defeats its momentum.

I also clean my house almost entirely with Spice of Life in some water in a spray bottle. It kills germs, smells great and cleans wonderfully. It cleans my windows streak free, disinfects my countertops and bathrooms and deodorizes my air. It costs less than $1 per spray bottle when mixed with about 10 drops per 32 ounces of water. Way cheaper than cleaner. You could drink it and clean with it. Find that at the grocery store! My house smells cinnaminny fresh with no toxins to boot. Super duper. It stops the air borne germs that float around. Make sure you shake the bottle each use to keep the oil mixed in.

If you need to prepare your army of defense, I am ordering on Tuesday. Check out the Apothecary Shoppe and email any orders. You don't have to get sick this fall and winter. It isn't mandatory. Skip the flu shot and soup up your natural defense system. Such a better option.

Bar Keepers Friend....my friend indeed!

A friend introduced me to this cleaner a few years ago and I have been loyal ever since but I am even more impressed with it today. This little gem comes in a powder or liquid form and can clean the shower like no body's business. I have one of those tubs with the texture at the bottom. I hate the man who designed those little grooves, I say "man" because surely no woman ever created those hard to reach pits. But, this powder with the help of a scrub brush gets the job done proper. I tried about every other cleaner out there on the market and thought my tub would never see the glistening shade of white again that I longed for. This works. It gets the blue ribbon from me. Today I used it on my chrome faucets. I didn't think you could use it on these without scratching them so I never tried. My chrome was looking bad, so bad in fact that I had my husband go out and buy me new faucets. After finding out that he could not match up the new faucets he bought with the current plumbing, he told me I should just try to clean the old ones. I pulled out my Bar Keepers Friend and walla! They look brand new with little effort and no scratches! I love you my little gold can. It also works great on toilets where the calcified water stains build up and on glass top stoves. I don't know who this bar keeper is, but this is MY friend in deed. Try it out for that "new" shower look! You won't be disappointed.

There is magic in the world!

It is that glorious time of year again, Spring Cleaning! I have my various stages of cleaning: the "surface clean"; the general wipe down of the house , no deep scrubbing or toothbrushes involved. I then have my "two year old clean". This is when I get on my knees at a two year old level and see a whole new dimension of fingerprints and marks never seen before. I also see a bit more dust on the baseboards and carpet spots this way. Then, I have my "new house clean". That is the bi-annual deep clean, get all the marks off the walls, retouch any paint , scrub all the nooks with toothbrushes, restore the house to a new house clean. Like I said, this only happens twice a year. So, for any of you also in the spring cleaning mode, make sure you arm yourself for the truly mystifying MAGIC ERASER! Be prepared to be wowed. It gets everything off. You know when your child throws a toy against the wall and the blue paint from the toy spiderman car rubs off on the wall? Well, this will get it off. All the black scuffs on the baseboards...Gone! Murals from your two year old ;crayon, marker or even white board marker...Gone! I bought one last year and was so excited that I couldn't put it down. My house looked repainted in an hour. You all must have a box of these in your home. Watch out and test on paint first. I am sure it wears down a layer but I haven't had a problem yet. This is a must in any home. They are cheap and truly magic!

A "Clean" Conversation

After taking my son to his specialist for Autism and having him

tested for all kinds of toxins, his Dr. started to ask me questions.

The first was about cleaners. I am an avid Windex fan and as my husband says, will probably be the first person to actually wear a groove in our glass door. She told me to switch to a non-toxic cleaner. So, I found these cleaners, the Holy Cow brand, which you can find pretty much everywhere. I have only seen the pink and blue kinds.Wal-mart is the cheapest and actually these are even cheaper than windex. They smell great and work great. The pink one can even be used on wood floors and granite counter tops. It is a little streaky on the granite but the window cleaner is great. I love that my kids can clean with it without me worrying that they get it

on their hands and that I can clean the counter without worrying that they eat off of it . It is completely biodegradable, non-hazardous and non-toxic. Try it out! And, since we are on the subject of "clean", what is your favorite cleaners? Hazardous or not! I am always looking for a great shower cleaner.