NATURAL CLEANING SOLUTIONS

The good news is that once you switch over to Natural Cleaning Solutions you will be free of dangerous toxic chemicals and their fumes which can damage your lungs.  Skin irritation is a thing of the past.  

I have tried several "recipes" for natural cleaners and they don't all work.  These are the ones that have given me the best results.  I will be adding more as I find and test them.

Copper-bottomed pans

Clean your pan with soap and water.  Sprinkle coarse salt (Kosher salt is available in mainstream markets) over the wet copper pan bottom.  Roll a lemon on the counter to get it juicy.  Then cut it in half.  Use one half, cut side down, like a scrubber on the pan bottom.  If there are any marks on the bottom they can be easily removed with a heavy duty scrub sponge.  The pans are shinier than when using copper cleaner, without the toxins.  My grandson said, “Is this magic, Granny?”

Silver

Line a basin or flat-bottomed container (glass or plastic, not metal) with aluminum foil.  Add about 4 inches of hot water.  Add 2 heaping Tbsp. of baking soda and 2 Tbsp. of salt.  Stir.  Place a few pieces of silverware in the water for 1-2 minutes.  Remove the pieces and rinse. Polish dry with a soft cloth.  Change the water, etc. when you see oxidation residue settle on the silver or the sides of the bowl.  This works almost as fast as Tarnex without the wear that long-term Tarnex use can cause to your silver and there are no fumes.  I get the best results when I clean the silver every 1-2 months.  It takes very little time.

Showers

Spray the shower with a mixture of 1 C. white vinegar and 1 C. water every week to prevent mildew and a build up of soap scum.  You can add 10 drops of lemon, orange or lavender essential oil to create a pleasant smell.

Use a paste of baking soda and white vinegar and scrub if there is a small amount of scum.  I did clean my shower one last time with bleach based products and then threw them out.  Now, it stays clean.

Cleaners

Erewhon Natural Foods Market recommends the following homemade cleaner.  Loosely fill a quart jar with orange peels.  Fill with white vinegar.  Cover with a lid and let stand for at least 10 days.  Strain out the liquid and use it as an all-purpose cleaner.  This cleans the stove top, windows, etc.  (I wouldn’t use on wood.)  Orange peels have a disinfecting action and help with the cleaning action of the vinegar. 

Add 10-15 drops of orange essential oil and everything will smell extra clean.

Enjoy and breath deeply.

Dr. Jeanne