Cleaning naturally: just the basics, please.

Do we really need to poison ourselves in the name of cleanliness? I am not the best example of housekeeping so when a new product comes out I will try it. If I like the product I will continue to use it, as most people do, to clean my house. Lately, though, I have had misgivings about more household products because of their poisonous nature. I became very irate when an e-mail came to me with the information that someone's dog died of liver failure. The owner kept the dog in the house and when the dog ventured outside it was always under the careful eye of it's owner. The dog's owner examined everything in his home and found the Swifter Wetjet label had in very small print "may be harmful to small children and animals." The owner called the manufacturer, who verified one of the ingredients was similar to antifreeze. Now any child, dog, or cat walking on a "clean" floor could be exposed to this chemical. Eliminating poisons for a better earth and for our own health should be our first concern.

My grandmothers, Beaulah and Marie, were fastidious cleaners. Their houses were spotless and they didn't have to rely on chemicals for cleaning. Their products were vinegar, baking soda, salt, lemons and borax. There were others too, like lye soaps. Their children were part of the baby boomer generation and many of their cleaning styles went by the wayside with the corruption of advertising. (You can see I don't like commercials and I ignore them.)

Now that I've had my little tirade I want to pass on some recipes using natural ingredients with the same if not better results.

Floors: 1 cup of white distilled vinegar in 2-3 gallons of hot water. Wash as usual.

Disinfectant floor wash: 1 cup of Borax to 3 gallons of water. Mix until Borax is dissolved. Wash as usual.

Wood floors: 2 cups of water and 2 cups of vinegar plus 25 drops of essential oil (I love cinnamon essential oil). Put the ingredients in a spray bottle and work small areas at a time. After the floor is washed dry mop the floor. Just a word of caution if you decide to use washing soda on a treated floor--the washing soda will take the finish and wax off the floor.

Bathroom and kitchen surfaces: I cup of dish soap (I use the laundry soap recipe from the March/April 2007 issue) and I cup of vinegar in a spray bottle. Shake and spray the area to be cleaned and leave on for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse and sparkle.

Light abrasive: Baking soda or salt mixed in equal parts with water or vinegar, mixed in a bowl for applications around the kitchen or bathroom.

Lemons, limes, and oranges are great stain removers with salt. Sprinkle salt down and cut the citrus in-half, take half of fruit and rub on surface (not for wood).

Wood polish: 3/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup vinegar, and I teaspoon essential oil (lemon or your favorite).

There are a few to get you started. If you have any questions, e-mail me. If you would like a copy of the e-mail regarding the Swifter Wetjet let me know, after all, we are all in this world together.

DORICE BATY

MONETT, MISSOURI

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