Mom Goes Green

Now that Spring has finally arrived, we’ve been eagerly watching all of the bulbs we planted sprout into beautiful blooms… however, sprouting right along with them?  Yes, weeds!

Want to control them environmentally and safely without harsh chemicals? Then here are two simple items for your shopping list:  distilled white vinegar and a sprayer bottle.

If you’re like me, you may already have a sprayer bottle or have kept one around just waiting to be reused, so your list may contain one, simple item… vinegar, because (just like my kids) weeds hate the taste of vinegar!

All you need to do is fill the bottle with vinegar and spray the nasty culprits! It works best with young weeds and, for those tough hardy buggers, it may take more than one application but I assure you, it works!

However, this also comes with a warning… vinegar is NOT selective. It will kill whatever you spray.  You need to be cautious not to let it come in contact with prized flowers or plants, so make sure your bottle has a very controlled sprayer and not a wide range mist.  For this reason also, vinegar is best for gardens, flower beds, sidewalks, driveways and around paver stones, but isn’t recommended for lawns since it will take your grass right along with the weeds!

Ahh… vinegar! Is there anything it doesn’t do?!?  Okay, well yea… there are “things”, but the list of what it DOES do just got longer… and you can now add “weed warrior” to that list!

Vinegar is always on my grocery list… and I buy it by the gallon.  Today, in fact, I will be using it to help clear our extremely slow-draining bathroom sink.  I’ve also talked about ways to put vinegar to work in household cleaning and laundry, but there are even more ways to substitute vinegar for other remedies and, in some cases, it helps you stay green and avoid chemicals.

Think about this list:

1. Acne remedy and skin conditioner – dilute 50/50 with water to use as a toner or dab, full strength, on the problem areas.
2. Clean lime deposits and calcium – we’ve all had build-up in our coffee makers and washing machines.  Fill the coffee maker with vinegar and brew it, or add a cup to your washing machine and run a cycle without clothes to give it a good cleaning.
3. Condition dry hair – shampoo your hair then rinse it with a mix of one cup of apple cider vinegar and two cups of water. (Feel free to wash the vinegar out after that initial rinse!)
4. Deodorize a smelly lunchbox – soak a cloth in vinegar and close it up in the lunchbox overnight to eliminate nasty odors.
5. Get rid of unwanted weeds – pour in the cracks or crevices or spray directly on the culprits!
6. Heal a bruise – apply white vinegar for an hour and it will reduce the discoloration and aid healing (time consuming, but it works!).
7. Prevent cracked hard boiled eggs – add two tablespoons per quart of water before boiling the eggs.
8. Remove skunk smells – (let’s hope this has happened to your pet and not YOU!) but apply, full strength to your pet’s fur, rinse with cold water, and it will reduce the smell dramatically.
9. Repel pesky ants – mix equal parts vinegar and water and spray in the problem areas.
10. Stop bug bite itching – dab on the area of the bite and it will relieve the itch.

Undoubtedly vinegar isn’t always the most aromatic and pleasant smell on the planet but given the choice of vinegar over harsh chemicals, I’ll pick the vinegar any time!

Do you have more uses?  Share them!

Spring has sprung!  And along with the first peek at daffodils and tulips comes the time honored (read: dreaded!) tradition of Spring Cleaning.  There are a lot of aspects to this task… this really (REALLY!) dreaded task!  (Can you tell I simply prefer the daffodils and tulips?)

First comes the actual cleaning – the elbow-grease, sweaty-job of getting rid of winter’s grim, gick and dirt.  For just about anything, I recommend vinegar, baking soda and water.  It can take care of it all.  You can find every use and combination I know by checking out Vinegartips.com.  Remember to forgo the paper towels and use those old t-shirts and towels that are too tattered for donating and would otherwise meet the trash can.  They can always be washed and reused for an even longer life.

Next comes the purge – getting rid of those “things” that no longer have a place or a purpose in your life.  Whether it’s clothing, household items, toys, furniture, books… find them a new home (granted they still have some life in them).  Donate them to a charity, list them on Freecycle or Craig’s List, or sell them, but don’t let them “find the curb” in a plastic garbage bag!

Then comes the discard of magazines, catalogs and unneeded “paper” (of every sort) – and make sure they get recycled.  Even cardboard boxes have a new life if you list them with Boxcycle or Usedcardboardboxes or again, Craig’s List. In fact, with every bit of cleaning-out you do, consider if it’s recyclable.  Example:  food cupboards.  Those boxes and cans are recyclable. You’ll be amazed!

I’ve always considered Spring the true “new beginning” of the year, so your new beginning doesn’t need to stop with only the cleaning part.  Consider making changes too, like switching to CFLs, buying those reusable shopping bags you’ve been avoiding, checking for leaks in your plumbing and even giving your car a good tune-up!

A fellow green mom has put together a kit to help us with all of these little “extras” too – check out Kathy’s Climate Kit.  She has condensed it down into one fine package and is offering all of my friends here a 10% discount to boot (just enter code: FESTIVAL at check out!).  Plus, a tree will be planted with American Forests Global Releaf Program for each kit sold.

So “start your cleaning engines” and let the Green Clean Games begin!

Undoubtedly, any one of us could look in a cupboard and under the sink and find bottles and cans of household cleaners that contain the harshest and most toxic of chemicals.  But do we really need them?

Don’t get me wrong… I want my house clean and germ-free too, but what if the means to that end requires us to spray, scrub and wash surfaces that we touch… that our kids touch countless times every day… with harsh chemicals? Kinda sounds like we’re defeating our purpose!

Knowing the worst household offenders is the best place to start making this change.  So here is the condensed rap sheet on those “bottled criminals”:

• Bleach – can cause irritation & burns, and edema or coma if ingested
• Mold & Mildew Cleaners – contents include known carcinogens and chemicals that can cause fluid in the lungs, memory loss and shortness of breath
• Oven Cleaners – can cause irritation & burns, and effect reflexes and tissue if ingested
• Ammonia – damaging to eyes, respiratory tract and skin
• Air Fresheners – commonly contains formaldehyde, a known carcinogen
• Dishwasher Detergent – contains highly concentrated/highly poisonous chlorine in a dry form
• Laundry Products – contains elements that can cause liver damage and can irritate and/or burn skin, eyes, mucous membranes and the respiratory tract
• Carpet & Upholstery Shampoo – contains a known carcinogen that damages the kidneys, liver and nervous system, plus irritants & burning contents
• Toilet Bowl Cleaners – contents can damage kidneys and the liver, irritate skin and eyes, and cause edema or coma if ingested
• Drain Cleaners – contains elements that can damage kidneys, liver & the digestive tract, and depress the nervous system

Are you scared yet?  I know I am! If you want more details and the actual chemical contents, click here, but I assure you, you won’t like what you read.  It convinced me that I really, really need to give up a bunch of these commercial cleaners!

So… what to do? I say the answer is in three little words: distilled white vinegar.  It has more uses than you can imagine — it’s safe, it’s environmental and it’s inexpensive.

We already know that it can clean a clogged drain like a champ, but did you also know it can: cut grease, brighten your laundry, remove mineral deposits and stains, clean tarnished metals, remove carpet stains, clean the floor, remove stains from clothing and (what we all want)… kill germs and sanitize!

VinegarTips.com will give you 75 ways to use and formulate vinegar for everyday cleaning and 20 tips for using vinegar with your laundry!  I’m impressed!

The only other thing that comes to mind is “do they sell vinegar in barrels” (!?!).

Friday is grocery store day.  As usual, I asked my husband about any requests and he called down from upstairs, “Yea.  Drano.  Bathroom sink is clogged again!”

Oooo.  Drano = chemicals.  I can’t go there again!

So, I “Googled” before the trip and found a green remedy that I wanted to give a try.   Drano wasn’t added to the list, but baking soda and white vinegar was.

That evening I gave it a go.  A half cup of baking soda went in first, followed by a cup of hot vinegar.  It turned out to be a great science experiment for the kids too!  Our son came in, holding his nose and said “eeew!  Watt dat ‘mell?!?!”  (Turns out they sound pretty cute with a clamped nose and the hot vinegar isn’t high on their list of yummy smells!)  Our daughter joined us as we poured in the vinegar.

It started bubbling and foaming and working its magic.  Our kids responded with a collective “Keeeewl!” – noses still plugged!  It was amazing… and gross.  Brown slimy gick started rising to the top of the vinegar and I started cringing at the nastiness that had built up down there, but I was glad it was apparently working.

After the vinegar drained, we did it all over again…(more “Keeeewls!”).  After that, I plunged the drain, ran some hot water, and lo and behold…clear drain!  Victory!.. and NO CHEMICALS!

Turns out this is a great practice to just regularly clean and maintain the drain, to even prevent clogs. This was also a great learning experience for me.  There are often green solutions for everyday problems and all it takes is a bit of legwork to help you find an alternative to try.

So next time your drain gets clogged, don’t Drano… just baking soda & vinegar-o!