Don’t throw away those old socks with holes!

They make great dusters. Soft and absorbent.

If you’ve got kids, young ones LOVE to help dust if you put a sock on each hand. Do NOT use a dusting spray (especially near children!) instead just dampen the socks a bit with some water. They can dust everything they can reach and have a blast at the same time.

Toss the in the wash with your towels then use them again. Cheap and environmentally friendly.

Reduce (don’t buy dusting cloths or chemical-laden dusting sprays), reuse (old socks become dusting rags), and recycle! And help your kids burn off some of that never-ending energy at the same time.

Does your kitchen smell funny? Bathroom a little too odorous?

Clean your air the cheap, easy way!

Just take some white vinegar and mix with equal parts water (a cup or so of each) and boil on the stove for 10 minutes. It’ll smell like vinegar while it’s boiling, but afterwards the air will clear and both the vinegar smell and the offending odor will be gone.

For the bathroom, put some straight white vinegar in a bowl and sit it on the counter, it’ll help clear out the odors a bit more slowly.

By Kim Bloomer

For years I’ve prided myself on believing that I take a very natural approach to the wellness of me and my family. However, I recently ventured into the aromatherapy market and found out, much to my dismay, that I was wrong. One of the primary “no nos” was air fresheners. Let’s not even get started with all the petrochemicals and other chemicals that are in our other products like lotion, shampoo, conditioners, household cleaners, laundry detergents, and well you get the picture.

However, I thought that air freshener weren’t TOO bad, were they? Oh I was so wrong! I read an article recently by Lesley Grimwood, a registered aromatherapist and member of the Aromatherapy and Allied Practitioners Association. What I read convinced me further that aromatherapy is not just something to be taken lightly and sniffed at! I recommend you find her article and read it thoroughly. (Air Fresheners – Not To Be Sniffed At).

Unfortunately, now the word “aromatherapy” is being applied so loosely in our sales and marketing that “true” aromatherapy may have noses turned up at it because using quality essential oils cost quite a bit more. In fact, if you’ll notice the word aromatherapy is being applied to so many things including, yes, air fresheners.

What I found out from Lesley Grimwood’s article was that these so-called air fresheners are really just odor “disguisers” full of chemicals that are causing some maladies to occur in us. Since reading her article I really went proactive and decided that we would be ridding our home of all of these chemical-laden products. We did so in our yards, laundry products, cleaning, and now personal products. Every single one of the chemicals in these products, especially all the petrochemicals, invades our bodies and they don’t leave unless we do a thorough detoxification! Our poor pets suffer even more because they can get the chemicals we use on our floors into their bodies through their feet!

Here’s what was found in the Bristol University study on 14,000 pregnant women mentioned in Leslie Grimwood’s article: those who used air fresheners daily suffered 25 percent more headaches than those who only used them once per week. It also reported a 19% increase in post-natal depression, and the babies suffered too. Those under 6 months who were exposed daily to the air fresheners suffered 30% more ear infections and 20 percent were more likely to suffer from diarrhea.

Further findings how found how these air fresheners that are supposed to make our homes smell better and in the commercials give us the impression that we will FEEL better, do almost the opposite actually. The findings showed that there was increased anxiety, tension, headaches, depression, insomnia, diarrhea, etc. THAT is supposed to make us feel better?

Well, I have found the better alternative to these horrible air fresheners – essential oils diffused through a cold-air diffuser or mixed with spring water in an amber glass spray bottle. The incredibly great thing is that when essential oils are diffused into the air they don’t just make the air seem fresher, the air IS fresher. Different ones do different things but they do affect every facet of your body in a positive, healing way. The oils when diffused can be into every cell of your body within seconds.

The essential oils have adaptagenic qualities so that they seek out where they are needed in the body. An essential oil is the lifeforce of the plant similar to our blood and immune system so they adapt very well in our bodies. They don’t harm our bodies like the chemicals in these air fresheners are doing. Rather, they are helping our bodies while cleaning the air. Yes, I say CLEANING. The air really IS fresh after a diffusing of your favorite essential oils into the air.

Essential oils oxygenate and detoxify the blood in our bodies simultaneously. They create an environment where pathogenic organisms cannot live! With all the chemicals we’re getting into our bodies through all the products we have in our homes, in our yards, in our air, in our foods, our bodies are degenerating because they cannot get rid of these toxins without help. This then can lead to disease.

However, when we inhale the essential oils either through a diffuser or directly or even by applying them to our bodies (I even ingest orally some of the ones I use as does my husband and our dog) the oils cross the blood-brain barrier and clean out the petrochemicals!! They’re the only known substances that are able to do this!! And you just thought they smelled good!

So the next time you want to freshen things up in your home, try an essential oil instead and have true clean air!

DISCLAIMER: The only oils we use and refer to in ALL our articles are Young Living Essential Oils. We DO NOT use any others and do not state what we do about using essential oils in our articles about any other brands

About the Author:
Kim Bloomer is a natural pet care educator helping pet owners learn alternative and natural ways to care for their pets. To learn more about the essential oils visit her pet care & supply website at Aspenbloom Pet Care Visit her dog’s blog to learn more about caring for pets naturally from a canine perspective at A Dog’s View

Kim is now a USA Representative for the Bella Moss Foundation.

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By Tim Gorman

Since you’ve got to do house cleaning, you can also reap the benefits of aromatherapy at the same time you’re at it! If you’ve ever fought the good fight of household chores, you might be acquainted with the fact that the odor of a number of products are overpowering. If used with no suitable airing, several can be the source of illness.

It would be great if your domestic responsibilities were refreshing as opposed to just being strenuous? They can be and your home can be refreshed too. Here’s how to accomplish that.

First, here are a small number of guidelines

Creating your personal domestic cleansers is simple, enjoyable and money-saving, particularly if you formulate hefty amounts.

Like all domestic cleaning products and freshening products, keep in mind to correctly tag those which are home-produced. Furthermore bear in mind to stockpile these items in a spot somewhere kids or pets can’t get a hold of them. Although they’re non-hazardous, intake of extreme quantities can be capable of causing illness. At all times keep essential oils away from the eyes.

Aromatherapy ingredients that are to be used for cleaning/freshening and directions for application

To refresh the atmosphere within your residence, place your preferred scent into a pot of water and simmer blend on the range for a number of hours. The aroma of citrus rinds is bracing however you can make use of whichever essential oil you like best.

To make sure there’s constantly a spanking new scent in the restroom pinch a small number of drops of essential oil on top of the cardboard roll that holds the toilet paper. The fragrance will discharge with each pull. Bear in mind to do this again with every fresh roll you put onto the despenser.

If you fancy to use chemical-based clean-up products but have a preference for leaving behind a bouquet that doesn’t reek like harsh chemicals, compose a rinse by means of water and your preferred essential oil. Eucalyptus, pine, lemon, wintergreen, lavender and oodles of others are excellent choices. Four drops for each pint of water is a first-rate proportion. Put blend into a misting jug and employ it as a kind of ‘final rinse’ while cleaning-up. Store this mixture in a dark area.

Tee tree oil and lavender essential oils contain anti-bacterial properties so you are able to use this kind of innate blend for clean-up of countertops. Now combine a a small number of drops with water and spray on surfaces. For big jobs like destroying mold and mildew, include around 50 drops in a bucket of water.

Now here is an uncomplicated formula for a home-produced carpet freshener. In a bowl mix 4 cups of baking soda or cornstarch with 25 drops rosewood essential oil, 35 drops of eucalyptus essential oil and 30 drops lavender essential oil. Split up chunks and mix together well. Transfer into a shaker container. Shake over carpets about 15 minutes preceding vacuuming. As an alternative to the essential oils listed here, you can blend your own individual favorites.

To wash floors, combine 15 drops of orange essential oil and 8 drops of lemon essential oils, 1 gallon hot water and 2 tablespoons liquid soap. This combination will work on hard jobs and will leave the area smelling spanking new.

Formulate your personal dryer sheets by inserting some drops of your pet essential oil on top of a towel. Include the towel with the dryer clothes and dry as you usually would.

For a profound slumber, put lavender essential oil into a spritz-type container. Lightly spritz bed sheets previous to retiring for the night.

Ok. There you have it, a partial list of ways to use your essential oils and aromatherapy products for cleaning, etc. And you thought they were only good for your nose!

For more information on using aromatherapy products for household cleaning and freshening try visiting http://www.aromatherapy-benefits.info, a popular website that provides aromatherapy tips, advice and resources to include information on aromathreapy massage uses.

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By Joshua Dunn

Natural cleaning has become a priority for us. Next time you go to the grocery store, take a slow stroll down the cleaning isle. And yes, it takes up a whole isle now. Pick up any of the products and read the ingredients.

Do you know what any of those ingredients are?

We know we don’t.

Our very basic rule for natural cleaning is that if we don’t know what an ingredient is, we don’t buy it and bring it into our home. This goes for food, cleaning products, anything. If it’s a word we can’t pronounce, chances are it’s a chemical and it probably isn’t good for us. Ever wonder how people in the 1920’s kept their homes clean? Did they do it with chemicals? Nope. They used homemade natural cleaning products, many of which are probably in your kitchen or pantry right now.

Naturally Cleaning Your Air

We don’t use canned or plug in air fresheners. These are chock full of chemicals. There are a myriad of natural options. Here are just a few.

Plants which reduce toxic materials are: Aloe Vera, English ivy, fig trees, chrysanthemum, spider plants, Chinese evergreen, bamboo palm, and lily. Decorate liberally with these plants and they’ll act as a natural air purifier.

Beth’s favorite air freshener is vanilla, which by the way was voted the number one erotic scent by males. Place 1 tablespoon natural (not imitation) vanilla extract in a ceramic bowl and place in a room. If the room is large you may want to use more than one. As the vanilla evaporates, a light, refreshing vanilla scent will waft into the surrounding air. Replace every day.

Josh’s favorite air freshener is eucalyptus, which leaves the whole house smelling fresh and springy. If you have a diffuser, you can put a couple of drops of eucalyptus oil in it and freshen the air for hours. We don’t actually own a diffuser, so we simply use an old sauce pan, with a little water in the bottom on low heat. Works the same way.

We write a lot about vinegar on our site. Along with Borax, vinegar is our favorite cleaner and so versatile. Mildly acidic white vinegar dissolves dirt, soap scum, and hard water deposits from smooth surfaces, yet is gentle enough to use in a solution to clean hardwood flooring.

As far as freshening your air, white vinegar is a natural deodorizer. It absorbs odors instead of covering them up. We use it to get rid of pet odors, like our dog Barlow’s bed, which needs a good natural cleaning quite often.

Clean Your House

The following recipe is my favorite of all time, and it’s not for food. It is a recipe for an alkaline all-purpose natural cleaning agent. We use it everywhere: in the bathroom, the kitchen, to spot clean the carpets, and to get that black gunk off the walls. It neutralizes odors, dissolves grease, and removes stains.

- 1 teaspoon or 40 drops antiseptic essential oil (thyme, sweet orange, lemongrass, rose, clove, eucalyptus, cinnamon, rosemary, birch, lavender, or tea tree)

- 1 teaspoon baking soda

- 2 teaspoons Borax

- 1 teaspoon liquid detergent

- 2 c hot water

Combine ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake to blend before each use.

We’ve added up the cost of this natural cleaning solution. It costs 3 cents to make once you have all of the ingredients. A bottle of store-purchased, chemical-laden all-purpose cleaner costs around $4. We honestly think this works better than the store bought stuff too. Hmmm, tough choice here.

This is the best glass cleaner. Forget about what you buy in stores.

- 1 c rubbing alcohol

- 1 c water

- 1 tablespoons white vinegar

Mix in a spray bottle.

The Wonders of Borax

For those of you not versed in the magic that is borax, you need only take another stroll down your grocery store’s cleaning isle. In the laundry section you’ll find a medium sized cardboard box marked “Borax”. Also known as sodium borate, it is a complex mineral found in lakes and other evaporite deposits. It is a laundry booster, which has been around for over 100 years, but it works for so many other things as well.

If you have a flea problem, sprinkle it on your carpets, wait a day, then vacuum it up. The fleas eat the borax, it dehydrates them and they die.

We use borax most often as a carpet cleaner. Whenever we rent a wet carpet cleaner from the grocery store we use 1/2 cup borax to 1 gallon of hot water. Fill the machine up with this instead of the cleaner sold with the vacuum, which is full of chemicals. Borax deodorizes and disinfects. One half cup to 1 gallon of water satisfies a hospital’s germicidal requirements.

Stop Buying Drain Cleaner

Drain cleaners use incredibly powerful chemicals to eat away clogs in your pipes. These chemicals then find their way into our water systems. They are extremely expensive and we never use them. Try these recipes. If they don’t work, chances are a chemical drain cleaner won’t either. You’ll probably have to snake your drain or if all else fails, hire a plumber.

For natural cleaning of drains, pour 1 cup washing soda down them every week or so. Washing soda (sodium carbonate) is a chemical relative of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). It is soda ash that is processed differently than baking soda. It is caustic so wear gloves when using. It is available in the laundry section of the grocery store.

For clogged sinks, pour 1 cup washing soda into the water surrounding the drain, as close to the drain as possible. Within a minute, the water should go down. If water hasn’t yet backed up, or you don’t have any washing soda, pour 1 cup baking soda down the drain followed by 3 cups boiling water.
You can also try pouring in ½ cup baking soda and ½ cup vinegar. Leave in drainpipe for 1 minute then rinse with hot water.

If that still doesn’t work, pour ¼ cup hydrogen peroxide into the drain. Wait for a few minutes then plunge. Repeat if necessary.

As a last resort, Sells Actina produces a digestive organism that liquefies grease and waste solids and reduces or eliminates odors. It’s safe for use in drains, pipes, and septic tanks. This product will usually work when nothing else has. Order from Medina Agricultural Products Company, P.O. Box 309, Hordo TX, 78861.

These are just a few of the natural cleaning solutions we have found. Check back in with us, we will post new recipes and ideas periodically. Also feel free to contact us with any questions or with any natural cleaning recipes and ideas that you have.

Joshua is a retirement coach, and Beth is a healer. They are also proud parents and are passionate about naturally caring for their own health and the health of their family. They have spent years finding the most effective methods to do so and love to share those methods with others! For more information, feel free to visit them at their family website!

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By Anthony Lee

If you have wood surfaced pieces of furniture at home, it is important to take extra care of it since wood entails extra special care compared to non-wood home furnishings. Thus, cleaning is an important measure in order for you to take good care of your things. Below are some helpful cleaning tips that may be handy:

1. Protect it from direct heat of the sun.

The pieces of furniture you have should be displayed in areas where it cannot be reached by the direct heat of the sun. Too much heat from the sun will make your wood furnishings dried out. On extreme cases, it can remove the color of the wood.

If however, your home furnishings have been exposed to sunlight and is susceptible to drying up, it is recommended for you to use a dehumidifier or humidifier. It helps to keep the wood surfaces from drying up.

2. Identify the type of wood finish.

Wood finishes come in different types. It varies from hard to soft finishes. Some comes in clear or painted finishes. Proper identification of the type of wood finishes will help you recognize appropriate cleaning methods.

3. Observe regular dusting.

For all types of wood finishes, it is a must to observe regular dusting. You can use a clean, fur-free permeable cloth for dusting. Dusting should be done more than a few times a week. As a result, you suspend fast accumulation of soil and other dirt on the surface.

4. Wash your wood furnishings.

One important cleaning tip for furniture is annually washing your wood furnishings. Mild soap and water should be used as washing solution. Use a soft cloth as your washing gadget. It is a must to immediately dry your wood furnishings right after you wash them. This is done in order to prevent moisture build-up.

5. Watch out for damage.

Cleaning is the best time to spot pieces of wood furniture that has damage. Early detection of damage can save you from major repairs or the possibility of abandoning important items in your home.

To learn more house cleaning tips, visit my home cleaning site.

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By Brian Ward

Create a house cleaning check list and following the list all week, organizing helps make the household chores less of a burden. We all know that house cleaning is time consuming and frustrating, so we must prepare the cleaning checklist. The best reason to have a house cleaning checklist is divides the chores for all the family.

You cleaning checklist does not have to just apply to one or two days a week, you can divide the chores up into several days. This way you can have the one to two chores opposed to several in one day. This is a good idea, start with the least appealing chore to get task out of the way first.

Another good idea, when you are preparing a cleaning checklist list the furniture dusting at the top of the list. This is because dusting sometimes creates residue on the floor. You would not want to vacuum or sweep the floor only to discover you need to redo it once you have dusted.

Some chores that do not need to be done each week that you will want to include on your house cleaning checklist. Dusting behind your appliances, cleaning the oven, and washing the windows are all important tasks. These chores can be placed on your checklist once a month.

Another good idea is to offer an allowance to your children. If you decide to do this you can also teach your child the value of hard work. They will feel better knowing they are earning money and you will appreciate the house cleaning help.

Brian Ward author of information articles, on home cleaning tips. Visit his website at http://www.carpetcleaninghelp.com

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