===================================================== Today's recipes and tips are one of thousands in a 350-page book "Remedies, Tricks & Tons of Tips: A Home Survival Handbook" $19.95 ---------------------------------------------------- A. NONTOXIC CLEANER INFO 1. Baking Soda This mineral has more uses for household cleaning than any other substance. Made from soda ash, baking soda is slightly alkaline, with a pH around 8.1 (7 is neutral) so it neutralizes acid-based odors in water and absorbs odors from the air. Sprinkled on a damp sponge or cloth, it can be used as a gentle nonabrasive cleaner for kitchen counter tops, sinks, bathtubs, ovens and fiberglass. It also eliminates perspiration odors and neutralizes the chemical smells in new clothes by adding a cup to the washing machine and soaking overnight. Place an open box inside the refrigerator to absorb odors. Its also a fine carpet deodorizer: sprinkle on carpet and vacuum up an hour later. And last, baking soda can keep drainpipes clear when combined with boiling water. 2. Washing Soda A chemical neighbor of baking soda, washing soda (sodium carbonate) is more strongly alkaline with a pH around 11, and is a heavy-duty cleaner. Its mined much like baking soda, but processed differently. Because it is quite caustic, it cannot be called nontoxic. When using, wear rubber gloves. It releases no harmful fumes and is far safer than a commercial solvent formula. Washing soda cuts grease, cleans petroleum oils and dirt, removes wax or lipstick and softens water. It is readily made into strong scouring powders and soft scrubbers, floor cleaners, and all-purpose cleaners. It can be used as a laundry detergent booster. It neutralizes odors the same as baking soda. Washing soda is too caustic to use on fiberglass, aluminum or waxed floors unless you intend to remove the wax. For heavy-duty jobs, make a thick paste with water, scrub and rinse well. For less intensive jobs, mix ½-1c. soda to 1 gal. water. 3. White Vinegar & Lemon Juice White vinegar and lemon juice are acidic and neutralize alkaline or caustic substances. If you have trouble with mineral build up (scale) from hard water, vinegar will eat it away. Acids dissolve gummy buildup and eats away tarnish. Vinegar is also good for removing dirt from wood surfaces. 4. Liquid Soap & Detergent Liquid soaps and detergents are necessary for cutting grease. Detergents are synthetic materials made up of surface-active agents derived from vegetable oils, animal fat or petroleum constituents. They are considered an improvement over soap because they don’t react with hard water minerals which turn clothes gray and they prevent soap scum and film from forming on tiles, tubs and sinks. If you have hard water, use detergent: if soft, use soap. 5. Disinfectants For a substance to be registered by the EPA as a disinfectant, it must go through extensive tests. There is only one “natural” disinfectant on the market that has been registered (Power Herbal Disinfectant, available in health food stores). Two ingredients that folk legend claims kill bacteria and mold and are successful at disinfecting and killing mold, although not EPA registered, are Australian Tea Tree Oil and Grapefruit Seed Extract. Australian Tea Tree Oil is one of the ingred-ients used in the registered commercial product, and is an essential oil from the Malaleuca tree. Its expensive but a little goes a long way. A spray can be made by adding 20 drops extract to 1qt.water. Both oils are available in health stores. B. HOME-MADE CLEANERS 1. Heavy Duty Cleaner Recipe 2 t. borax or 1 t. washing soda ½ t. dish detergent 2 c. hot water Combine ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake to blend. 2. Soft Scrub Recipe ½ c. Baking Soda Liquid dish detergent Mix baking soda and a bit of liquid detergent in a bowl until consistency of frosting. Scoop onto a sponge, and wash the bathtub, sink or whatever you want (rinses without grit!) 3. Windex Recipe 1 pt. rubbing alcohol 1 T. household ammonia 1 T. dishwashing liquid 1 gal. water Blue Food Coloring Combine ingredients and add 2 drops blue food coloring for a professional look. Store in gallon jug. Use on windows, chrome and painted surfaces in the bathroom and kitchen. Will clean as good as any you can buy and a lot cheaper. 4. Beeswax Polish Recipe 4 oz. (weight) beeswax 2 T. carnauba wax 2½ c. odorless turpentine or mineral spirits Melt the waxes on high in a microwave or in a double boiler. Remove from heat and stir in turpentine or mineral spirits. Pour in sealed jar. To apply polish, use a clean cloth and rub wood in small circles. Allow the polish to dry, then buff with a clean cloth. If more than one coat is desired, wait two days between applications. Beeswax furniture polish with its soft, satin shine, is considered the ultimate in wood care. 5. Furniture Polish Recipe Mix 3 parts light mineral oil and 1 part olive oil and a drop of lemon juice. Pull an old sock over your hand and use as polishing rag. 6. Beeswax Wood Conditioner Yield: 1 quart 1 oz. beeswax 1 oz. white, bleached beeswax 1 pt. turpentine 2 c. water 1 oz. pure soapflakes or shredded castile soap In a non-plastic container, shred waxes into turpentine; cover and place the container in a warm spot away from heat source and shake container from time to time. Bring water to a boil, add soap and stir until dissolved. Let mixture cool, then add to the wax/turpentine mixture, stirring briskly until an emulsion forms. Pour the mixture into bottle(s) and seal. Always shake well before using and apply sparingly. C. METAL CLEANERS 1. Brass a. Rub item with half a cut lemon dipped in salt. Rinse thoroughly and polish with a soft cloth. b. Coat with Worcestershire sauce, set awhile, then rinse. c. Submerge brass piece in a bath of salt and vinegar. There is an electric reaction in which the ions of sodium from the salt displaces the brass. Do not allow to dry on. d. Scrub with toothpaste. e. Pour on tomato ketchup, let sit and wipe dry. f. Use water in which onions have been boiled. 2. Chrome a. To polish chrome, apply cider vinegar, rinse with water, then dry. b. Shine chrome fixtures with baby oil and a soft cloth, a piece of aluminum foil (shiny side out) or newspapers. 3. Copper a. To clean copper, dissolve salt in vinegar and wipe on with a cloth. b. To polish cooper, pour white vinegar and salt over copper and rub. c. Cut a lemon in half and sprinkle with salt. Rub gently over the surface of the pan. Rinse and dry thoroughly. Or use a paste of lemon juice and salt. d. Apply ketchup and let set for awhile, then rinse off. e. Copper Polish Recipe (Parts by weight) 2.4 parts beeswax 9.4 parts mineral oil 42 parts vinegar, 5% to 7% acetic acid 42 parts citric acid, USP crystals 42 parts soap flakes Combine the soap and vinegar to make a paste. Melt the beeswax and mineral oil together in a microwave or a double boiler. Stir in the soap mixture and the citric acid. Let the cleaner set overnight before using it. Apply the polish with a clean, damp cloth. Rinse the copper and wipe it dry. 4. Silver a. Clean silver. Mix 5 oz. nonfat dry milk, 12 oz. water and 1 T. white vinegar or lemon juice. Let silver stand overnight in the mixture, then rinse clean and dry. b. Use toothpaste as a silver polish. It works great! c. For silver pieces without raised patterns or cemented-on handles, place the silver on a piece of aluminum foil in an enamel pot, then add boiling water and 4 T. baking soda. Let stand, rinse and dry. d. Soak silver about 5 minutes in a quart of warm water containing 1 T. baking soda, 1 T. salt and a piece of aluminum foil. e. Rub with toothpaste or baking soda and a soft cloth, rinse and polish dry.