The Contenders!
I was cleaning my home last night. I appreciate when the nesting impulse kicks in, really. I’m having a houseguest in a few weeks and the time is of the essence in getting my queendom right and exact. Y’all know how folks clean for guests. And it occurred to me that maybe I do it a bit differently than most folks do. I guess this is more of the without than within.
First of all, I never exist in filth. My home may become disheveled, but never nasty. And if I come into another’s cipher, it must be at least picked up or I won’t stay there. And I don’t help folks clean either. If your spot is nasty, I assume that’s how you like it.
I came off the traditional cleaning product grid a long time ago. There was a time I liked to clean with caustic products. I used to like the ‘high’ that one gets from using ammonia. Ammonia was my drug, I mean product of choice. I remember passing out in a windowless, poorly ventilated bathroom, because I was cleaning every square inch of it with straight ammonia. That little experience there was what brought about the epiphany. I was suffocating and couldn’t do anything about it. If my late husband hadn’t been home and heard me fall, I believe I could have died. Now I’m not saying that I use all natural and organic products. Not at all. Some of that stuff is way too expensive for what it does. And some things just don’t work in my hands. I am mindful what comes in close contact with me and those in my cipher.
First thing first… Vinegar. I love this stuff. I use it for so a lot. I buy several gallons at once. And its dirt cheap. I use it as a spray cleaner for surfaces. It doesn’t work as quickly as my beloved ammonia, but if you let it sit a while it will cut through grease and grime. It’s good on glass too, though it streaks. You just have to go behind it with a clean dry rag. I like that I can use it near food. Hell, I use it on food. And I use it to wash my hair. Straight. I’ll chase it in my hair with water. I’ve heard that it can be used to whiten and soften laundry, but I’m thinking that is only hung laundry and not dried. The only surface I would not use it on is treated wood. And don’t worry about the smell it will go away and leave a fresher one in its place. And if you cannot get passed the smell, you can add some lemon juice or just a bit of essential oil. I prefer fruity or woodsy EO’s but you do you.
The next in my cleaning arsenal is Baking Soda. It’s cheap too. Buy the biggest boxes you can find. You can use this for so much. This is a wonderful abrasive and it doesn’t scratch shiny surfaces. A plus is when you use it in conjunction with vinegar; you get an incredibly powerful combination product. I bear witness that scrubbing some baking soda into a stain and then adding some vinegar will remove red Kool-Aid stains from white counters! I’ve heard of people using BS when washing their hair. I have never tried it. Not to say I disagree with the usage, but the vinegar works for me. Of course for brushing my teeth, though not every day. I know die hard BS brushers who have been using it for years, report sensitivity in their teeth over time that doesn’t go away. And I’ve seen it dissolve enamel with prolonged usage. My microdermabrasion, in my bathwater for a silky bath. I put BS in the kitty litter, and use it to clean out the box on change day. It can leave a residue so you have to rinse it thoroughly. It can be used as an antacid. Read the side of the box. Everybody has this product in their homes there is no need to buy Rolaids and Tums unless you just like that stuff. I wouldn’t use BS on glass or wood, but everything else is fair game.
Castille Soap. Another great product. I buy it at the health food store. And I have learned to buy the plain unscented CS. Why? Because you can use it for more stuff than you would a scented version. And try to get the soap that you pour out yourself into your own containers versus the pre-poured ones. It’s cheaper. You can use this for washing dishes, floorwashing, and washing your behind. CS is a vegetarian product. Again if you want something to have smell, add some EO to it.
The above 3 are my heavy hitters. There is other stuff. But 90% of my cleaning involves Vinegar, Castille Soap and Baking Soda. Borax is helpful. It’s a laundry additive, though I never see a difference in my laundry. My Ole Earth swears by it. Therefore I own it. It is pretty good for manually scrubbing the toilet, though BS works too. And vinegar works quickly. A 50:50 mix of borax and washing soda, with a splash of CS works in the dishwasher. (I use regular dishwasher tabs for the most part. Has bleach in it)
Cleaning wood is my trickiest and most difficult undertaking. First obtain 3 rags. One to be used wet, 1 oily and 1 dry. You have to make 2 solutions; a watery mix of CS and water (1:9) and a 50:50 mix of lemon juice and light oil. I find olive oil to be too heavy, but that’s me. Wet a rag with the soapy solution and clean the wood with it. You don’t want to spray directly on the wood. Wood can buckle. Wipe clean with the dry rag. Then pour the oil solution into the oil rag and go over the wood with it. You gotta do this fast. You don’t want the wood to dry out from the soapy solution. Let the oil sit on the wood for 20 minutes. Then go behind and wipe all the oil off with the dry rag. It’s easier to use pledge ain’t it?
Another thing is the paper issue. I find the acquisition of paper towel to be a crazy expensive stupidly unnecessary practice. I stopped buying paper towels 6 months ago. I have yet to run out of what I had left or need them. I eat with cloth napkins that I found at a thrift store. I have some really nice ones too. Nice white linen. Those aren’t for everyday. I have some just plain ones that I use for daily use. If I’m alone, which is most of the time, I’ll just go to the bathroom and wash my hands and face after I eat and/or eat neatly. I’ll use leftover cotton fabric for napkins too. I just cut them to size and hem them. I clean the kitchen counters with the kitchen rags. It’s the only room that has dedicated rags. All my other rags come from my rag stash. Cut up old t-shirts and thread bare towels. All get cut up and placed in a rag bin. Once used they get laundered. If I should bring something home that has paper napkins, I save them for use later. I never seem to need them so they pile up.
If you’ve read this far, I’m very impressed! What prompted me to make these changes? First and foremost. My skin! Y’all have no idea how hard it is to maintain when you have this skin issue. Most storebought products irritate me in some way. Secondly, I’m cheap. I ain’t paying for what I don’t need. Thirdly, on my list and probably way more importantly on a global standpoint, it’s the right thing to do for the environment. I am cognizant of my carbon footprint. I don’t drive excessively, I recycle (and it ain’t free here), I don’t acquire irresponsible items. I try to be accountable to the environment.
I ain’t saying I am this peace peace granola chick. SMH. I love that bathroom cleaning spray for the shower. I hate all the bending that goes into cleaning the shower. But I do believe that in this society we have lost our connection with the simple things and we are paying the price, with increased instances of allergies and out alienation from nature. When was the last time any of you walked barefoot in the woods just to commune with nature? If you listen to her voice she’ll let you in on the secrets.
If y’all have ideas, please share them.
Peace
First of all, I never exist in filth. My home may become disheveled, but never nasty. And if I come into another’s cipher, it must be at least picked up or I won’t stay there. And I don’t help folks clean either. If your spot is nasty, I assume that’s how you like it.
I came off the traditional cleaning product grid a long time ago. There was a time I liked to clean with caustic products. I used to like the ‘high’ that one gets from using ammonia. Ammonia was my drug, I mean product of choice. I remember passing out in a windowless, poorly ventilated bathroom, because I was cleaning every square inch of it with straight ammonia. That little experience there was what brought about the epiphany. I was suffocating and couldn’t do anything about it. If my late husband hadn’t been home and heard me fall, I believe I could have died. Now I’m not saying that I use all natural and organic products. Not at all. Some of that stuff is way too expensive for what it does. And some things just don’t work in my hands. I am mindful what comes in close contact with me and those in my cipher.
First thing first… Vinegar. I love this stuff. I use it for so a lot. I buy several gallons at once. And its dirt cheap. I use it as a spray cleaner for surfaces. It doesn’t work as quickly as my beloved ammonia, but if you let it sit a while it will cut through grease and grime. It’s good on glass too, though it streaks. You just have to go behind it with a clean dry rag. I like that I can use it near food. Hell, I use it on food. And I use it to wash my hair. Straight. I’ll chase it in my hair with water. I’ve heard that it can be used to whiten and soften laundry, but I’m thinking that is only hung laundry and not dried. The only surface I would not use it on is treated wood. And don’t worry about the smell it will go away and leave a fresher one in its place. And if you cannot get passed the smell, you can add some lemon juice or just a bit of essential oil. I prefer fruity or woodsy EO’s but you do you.
The next in my cleaning arsenal is Baking Soda. It’s cheap too. Buy the biggest boxes you can find. You can use this for so much. This is a wonderful abrasive and it doesn’t scratch shiny surfaces. A plus is when you use it in conjunction with vinegar; you get an incredibly powerful combination product. I bear witness that scrubbing some baking soda into a stain and then adding some vinegar will remove red Kool-Aid stains from white counters! I’ve heard of people using BS when washing their hair. I have never tried it. Not to say I disagree with the usage, but the vinegar works for me. Of course for brushing my teeth, though not every day. I know die hard BS brushers who have been using it for years, report sensitivity in their teeth over time that doesn’t go away. And I’ve seen it dissolve enamel with prolonged usage. My microdermabrasion, in my bathwater for a silky bath. I put BS in the kitty litter, and use it to clean out the box on change day. It can leave a residue so you have to rinse it thoroughly. It can be used as an antacid. Read the side of the box. Everybody has this product in their homes there is no need to buy Rolaids and Tums unless you just like that stuff. I wouldn’t use BS on glass or wood, but everything else is fair game.
Castille Soap. Another great product. I buy it at the health food store. And I have learned to buy the plain unscented CS. Why? Because you can use it for more stuff than you would a scented version. And try to get the soap that you pour out yourself into your own containers versus the pre-poured ones. It’s cheaper. You can use this for washing dishes, floorwashing, and washing your behind. CS is a vegetarian product. Again if you want something to have smell, add some EO to it.
The above 3 are my heavy hitters. There is other stuff. But 90% of my cleaning involves Vinegar, Castille Soap and Baking Soda. Borax is helpful. It’s a laundry additive, though I never see a difference in my laundry. My Ole Earth swears by it. Therefore I own it. It is pretty good for manually scrubbing the toilet, though BS works too. And vinegar works quickly. A 50:50 mix of borax and washing soda, with a splash of CS works in the dishwasher. (I use regular dishwasher tabs for the most part. Has bleach in it)
Cleaning wood is my trickiest and most difficult undertaking. First obtain 3 rags. One to be used wet, 1 oily and 1 dry. You have to make 2 solutions; a watery mix of CS and water (1:9) and a 50:50 mix of lemon juice and light oil. I find olive oil to be too heavy, but that’s me. Wet a rag with the soapy solution and clean the wood with it. You don’t want to spray directly on the wood. Wood can buckle. Wipe clean with the dry rag. Then pour the oil solution into the oil rag and go over the wood with it. You gotta do this fast. You don’t want the wood to dry out from the soapy solution. Let the oil sit on the wood for 20 minutes. Then go behind and wipe all the oil off with the dry rag. It’s easier to use pledge ain’t it?
Another thing is the paper issue. I find the acquisition of paper towel to be a crazy expensive stupidly unnecessary practice. I stopped buying paper towels 6 months ago. I have yet to run out of what I had left or need them. I eat with cloth napkins that I found at a thrift store. I have some really nice ones too. Nice white linen. Those aren’t for everyday. I have some just plain ones that I use for daily use. If I’m alone, which is most of the time, I’ll just go to the bathroom and wash my hands and face after I eat and/or eat neatly. I’ll use leftover cotton fabric for napkins too. I just cut them to size and hem them. I clean the kitchen counters with the kitchen rags. It’s the only room that has dedicated rags. All my other rags come from my rag stash. Cut up old t-shirts and thread bare towels. All get cut up and placed in a rag bin. Once used they get laundered. If I should bring something home that has paper napkins, I save them for use later. I never seem to need them so they pile up.
If you’ve read this far, I’m very impressed! What prompted me to make these changes? First and foremost. My skin! Y’all have no idea how hard it is to maintain when you have this skin issue. Most storebought products irritate me in some way. Secondly, I’m cheap. I ain’t paying for what I don’t need. Thirdly, on my list and probably way more importantly on a global standpoint, it’s the right thing to do for the environment. I am cognizant of my carbon footprint. I don’t drive excessively, I recycle (and it ain’t free here), I don’t acquire irresponsible items. I try to be accountable to the environment.
I ain’t saying I am this peace peace granola chick. SMH. I love that bathroom cleaning spray for the shower. I hate all the bending that goes into cleaning the shower. But I do believe that in this society we have lost our connection with the simple things and we are paying the price, with increased instances of allergies and out alienation from nature. When was the last time any of you walked barefoot in the woods just to commune with nature? If you listen to her voice she’ll let you in on the secrets.
If y’all have ideas, please share them.
Peace
Comments
I do like to use Bio-Kleen all purpose cleaner (you dilute it a lot so it lasts forever) in the kitchen. Everywhere else, baking soda, vinegar, castile soap (although I do keep bleach in the house for disinfecting purposes).
Was that TMI?
I'm glad I have a cat now!