Just FYI...

Baking soda works great on cleaning toilets! That's my new find of the day...

That, and it turns out that when I start cleaning the kids want to help! So, they vacuumed while I cleaned the bathrooms. It's a bit spotty... but better than nothing... and somehow they managed to do the whole house in one fell-swoop... which is something I've NEVER managed to do. Hmmm... I'll have to ponder this.

My next plan is to see about the anti-mold properties of tea tree oil, and to organize my cleaning system. Right now I think that part of my aversion to cleaning is that it's a hit-and-miss proposition in terms of finding the right tools and cleaners... and so it's daunting just to pull together the necessary items for doing the job! Stay tuned for that excitement! :)

Laundry... *sigh*

I often feel overwhelmed by my laundry... and I only have two children. I can't imagine how much laundry moms and dads of more children do... it's a primary reason I can't have more children... I just can't face anymore laundry. Someone may still find me suffocated under a pile of dirty clothes someday... it's a real possibility!


Anyway, stains are my new trouble. My four-year-old talks incessantly, is staunchly against following rules, and has a knack for getting her clothes REALLY dirty. Sometimes, if I can address the issue right away we're OK, but sometimes I can't... and it turns into something that is a real problem. Lately the biggest culprits are paint at preschool and whatever food she splattered all over her favorite new orange t-shirt.

I found these tips on Inhabitat (a REALLY cool website I'm going to have to look around more later)...

First, DON'T rub! Dab, blot, scrape, etc... but rubbing makes the stain deeper...

And the most interesting part to me, KNOW THY CHEMISTRY!

Tomato, oil, and fats: Try pouring boiling water over the stain in a bowl, cornflour or baking soda can also help absorb and lessen the stain

Ink, blood: Soak in milk (!!!) Hydrogen peroxide also works wonders on dried blood

Gum: Freeze and chip off (my aside: you can also apply ice if it's on something you can't throw in the freezer... like hair!)

Grass stains: Hydrogen peroxide

Berries: Vinegar works for these acidic stains (also try for coffee, tea, wine)

They had others on their Green Laundry 101 page if you're interested, I just posted the ones I run across most! I may actually print this list out and post it in my laundry room so that I can easily figure out what I need to deal with the latest catastrophe.

Now... if they could just figure out a way to get out stains that make it all the way through the washer/dryer without being noticed until I'm folding laundry... *sigh*...

Making my own chicken stock today...

I happened to have a whole chicken (which I rarely do... good grief, I must've had something special in mind when I bought it), and decided that once we used the meat I'd make chicken stock. I put chicken, onion, celery, a carrot, and some fresh herbs into a large pot, and presto! - two hours later I had chicken stock!

So, now you're wondering why on earth someone would bother to spend two hours making something you can pick up at the store for a few bucks (although if you're buying organic free-range broth you could be looking at $4-$5). And here's the thing... I looked at the label on my organic free-range broth and realized that there's a lot of salt in it (duh)... but there's also a lot of stuff I can't put my finger on. Reading this label made me wonder what was wrong with the organic chicken broth that caused them to think, "this needs more organic chicken flavor", and so to make that a second ingredient... what? Then that wasn't enough, they had to add more natural chicken flavor, and at the VERY end they put in more "organic flavor". What???


Next up, did you notice the sugar? I'll repeat myself... What???

I followed this video by Derek Allen on YouTube which was awesome... he suggests something I think is even MORE brilliant than just making your own broth... but reducing it afterward to a glace and freezing it in ice cube trays. Then, you can reconstitute your broth with 1 cup of water per ice cube! GENIUS, I say!

Turns out this is a recipe that takes some time, but is REALLY easy. I say... let the kids play and boil those chicken bones!

High fructose corn syrup...

OK, so I know it's not cleaning related exactly, but it's along the lines of reducing processed chemicals that my family comes in contact with.

Now, I've been avoiding high fructose corn syrup for a long time... but I've finally found the study that confirms my suspicions that it's bad for you... (actually a friend brought it to my attention - thanks Laura).

http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S26/91/22K07/

The sad thing is that it won't change unless the government stops subsidizing corn products. HFCS is actually cheaper than sugar, so if you're on a budget (there are so few of us that aren't), then healthy food has to be something you really think about and prioritize. I know that (should anyone be reading this) I am preaching to the choir, but I've been thinking a lot about food lately. School cafeteria food is on my radar for future work... and we've started doing a lot to eat organic and local over the last two years.