Adventures in green cleaning

Recently I've gotten aboard the "green clean" train in an attempt to get rid of some persistent mold under the kitchen sink.  I was using diluted bleach, but it just never seemed to get rid of it for long.  Turns out bleach, while an excellent disinfectant, is not really that great for actual cleaning and getting rid of mold on more porous surfaces.  It is also very caustic even when diluted; causing skin irritation and asthmatic reactions in some people. Additionally, as many of us know, many commercial cleaners are also very toxic.

There are tons of resources out on the Web, and many point towards the use of basic household products for general cleaning, specifically white distilled vinegar. Vinegar cleans just about everything, and while the smell is not pleasant it dissipates after just an hour or two, and is much less obnoxious than many commercial cleaners and bleach. I am happy to say it annihilated the mold. Baking soda and lemon juice are also extremely good at cleaning and deodorizing.

Here are a two of the "recipes" that I have found very helpful:

All-Purpose Cleaner
Equal parts white distilled vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Seriously, that's it.

Furniture polish
1/4 c lemon juice with a few drops of olive oil in a spray bottle or small dish, dip a soft cloth in it and polish away.

Aside from being better for the environment and your health, natural cleaners are also incredibly cheap to make.

Here are also some excellent links to more recipes, tips and videos:

http://greenandcleanmom.org/
http://frugalliving.about.com/od/cleaningtipsandrecipes/a/Clean_Vinegar.htm
http://www.vinegartips.com/scripts/pageViewSec.asp?id=7
http://blackmold.awardspace.com/kill-remove-mold.html#vinegar

The above is just the tip of the iceberg, I would encourage everyone to explore natural non-toxic cleaning both for the environment and your own health!

Prayer of bitterness

 As long as you make an identity for yourself out of pain, you cannot be free of it. 

-Eckhart Tolle

Dear Lord may I never become bitter

May I never become jaded with the sadness of life

May those around me never feel the need to walk on eggshells

and never fear my reaction to inconsequential mistakes

I pray I will always be kind towards others

That my patience will endure the most difficult of situations

I pray that if I come to hate my job so much, I'll quit

and that I will do so with dignity.

 

That I will not infect others with resentment.

That I will not color facts with feelings

or manipulate truth with resentment

That I remain open and loving,

though I may be seen as naive

And that my words be steeped in kindness

and my actions honest and consistent

I pray I make for myself an identity out of joy

and a life transformed by love.

 

 

 

A BAD DAY

Special thanks to DemotivateUs.com