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Recipes for a Healthy Home
Cora Liikala
Joe E. Heimlich
Chemicals are all around us. They occur
in nature and in all activities that people undertake. The danger with
chemicals in the home is the concentration and combination of synthetic
and natural chemicals we choose to use.
There are many alternatives to the commercial
chemicals for cleaning and maintaining the household. One alternative
is to choose less hazardous materials. A second alternative is to use
common household substances for other purposes by creating "recipes"
that aid in household use. Many of these recipes are ideas that some of
us grew up with, we heard from our parents or grandparents, or that we
read in books on "the way it used to be."
In preparing recipes for household use,
there are three basic functions of household cleaners: to cut grease,
to scour (be abrasive) and to disinfect. These principles come from the
purpose of our cleaning. Sometimes we need something that will cut through
grease or filmy substances. For these occasions, we often need an acidic
solution or a strong base. A second need is for scouring products. For
this, we look for things in the house that are abrasive. A third purpose
for cleaning is to sanitize or sterilize. To do this, we need some kind
of chemical that has antiseptic properties.
Given these assumptions, here are a few
recipes for your cleaning file. You may have many others that work equally
well for you, or you may find ways to adapt these recipes for your own
use.
Kitchen
Drain Cleaner
1 cup salt boiling water
Pour salt down the drain: follow with
boiling water. This clears the pipes and avoids clogging.
Oven Cleaner
Vinegar: Wash with straight vinegar.
Pour extra vinegar over burned-on areas, shut the oven door and leave
to soak. After two hours, wipe off the vinegar, rinsing the sponge or
cleaning cloth frequently with warm water.
Chrome and Stainless Steel
Flour: Simply dip a soft cloth into ordinary
white flour and rub the object until it shines.
Vinegar: Wipe with a soft cloth dipped
in undiluted vinegar.
Degreaser and Scum Remover
Pour vinegar directly on the area and
wipe with a damp soft cloth. Do not use on marble surfaces.
Copper and Brass Cleaner
1/2 cup salt 1/2 cup flour white vinegar
Heat vinegar until warm; add to salt
and flour, enough to make a paste. Spread cleaner on copper or brass.
Let dry; brush off with a soft cloth.
For a quick once-over, a lemon half dipped
in salt and scrubbed over the copper surface will do the trick. Polish
dry with a soft cloth.
Silver Cleaner I
1 sheet aluminum foil
boiling water
1 glass baking dish
2 Tbsp. baking soda
Crush sheet of aluminum foil (shiny
side up) and place it at the bottom of a glass baking dish. Arrange
cutlery pieces on it so that they do not touch each other. Fill the
baking dish with boiling water and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of
baking soda to every quart of water used. After five minutes, remove
silver and dry with a soft cloth. DO NOT USE THIS METHOD ON PIECES
OF SILVER THAT ARE GLUED.
Silver Cleaner II
aluminum pan
boiling water
1 Tbsp. soda
1 Tbsp. salt
Bring this mixture to boil in the
pan. Drop your flatware into it as it boils, doing only a few pieces
at a time. Let them boil for three minutes, then take them out and
let them drain on a soft cloth, drying them to a shine with a second
cloth. Do not overcrowd the pot--it can be confusing to remember which
pieces have already done their three minutes and which ones still
have time to go; also, it can lower the temperature of the liquid,
thereby lowering its efficiency.
Intricately patterned or pieces
that are glued should probably be cleaned with a commercial cleaner.
A minute layer of the silver is
removed each time you use these methods. However, the conventional
method of polishing silver rubs off the same small layer.
Bathroom
Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Baking Soda: Sprinkle baking soda in basin and
scrub with a damp soft cloth. Rinse with warm water.
Lime and Mineral Deposit Remover
Soak paper towels in vinegar. Apply
the paper towels to the lime deposits around the faucets, fixtures
or crevices. Let stand approximately one hour. The deposits will be
softened and can be removed easily with a damp cloth. Do not use on
marble vanity tops.
General Household
Marble
Fresh Lemons: Quantity of Borax and water. Cut a fresh lemon in half. Hold it
within a cloth, dipping with cut edge down into warm water and borax.
Rub the marble surface with this lemon pad; then polish with a soft
dry cloth.
All-Purpose Cleaner
4 Tbsp. baking soda
1 quart warm water
Dissolve baking soda in warm water.
Apply with a sponge. Rinse with clean water. Flour or salt can also
be used with water to form progressively more abrasive cleansers.
Glass Cleaner
2 Tbsp. white vinegar
1 quart water
Mix vinegar with water. Increasing
the vinegar will deepen the cleaning action. Put into labeled spray
bottle.
Furniture Cleaner and Polish
3 cups olive oil
1 cup vinegar
Mix together until well blended.
Use several drops of polish on a soft dry cloth and apply to furniture.
Rub well to remove any excess polish. Do not apply to marble surfaces.
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