Household/Gardening Tips
By Suzanne

This month, I am featuring natural made cleaning products for the home.

Always remember: Never mix products that contain bleach & ammonia.

OVEN CLEANER
2 tablespoons dishwashing liquid
2 teaspoons borax
1/4 cup ammonia
1-1/2 cups warm water

Mix the ingredients together, apply to oven spills, and let sit for 20 to 30 minutes. Scrub with an abrasive nylon-backed sponge and rinse well.

 GENERAL-PURPOSE CLEANER
1 teaspoon borax
1/2 teaspoon washing soda
2 teaspoons vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dishwashing liquid
2 cups hot water

Combine all the ingredients. If you don't have washing soda (generally found in the laundry section of supermarkets), use 1 teaspoon baking soda instead. For a more pleasant smell, use lemon juice instead of vinegar. Be sure to label the bottle accordingly.



HEAVY DUTY DISINFECTANT CLEANER
1/4 cup powdered laundry detergent
1 tablespoon borax
3/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup pine oil, or pine-based cleaner

Slowly stir the detergent and borax into the water to dissolve. Add the pine oil (available at hardware stores and supermarkets) and mix well. For bathroom cleaning, use the mixture full strength. In the kitchen, dilute it with water.



WOOD FLOOR POLISH
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil Mix the ingredients well, rub on the floor, and buff with a clean, dry cloth.



GLASS CLEANER
2 tablespoons ammonia
1/2 cup alcohol
1/4 teaspoon dishwashing liquid
a few drops blue food coloring
water

Combine the ammonia, alcohol, dishwashing liquid, and food coloring, then add enough water to make 1 quart. If you prefer a non-ammoniated cleaner, substitute 3 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice for the ammonia.



CARPET FRESHENER
1 cup crushed dried herbs (such as rosemary, southernwood, or lavender)
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda

Combine all the ingredients in a large jar or other container with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well to blend. Sprinkle some of the mixture on your carpet, let it sit for an hour or so, and then vacuum it up. It will give the room a pleasant smell and neutralize carpet odors.



SUPERSTITIONS
Scatter Solomon's seal on the floor to banish serpents and venomous creatures from the room.

Add caraway seeds to chicken feed to keep poultry from wandering. Feed the seeds to homing pigeons to help them find their way back.

Never carry a hoe into the house. If you do so by mistake, carry it out again, walking backward to avoid bad luck.

If you give a steel blade to a friend, make the recipient pay you a penny to avoid cutting the friendship.

Never pound a nail after sundown, or you will wake the tree gods.

When you move to a new house, always enter first with a loaf of bread and a new broom. Never bring an old broom into the house.