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“Being kind to animals is not enough. Avoiding cruelty is not enough. Housing animals in more comfortable, larger cages is not enough. Whether we exploit animals to eat, to wear, to entertain us, or to learn, the truth of animal rights requires empty cages, not larger cages.”
-Tom Regan
Glass Cleaner
- 2 Cups of water
- 1/4 Cup of white vinegar
- 1/2 Tsp of natural liquid soap or detergent
OR
- 1 Cup rubbing alcohol
- 1 Cup water
- 1 Tbsp. white vinegar
Shake well in a spray bottle.
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Weed Killer
- 1 oz. of Orange Oil
- 1 gallon of white Vinegar
- 1 oz. of liquid Dish Detergent
Fill a bucket with one gallone of white vinegar. Mix in 1 oz. of orange oil and 1 oz. of liquid dish detergent. Pour into spray bottle. Shake before using. Best to use when rain is not in the forecast.
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Stain Remover
Mix Borax with water.
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Scouring Cleanser
Mix Baking Soda with water.
OR
Mix together equal parts white vinegar and salt. Scrub surfaces with a natural cleaning cloth.
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Fabric Softner
- 1/2 cup white Vinegar per laundry load
Add half a cup of white vinegar directly to the wash, just prior to the final rinse cycle. Allow the machine to finish the rest of the cycle. Vinegar is a natural softner....and your clothes will not smell like vinegar.
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All Around Cleaner
- 1 Tsp. essential oil, such as sweet orange, lemongrass, eucalyptus, cinnamon or lavender.
- 1 Tsp. baking soda
- 2 Tsp. Borax
- 1 Tsp. liquid detergent
- 2 Cups hot water
Combine ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake to blend before each use.
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Dishwasher Detergent
- 1 Tbsp. Borax
- 1 Tbsp. Baking Soda
OR
Liquid Dishwasher Detergent
- 1 part baking soda
- 1 part borax
- 1 part water
- 1 drop lemon or orange essential oil per cup of detergent
Mix the Borax and baking soda together. Then, add to your dishwasher's detergent compartment, and run as usual.
LIQUID - Mix the ingredients thoroughly and store in a sealable jug.
Use 2 to 3 TBS per load.
Add vinegar to the rince compartment.
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Laundry Detergent
- 1 cup Ivory soap (or Fels Naptha soap)
- 1/2 cup washing soda
- 1/2 cup borax
Mix. Use 2 Tbsp. for each load.
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Dishwashing Liquid
- 1 Bar of Pure Soap
- Water
- 2-3 Tbsp. Vinegar
- Few drops of lavenar, lemon or orange essential oil
Grate a bar of pure soap into a sauce pan. Cover with water and simmer over low heat until they melt together. Add some vinegar to the water for tough grease and to remove spots. Let cool and add essential oil. Pour into a container and use as you would any liquid dishwashing soap.
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Floor Cleaner
- 1 Cup white vinegar
- 4 or 5 drops of eucalyptus oil
- 1/2 Cup baking soda
Add ingredients to a bucket of warm water.
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Furniture Polish
- 1 Tbsp. of olive oil
- 1/2 C of cider vinegar
OR
- 1 C. olive oil
- 1/2 C. lemon juice
Shake well in a spray bottle. Apply to flannel cloth.
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Drain Cleaner
- 1 - C White Vinegar
- 1 - C Baking Soda
Pour one cup of baking soda followed by one cup of vinegar down into the drain, let sit for 15 minutes or so, and rinse the drain with 3 qt. of hot water from your tap. The soda and vinegar react and foam, working down your drain to clean and deodorize quickly.
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The Best Green Cleaners
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Natural Mice/Rat Repellents
Here are some ideas to deter mice/rats from making a home in YOUR home during the cooler months when they are more apt to:
- Install ultrasonic rat/mice repellants. I personally have never used them, but have read mixed reviews on them. I suppose they are worth a try but I would use them in conjunction with some of the other methods below.
- Remove food sources.........bird, cat, dog food should all be stored in airtight containers, if kept in a garage or basement. Keep garbage in tightly closed cans.
- Peppermint Oil. (Not Extract). This can be sprinkled around the perimeter of your home.......soaked on rags or cotton balls, and placed in areas where you know these small animals have already used as an entry point into your home (I know they get in under my porch and I've tried this to keep them away). You can use this indoors or outdoors. It is a natural product that is safe for humans and animals. Make sure that the peppermint oil you use is labeled as 100% pure.
- Set Live Traps. If you know they are already in your home, live traps will capture the mice/rats but will not physically harm them. You can use peanut butter or dried fruit as bait. You can find live baits at garden centers. Once you catch them, take them far from your home and let them free.
- Get a cat! Just the scent of a cat will keep most mice and rats far from your home! If you have a cat, sprikle it's litter around your house and the smell of urine will keep them away.
- Moth Ball. Take the moth balls directly from the box and place them in the areas inhabited by mice. Moth balls are toxic and should not be used in non-ventilated areas or around kids and pets.
- Fresh Cab Botanical Repellent. Made by Earth-Kind. Fresh Cab is proven effective in getting rid of mice/rats in your home, garage and storage areas, and is safe to use around pets and livestock. Made exclusively of botanical fibers and oils, their products are safe around children, pets and livestock, and contain absolutely no poisons or toxic materials.
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Bug-Free Naturally
Some tips on trying to live bug-free.....naturally.
- Ants - Use Lemon: Cut up a lemon and squeeze out the juice where the ants are coming into the house or are building mounds on your land. Outside, change their route by pouring a line of cayenne pepper, dried peppermint or damp coffee grounds across the ants’ path.
- Garden Invaders - Marigolds and Chrysanthemums: Marigolds, like chrysanthemums, contain chemicals that repel bugs. If you plant them around vegetables that are prone to insect damage (tomatoes are a classic example), the flying critters often don’t bother trying to make their way through the flowers to find the vegetables.
- Mosquitoes - Plant Oils: Plant Oils that may repel mosquitoes include citronella, cedar, verbena, pennyroyal, geranium, lavender, pine and cinnamon. If you want to mix your own repellent, dilute 1 oz. essential oil of pennyroyal in 16 oz. vegetable oil, then apply to your body with your hands.
- Moths - Herbal Sachet: You can use cotton tea bags, which come ready to fill with a drawstring (find them in health food stores ). Combine 2 teaspoons each of dried thyme, rosemary and mint, and 1 teaspoon of whole cloves in a bowl. Stuff your sachet about three-quarters full with the herb mixture and sew up the last side to seal, and leave the sachet in your drawer or around the closet where moths strike.
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