GREEN CLEANING PRODUCTS & DOG HEALTH IDEAS AND HOME REMEDIES

Green Cleaning Products

What do you use for cleaning around your house? The last time I bought dish soap (for the sink, not the dishwasher), I decided to stock up on simple cleaning products. I have baking soda, washing soda, borax, alcohol, ammonia (though I'm not sure I'd call that one "green"), and glycerin.

What I need are more suggestions for good recipes and a heads-up on something I might have missed. I ran out of cleanser, which I love, but thought I'd try homemade instead. So yesterday I improvised my recipe. I had seen a recipe somewhere that sounded good, but couldn't find it again, so I just threw together the ingredients. I'll check today to make sure it didn't get too dried out. I used: (all measurements are approximate, as usual around here :)) a cup of baking soda, a teaspoon of dish soap, a tablespoon of glycerin, and 20 drops of essential oil (I chose lavender and tea tree for antibacterial properties). I cleaned the kitchen sink with it and it seemed to work great. Today I'll probably tackle either the toilet bowls or the tub with it and see what I think.

I don't make my own laundry soap, I tried it a couple of times, but wasn't happy with the result. We have a front-loader, so the four bottles I bought a month or so ago will probably last me at least until next year - I don't use but maybe 1/3 of what is suggested, and my clothes come out just fine.

I use some other products, undiluted, for really bad jobs such as bicycle grease, and such.

I've never heard of that one, Oggie. Lance has some "simple green," but I don't like wintergreen, and try as I might, can't stand to use it. Smells like Skoal, which I have never been able to stand.

Add white vinegar to your list.

Oh yes, I have white vinegar also. What specifically do you do with it? I soak my kitchen rags in it because they are red and I don't want to bleach them; use it in my drains and on windows.

I don't use it for some things because my husband thinks it stinks, to the point that he will actually leave the house when he smells it - weird man!

Ladycat, what do you use the oil soap for? I remember buying it in the past when I had wood floors, but have no idea what else I might use it on. It's an all-purpose cleaner.

Mostly I use it to clean pet accidents! And to clean windows and counter tops. I'd rather smell white vinegar than ammonia any day!

Bleach, soda, vinegar, store-brand dishwashing detergent, rubbing alcohol, DW liquid because it does a really good job on glassware. I also use whatever toilet bowl cleaner is on sale. And no, none of these get used as often as they really should.

It is surprising how clean plain water gets a lot of things. I often use it with a rough cloth or brush. It works well.

All-purpose spray:

2 cups water
½ cup white vinegar
3/4 cup hydrogen peroxide
20 drops tea tree oil
20 drops lavender oil

I just found this recipe, and I love it. It even works great on mirrors and windows.

I scrub the tub with borax when there is soap scum, and use the all-purpose spray daily. The toilet gets cleaned with Simple Green. I use white vinegar in place of liquid fabric softener in my washing machine. I make a paste of baking soda and a teeny bit of dish soap to clean the fridge. I have chemical sensitivities, but these items don't seem to bother me.

For cleaning the bathroom, if things need scrubbing I use baking soda. I never thought to use borax to scrub the shower, but I will try it - our water leaves a terrible film.

Orange oil products are harder to find around here, but years ago I ordered some orange oil and used it for all kinds of cleaning as well as treated my nephews hair for lice.

Vinegar is a great window cleaner. I like it a lot. We used to use newspaper with it and it works like a champ. Now I use newspaper to put in my compost bin for the wormies.

You might be interested to know that Diatom skeletons are the primary ingredient for basic scouring powder and original toothpaste. Same principle...a very fine grit to get off yuckies whether on your counter or your teeth!

Diatomacious earth is a very fine version of the Diatom skeletons, sometimes further ground to remove the grittiness. They make their bodies of silica.... basically glass... with all kinds of pokies and so their broken microscopic shells are great scourers. You can go totally natural by simply getting some of that and using it.

We took the boys down to the river and let them ride last week. It's a good ride, flat and not crowded. Just in case you wanted to try a new ride.

I'm not sure whether to say "cool" or not to that one. But I may look for DE and give it a try after I use up my baking soda version. Thanks!

I agree. I made a paste of tsp. baking soda and vinegar, then cleaned my cabinet
tops, which are a white pattern - they look like I bleached them, their so clean!!

I also poured baking soda down my shower drain - it runs clear now - much better than when we used a drain cleaner.

I use baking soda as a laundry booster. Plus it really makes my laundry smell good! Cheaper than those sheets you throw in the dryer, too!

Since another poster told about the vinegar and baking soda combo cleaning so well, I've decided to quit buying cleaning products and use it in different ratios as a household cleaner. It's so cheap for both. It cleans better and I don't worry about the my DGD getting into it, even though I keep it up out of the way.

That's what I bought! It's a great pre-treater for laundry stains, especially grease spots. I've been able to get set-in spots out of clothes by spraying it on there and soaking them, then running them through the wash. My DD swears hydrygen peroxide works on stains too, but I wasn't sure if you can use it on colors.

I use powder in my front loader sometimes - it has a delay timer so I can set it to start about an hour before I plan on getting up, and I am one load ahead on the day!

I use a lot of white vinegar, I buy it in a two pack. I use it on pet accidents or kids accident sheets, in my kleen kanteens, a splash to my milk buckets after I wash them with soap and water, on my rags and towels that have soured, anything really that needs "deodorizing" (it kills 99% of bacteria by the way, the same as bleach). Like someone else, I bought one gallon and it has lasted forever! For general cleaning and spray bottles, I use baking soda in all sorts of things. I also do have bleach for what needs bleaching (this summer it seems mostly for my daughter's "whites" from goat showing). I hand wash my dishes and have bought all sorts of things in the past. Oh, for laundry, I've made my own laundry soap off and on for years! I too use white vinegar for cleaning also.

I'm looking for a natural cleaner for my leather furniture and I'm looking for a natural wood furniture wax. Recommendations welcome.

I use white vingear to clean:

Tile floors: 1 cup vinegar to 1 gal water.
Wood floors: I use a spray bottle with 1/4 cup vinegar then fill with water.
Soap scum in the shower/bath: straight vinegar in a spray bottle ( I let it sit for a few minutes then scrub and rinse).
Fabric softener and drain cleaner too.

DOG HEALTH IDEAS AND HOME REMEDIES:

Don’t give garlic, but sprinkle garlic powder on dog’s food, & it should expel any worms!

When vomiting, give ice, bland rice topped with bouillon broth (from boiling a bouillon cube or two in water). Can give Pepto Bismol in small amounts. Add canned pumpkin to dog’s diet, too.

When dog has diarrhea, give a drop of Kaopectate (available at most grocery stores for a few $$$ - don’t pay the high vet prices for these items) on top of food, or a piece of a weenie, to stop it sooner.

Tapeworms and fleas go together: get rid of the fleas (whether the dog is scratching or not), and there should be no problem with tapeworms.

Remedy: Food grade diatomacious earth. Works on all intestinal worms.

Forum: “I have tried the dewormer from the vet with no success. I tried the tobacco and it does work! I cut a 1cm piece off a cigarrete and crumbled it into the dog food for 3 days, the 4th morning a dead tapeworm and a lot of dead eggs came out. I am going to do this for 7 days every 3 months to keep my dogs and cat worm free.”

Food grade diatomaceous earth is the organic natural "effective" worming ticket for all beings, human, livestock, and pets. For livestock, we feed it free choice and in their daily herb-grain-seed mix. Incoming rescues with gray gums, scruffy coats stick their heads into a 5 gallon bucket of food grade diatomaceous earth and eat it, as they know they need it. It doesn't take 2 weeks for their gums to turn pink and their coats to look nice. Same for puppy and kitten rescues with pot bellies, loose stools, etc., within 48 hours of feeding food grade diatomaceous earth their pot bellies are gone and their bowel movements are firm.

In my 14 years of raising and rescuing llamas, goats, chickens, guineas, peafowl, pigs, foxes, wolves, dogs, cats, reptiles, and more, food grade diatomaceous earth is the only wormer we use and it works without poisoning the animals or people. Makes everyone's lives simple, safe, and effective.

Can give dog a little vegetable oil, and they will poop out any worms.

Other Remedies for Worms:

Panacur (fenbendazole) - available as a paste or liquid; is available at your agricultural supply store. It is good for most worms, although it does not treat tape worms.

Tape worms can easily be killed with Tape Worm Taps. The ingredient is Praziquantel, and was prescription only until a year or so ago. You can purchase it at your local Tractor Supply store.

Foods that are toxic to dogs are grapes, raisons, chocolate, avocados, baby food, alcohol, macadamia nuts, mushrooms, onions, and coffee.

Garlic: Add one clove of finely chopped garlic in the dog’s food every day. If possible, make use of it in dinner or meals at night. This will work wonders as it is the most reliable and old-time home-based remedy to get rid of fleas.

Vinegar: Include some vinegar in the pet’s regular drinking water. It works as a disinfectant.

Eucalyptus Leaves

The answer is eucalyptus leaves. You can get them at any craft store. For some reason the fleas don't like the smell of it. I used this for many years when I lived in California. I had a dog and 2 cats and a toddler! Safe for the kids and the environment.

Sprinkle the Borax

Borax is great for fleas. It is not toxic and you can sprinkle it on your carpet. Let it sit for a few days and then vacuum it up. You can sprinkle it around the fence of your yard too. Don’t sprinkle it on your pet directly.

Diatomacious earth cheaper to sprinkle

An inexpensive way to rid your yard of fleas is to sprinkle DE (diatomaceous Earth) all over.

Set A Trap

I read this in a magazine about 15 years ago and it works great. At night you put a dinner plate on the floor (preferably in the room with the worst flea problem) and put a drop of dish soap in some water on the plate. Put a lamp on the floor next to the plate. The fleas are attracted to the light and jump on the plate. Without the dish soap the water surface tension is enough that they can jump off but with the soap the sink and drown. If this is done for several nights eventually all the fleas will be gone unless more are brought in.

Make a 50/50 mixture of 20 Mule Team Borax (the boxed laundry product), and diatomaceous earth. Don’t get the diatomaceous earth where swimming pool supplies are sold, also called swimming pool filter earth. Pure borax will also work but will cost a bit more.

Make a dust can by punching or drilling a bunch of holes in the base of a container. A used quart yogurt or cottage cheese container, with the top, is perfect. Medium dust all carpets and hidden nooks and crannies of furniture, closets, and wherever else larval fleas might be hiding (they eat dust and detritus). Try not to breathe the dust, or wear a face mask over your nose. Keep pets out of the area being dusted. After any dust settles, it is OK to let pets in, as they can eat the diatomacious earth with no problem. Don’t put it directly on the pets!

The best thing I've used to rid my house and dogs of fleas is Lorann Oils - Oil of American Cedar Leaf. Put 3 drops on a 3 inch square of brown paper bag in every corner of EVERY room of your house. Do this every 2 days, next week-do it every 4 days, 3rd week - and through the 'flea season' put the 3 drops on the paper. I put the paper with the oil on it on a shelf, or somewhere that my 6 dogs can't possibly reach. I bought 4 oz. of this oil 6 years ago [think it was about $25], and still have a half bottle left [house has 9 rooms] Make sure you specify Oil of American Cedar LEAF! makes your house like a cedar closet.

Vinegar, especially apple cider vinegar, is bitter and unappetizing to fleas. Mop the floors with it and use it in your carpet cleaner as well. As a bonus, vinegar doesn’t have to be rinsed out like regular carpet cleaning soaps!

Use diatomaceous earth, which is nothing more than finely ground fosslilized seashells. It is NOT A CHEMICAL of any kind, it's a rock - and will score and then dry up the outer shell of any insect - including fleas - and kill them without harming anyone else.

Treat your home by vacuuming thoroughly and frequently. Use of diatomaceous earth (DE) is a very effective substance for killing fleas (as well as ants and several other pests) but has low toxicity for humans and pets. Spread a dusting onto carpets, upholstery and pet bedding. Wear goggles and a dust mask to avoid breathing the dust.

Diatomaceous Earth is often used as a non-toxic flea treatment. It is made from the crushed exoskeletons of diatoms, tiny creatures that live in the ocean (whales eat them). You sprinkle it on the carpets, and the vacuum it up later. The tiny bits get in the breathing pores of the bugs and suffocate them. The downside is that some people find that it wears their carpets out sooner (though this is only hearsay; those I know who've used it haven't had any trouble). Dawn

Use of a borax and water mixture in a carpet cleaner is another low-toxicity method to break the reproductive cycle of fleas. It does not kill adult fleas but the borate binds to carpet fibers and prevents fleas from maturing thus breaking the reproductive cycle. This treatment can be effective for up to a year. While borax powder can be sprinkled onto the carpet and the excess vacuumed up, the powder poses some hazard for your lungs and so the wet method is preferred.

Diatomacious Earth. We had a flea infestation, mostly in our yard from a local feral cat colony. And even though we don’t like to use advantage on our pets, the fleas were hitching a ride into the house on our construction teams feet.

I wound up only spraying the yard (you mix a very small amount with water. It becomes effective once it dries), but would have applied it in the house as well.

One shouldn't inhale the dust, but it's otherwise completely safe- I even found it being sold online as a dietary supplement. Don't use the kind that's sold for cleaning pools though, as it has stuff added to it.

I can say that it worked beautifully.

Consult a qualified health care practitioner before taking any substance for medicinal purposes.

Boron is used as an insecticide, and is harmless to humans and pets. It is especially good for killing fleas and cockroaches. By mixing the boron powder with water, then spraying it around the home, it will really help to control fleas, while not harming any pets that are present. It should not be sprayed directly on a pet, but it can be sprayed on the pet’s bedding and other places where it stays and moves.

Copyright 2011 by Preston Smith, Walker Enterprises/Silver Dollar Press. All Rights Reserved.

Here’s a good website to check out: “Studio Quality Portraits For Less” - http://studio-quality-portraits-for-less.weblodge.net

Here’s another good website to check out: “Green Cleaning Products” - http://green-cleaning-products.weblodge.net

Here’s another good website to check out: “How To Adjust & Repair Your Sewing Machine” - http://www.silver-dollar.zoomshare.com

Here’s a good Forum to check out: http://dachshund-forum.forumotion.com