DOWN TO EARTH

When your bathroom ceiling gets funky I have a simple solution. Especially if you smoke, the bathroom ceiling can get that yellow film on it. Simply turn on your shower all the way on hot and let the room steam for about 5 minutes. Just take a damp rag and wipe the ceiling down. The film and dirt come right off.  No harsh chemicals to inhale.  You can also make a solution of water and vinegar to do the job.

The first thing to do when cleaning the bathroom is to get the loose hair up.  It is much easier to clean when you are not fighting with hair. You can either vacuum the entire bathroom with the canister attachment of your vacuum or you can dust with a swifter dust cloth. Both work well. I prefer the dusting cloth as I can use one cloth on the sinks, shelves and floor. You can then clean without all that hair.

You can spend a small fortune on expensive cleaning solutions.  You can spend pennines on window cleaner. Just buy a gallion jug of consentrated Zep Window Cleaning solution at Home Depot. You can make dozens of spray bottles full of the same solution that you purchase at the grocery store but at a fraction of the cost and it lasts for months. 

Better yet, just mix vinegar and water in a spray bottle and you have a wonderful “Green” window cleaner.  Non toxic and not tested on animals.   

Wash windows on cool cloudy days and avoid working in direct sunlight. The sun will cause streaks by drying them to fast. Take the time to clean the window sill and frames at this time. Using a bucket of hot water and vinegar, saturate the window with solution.  Then wring out the sponge or rag and wipe off excess water.  Squidgy windows dry.  Beautiful !!! 

To remove wax from carpets, tablecloths, and upholstery etc, this tip is great. Just take a paper towel and place it over the wax stain. Heat up your iron to high temp and iron over the paper towel. The wax is absorbed into the paper towel and the stain is gone for good.

I believe that you should be totally “Green” in your kitchen.  No cleaning fluids should enter the food zone.

I have a maple butcher block counter top.  Maple naturally rejects bacteria and is a wonderful option.  I clean my counter tops and kitchen sink with vinegar and treat the maple once per month with a heavy coating of peanut oil.  I let the oil set over night and wipe the excess off with a paper towel.  Every night I scrub the sink with Dawn dish-soap, rinse it out and then pour a pot of boiling water in my sink and dry with a clean towel.  Kills germs and gets rid of any bad odors.

I feel that original Dawn dishwasher soap is pretty good on dishes.  Scientist use it on wild animals if they are exposed to oil spills.