HOME MADE FUNGICIDE

I’ve talked a lot about the virtues of white and cider vinegar in the Clean and Green article. Today it has jumped over to here to be of some use in the garden. I think that I have mentioned that white vinegar can be used neat as a weed killer, well cider vinegar can be used effectively as a fungicide. Mix two tablespoons full into four pints of water mix and spray. There is another recipe that uses baking soda. Mix in the same amount into water as with the vinegar. Stick to one mixture, if you mix the two together you will have a foaming mixture that would clean the bathroom from top to bottom!More natural cleaning tips and advice in the Green Clean Book

Horticultural.

VENETIAN BLIND CLEANING AND OTHER TIPS

We have been racking our brains at Clean and Green this week. A friend of ours has a small child who tends to drop her bottle onto the footwell in the car. This has happened a few times and the bottle has leaked milk onto the carpet. When the temperature is turned up in the car so the smell of sour milk gets stronger. We have been trying all the usual remedies such as vinegar, bicarbonate of soda etc., but the smell is still lingering. Have you any tried and tested methods for removing the smells from cars. We would like to hear from you.

A woman in the supermarket car park approached me last week. The lady was asking about how to clean venetion blinds. I thought I would share the information with you. We have also had some very good e-mail too about cleaning tips so they follow on afterwards.

VENETIAN BLINDS.
I remember when the venetian blinds were cleaned at the family home. For three days they were hanging in the garage drip-drying after being hosed down. The performance taking them down and putting them up again also used to take a day or two. To make life a bit easier we found that the blinds clean quite well using a piece of crust from a new loaf of bread. Slide this along the slats holding the bread firmly Change the bread as it becomes dirty. You could try cleaning roller blinds too if they aren’t the washable type. A very firm mixture of flour and water dough can be rolled across them as well.

BURNT PANS
Some people recommend that boiling beetroot in the pan gets rid of any burnt deposits. Sounds like a waste of beetroot to me! The easiest way to get the burnt bits out or the pan is to use salt. How much salt to use depends on how bad the burn is. If it is only slightly burnt then an hour’s soak in salt water is enough. If it is really caked then soak for twelve hours, boiling it up at the beginning and the end.

BASINS
This works well on porcelain sinks. Go to the cooking section of the supermarket and get some cream of tartar. Rub onto any rusty and discoloured areas of the sink. Leave for a while and rub off. Borax and lemon juice is also said to work wonders to remove rust too.

TEA STAINS
Bicarbonate of soda and salt are very effective in removing tea stains from crockery or plastic. If the stain is heavy, leave the cup or pot to soak in a solution of soda or salt overnight. It will just rub off in the morning. Don’t use on china with a gilt edge though as it could be damaged. Plastic containers can be cleaned this way.
A friend of mine used to clean his mug out using sand. As effective as this was it did eventually wear the glaze off. So we think that is a bit harsh!

LOOSENING BOLTS
We’ve found some good uses for the sweet sugary coke products that are on the market in the past. Here’s another one. If you have a seized bolt and you can’t find the W.D.40 to free it then get a can of coke. Pour on the coke and leave a minute to soak in. The bolt will be freed a lot easier. Watch out though it corrodes metal as effectively (what does it do to the stomach), so wash it off afterwards!

Environmental.

ALTERNATIVES TO TOXIC CHEMICALS

Toxic chemicals are all around us. Not just the visible ones such as tobacco smoke and exhaust fumes, but hundreds of chemicals that go unseen. Carpets and upholstery, industrial glues, paints, cleaning products and even perfumes have ingredients that can harm our immune systems. There are ways in which you can cut down on the contact from toxic chemicals. One example is to make your own surface cleaner (Tea tree and lemon essential oil mixed in water for example) and to go for natural air fresheners instead of chemical ones.

When you cut out chemicals from the house you might feel an improvement in the air quality straight away. Other effects are more subtle. It might be a month or two before you realise that you don’t have an afternoon headache or your complexion has cleared up or you can breath easier. Within six months you might find that you react very strongly to the smell of chemical cleaners. Just like perfume we eventually can’t smell it if we are in contact with it for a long period, our bodies become resistant to the odour. You will also find that your nose will be able to detect the nice smells again like fresh flowers and home cooking. This will make you realise how much your sense of smell is dulled by household chemicals.

When certain chemicals are no longer poisoning your system you might find that you become aware of certain foods or smells that make you feel ill. Heed the warnings and cut these out of your diet completely. This is the start of the detoxification process.

DETOXIFICATION
During the period of detoxification you need to follow your bodies needs. You might find that you are more tired than usual. Sleep is when your body does its essential maintenance work, so go to bed earlier for a while. Here are some other ways of helping your body.

Change your diet. This doesn’t have to be too drastic. Go for organic fruit and vegetables. A diet low in saturated fat will help to keep toxins from building up in the body. Go for oily fish such as sardines, mackerel, trout, salmon and herring. These contain essential fatty acids that fight the effects of chemical exposure on the body.

Exercise. Choose two or three activities that you enjoy and work these into your schedule each week. Anything that makes you sweat is particularly useful for boosting metabolism and helping the release of toxins through the skin.

Stress relief. The state of your body often reflects the state of your mind. Too much stress will depletes the body of nutrients needed to fight the effects of pollution. Choose activities that get you totally absorbed and allow you to switch off completely for a while. Yoga and meditation can be very relaxing and the deep breathing that is involved will promote the release of toxins via the lungs.

Hydrotherapy. Water in all its states helps to purify the body. Try relaxing in a bath with cider vinegar, epsom salts or sea salt added to the water. These will stimulate the skin to release toxins. If you belong to a health club have a steam sauna and a massage would also be a very good idea!

Plants. Common houseplants can help to remove toxins from indoor air. The most effective ones are aloe vera, English ivy, spider plants, peace lilies, philodendrons, bamboo plants, chrysanthemums and daisies. Each has been shown to remove harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde, benzene and xylene from the air.

SHOPPING
When you shop for cleaning products look out for the ones with the least amount of chemicals present in the list of ingredients. This won’t guarantee that the product doesn’t have harmful irritants in them but it will go some way to relieving the symptoms of industrial poisoning.

FRESH AIR
Here’s an alternative air freshener idea to get you started on the road to a chemical free environment. Mix a 200g box of baking soda with 10-15 drops of you favourite essential oils. Put into a cardboard box, which you can decorate if you wish, or a small dish. Put out of the way and let it get rid of most of the household pongs.

Environmental.

PEARLY WHITES

Ian
My teeth are all discoloured. Are the teeth whitening products on the market effective? RB by e-mail

Reply
There seems to be a lot of products on the market that claim to give you a set of pearly whites. Everywhere you look there are advertisements sporting someone with a huge mouthful of blindingly white teeth. And all of them have smiles so huge and laser-white that you almost have to wear sunglasses to look at them. The passion for having the whitest teeth possible is a popular obsession for millions of people the world over. People wanting to make their smile as bright as a white sheet have many options available to them for doing just that. This obsession can even turn people into what some dentists call “whitening junkies” or “bleach-orexics”—those who just can’t seem to reach the ultimate nirvana of shimmering whiteness that they’re hoping to achieve.
Most of the over the counter products contain bleaching and oxidising agents to whiten the teeth. The side effects of too much bleaching can include gum irritation and damage, and can leave teeth extremely sensitive and blotchy. Whitening products work only on the natural tooth; crowns and cavities cannot be whitened, which can leave your mouth looking like a graveyard of different coloured teeth.

Dentists usually advise patients to have a checkup before beginning any teeth-whitening procedure using over-the-counter products. Such at-home treatments can contain ingredients that are too acidic, and they can slowly erode the enamel of the teeth, although the risk for permanent damage is said to be relatively small. If the treatment begins to do damage, the person will usually just stop, but some harm may have already occurred, particularly to gums.

If you are really insistent on trying to achieve the dazzling white smile of a Hollywood star, you should remember that most celebrities have veneers over their teeth, and veneers do not require whitening (average cost in Ireland is €780 per tooth!). And of course celebrities have access to a smile-enhancing advantage that most average consumers don’t have access to—a digital airbrush!

The natural way to whiten teeth
If you like the idea of whitening your teeth and would like to do things naturally then there are other ways. Try cleaning your teeth with baking soda for a start; this will get rid of some of the staining.
To keep teeth bright and prevent yellowing, you need to remove the staining bacteria. This is exactly what happens when you chew certain foods that produce a high salivary flow. So, take a bite out of celery, carrots, cauliflower, and cucumbers. Another benefit of eating these is that the fibre in some of these foods physically works to clean teeth and remove bacteria.Watch out for dark foods and beverages. Anything that can stain a white T-shirt can stain your teeth too. That means most varieties of berries, as well as soy sauce, red wine, many fruit juices, coffee, tea, and cola drinks. You don’t have to avoid them altogether, but immediately after indulging, rinse out your mouth with water, chew gum, or brush your teeth. Keep in mind that citrus fruits contain acid that can cause enamel to deteriorate over time.

Household.

TALCUM POWDER

I was a bit under the weather a few days ago and took to the settee for a bit of rest and relaxation. I must confess to watching a bit of daytime television whilst I was laid up (purely in the name of research of course). I couldn’t believe the amount of adverts that were shown for cleaning products. There were adverts for washing powder, spray cleaners, air fresheners, fabric softeners and later in the day the adverts became more sophisticated and moved more towards body products to get your skin and hair all smooth and smelling like a summer breeze, (or is that fabric softener, I can’t remember, it’s a bit of a blur). Most of the products have the same ingredients in them so perhaps you could use hair conditioner as a fabric softener!!!

READERS QUESTIONS
We have had a few e-mails concerning last week’s comments on antiperspirants.

Q I use an antiperspirant that looks like a piece of rock crystal. These are made of natural materials aren’t they?

A. These Rock Crystals are made out of mineral salts, which is a natural product. The added ingredients in these though can contain the harmful aluminium metal. When you are buying this product choose the ones that clearly list the ingredients, avoiding any with aluminium. Make sure all the ingredients are natural. Avoid any with ingredients that are unclear.

Q I use talcum powder as an underarm deodorant and to dry my baby’s bottom, surely this is safe?

A. Talcum powder or magnesium silicate, to give it it’s chemical name, is made up of finely ground particles of stone. As this is mined from the ground it can be contaminated with other substances. For example, there have been reports of Asbestos being found in talc. One thing about talc, the dust can settle in the lungs and cause breathing difficulty and asthma. Be careful about leaving talc lying about –toddlers can wreak havoc if they find the container and although throwing it about may be fun for them, it may not be so good for their little lungs. As with all products, its best to use in moderation. When you have the time let your baby’s bottom dry naturally in the air.

Here is an easy and cheap alternative for you to try:Mix one part baking soda with eight parts of cornstarch. Mix in a blender and put in eight or so drops of your favourite essential oil. Store in an airtight container or shaker for future use. You will find that the bathroom doesn’t get covered in powder and you can breath more easily!

Household.

SCREW TOPS

The lids of jars can very awkward for people with arthritis or lacking in strength. I think that I have found a few good ways to open up those jars that have tight lids on them. There will probably need to be some trial and error to find the one method that works the best on that hard to budge top.

First, try an elastic band around the top or easier still wear rubber gloves. The rubber gives a grip that helps you open the lid. (Make sure your hands aren’t wet or greasy or you’ll never get the thing off.) Another way is to try and break the airlock. Try tapping the rim sharply all around the edge with the back of a knife. Or give the top a few hefty whacks; a heel of a shoe or wooden spoon will do the job. Make sure you don’t break the glass though. Run the top under hot water if the jar has already been opened and has got stuck fast with dried up gunge. Then there is piercing the top of the lid so the airlock is broken. This can be very effective. The last method, which is one that I find works very well, is a bit unconventional. Stand upright and grasp the top. Imagine that you are an oak tree. While you are doing this imagine that you are putting out large roots into the earth and sucking up energy from the ground and that this energy is channelled into your grip. Now try and open the jar, you’ll find that you can probably do it.

Household.