Smelly Bath Toys

I don't like the way bath toys can hang on to water and then have this musty smell to it. Apparently I wasn't the only one. My friend called me the other day to ask if I had tried vinegar and water with bath toys like I already do with my towels. Why hadn't I thought of that!? So now it was time for me to experiment.

She asked if I would put them in the washer and run the wash like usual with a cup of vinegar. I haven't tried it that way yet as it was already laundry day for me and my washer was full. I decided I would soak the toys in the sink with water and vinegar then let them dry on a towel. This way worked great. The smell was gone and I could throw them into a clean basket. I do plan on trying out the washer next time. If you have already tried this let me know how it worked out for you!

7 Dirtiest Areas In Your Home

Yesterday I was out running some errands with a friend when we got to talking about the dirtiest and germiest areas in a persons home. This had me thinking the rest of the day of what I thought they would be and what I would find when I would research it. Every website you go to has a different list of their top ten or top five so I have put my personal list along with some that I found and I'm going to tell you how to keep those areas cleaner and safer for your families without the use of chemicals.

1. Kitchen Sinks-so lets think about the last time you cleaned your kitchen sink. You probably can't remember when that was considering people think that its clean since you wash dishes there. This is at the top of almost all lists. Use a mixture of vinegar and water (I already use one for about everything in the house) spray down and wipe down the sink to kill bacteria.
   
2. Kitchen sponges-my thought was I use these to clean with so they have soap in them but let think about how they sit in their compartments with water still in them so the mold and bacteria just spreads. You can easily fix this problem with putting them in the microwave for ten seconds or putting them in the dishwasher on sanitize cycle.
3. Carpets-Carpets collect not only odors from cooking or pets but also all the dirt and little bugs that like to live on your pets. To clear the odors you can pour baking soda on the carpets and vacuum it up after you have let it sit for awhile. To get rid of all those lovely bugs and dirt that comes from traffic through the house you can choose to have them steam cleaned which is probably the best choice but more costly or you can mix 1/2 c. baking soda, 1/2 c. borax, and 1 c. cornmeal sprinkle the mixture over carpet and rub with cloth, then you need to let it set for a couple hours or overnight then vacuum.
4. Beds-Bedbugs are real! You should wash sheets once a week or more depending on if your a person that sweats while sleeping. Wash them in hot water and use a mattress cover that you should also wash often. Vacuum the mattress while the sheets are being washed.
5. Bathtubs-Yes, I said bathtubs before toilets but if your like me anything in the bathroom needs to be sanitized regularly. Just think of the bacteria growth when the water just sits in some spots of your bathtub. And we put our kids in there?! Use the mixture that you use for everything 1 part vinegar and 1 part water, spray and wipe down. You can use this mixture after every shower/bath.
   
6. Hand-held Appliances-I had to put this all in one category to fit all my personal choices for dirtiest places down to 7. This includes phones, remotes, mouse, keyboard, and anything of the sort. People chew nails, eat, sneeze, and who knows what else before touching these appliances so you can imagine the bacteria. Use a microfiber cloth, spray your vinegar/water mixture on the cloth, then wipe down. You can use a pin or toothpick to get the small areas. Be careful with toothpicks near the microphone/speaker on phones as you can puncture them.
   
7. Wooden Cutting Boards-Most people wash these but are you washing them correctly? Do not immerse in water as this will cause cracking when it dries. Clean off with hot water then use a soft cloth to wipe down with vinegar to kill the bacteria.

For some reason I now feel this need to clean the entire house!

Cloth Diapers

While looking into some ways to reuse and recycle items for children I kept running across cloth diapers. To my surprise cloth diapers today aren't like the cloth diapers I remember my mother using. The new and improved diapers seem easier and much cuter! However, I wasn't convinced right away. I thought it would cause more work and how am I going to have the time for more work with a new baby? I have since then looked farther into using cloth diapers and am currently adding to my collection every chance I get to prepare for the little bundle of joy that will be joining us shortly but now that I am convinced I thought I should show you the information that convinced me and hopefully everyone will see how easy it is.

Cloth diapers are beneficial to babies, your pocketbooks, and environment. 78% of babies that have been in disposable diapers get a diaper rash compared to 7% of babies using cloth diapers. The cotton used for cloth diapers let the skin breath when disposables diapers are made of plastic. Also, using cloth diapers the child is more uncomfortable when wet and will want to be changed more than a child that is in disposables which then helps when potty training time comes around. Children using cloth diapers have been known to potty train easier and sooner.

The effect on the environment is huge. Solid waste is typically kept in the disposable diaper after changing which are then sent to the landfill and the waste could contain intestinal viruses. These viruses are then put into our air, groundwater, and the insects that then transport the viruses. When using cloth diapers the waste is shaken into the toilet and disposed of. About 16 billion disposable diapers are put in the United States landfills alone! These are made from plastic and trees which could still be standing if more people used cloth.

Not knowing how the economy will be day to day made the savings of using cloth diapers stand out to me the most. The average savings for one child is around $1,500 depending on when your child is potty trained. You can also reuse these diapers for your next child which then increases the savings.

Now, if all this useful information has helped you make up your mind you are probably still a little uncertain about washing and storing dirty diapers. While, our newest addition hasn't yet arrived and I can't tell you from personal experience what has worked for me, I will let you know what I have found and will be using once she does decide to arrive. When storing dirty diapers you can use a dry pail or a wet pail. A wet pail is used to soak dirty diapers in water. This can be a drowning hazard around toddlers. I will be using a dry pail which can be any kind of pail that works for you. I will be using a kitchen trash can with a diaper pail liner. The diaper pail liner can be used as a laundry bag, emptied into the wash, and washed with the diapers. You shouldn't use fabric softeners as this will cause the diapers to stop absorbing and also shouldn't use bleach as it will break down fibers. I currently use vinegar in the rinse cycle of my laundry especially with towels to get rid of the musty smell and will be using this same technique with wet diapers. To deal with stains you can hang the diapers in the sun. If you will be using formula instead of breastfeeding with your child you might need to rinse a couple of times before washing.

I am also looking into cloth wipes as the wipes you buy in the store have additives you are putting onto sensitive skin. I am looking forward to finding many other ways to help the environment and our pocketbook with a small child. I have already saved on my cloth diapers by watching craigslist.com and ebay.

{picture via greenbabyguide.com}

Detox Your Home

Did you know your indoor air can be up to five times worse than the outdoor air pollution? Formaldehyde, lead, and asbestos that are found in many homes can cause allergies and asthma. You can reclaim your home with a few tips to follow.

Start going through the cleaning supplies you use throughout your house. Are there chemicals used in these that will enter the air to be inhaled or a surface that will be in contact with your skin? Consider switching to all natural products or making your own with vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, and lemons. Then by adding some houseplants that will help clear out other air pollutants. Also, check to see if your house was built before 1978, as 80% of homes in that time period contain lead based paint. The paint chips and dust can be inhaled or ingested. You can get brocures from your county on ways to get rid of lead paint in your home.

You should keep rooms properly ventilated and open windows regularly. Replace air-conditioning and furnace filters and keep air ducts clean. This removes bacteria, mold, viruses and pollen. Also, remove shoes at the door as this will keep fewer toxins from being tracked through the house.

Most people use air fresheners not realizing the artificial fragrances can cause problems with allergies. Choose to freshen your home naturally with hypoallergenic products in non-aerosol containers. You can make your own fragrant spray by filling a mister bottle with filtered water then add a few drops of your favorite essential oils.

Greener Laundry Day!

I have continued to be amazed by these products that we already have in our homes. The top three items that I keep talking about are lemons or lemon juice, vinegar, and baking soda. Its unbelievable what these items can do and keeps me wondering why don't we just use these instead of going out and buying more expensive products when they can do the same thing. Here are a few ideas I have ran across while looking into making my laundry room a little greener.

Lemon juice which of course smells good and fresh can whiten clothes when you add a cup to the wash cycle. It also removes stains and can be used as a bleach. All you have to do is pour lemon juice over the stain, rub the area with salt, place your garment in the sun for several hours then wash as you would normally. I'm extremely excited to try it out as a bleach as my daughter seems to end up with stains on her shirt everyday and I have no clue where they come from.

Baking soda of course freshens up the air as most of us already use it in our fridge and now we can add laundry to the list for this amazing product. Add 1/2 cup to a load of laundry as it will help boost your detergent. Certain types of water have minerals that need to be broken down so that your detergent can do a better job which in turn can mean that you won't have to use as much detergent as suggested saving you money! Baking soda is also great for people with sensitive skin.

Vinegar continues to impress me everyday! If you perspire a lot this is something you should keep in a spray bottle in your laundry room! Spray the vinegar on the underarm and collar area of clothing. This cuts through deodorant residue and prevents the yellowing effect you get on the underarms of shirts. Brighten fabrics by adding 1/2 cup in the rinse cycle which can also be used as a fabric softener. Now I don't know how your family is but my husband seems to always put a wet towel in the hamper only for me to find it a day later and it smells nasty! Well, I am so excited about finding that vinegar can help remove the mildew by adding 2 cups of vinegar in hot water to wash cycle. After you have run that then wash as you normally would. Most of us take our washing machine for granted but it does need to be taken care of! To remove soap scum and mineral deposits that can build up in your washer add 1 cup vinegar to hot water and run through the wash cycle. You should do this four times a year.

Now if your just looking into finding ways to save money and not necessarily the greener way these are a few ideas for you to try. The new cold water detergent does actually save you around 30 cents a load. You can switch to generic detergent and adding baking soda as stated above as the baking soda helps enhance the detergents cleaning abilities. You can use an aluminum foil ball to stop static cling in your dryer and can be left in for several loads. I haven't ever been a fan of line drying my clothing but as the economy gets worse the more I'm willing to try it out. You can save around $100/year on your utility bill and your clothes can last longer! The suns rays can help bleach and disinfect which of course can be bad for dark clothes but great for your whites! Your dark clothes can be laid on racks indoors if your worried about the sun bleaching them out which can also double as a humidifier in your home!

I think I am sold on line drying clothing! Especially with childrens clothing where I always find stains on white shirts! I am extremely excited to do laundry right now as crazy as it might seem!


{picture via armhammer.com}

Budget Friendly Green Cleaning Products

I don't know about you, but I don't like the smell of chemicals in my house after a day of cleaning. Of course, I do want it to smell clean but now that I am 7 months pregnant smells already bother me and then for them to be harsh just makes it worse. There are three items in your house that you probably didn't even realize can be used instead of these horrible smelling cleaners. These items are baking soda, vinegar, and lemons.

The first of these, baking soda, is one of the most amazing product you will find. You can use it for to freshen up your carpet, sprinkle the powder over your carpet, let it sit for about 15 minutes and vacuum up. Also unclogging a drain, take 1/2 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup salt, pour down the drain followed by boiling water. Let it sit over night then flush it out with regular tap water. I'm sure baking soda will definitely come up again in some of my other blogs since it just seems like endless possibilities with that little box.

Vinegar is a great disinfectant and deodorizer! Mix 1 part vinegar and 1 part water in a cheap spray bottle for an all purpose cleaner that can be used at anytime. You should make sure it is diluted as vinegar can be acidic and should not be used on marble! You can use undiluted vinegar in the bathtub, toilet, sink, stove top, and also as a fabric softener (which is great for families that have skin problems). To use as a fabric softener put 1/2 cup in during the rinse cycle it is very effective on breaking down laundry detergent.

Lemon juice can dissolve soap scum and hard water deposits, it can shine brass, and copper. It can also be mixed with vinegar or baking soda to make a cleaning paste. My favorite in reading about this great product that normally just sits in my fridge is you can mix 1/2 cup lemon juice with 1 cup olive oil for a furniture polish! I was paying so much for furniture polish that seemed to be gone in weeks since all the furniture we have is wood!

I personally have used many of these for the bathroom and kitchen but I can't wait to get to my cleaning this week just to try out the furniture polish and to find even more ways these products can be used!