Cheap Dehydrator

Chile pequin from the garden

Chile pequin from the garden


Keep it simple. Contraptions abound but all you really need to dry foods are heat and good air flow. Here is one of many setups using fabric and a vented hard surface. I’m using the tray from an old dehydrator that quit working but any vented hard surface such as pot strainers would work. For the fabric, use tulle netting with a fine enough mesh to let air through but keep bugs out. Fold in thirds, overlapping the opening, and sew/serge the edges. Stick it in the sun and that’s it! Don’t forget to bring indoors nightly!

Posted in home and garden | Leave a comment

Not So Messy Ice Cream Push-up Pops

pushup-pop

Just about every frozen treats on sticks, homemade or bought, drip everywhere. Unlike us grown-ups who race to finish our treats before even wasting a drop, our kids dawdle, savor every lick leaving a big sticky mess all-over. Keeping them from enjoying these delightful popsicles is simply not an option! Finally, I found a work-around to satisfy both my kids and me.

pushup-pop-1
pushup-pop-2
pushup-pop-3

A few years back, I found these push-up pop molds
that were great from a parent’s standpoint. They come apart so it’s easy to clean and they keep the frozen treats from dripping down the sides. The problem is they sometimes drip from the inside down the handle! But with a slight modification, these molds are still my favorite to use for all our homemade frozen treats.

To make these push-up pop molds not so messy,

  • take the handle and enclosure apart;
  • cut approximately a 3″ x 4″ rectangular piece of rag – cotton terry cloth soaks well;
  • fold in thirds and wrap around the handle and assemble.

A side benefit (at least for me) is this setup naturally lessens how much frozen treat can be packed in!

Posted in family cooking, kid-friendly items, Parenting Tips | 1 Response

My Favorite Frosting – Whipped Cream Cheese

whipped-cream-cheese-frosting

In preparation for the 4th of July, I thought I’d share my go-to frosting for almost all my cakes and cupcakes – whipped cream cheese frosting. I’ve been looking for a lighter, fluffier, and less sweet frosting than the typical buttercream and have finally found it. The original recipe came from allrecipes.com’s Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Frosting and I modified it based on reviewer suggestions to make it less sweet and more pipeable. For the 4th, I’ll be making a flag cake with strawberries and blueberries for the colors.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups whipped cream
  • 1 8-oz package of cream cheese
  • 3/4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Put KitchenAid mixer bowl in the freezer to chill several minutes.
  • With handheld beater, pulse beat cream cheese to soften slightly.
  • Take out the chilled mixer bowl, pour most of the whipping cream, reserving about 1 tbsp, and beat with wire whisk until stiff peak forms.
  • Meanwhile, add powdered sugar, cornstarch, salt, vanilla extract, and the rest of the whipping cream to the cream cheese; beat until smooth.
  • Add whipped cream little by little; use beater to incorporate but do not overmix.

Variations: substitute vanilla extract with lemon or any other flavored extract.

whipped-cream-cheese-frosting-2I don’t have a good in-focus picture of this frosting piped on a cupcake but you get the idea. It holds its shape well indoors but not in the Texas summer heat so if you pipe ahead, refrigerate until you’re ready to serve!

Posted in recipes | Leave a comment

What is the Difference Between Micronized and Nano-sized Zinc Oxide?

Did you know that neither the FDA nor the cosmetic science industry have a formal definition for nano-size zinc oxide? Its interpretation varies widely within the industry. BASF’s Z-COTE®, a popular supplier of microfine zinc oxide powders for sunscreen and mineral makeup, considers 200 nanometers as the upper limit. Micronisers’s Microsun™ nanosized zinc oxide powders have average particle size of 30 nanometers. With the term ‘nano’ falling out of favor amongst consumers, more and more sunscreen manufacturers are now using the term ‘micronized’. Again, no regulations on that terminology. Micronized zinc oxide could very well be nano zinc oxide and in many instances, it is! Unless you know the average particle size, there’s no way of knowing whether the zinc oxide powder in your sunscreen is produced with nanotechnology or not. Particle size labeling is also not required and I do not know of any sunscreen that labels or publishes that information. But you can always get the specs directly from the zinc oxide manufacturers. Also, many sunscreens will advertise their zinc oxide brand, like SunSmart with Z-cote® or Dermatone with Z-cote®.

This and much more in my sunscreen e-report.

Posted in baby care, sunscreen | 1 Response

Rock Candy, Patience, and Chemistry

rock-candy
Making rock candy is a fun and easy experiment to do with your kids while teaching them a little bit about chemistry and a lot about patience. Plus, there’s a sweet reward at the end. Candy making usually involves thermometers and lots of corn syrup. Not so with rock candy! You just need sugar and water and although you could use a thermometer, you need not be so accurate.

rock-candy-setupThere are many contraptions to this simple experiment. In general, it involves suspending a weighted string or wooden skewer in a glass with the sugar solution. I like to use a short cocktail glass and toothpicks stuck in a piece of wire mesh screen. It’s less time consuming to set up and you can make several small sticks of rock candy per glass. You can find the wire mesh screen in rolls at Home Depot for under $8. Besides serving as a toothpick holder here, these mesh screens have many other uses such as lining the bottoms of your plant pots, repairing window screens, and patching wall holes. In other words, they are handy to have around the house and well worth the $8.

To make the sugar solution, start with:

  • 1 part water
  • 2 parts sugar

by volume. I.e., one cup water to two cups sugar.

rock-candy-1wk-a

Sugar crystals after one week.

Sugar crystals after one week.


Directions:

  • Heat the water in a saucepan until just boiling.
  • Add the sugar and stir continuously until all the sugar is dissolved. Optionally dissolve extra sugar, a spoonful at a time. A well saturated sugar solution speeds up the crystal growth. If you add too much sugar and not all is dissolved, simple add a little bit of water at a time.
  • Let cool a few minutes, occasionally stirring.
  • Pour the mixture into clean, dry glass.
  • Dip toothpicks in the sugar solution and roll them in sugar. Let dry. These tiny ‘seed’ crystals jump starts and accelerates the crystal growing process.
  • Cover glass with prepared toothpick in mesh screen and wait.
  • And wait and wait and wait. It will take at least a week for the crystals to grow to a good size.
  • If you want to add food coloring or flavoring, add it after the first week when sizable crystals have formed. Otherwise, it will take much longer for the crystals to form. Let the crystals grow for at least another week.

At first, the kids were super excited and would check on the rock candy every day. By the second week after adding the color and flavor, they almost lost all interest after I told them they had to wait at least another week before they can eat it. But the longer they wait, the bigger the candy and well worth the wait!

Rock candy is just one of many experiments to show how crystals grow. Here are a few sites that explain the science behind it.

Posted in kids craft, Parenting Tips, recipes | Leave a comment

Beginner’s Homemade Lotion

making-lotionAlmost two years ago, I posted a super easy 3-ingredient moisturizer. Today, it still remains my most popular post. It is so simple that I’m reposting here with smaller quantities for those wanting to make a smaller batch. Lotion is nothing more than an emulsion of oil and water; you can make a base lotion with just one type of oil, water, and an emulsifier. To make approximately 6 fl. oz., you need:

In a 1-cup glass measurer, combine oil and wax. Heat until melted, either in a microwave or water bath. In another heatproof measuring cup, measure out 2/3 cups of hot, boiling water. Combine the water with the oil/wax mixture. Blend with a spoon, stick, or handheld stick blender. Let cool, occasionally blending as needed. Pour the lotion into a lotion tube while it is still warm and is the consistency of skim milk. Otherwise, it is difficult to get the lotion in the tube once it has completely cooled.

You can add 1 to 3 drops of essential oil per fl. oz.

Note that these are volume measurements and therefore make a great starting point. But if you want to get a little more serious with lotion-making, it is worthwhile to invest in a scale; kitchen cosmetics are more accurate and repeatable with weight measurements. Here’s my all-time favorite lotion recipe that is very similar to this one but uses weight measurements.

Kitchen cosmetics share many of the same ingredients as food and like food, they are perishables. Without preservatives, which I do not advocate using as it defeats the whole purpose of homemade, this lotion has a much shorter shelf life than what you’d find in the stores. So many factors affect shelf life – temperature, packaging, etc… that all I can say is make just enough to be used up within weeks or longer if refrigerated. Use the same judgement as you would with any perishables to determine when it’s past its prime. I can make this lotion in less than 15 minutes so for me, the short shelf life is worth the trade-off of no preservatives. Plus, homemade lotion is better for your skin and much cheaper. Read more on shelf life here.

Entering this post in the Mountain Rose Herbs recipe contest.

Posted in skin care | 4 Responses

Natural Insect Repellent and Itchy Bite Relievers That Really Works

Repellent spray and stick on the left; itch relief ointment and stick on the right

Repellent spray and stick on the left; itch relief ointment and stick on the right


I love to be outside. During the long, hot, late Spring/Summer/early Fall months of Texas, the best time to be out is in the early dewy morning and early evening, the same time the mosquitoes are most active. I’ve never fully enjoyed the outdoors during those times as I have been cast as the human mosquito lure most of my life. Funny thing is those standing next to me never seem to get bit. Well that was true until about a decade ago when I stumbled on a citronella based repellent (can’t remember which one). If you have never been a believer in the healing power of herbs, an effective bug repellent based on herb essential oils will surely change that! Since then, I have experimented with many essential oils and found that there are three must-haves for all my pesky bug needs: citronella and peppermint for repelling and camphor for relief.

The other ingredients I use are witch hazel extract, soybean oil, lanolin, and beeswax, some of which have healing properties but in these recipes, they are used as the carrier or base for the essential oils. It is a matter of preference as to the type of product you’re going for – a cooling spray, a convenient stick, or a soothing cream. Using essential oil based bug repellent works great and makes me feel better about the amount of repellent I use regularly on myself and my kids. These recipes are very easy to make and last all season, probably longer but I usually just start over every year; there are no oil and water emulsions to mess with. I’m also entering this post in the Mountain Rose Herbs recipe contest – medicinal.

Bug repellent spray

This spray has a cooling effect but it doesn’t last long and must be applied often.
Ingredients by weight:

Fill a spray bottle with witch hazel extract. For a diluted version, use equal parts witch hazel extract and water. Add one drop each of the citronella and peppermint essential oil for each fl oz of liquid.

Bug repellent stick – makes approx. 2 oz

Ingredients by weight:

Heat oil and beeswax in a microwave or water bath until dissolved. Add essential oils. Pour into stick tube and refrigerate about 5 minutes to let it set. Let sit at room temperature until fully set, at least an hour.

Bug bite relief ointment – makes approx. 2 oz

Ingredients by weight:

Heat beeswax, lanolin, and oil in a microwave or water bath until dissolved. Add camphor. Let cool. Blend with a stick blender and store in a jar. Alternative: omit lanolin and use 1.7 oz soybean oil.

Bug bite relief stick – makes approx. 2 oz

Ingredients by weight:

Heat lanolin and beeswax in a microwave or water bath until dissolved. Add camphor. Pour into stick tube and refrigerate about 5 minutes to let it set. Let sit at room temperature until fully set, at least an hour. Alternative: Use 0.5 oz beeswax and 1.5 oz soybean oil and omit lanolin.

Additional Notes:

  • In the U.S, the FDA approves camphor for over-the-counter external analgesic drug products at concentrations of 0.1% to 3%. As a pain reliever and mild anesthetic, the FDA approves camphor at concentrations of 3% to 11%. So if the product is labeled as an anti-itch ointment such as Blue Star, you will see camphor listed as the active ingredient at 3% or less but if the product is labeled as a sore muscle rub like Badger and Tiger Balm, then camphor is listed at greater than 3%. These recipes contain 2% camphor. I’ve included this note here to show that you can use more camphor.
  • You can substitute any carrier oil that is liquid at room temperature for the soybean oil.
Posted in health, skin care | 5 Responses

The Minimalist’s Housecleaning Recipes

via

via Flickr user tinyfroglet

For me, mix-at-home cleaners are all about using the least number of products and ingredients, whether it’s synthetic, natural, or somewhere in between. I do not use natural soap, lemon juice, cream of tartar, club soda, or many food stuffs that you might come across in ‘natural’ or ‘green’ cleaning recipes. Oftentimes, you can usually find a much cheaper and debatably ‘greener’ alternative to the natural cleaners.

Lemons, for example, don’t fall off trees where I live and using lemons to clean is a waste of a valuable food source; use vinegar instead. That’s also how I feel about most foods used as cleaners. If you think of all the resources that go into producing the food item, it just seems very wasteful to not eat it.

I also see castile soap in many homemade housecleaners. As I mentioned previously, soap may be more natural than synthetic detergents but if you have hard water like the majority of U.S. households, then you’ll be using much more water and other ingredients and resources to get the cleaning job done. When you look at the ingredients of major ‘green’ cleaners like Mrs. Meyer’s, Seventh Generation, and Ecover, notice that surfactants and water are their main cleaning agents. Not soap. Soap nuts may be the most environmental cleaning agent but I have not researched nor experimented enough using them as a household cleaner, just laundering.

I don’t use the typical ingredients in mainstream homemade ‘green’ cleaners. Hence, I’ll call these the Minimalist’s housecleaning recipes; I clean my entire house regularly with just 6 basic products/ingredients:

  • liquid non-chlorine laundry detergent free of dyes and fragrance
  • handwashing dish liquid
  • borax
  • baking soda
  • regular distilled white vinegar solution – 5% acetic acid concentration
  • water!

Water with and without liquid surfactant is the base of most of my homemade cleaners. Most other ingredients are what you’d typically find in a well stocked laundry room. It works, it’s safe, and I chose this method with good reason – read the detailed post here.

The Basics: General Cleaners for Around the House

Related post here.

All-purpose cleaner: Fill a standard 32-oz spray bottle with water. Add 1 tsp liquid chlorine-free, dye and fragrance free, laundry detergent. Shake before each use.

Multi-purpose vinegar solution: In a standard 32-oz spray bottle, add 1 cup vinegar. Fill the rest with water.

Duster: Spritz multi-purpose vinegar solution onto Swiffer or lint-free rag.

Glass and mirror cleaner: Equal squirts of all-purpose cleaner and multi-purpose vinegar solution. Wipe clean or squeegee.

Air freshener: In a small spray bottle (I use a 3 fl. oz spritzer), fill 1 part rubbing alcohol to two part water. Add about 10 drops of essential oil(s).

Wipes: Have a big stash of shop cloth terry towels and old cut-up t-shirt squares (or any cotton jersey fabric). Designate a laundry bin or trash can to hold all used wipes. When filled, launder together on hot wash cycle, optionally add borax and/or bleach.

Soil and stain remover: Spot treat. Detailed post here.

For the Kitchen

Use either liquid laundry detergent or hand dishwashing liquid as the base for your kitchen cleaners.

All-purpose kitchen surface cleaner: Use all-purpose cleaner (above) or for tougher stains, wipe or scrub with sponge, hot water, and a small squirt of hand dishwashing liquid. Wipe off with dish rag.

Basic degreaser: Same as all-purpose kitchen surface cleaner but with more dishwashing liquid.

Heavy-duty degreaser: For tough grease and dust build-up and most sticky residue, first use a cloth to rub on cooking oil (used oil if you have it on hand) to dissolve the grease. Then, follow with Basic degreaser.

Oven cleaner: First, scrape whatever you can with a plastic baker’s dough scraper or some other tough, yet scratch resistant tool. Then, sprinkle with baking soda and scrub with sponge, hot water, and dishwashing liquid. Wipe off with dish rag. Repeat as necessary. Follow with multi-purpose vinegar solution spray and wipe off. Repeat as necessary until you’ve wiped off the dishwashing liquid residue.

Kitchen appliance cleaner: Same as all-purpose kitchen surface cleaner, using degreasers as needed.

Mineral build-up (i.e. on refrigerator water dispenser): If the tray is removable, soak in distilled white vinegar. If not, spray vinegar. Let stand at least 30 minutes.

Coffee maker: Pour equal parts vinegar and water into reservoir. Brew. Turn off and let cool, about 30 minutes. Discard vinegar water solution or repurpose (i.e. soak anything that needs mineral build-up removed). Brew a couple more times with plain water.

For the Bathroom

Sinks and countertops: Use all-purpose cleaner.

Mirror: Use glass and mirror cleaner above.

Toilet: On the seats and outside, spray all-purpose cleaner. Use lots of single-use wipes to wipe clean, then toss with other used wipes to be laundered together on hot wash cycle. On the inside, lay toilet brush inside the bowl first. Squirt liquid detergent onto brush, then sprinkle with borax. Optionally add bleach to the water. Scrub the inside rim first. Wet with clean toilet water as needed.

Bathtub: Sprinkle lightly with borax. Squirt liquid detergent onto damp no-scratch scour pad. Clean basin first, adding water as needed. Then, use the scour pad now soaked with detergent and borax to clean the walls. Rinse off with water.

Floor cleaners

Carpet deodorizer: Sprinkle with baking soda before vacuuming. Store baking soda in a large, old spice container. Optionally add a few drops of essential oil.

Tile and sealed concrete floor cleaner: Vacuum or sweep first. Fill bucket with 1 tbsp of liquid detergent to 1 gallon of very hot tap water. Optionally add essential oil. Mop. Optionally and occasionally follow mop with a vinegar rinse solution of 1 part distilled white vinegar to 3 parts water.

Surface-sealed wood and bamboo floor cleaner: Vacuum or sweep first. Mop with water only; use damp mop, not soaking wet. Optionally follow with dry mop. Basically, minimize moisture. Spot clean with all-purpose cleaner and dry immediately.

Heavy duty cleaners: If you have carpeting, it’s worth investing in a deep cleaner. Deep clean at least twice a year. I bought a Hoover SteamVac Carpet Cleaner with Clean Surge about 10 years ago for less than $150 and have been very happy with it. You can also use it to clean upholstery, drapery, tile, and surface sealed concrete floors. Its 12 amp motor is powerful enough for the job. It does not have a heating element like some of the newer, more expensive deep cleaners. It is not worth the extra cost to get the added heat; hot tap water works great. Besides, having a heating element just adds unnecessary complication and is one more thing that can break. I’ve also never used the Hoover detergent that it came with and always cleaned with a solution of 1 tbsp liquid detergent to 1 gallon of very hot tap water and several drops of essential oils.

Note on Disinfectants

Trying to rid yourself and your environment of all germs is practically impossible because we don’t live in a bubble! Basic cleanliness using soap or detergent and water is all that’s needed for regular cleaning in a healthy household. Disinfecting was never meant to be a regular household practice. Decades of disinfecting and antibacterial product use have not proven that we are healthier. In fact, many suggests we are ‘sicker’; our germophobic mentality reduced our exposure to normal levels of microbes, thereby weakening our immune system. I cover the subject of microbes in detail in a series of posts here. Nonetheless, if you feel the need to disinfect on the rare occasion, mix anywhere from 3/4 tsp to 6 tbsp of regular unscented 5.25% household bleach with 32 fl-oz of water in a spray bottle. Clean as usual, then follow with the disinfectant. No need to replace or purchase cleaners with disinfectants already in them.

Note on Essential Oils

Use them if you like the scent. I do not use them for their antibacterial or anti-fungal properties but if they happen to have those qualities, great! Citrus, herbal, and woodsy essential oils are common scents in cleaners.

Posted in house cleaning | 6 Responses

How Your Water Affects Your Homemade Cleaning Recipes – What Works, What Doesn’t, And Where to Find Useful Information

As you’re thinking about mixing your own cleaners, I bet you’re finding that the internet is overloaded with homemade recipes. Trying to make sense of all the recipe variations is just as, if not more confusing than reading and deciphering commercial product labels. The confusion is enough to shy anyone away from making their own cleaners. Well, I’m here to tell you that understanding just a few basic principles are all you need to figure out whether a homemade recipe or even a commercial product is right for the job. You do not need to be a chemistry whiz to navigate through all the cleaners, homemade or store bought.

First thing you need to know is that it’s all about your water. Soap or a surfactant combined with water is the base of most cleaners. But its effectiveness is very much dependent on your water source which is in turn dependent on your geography. If you are harvesting and using rainwater, then cleaning with just plain ole soap, water, and elbow grease like people did back in the old days would work just fine. But times have changed and part of modernization means most of us get our water through municipal water systems which in turn get their supply mostly from groundwater and surface water. Water from these sources flow through soil and rock, picking up minerals along the way before reaching our water lines. The amount of these minerals, mainly calcium and magnesium, is what determines water hardness. Hard water is not a health hazard but it does make cleaning a nuisance. Soap is more affected by hard water than detergent since it reacts with the minerals to form a greasy curd, soap scum, that’s insoluble in water. More soap may clean more but also leaves behind more soap scum. With detergents however, you can usually use more to counterbalance the effects of hard water. Here’s a good site that describes basic soap and detergent chemistry.

The majority of households in the U.S. has hard water. That means that unless you’re softening the water in some way, cleaning with soap and water isn’t going to get the job done. Softening your water (by installing a water softener or adding borax or washing soda) and then following with a vinegar rinse will help soap clean significantly better. But the drawbacks are that you’re using more resources – water, your time, money, etc… and increasing the salinity/sodium content of your used water. The latter may not be such a concern if you’re plugged into your local sewer system but if you have a septic tank or greywater system to reclaim and reuse your water, then you definitely want to limit and control your water’s sodium content.

Surfactants have come a long way and are not as hazardous as they were back in the fifties. Surfactants today are also much more biodegradable, enough to be suitable for reuse as greywater. Not all surfactants are created equal. If you have hard water, then choosing a detergent with the least environmental hazard for your area and use condition is much more environmental and effective at cleaning than using soap. I wish there was a site to rate all the detergents available to us here in the U.S. so we can make more of an informed decision on which detergent to choose. Australians and New Zealanders have Lanfax Labs to thank for their in-depth research and very useful information on detergents commercially available down under. As for the rest of us, just stick with a mild liquid detergent. Liquids and powders are built differently. In general, liquid detergents are less alkaline and less corrosive than powders. That means liquids are gentler on your fabrics and surfaces but it also means that they don’t clean as well as powders. Then again, it is better to spot treat soils than to use a strong cleaner allover.

Water is called the “universal solvent” because it dissolves more substances than any other liquid. Water alone can clean most dirt and non-greasy food mess so long as it’s still fresh. Add surfactants to water and you can clean almost everything around your house. Heat and a little bit of elbow grease also helps. Basically, make your homemade cleaners from commercially available laundering products that you’re already using to clean your clothes. Use common additives like borax and refer to laundering do’s and don’ts for proper usage and knowing what you can or cannot mix together. Examples: Never mix chlorine bleach with ammonia, vinegar or anything acidic; it’s okay to mix borax and baking soda with detergent; vinegar solution and detergent is also fine. Stick with simple mixtures and basic chemistry. When you stick with laundering products, not only does it work but these products come with safety guidelines and you’re less likely to mix two unknown chemicals.

As of January 2010, the Consumer Product Communication Initiative Program took effect as a volunteer program within the household product manufacturers industry to inform consumers about the ingredients in their products. Not only is this useful for evaluating store-bought products but you can use this information to safely mix your own cleaners so long as you stick to common laundering products. No, you probably won’t achieve the same product, but you’ll get good enough cleaning power. Take for example Seventh Generation. Notice the similarity between their liquid detergents and all-purpose cleaners. So, if you’re already using their detergent, simply mix one tsp of it with 32 oz of water for a similar all-purpose cleaner.

The SDA site lists just some of the participants with links directly to the manufacturer’s websites. Another good site is the Household Products Database through the U.S. Dept. of Health and Services. There is also the Consumer Product Information Database which seems redundant but still worth a mention. Notice how water and surfactants make up a large portion of everyday cleaners. Many of the other ingredients exist to enhance the cleaning power of water and/or surfactants. And of course, there are those that are unnecessary for cleaning, like fragrance and dyes.

In the next post will be my homemade cleaning recipes (using mostly laundering products of course). Finally!

Posted in health, house cleaning | 1 Response

Soil and Stain Removal Basics

Many people don’t realize that detergents (surfactants), either full strength or diluted as in the homemade all-purpose cleaner, are all that’s needed to remove many common household stains like food, dirt, and grass. Whether you are dealing with clothing, carpet, upholstery, or any surface throughout your house for that matter, it is better to start off with a plain, non-chlorine detergent and only spot treat the soils with additional products/ingredients as needed. Doing so will reduce the amount of cleaners you need around your house while saving you time, money, and effort.

There are many ways to categorize soils and soils usually fit under several categories. You can get pretty technical and delve into the chemistry and science of stain removal. Or do what I do and start with the easiest stain fighting solutions first.

  • I. For most food and outdoor stains:
    • A. Use liquid detergent at full strength, diluted as in the homemade all-purpose cleaner, or anywhere in between. If that doesn’t work, then
    • B. Work a small amount of borax in with the liquid detergent (full strength or diluted). Borax softens hard water thereby helping detergents remove soils more effectively. Optionally follow with vinegar rinse to neutralize the alkalinity. If that doesn’t work, then
    • C. Pretreat stain with an enzyme digester (protease, bromalain, amylase) as found in meat tenderizer, juice of pineapple (preferably the core), human saliva (yes!), or a laundry stain removal product that contains enzyme digesters such as Zout. Follow with liquid detergent (full strength or diluted). Some liquid detergents already have enzymes added. Enzyme digesters work on protein stains like eggs, meat, and dairy. Use warm, not hot water as the heat will kill the enzymes. Do not use on silk, cashmere, or leather as they will break down the fibers.
  • II. For greasy, oily, non-water soluble stains:
    • A. ‘Like dissolves like’ so use liquid oil such as cooking oil or mineral oil to dissolve the sticky, greasy residue first. Then, follow with soap, dish liquid, or detergent. If that doesn’t work, then
    • B. Use a solvent such as isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol. Many laundry stain removers also contain solvents. Follow with liquid detergent (full strength or diluted). Solvents dissolve the non-water soluble residue to make it easier for the detergent to lift and remove the stains.
  • III. If none of the above works, use an oxidizer to bleach the stain (but doesn’t actually remove it):
    • A. Treat with detergent, then dry in sunlight. Or,
    • B. Treat with detergent and hydrogen peroxide, then dry in sunlight. Or,
    • C. Use Oxiclean powder (free of dyes and fragrance). Follow product directions. Or,
    • Z. If all else fails and you can’t tolerate the stain, use chlorine bleach. Follow product directions. Never mix with ammonia nor vinegar. Bleach is safe to use with laundry detergents and borax.

Notes:

  • Fresh stains are easier to remove than old, dry stains.
  • Make sure your cleaning ingredient is compatible with the fabric or surface being cleaned.
  • Most laundry detergents are alkaline based and most stains are acidic. So, laundry detergents are usually all that’s needed to neutralize stains.
  • The pH of some stains, such as perspiration and urine, vary greatly. Fresh stains may start with an acidic pH, older stains all become alkaline. If plain liquid detergent does not remove the stain, pretreat with detergent and a small amount of borax for fresh stains or vinegar for older stains to neutralize the stains. Rinse and rewash with detergent cleaner.
  • Take clue from laundering do’s and don’ts.

Clothing, carpet, upholstery, fabric window treatment, and tablecloth soils can all be treated with common laundry products. After all, they are all fibers – synthetic, natural, or blends. Usually, if it works on fabric, it works on most non-porous surfaces around the house. Here are some additional resources:

  • Purex Stain Guide: This is an excellent site for troubleshooting stain. Although the guide is geared towards fabric, you can easily adapt to suit most surfaces.
  • Crayola Stain Guide: Crayons and colored drawing implements are usually harder to remove as they’re made up of more complex substances. This guide features many commercial stain removal products and can be useful when none of the simple stuff works. However, I usually find that a little borax or baking soda mixed with detergent will remove most water soluble Crayola products. Cooking oil or rubbing alcohol or WD-40 (which contains primarily solvents) followed by detergent will remove the other non-water soluble products. Many makeup stains can be removed similarly.

My soil and stain removal kit is a mixture of natural and synthetic ingredients. I simply strive to use the least amount of products and ingredients in the smallest quantities needed to get the job done. To sum up, my list includes:

  • liquid laundry detergent
  • borax
  • baking soda
  • vinegar
  • multi-purpose laundry stain removal product like Zout
  • liquid oil such as cooking oil or mineral oil
  • rubbing alcohol
  • WD-40
  • hydrogen peroxide
  • Oxiclean
  • chlorine bleach
Posted in house cleaning | 3 Responses