Quick and Easy Toilet Cleaning

Ever get one of those panicky moments when an unexpected visitor arrives and then they ask if they can use the restroom. I know I do. My mind races to figure out who the last person was in the bathroom, would they have flushed? Did they hang the towel back up? Leave toilet paper for the next person? Oh and the toilet, when was the last time I cleaned it? Oh dear!

When an unexpected guest stops by I give my usual, I have no idea who used the bathroom last so please forgive me before you walk in there, speech. However, I have found a simple and quick way to make your toilet smell good and shine quickly with very little effort. Koolaid, yes, any flavor works but lemonade is the best. It is an old trick that military latrine duty cadets use. Sprinkle in some Koolaid and now the latrine is sparkling and smelling beautiful in time for inspection. It works like a charm and has the added benefit of not harming the environment or your pocketbook.
Now, if I could just find a way to make the toilet paper roll change itself.

What to do with your Christmas tree now

Christmas is over and it's time to put away the decorations for another year. Most of the decorations we have can easily be stored. But what about the Christmas tree. There are many options and ways to recycle your tree.

1. Many local landfills offer free tree recycling. They chip them up and add them to the bark mulch.

2. Charities like boy scouts often come around and pick up trees for a $5.00 donation. They then haul them to recycle centers for you.

3. If you have a pond or stream nearby, on your own property or get permission from the property owner, and place the tree top down on the side of the pond or stream. This makes a great place for the fish to hide and a natural habitat for them to live in.

However, my favorite way to recycle the tree is to use it outdoors for a few more months. Place your decoration free, tinsel free tree outside standing upright. Make some homemade bird feeders and hang them in the tree to feed the birds this winter. Oranges can be spiral cut, bananas can be mashed and placed in pine cones as well as rolled in birdseed. You can also cut apple slices, string peanuts or make suet to decorate the tree. As the months go on your tree will become brittle enough for you to break off the branches and add to your own mulch or compost pile. Instead of using your tree for only a few weeks, put it to more use and enjoy it longer.

Green Ice Remover

With the winter season in full swing it's time to find some products we can use that are safe for our families and our pets while being environmentally responsible. One of our biggest concerns outdoors when the snow starts flying is ice. We have a lot of sidewalks and porches at our house that get ice build up very easily. We try to keep it shoveled and free of ice, but that is not easy to do when the ice is 1 inch thick and harder then a brick. We used to use salt and other chemical based melts to keep our sidewalks safe for the mailman, delivery people and ourselves. However as we have become aware of the impact those products have on our environment we have searched out other ways to provide safety. One product that we found this year is called Safe Paw. Not only is is safe for your pets but is environmentally responsible and safe for your sidewalks. Enjoy the snow this year while keeping your children and pets safe.

Green Way to Clean your Microwave

Cleaning the microwave has to rank right up there with cleaning the oven after the holidays. However I ran across this super easy way to clean your microwave while watching a BBC show called "How clean is your house". I was amazed at what I saw on TV, but would it really work in my house and in my microwave.

First cut several lemons or oranges in half. I used mandarins because that is what was in my fridge.
Fill a microwave dish with cold water and your citrus fruit. If you are using a lemon or orange, just one or two will do. I did several mandarins since they are so small. Next, put the dish in the microwave for 5 minutes on high. When it is done, do a quick wipe of all the big and loose particles. Put the fruit in for another 5 minutes but let it sit in the microwave for 20-30 minutes after it's done. Do not leave it too long or it will dry again.

Remove the citrus fruit from the microwave, using a cloth wipe the interior and door clean of all the debris. You should now have a pretty clean, smelling microwave.

Throw your fruit down the garbage disposal and run for 15 seconds and you will have a lovely smelling disposal too.

Make your own Dishwasher Detergent

You may know that you can make your own laundry soap, but did you know you can make your own dish washing soap too? For pennies you can wash your dishes and get them clean while doing your part to protect the earth from harsh chemical additives. This simple detergent is safe for your dishwasher, safe for your dishes and will not give off any toxic fumes while your dish washer is running. Add vinegar to your rinse compartment and you will have sparkling clean dishes in no time for a fraction of the cost of commercial products.

Recipe for Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

• 1 cup Washing soda
• 1 cup Borax
• ½ cup salt
• ½ cup citric acid

Mix together and store tightly covered in a Mason Jar. Use one tablespoon per load. Add vinegar to the rinse dispenser for the best results.

Your environmentally friendly dishwasher detergent is going to have four main ingredients.

• Washing Soda—This is a natural substance, made from salt and limestone. Scientifically it is known as sodium carbonate. It cuts grease on anything and can be used for many of the cleaning projects in your home. Arm and Hammer puts it out in the United States. If you can't find it at your grocers you can find it on Amazon and other places online.


• Borax—Borax occurs naturally in the environment and can be mined as well as created in a lab. You can find it by the laundry detergent most commonly under the brand 20 Mule Team. Borax has no toxic fumes and is safe for the environment. Borax can irritate skin and should not be ingested. Keep out of reach of children.
  


• Kosher Salt—Kosher salt is a pure salt.


• Citric acid—You can buy food grade citric acid like Fruit Fresh or just use unsweetened lemonade packets.

A green way to charge your toys

While browsing a website that is dedicated to helping find gifts for men I came across this amazing product. The Solar Juice Bar is the newest green way to charge all your portable devices. It stores up the energy from the sun and lets you use it to charge up your toys. What a great way to save electricity and do your part for the environment. I can't think of a better gift to give this year to everyone on your Christmas list.