Make Your Own Cleaners

I've used some of these, others I've borrowed and collected.. try and enjoy… but watch the warnings (at the end)

Frugal Green Household Cleaners

DUSTING: 
Re-use dryer sheets for dusting instead of the Pledge or Swifter cloths

FABRIC SOFTENER:
Add vinegar to the rinse cycle


MICROWAVE CLEANER: 
Mix 2T baking soda or lemon juice and 1 cup water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave five minutes or until boiling and condensation builds up inside the microwave. Wipe down.

CHROME CLEANER:
Toothpaste is great for cleaning chrome


DISHWASHER RINSE:
1 1/2 white vinegar added to the rinse compartment of your dishwasher

THE FOLLOWING ARE SAFE AND NON-TOXIC:

WOODEN FLOOR CLEANER: 
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil. Mix well


ALL-PURPOSE CLEANER: 
1 tsp. borax
1/2 Tsp. washing soda
2 Tbl. lemon juice. 
Combine In a spray bottle with 1 cup of hot water and shake. 


FURNITURE POLISH: 
 Mix 1 cup vegetable or olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
In a spray bottle . Shake well and apply a small amount to a cloth. 


VINEGAR GLASS CLEANERS (choose your favorite)
1) 1/2 cup vinegar 
1 gallon warm water 

2) 1 gallon water
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon liquid dish detergent 
 Combine in a spray bottle. 
Shake to blend.

3) 1 cup rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol 
1 cup water
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Combine in a spray bottle.
Shake to blend.


AMMONIA GLASS CLEANER
1) In a gallon jug mix:
1 tsp dishwashing detergent, 1 pint rubbing alcohol,
1/2 cup ammonia. Fill the gallon with water.
2) in a spray bottle: 1/2 cup ammonia, 1/2 cup rubbing alcohol 
1/2 cup water. 
 Shake to blend.


GENERIC TILEX: (mix and use in a spray bottle) 
1 part bleach 
9 parts water 1 part Dawn Dish Soap (or brand with surfactants and NO ammonia) 


CARPET DEODORIZER: 
Fill a jar with baking soda. Add essential oil (your choice of fragrance and amount), one drop at a time. Stir so it doesn't clump. Sprinkle on carpet and leave for 10-20 minutes before vacuuming. 


ALL PURPOSE CLEANERS (choose again)
Convenient in a spray bottle

1) 3 tsp liquid soap & one gallon water
2) 1/4 cup vinegar & one gallon water
3) 1/4 cup lemon juice & one gallon water
4) 1/4 cup Borax & one gallon water

DISINFECTANTS (choose again)
1) 1/4 cup Borax plus 1/2 gallon water
2) 1 part bleach plus 9 parts water 


DRAIN CLEANER: 
1/4 cup baking soda
1/2 cup vinegar
Pour baking soda, then vinegar down the drain. Close drain until bubbling stops. Pour boiling water. If the clog remains, use a plunger or snake. If all else fails, take the elbow off the pipe. 


MILDEW & LIME DEPOSIT REMOVER: 
1/2 cup white vinegar 
Warm water 
1/2 cup Borax 
Dissolve borax in water, add vinegar. Make a fresh batch for each use. 


ANT KILLER! … (NOT child safe!! Use any poison with caution!!!) 
Combine in equal parts Powdered Sugar and Borax and sprinkle in places where ants crawl. 
(I mix with water to make a thick liquid and dip a paper towel in it. Then put it in a glass jar with nail holes in the lid. This way the ants can climb in and out but your kiddo can't.)


Before You Begin…
* Mix in well-ventilated areas
* Label containers
* Store in a safe place
* Don't reuse containers from other cleaners
* NEVER mix bleach and ammonia. NEVER!
* Don't store in food containers
* Test a small area before using any cleaner

REMEMBER: NEVER mix Bleach and Ammonia…

How Does Your Garden Grow? (After The Chaos)

Are you planning on your garden one day supplying a portion of your food? If so, you know that to bring in a good crop you need plant food and fertilizer and when you're counting on vegetables for the table it’s not a time to experiment.

If we ever need our gardens to produce we will want knowledge on our side. I love my garden, it’s a great source of pleasure and nourishing crops, but as part of a survival plan there’s much to learn.

I’ve done some research on fertilizers and soil amendments you may not have thought of, but first I have a few suggestions. First: have a few bags of your favorite fertilizer and insecticides as a back-up, and a few books specifically written for survival gardening. Then print this article and others like it and keep them in a binder.

OK.. now for a few Gardening hints you may not have thought about.

NPK stands for Nitrogen/Phosphorous/Potassium. These are the big three that plants need to grow. I'll include those letters where applicable for more experienced gardeners.

We live in Idaho and usually this is a dry time of year. We have several large dogs and often have large brown spots on our lawn. This year is different. We have had an extraordinary amount of rain. This year our lawn has big deep-green spots. We wondered what happened until we read the following.

Human Urine:
Human urine contains nitrogen, phosphates, and potassium (NPK 12/1/3). It is sterile when it comes out of the body. By itself it is far too concentrated to use directly on plants. It can be used directly in a compost pile or diluted with eight parts water and used on your plants. You may need to dilute even more, but heavy rain was perfect for our lawn. You don’t want to lose a row of plants so test the mixture on a single plant to insure that the mixture is not too strong.

Use immediately or store it in a sealed container as it will allow bacterial growth if left exposed. Only urine from healthy individuals who are NOT on medication should be used. Once diluted and in the soil, bacterial growth is no longer an issue.

For those who are grossed out by this or question the idea of using urine as a plant food, consider that most well-known plant foods contain urea.

Bone meal: 
Bone meal contains phosphates and nitrogen (heavier on phosphates than nitrogen (NPK 4/12/0). Bone meal can be easily made at home. Use bones ONLY from animals you know were healthy.

First boil for about an hour to remove any fat or meat, think: Beef/chicken soup. Dry the bones in an open fire or oven. Once completely dry crush them to a powder, or as close as you can. If they’re very dry they will crush easily.

A second method is to boil the bones for an extended period of time (maybe 24 hours), then you can simply crush them down to a mush. Allow the mush to dry if you want a powder or use them as a mush.

Dig the bone meal into your soil. It is a long acting, slow release fertilizer. Very useful used at the bottom of potato trenches or dug into the soil near fruit trees/bushes. use bone meal at about five pounds per fifty square feet when first preparing the garden, slightly less the following season.

Blood Meal:
Blood meal is a perfect nitrogen source and may contain some trace phosphates and/or potassium (NPK 12/0/0) depending on source. Blood meal has the alternate names of dried blood and powdered blood. Commercially available types are typically made from cattle blood although other animal blood works as well. Again only use blood from animals you know were healthy.

Blood meal is made by dehydration, preferably to a powder. If you don’t have the patience for the drying time, it can be used while still relatively clumpy. This can be done in a solar dehydrator or, if you live in a non-humid area by leaving a container out with a thin layer of blood. The quickest way is to put a thin layer of blood in a heat-safe container, next to a cooking or heat source. Keep the blood inaccessible to insects. Caution: this causes a nasty smell indoors and pans may need extensive cleaning.

Blood meal is a quick acting source of nitrogen and can be used in powder form or mixed in with water.

Blood meal is good for your compost and, if sprinkled around the perimeter of a garden, may keep some of the four-footed garden critters away. Caution: Do not apply blood meal to seedlings and in warm, most climates use less than recommended. Application rate is 5-10lbs per 100sq ft. One application lasts up to 4 months.

Wood Ashes:
Wood ashes are a good source of potassium when dug into the soil (NPK 0/1/3). You have to be careful with Wood Ash as it turns the soil alkaline. In an area of acidic soil a moderate treatment of wood ashes shouldn't be a problem. If you live in an area with more alkaline soil, you'll want to find a different potassium source.

Be sure any ashes you use are from trees that did not receive heavy pesticide or other problematic chemicals. Wood ash application rates will range, depending on the ash used and the soil. Start small and slowly increase the amount.

In the coming weeks, well talk about other fertilizers, composting and heritage seeds and how to store them.. stay tuned.

Break-Through in Organic Plant Nutrition

Imagine a Garden Where There's No More Weeds or Soil Pests, No Tilling or Cultivating, No Fertilizer Spreading or Compost Shredding, No Manure Spreading or Irrigating, and No Tractor Shed Required...

In the past several years, researchers from the University of the Virgin Islands have discovered and experimented with a break-through new way of growing plants organically .

The process is revolutionary because with it your plants grow 100% to 50% faster, and you can grow up to TEN times the plants in the same amount of space. How does it work? Basically, it turns normal gardening on organic super-drive as it feeds rich ALIVE natural nutrients to your plants 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

In 2006-2007, the 'secret' slowly started to leak out and people started catching on... converting gardens and entire commercial farms to the system.

Sprouts and Sprouting For Your Health

Sprouts for Health and Economy

 “The revelation to produce and store food may be as essential to our temporal welfare today as boarding the Ark was to the people in the days of Noah.” Ezra Taft Benson,

“WANTED  ALIVE"  A vegetable that will grow in any climate, rival meat in nutritional value, mature in 3 to 5 days, may be planted any day of the year, requires neither soil nor sunshine, rivals tomatoes in Vitamin C, has no waste, and can be eaten raw!”

Considering the uncertainty of our times, it is good to know that you can provide healthy food for your family.  No survival food is better than sprouts. Sprouts increase many times in weight, can be stored a long time at low cost and once soaked in water.. any seed begins to ‘sprout’.  Sprouting converts the bean or seed to a vitamin or combination of vitamins.  LUCKY US.

        

General Sprouting Method à

Buy a large mouth mason jar. An inexpensive sprouter can be made by removing the ring from the jar and replacing the disc with plastic mesh, stainless steel screen or cheese cloth.

         Wash the seeds and soak overnight in tepid untreated water, at least two parts water to one part seed. 

The smaller the seed, the shorter the soak period. Alfalfa seed does well with 3 hours, but will not be harmed by 15 hours, soaking.  The large seed (chickpea, mung, etc.) may be soaked for up to 20 hours.

         Drain the water, wash the seed, drain again. Place the container in a dark warm spot at to hasten growth.

         Twice a day rinse with tepid water. Seeds that float should be removed.  They can cause the sprouts to spoil prematurely.

Seeds for Sprouting à Any live seed will sprout.

We have a bulk department at our local Winco.. I buy orange and red lentil land sunflower seeds, mung and small beans.. any bean will sprout.  Find your favorite.

I bought 50¢ worth of each and tried them… my family liked some better than others.

Here are some basic times for sprouting.

Aduki, when sprouted 3 – 5 days, tastes like fresh garden peas. 

Mung, soy, lentil, peas, and radish are most palatable in 3 or 4 days.

Sesame, flax, and chia are best after 24 hours. 

Alfalfa, clover, and fenugreek are at their best after at least 1 week

Sunflower and pumpkin sprouts are ready in 2 – 4 days

Experiment with spinach, Swiss chard, celery, garlic, lettuce, okra, parsley,

"You are the generation that must be prepared!  You live in the midst of economic, political, and spiritual instability.  When you see these signs, unmistakable evidences that His coming is nigh, be not troubled, but Stand in Holy Places and be not moved until the day of the Lord comes."  -

Ezra Taft Benson

WD 40 surprise uses

WD40 was originally called... Water Displacement #40
The product began as a search for a rust preventative solvent and degreaser
to protect missile parts. It was created at a Rocket Chemical Company. Its name comes from the project to find "Water Displacement" compound. They were
successful with the fortieth formulation, thus WD-40.

“There is nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you.”
The basic ingredient is FISH OIL!.

Here are some of the uses:
1) Protects silver from tarnishing
2) Removes tar/grime from cars
3) Cleans/lubricates guitar strings
4) For a non-slippery 'just-waxed' floor sheen
5) Keeps flies off cows (important to cows!)
6) Restores/cleans chalkboards & whiteboards
7) Removes lipstick stains
8) Loosens stubborn zippers
9) Untangles jewelry chains
10) Removes stains from stainless steel sinks
11) Removes dirt/grime from BBQ grills
12) Restores/cleans leather dashboards & vinyl bumpers
13) Keeps shower-doors free of water spots
14) Keeps scissors working smoothly
15) Lubricates noisy or resistant door hinges
16) Removes black scuff marks from floors
17) Removes Bug guts from your car
18) SUPERFAST children's play slides
19) Lubricates gear shift & mower deck lever on riding mowers.
20) Makes sticky home windows easier to open

When No One Sells Baking Soda

Did you know that Cream of tartar is made from ground grape seed, soaked in water. The fine white sediment is cream of tartar, similar to the sediment from the corn flour.

Combining baking soda with cream of tartar makes a good baking powder.
Baking powder = 1 part Baking Soda & 2 parts Cream of Tartar

Cream of Tartar and Baking Soda can be stored indefinitely, but Baking powder deteriorates with age. Because it’s two ingredients are cream of tartar and baking soda, you can store the two components indefinitely and make your own whenever you want.

Simple, Easy and Cheap... Soaps

If your following the path to becoming prepared storing the following items is a must. All of them are inexpensive, extremely useful and have a loooong shelf life.. except the lemons of course. Vinegar is also good for pickling, canning, recipes, salad. Apple cider vinegar is another story so long, It’ll have to have it’s own page.

• Vinegar… may smell a little weird, but vinegar can handle everything from dishes to laundry and even weeds. Vinegar is the wonder ingredient in our house.

• Baking soda… eliminates odors, helps with stains, and ants hate it.

• Borax… is a mineral salt that beats bleach as a toilet cleaner and is also useful for scrubbing walls. It works with laundry and dishes, too.

• Fels-Naptha soap... My grandmother always had a bar of Fels-Naptha under the sink for hand wash.. grated it is the wonder ingredient in clothes detergent "use this in addition to a bunch of our other expensive products, like Purex!"

• Rubbing alcohol… Works as a disinfectant and a great glass cleaner. It also gets grime off plastic and metal surfaces like patio furniture or bathroom fixtures.

• Lemon juice... This cuts through dish grease and is an ingredient for homemade furniture polish -- but it's not the easiest thing to preserve long-term.