Todays cleaning products and insecticides are full of bad chemicals that can pollute our world, or even cause cancer in our bodies. Cleaning and gardening with natural products is a great way to help our environment, and keep are families healthy! The following hints are ones that I use, and wanted to share with you. Perhaps you can try them in your own home, and if you like them, you can replace your toxic cleaners. :) Enjoy.....

Cleaning Hints

Baking soda on a damp cloth will remove that yucky grease build-up from the oven door window.

T o clean a microwave, place a bowl of plain water in it, and “cook” on high for a couple of minutes, or until steam forms. Immediately wipe the microwave walls with a sponge. (This works because the steam loosens the stuck on food.)

Put equal parts white vinegar and tap water in a clean spray bottle, and use instead of glass cleaner. To make your glass really shine, use coffee filters instead of paper towels. They will not leave lint.

To mop the floor, use about 2 squirts of dishwashing liquid to a gallon of water. Mop the floor as usual. When you rinse, add a few drop of your favorite scented oil to the water. This will make your house smell good.

To clean and polish brass, rub with a mixture of half salt and half hot vinegar. It will take off aging in a snap.

To help keep your drains clean, pour 1/2 cup of baking soda and 1/2 cup of vinegar down. Wait for 15 minutes, and flush with hot water. Do this at least once a month for clean drains.

Gardening Hints

Stomp mothballs in the ground around flower beds to keep dogs away. To keep cats away, sprinkle ground ginger around the beds. Cats hate the smell of ginger.

If you have moles in your yard a good way to make them “move” is to place dog hair in their hole. Dogs are their predators, so the scent of dog hair will send them packing! (Or at least that’s what my grandpa says.)

Good food for house plants is coffee grounds and/or egg shells. Just mix in with the soil. They also act as an insecticide.

Miscellaneous Hints

Chill unused candles in refrigerator for 24 hours. This will make them burn longer, and prevent dripping.

Place a bowl of white vinegar in a smoky and/or stinky room. The vinegar will absorb bad odors.

Place an aspirin in a vase with fresh cut flowers to help them live longer. (They also have to be in water of course!)

Dab a small amount of your favorite scented oil or perfume on light bulbs to make your house smell wonderful. When the light is turned on, the scent will flow all over the room. (Common Sense Tip: Make sure the light bulb is OFF and COOL before you touch it.)

To repel moths, hang sage bundles is your closets. You can also put sage sachets in boxes of packed clothes.