Household Cleaning | Big Green Genie

Archive for the ‘Household Cleaning’ Category

Feb 9, 2009

What the heck?

Posted by Lilla under Book Reviews, Gardening, Household Cleaning, Just thinkin', Personal Care, Recipes, Uncategorized, While I was out...

Since I started writing this blog and began using advertising, I get really annoyed with the automated ads that get thrust upon me from time to time. I want you all to know that I am aware of the inconsistencies that show up from time to time, and am working on a better filter for the ad content.

Amazon is keyword driven, and at times the products that are featured with my articles are conflicting with my views. For instance, the insecticide that was being featured under my article for NATURAL PEST DETERRANTS. I saw that this morning and was both annoyed and amused.

There is a way to get adverts that are consistent with my content, I know there is!!! I will prevail in this, I promise. Until I get it managed… bear with me and ignore those ads that seem really out of place.

Roach Control

Posted by Lilla under Household Cleaning

Ok, so I’m moved. I have a nice bright room in a 3 bedroom condo, I have the slider to the back for my entry(if I so choose), good roomies. What could possibly be wrong with this…well a couple of things, German and American cockroaches.

No, my new roomies held nothing back about them, I was well aware when we first discussed my moving in that there were little squatters in the walls. In fact, I had helped install new counter tops in their kitchen shortly after they moved in and helped them to clean up the horrific amount of ickyness that was the result of shoddy labor. Namely dead cockroaches that were painted over in the cupboards.

These friends of mine have waged a valiant war on the nasty little bugs, but it being a condo with shared walls between living spaces, I’m afraid they are losing big time.

So here I am… big green and genie like, moving in… I’m not afraid of bugs, been known to squish them with my bare fingers (I don’t like it much, but sometimes it is the most expedient way to dispose of them.) They have boric acid sprinkled around in all kinds of places, they have been firing off bug bombs like a WWII invasion, and all I can think is, “oh my god, this can’t be good for you guys living here.” Read the rest of this entry »

Of Washing Soda, Baking Soda and Laundry Soap

Posted by Lilla under Household Cleaning

Baking soda and washing soda are not the same animal, or rather chemical. They are not interchangeable. It is possible and sometimes beneficial to use baking soda in your washing machine from time to time, however if you use washing soda in your biscuits you might just kill someone, or at the very least make them horribly ill.

I learned this during my research into making inexpensive and environmentally friendly laundry detergent. My recipe calls for Fels Naptha Soap, borax and washing soda. Being the diligent home chemist that I am, I looked for the ingredients in my local shops, (and by local I mean within bicycling distance as I am currently without a car) that are within 2 miles of my home. I found the Fels Naptha and the borax (I would have been outraged if I hadn’t because my home is only about 50 miles or so from Boron California where the mine and package borax of the 20 Mule Team variety). But my local shops didn’t have washing soda.

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Inexpensive Detergents for that Freshly Washed Feeling

Posted by Lilla under Household Cleaning

Hey there,

I’ve been doing a bit of research this week on laundry detergents because I’ve almost used up my big bottle of 7th Generation environmentally friendly laundry detergent. I got the big one at a local Big Lots store purely on accident. No, the accident wasn’t me buying that brand, the accident was finding it at Big Lots on a day when I was there.

If you aren’t familiar with Big Lots, it is a sort of outlet store for overstocked merchandise that is picked up from major retailers when they over order. I’ve found some really great deals there.

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