2008 December | Big Green Genie

Archive for December, 2008

Dec 18, 2008

Book Review: Green Up Your Cleanup – Jill Schoff

Posted by Lilla under Book Reviews

“Green Up Your Cleanup” by Jill Potvin Schoff

This book is full of great information, suggestions and recipes. Ms Schoff has done her research well. The book is logically organized, with plenty pictures and asides to keep your eyes interested.

I love the room by room approach she uses to organize the cleaning.

While Schoff has to take steps a great deal further than most people will, due to the allergies of her little boy, the suggestions and tips are extremely useful, insightful and easy to follow.

The recipes I’ve tried have worked wonderfully. The general purpose cleaner kicked the ass of the built up grease on my gas range, a left over from the previous tenants. (I hate renting).

Despite a few extremist observations, overall this book is well worth the purchase price. You will probably make up the price of the book in the first few months, because the supplies are extremely inexpensive in comparison to ready made cleaning supplies.

Appreciate Small Efforts

Posted by Lilla under Just thinkin'

Maybe I’m naive. Maybe I don’t have a handle on the big picture. But it seems to me that if someone is making an effort to improve their quality of life and help the planet, it should be recognized as such and encouraged.

Not everyone can afford to pay the prices for the top “Eco-Friendly” products. Not everyone can afford the price of organic foods, believe me.

In this time of economic upheaval and high unemployment rates, I can guarantee there will be a lot of compromising of principles and ideal. I think we should all make an effort to be encouraging to others who are having trouble and maybe have to buy from the regular supermarket as opposed to the health-food store.

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Old Skin

Posted by Lilla under Personal Care

My skin is getting old. No use in denying it, it is finally happening. I’ve caught myself looking at the anti-aging products aisle in Walmart. My laugh lines are changing to crows feet, I have a permanent “11″ between my eyebrows. The wrinkles and the grey hairs I can deal with, but the dry unhappy skin was killing me. It itched, and felt dry although I could see it was oily. but the really bad thing was that it looked so dull.

Granted, I live in a fairly dry climate, the high desert of southern California, but I drink water all the time. I eat a really healthy diet, although admittedly a little too much of that, very balanced. I exercise, although right now, coming off a knee injury not as much as I should. I don’t drink alcohol to excess, very often. I do love a good beer . So what could be causing my problem?

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Laundry Soap Recipe

Posted by Lilla under Recipes

Read the entire recipe before you begin. Gather all the ingredients and equipment you will need before you start. Wear safety equipment and above all else be careful.

This formula will make 2 gallons of liquid laundry soap. I store mine in recycled 1 gallon milk bottles, but a 2 gallon bucket can also be used.

1/3 bar Fels Naptha Soap, grated fine.

1/2 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda

1/2 cup 20 Mule Team Borax

2 gallons Water

Heat the water to a near simmer. Steam will begin to raise from the surface, you don’t need to boil as this will cause water loss.

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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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