Mama's Got A Brand New Bag

Old Bag
Brand NEW Bag !!!

and -----bottom of brand new bag !

If there is one thing I absolutely HATE ----
it is driving through the countryside
and seeing grocery store sacks
"decorating" the landscape.

So, I'm a big, big fan of "green" bags.
As soon as they came to our HEB,
I jumped on the bandwagon....
bought 10 of them.
(WHEN is the last time I bought enough
groceries to fill up TEN bags???I ask you???---uh, never!)
But I'm really good at jumping on a bandwagon !!!

I consistently was leaving them at home.
THEN I put them in the car, but I would be in the truck.
THEN I got the bags into the correct vehicle,
but would leave them right there,
in the backseat,
while I shopped.

NOW however --- I think I have sufficient
motivation to actually
use my "green" bags faithfully.
Now that my "green" bags are
MAROON

You gotta love it !!
Well, you don't gotta love it ---
but IF you don't love it,
I don't wanna hear it!!!

Awwwww- just kiddin' with you !

Have a great Monday y'all !!
:)

Gwynie Pie

Going Green Part 2

There are many companies who now make "green" products. That means biodegradable, natural, not toxic to you or yours ---

at least that what it should mean.

Read the labels!!! on any cleaning product

you are buying.

As with food -- if you can't pronounce it --

you might want to leave it on the shelf

or at least look it up and see for yourself what

ingredients it contains.

Nature's Source by SC Johnson

Green Works by Clorox

Method

Seventh Generation

Shaklee and others

all make a line of natural, environmentally friendly

products.

That said -- here are a few of the

oh so cheap, cheap, cheap !!!!

products you can make very, very simply

AND since the main ingredient in almost all

cleaning products - natural or otherwise -

is water, I figure I'll just do it myself, thank you.

I really thought I would have to sacrifice quality

in order to use these items BUT

really --- I am so pleased with how they work.

The quality is as good or better than those I have retired.

Here are a few of the recipes I have discovered online.

Just Google "natural cleaning products" if you are interested

in expanding your line of cleaners ---

GLASS CLEANER --

1 cup rubbing alcohol

1 cup white vinegar

1 cup water

Mix in a clean spray bottle.

(Walmart is where I got mine)

FURNITURE POLISH

1 cup olive oil

1/2 cup lemon juice

Mix and store in a glass jar.

To use - Dip in with a cloth, reseal jar immediately

and polish furniture.

DEODERIZER

Straight vinegar

in a spray bottle.

The smell will dissipate fairly quickly.

Your house/car will not smell like a giant pickle for long.

And nothing kills odor like it!

MOLD KILLER

ALSO - did you know that straight vinegar kills 82% of all mold.

So, spray on and let it sit on any areas where you are fighting mold.

Another mold fighter is

2 teaspoons tea tree oil

2 cup water

in spray bottle. Spray on. Do Not Rinse

For CLEANING CUTTING BOARDS, COUNTERTOPS

White vinegar in one spray bottle

3% hydrogen peroxide in one spray bottle

Spray one on area, then the other

Wipe off. Germs killed !!!

FABRIC SOFTENER

Add 1/2 cup - 1 cup straight vinegar

to the rinse cycle.

There will be absolutely no vinegar smell,

just fresh clothes.

Works great !!

AND super cheap !

DEGREASER

2 cup warm water

1/2 cup Murphy's oil soap

in spray bottle.

Cuts grease on stovetops, counters, floors

ALL-PURPOSE CLEANER

2 tablespoons ammonia

1 teaspoon dish detergent

2 cups rubbing alcohol

a couple drops orange essential oil

(TOTALLY optional)

Mix in gallon jug. Fill spray bottle to use.

You get essential oils at health food stores -- all fragrances.

And a few drops can be added to any of these products.

But, I prefer no smell at all since I almost always have

a fragrance plugged in to wall plugs throughout the house.

FLOOR CLEANER

1 gallon warm water

1 cup vinegar

Mix in pail or sink.

Works on vinyl or laminate floors

Same recipe for wood floors -- just 1/2 cup vinegar instead of 1 cup

and dry floor as you go.

SCRUBBER

for dirty dishes, crusty pans, stubborn surfaces

Cut a lemon in half

Sprinkle with baking soda

Scrub away.....smells great, cuts grease and grime.

Try some of these. You might be pleasantly surprised

as I have been at the quality.

My house still smells good.

AND I get to avoid the "cleaner" aisle at the store now.

AND I'm saving significant $$$$$.

Just wanted you to know,

Gwynie Pie

Going Green

CAST OF CHARACTERS

White vinegar

Murphy's Oil Soap

Dawn Dish liquid

Borax (and all of it's 20 mules)

Baking soda

Rubbing alcohol

Hydrogen peroxide, 3%

Today is the day ! I've been researching and experimenting and testing

different methods of natural, biodegradable cleaning

for several weeks/months actually.

Everytime I cleaned my shower with those

cute little "guys with big white brushy moustaches",

the ones that were going to remove hard water scale and make my

shower sparkly clean,

the ones in the spray can with the lemony scent ---

I would find it difficult to breathe while spraying my shower

down so I would hold my breath 'til I 'd nearly

pass out. Then I'd evacuate the bathroom until the lemony, yet noxious

fumes died down a bit. Then go back in to finish the job.

And bottom line --

nothing, but nothing !!! worked on the kind of hard water scale we have

in this part of the world. Sheeesh !

(I thought)

I started thinking that surely to goodness there had to be a better way.

I wasn't even really looking for healthier at that point.

I just wanted something that would work!

THEN, I started googling "natural home cleaning products"

and wow!!! came up with lots of great info.

I learned along the way that many of the cleaning products

I use on a daily basis are very harmful and damaging to the lungs

and the skin and the mucous membranes.

Also, the residue from many of these products

is something I'm just not comfortable having in my home.

Having a grandbaby really made me hyper-aware of it all

and so, after much research and googling and searching

other blogs for info ----

I have come to today.

I'm "going green".

I've been very skeptical about the cleaning "power" of some of these

natural products. But, I've put them to the test.

I've been researching them on my most stubborn

of stains and cleaning problems and I'm convinced !!

I have so much info to share with you and I don't want this post to just go on and on and on....

So, I'm going to break this up into a series for at least the next few days.

Here's a starter --

I have an off white laminate kitchen countertop

that is very susceptible to staining.

I was constantly using spray bleach to

brighten it up and remove the coffee and tea stains

that plagued me.

This morning I wiped the stains with a wet cloth,

sprinkled a little bit of baking soda over the stain,

then added 1 squirt of dishwashing liquid.

With the wet cloth I scrubbed the area

and in just a few seconds the stains

were completely gone.

It wasn't instant like with the spray bleach.

It actually required me to move my arm back and forth

a few times.

But, when I had rinsed the area --

it was sparkling clean, smelled great,

and I knew there was no leftover bleach

that could jeopardize my clothes.

I'm always leaning up against the still damp counter

and having to immediately change and wash my clothes

so they are not ruined.

All in all -- worked super great !!

I'm very pleased!

I'll be sharing many more

cleaning "products" the next few days.

I've also uncovered a LOT of natural health

products along the way ---

GOOD STUFF!!!

Stayed tuned !

Did I mention how much $$$$$ you

can save using this stuff?????

WOW

Safe Cleaning,

Gwynie Pie