10 simple, unexpected Natural cleaners
STAIN REMOVAL
When I blot a stain, I hold a rag to the right side of stain, flip and push, working toward the center of the spot on the wrong side of the stain. Always working with white rags so as to not transfer dye.
Protein-Based stains:
i.e., food, milk, mud, vomit & blood
while wet:
scrubbed out under cold running water, then soaked in cold water before the stained clothing is laundered.
do not use soap on protein stains … use detergent.
when dried:
scraped or brushed off the fabric, then soaked in cold water with liquid laundry detergent or dish liquid before laundering.
blood should be soaked in hydrogen peroxide and cold water until stain fades then rinse fabric with cold water.. repeat if necessary.
hot water, heat drying, ironing can set stain by cooking the protein into cloth.
Sweat Stains:
easier to remove if pre-treated…
1. shortly after you remove your washable shirt or blouse, spray armpits with white vinegar to help prevent the sweat form setting, the garment can then be laundered as usual whenever you get around to it.
or
2. fill a bucket with warm water, pour in 1 cup white vinegar, and soak the sweaty garment in vinegar water for a few hours then launder the garment as usual.
3. apply liquid detergent or dish liquid to sweaty bits of the garment then soak the item in warm water for half an hour before throwing it in a hot water wash.
4. sweat stains can also be removed with a paste made of meat tenderizer and water. rub paste into stains, then launder the shirt as usual. meat tenderizer breaks down the proteins in the sweat, making them easier to wash out.
5. pour ammonia over the stained are, then rub.
if the formerly stinky garment has already been laundered, consumer grade (3%) hydrogen peroxide can be used to bleach out sweat stains. Peroxide will not harm most fabrics, provided they are not fibers of animal origin, but may cause color changes in colored fabrics; test colorfastness 1st.
Oil based stains:
PRETREAT!
1. applying liquid detergent or a paste of powdered detergent and water tot the spot, and scrubbing. rinse the area with hot water, then wash the stained clothing in hot water with a mineral-based powdered detergent.
DO NOT mix oil-stained clothing in with other laundry.
2. dab a paste of salt and water on the spot, then remove the salt with a clean paper towel before laundering
rub “ring around the collar” with oily-hair shampoo, which is formulated to remove hair oils.
rub cooking oil stains with liquid dish soap, which is formulated to cut cooking grease.
if garment cannot be washed right away, sprinkle some corn starch or baking soda on the stain then put a rag on top of your ironing board and lay the stained part of the garment on the rag, stained side down. iron over the grease stain. the heat of the iron will melt the grease into the rag.
grease stains are the only stains that can be removed with heat. heat will set all other types of stains.
Petroleum based stains:
will make clothing extremely flammable!
Never put clothes or rags that have been contaminated with fuel in the dryer! hang outside to dry.
a cup of vinegar added to the wash water can help remove the stench of fuel.
vegetable-pigment (tannin) stains:
i.e., red wine, brandy, beer, fruit, coffee, chocolate, cocoa, ketchup, tea, and soft drink stains
washed in hot water with detergent (containing no fats or oils)soap (made of vegetable oil or animal fat) will set these stains. natural detergents which contain washing soda and sodium perborate are ideal for this.
remove fresh wine and fruit stains from table linens by stretching stained item over a bowl or over the kitchen sink, then pouring boiling water over the stain until it washes out.
if red wine or grape juice is on your clothing, remove garment, put waxed paper or plastic bag under stain, then pour on enough table salt to soak up the moisture. this will help prevent the spill form soaking farther into the fabric. brush the wine-soaked salt off before laundering the garment in hot water and detergent.
Dye stains:
i.e., food coloring, kool-aid, condiments, candy, felt-tip pen, and ink
ARE DIFFICULT!
pre-treat the stain,
rub in liquid detergent or dish liquid, then rinse thoroughly before washing in hot water.
*felt-tip pen may come out if it is rubbed immediately with vodka then flushed with hot water.
*ball point pen ink, put several thicknesses of paper towels under stain then use a rag to push liquid detergent down through the stain when the towels get inky, put a clean section under the stain.
Pencil stains:
lift mark off the fabric with a kneadable art gum eraser.
knead until eraser is warm and pliable, then press is down on the mark… do not rub, just press. repeat as necessary.
rub in liquid deterrent or dish liquid, rinse in warm water, then launder.
Paint stains:
WHILE WET. IF DRY, YOU ARE PROB. OUT OF LUCK
latex:
soak the spot right away in cold water, then wash the garment in cool water with heavy-duty detergent.
oil:
spot treat oil paint stains dry before thy dry. blot the spots with alcohol(vodka) or turpentine
Rust:
never use chlorine bleach on rust stains, or the stain will become permanent.
if the garment is white, you can sprinkle salt on the rust stain, squeeze lemon juice on it, then put the garment in the sun to dry. But be careful because lemon juice may bleach colored fabrics.
OR
rub the stained area with cream of tartar and lemon juice.
credit needs to be given to my Mother, Grandmother, Momnlaw, (they really have not idea how much I value all I have learned from these great women! ) & Ellen Sandbeck the nontoxic avenger
HOMEMADE GARDEN INSECTICIDES
Oil smothers insects, so if you want a good homemade insecticide, combine one tablespoon of canola oil with a few drops of liquid soap and a quart of water. Make sure you use soap and not a product that is not soap.
Spray this homemade garden insecticide on insect infested plants, and don’t forget the underside of the leaves where insects can hide.
Reapply this mixture after it rains to kill, and control harmful bugs in the garden.
Use no more than three successive soap sprays on any particular plant.
1 TB spoon canola oil.
1 Quart of water.
A few drops of liquid soap. (You are supposed to spray the tomatoes with a SOAP spray. NOT a dishwasher liquid)
Murphy’s Oil Soap- that’s a true soap and you should be able to find it almost anywhere- Use 1/2 cup Murphy’s plus 2 cups rubbing alcohol in a gallon of water and you have a good contact insecticidal soap that works on aphids and scale. For a quart hand sprayer that’s 2T Murphy’s and 1/2 cup alcohol.
Shave a bar of Octagon soap into 1 gallon of hot water. Stir until dissolved. When it cools it will be thick. Put one cup of this concentrate in a 20 gallon hose end sprayer with water to fill (mix well). keep a separate sprayer with the solution in it for use when needed.
Seems to work as well as Neem oil and doesn’t leave as much residue. Fels-Naptha works as well and is probably easier to find.
try pawpaw …the acetogenins which kill insects are most concentrated in the bark of the twigs…so boil a bunch of twigs and then put the water/extract it in a spray bottle.
garlic powder sprinkled directly on plant
put some garlic cloves or minced garlic in about a quart of water and let it sit for several days, and then use that as a spray
grow some cheapo seeds of sweet peppers and Egg plants, then when the plants are about a foot high plant them in-between your tomato plants or very close to them, they are absolute magnets for all types of aphids and will draw them right off your tomato plants for months, it ruins the pepper and egg plants completely but you save your tomatoes easily, the peppers and egg plants will be absolutely covered in aphids but just leave them to it, with no sprays or anything.
Marigolds….
Green Lacewings
Ladybugs are GREAT
aluminum foil
praying mantis’