I’m loving Skribit, though you’d never know it because I haven’t had a chance to address any of your suggestions. Until now.

The suggestion “Non-Chemical Cleaning Supplies” has 14 votes - apparently you guys think I have a clean house. You’d be wrong. But I do have an almost chemical-free house so I may be able to help you out.

Let’s go from short to long, shall we?

The Short:
You may recall my review of Clorox Green Works products. They’re great if you feel the need to purchase something. I know some people feel that the Clorox name means ‘clean’ simply because of their reputation for bleach. To me, it means toxic, and though these are definitely on the more natural end of things they’re still very irritating to the skin and not as perfect as they could be. I’ve heard both good and bad things about the PC line, too, though I’ve never tried them myself.

Any products by Nature Clean is going to be fabulous and great for the environment too. Same goes for Seventh Generation. Dr. Bronner’s castile soaps are fabulous as well. If I feel the need to buy something, it’s going to be from one of these lines 99.9% of the time. I use the Seventh Generation dish soap, Nature Clean disinfectant (just thyme oil pretty much…) and Nature Clean stain remover (but I’m not happy with it - vinegar and borax work better.) All three of these are available at Save On Foods (Overwaitea) and at some Safeway stores. I’m sure lots of other places carry them too, but that’s where I shop.

Moving on to…

The Long:

I’m going to let you in on a little secret about me.

I’m lazy.

Most people who know me would disagree because it seems I give the appearance of extreme organization and of an over-achiever. I’m both of those, but I am lazy. I will always take the easy way out if I think I can. And that means I almost always clean with nothing but vinegar and baking soda. Usually just straight Safeway brand vinegar.

Some of the things I use straight vinegar for are below. (If I dilute or add something else, it will be in parentheses)

-cleaning counters
-cleaning sinks - even after raw meat. Vinegar is a safe replacement for bleach. So is lemon juice. If you like the smell, a mixture is nice but I don’t do it often. I’m lazy, remember?
-washing floors (diluted - 2 cups in a sink of water, but I use straight for spot cleaning)
-cleaning toilets (sprinkle baking soda in first for a more scrubby clean)
-washing windows
-wiping the table
-cleaning carpet stains
-laundry booster
-laundry stain remover (sometimes with borax or Seventh Generation dish soap as well)
-unclogging drains (dump baking soda in first, flush with lots of vinegar, leave for 10-20 min and flush with hot water)
-polishing furniture (mix evenly with light olive oil and add 1t. lemon juice)
-Cleaning my oven. (Scrub with a baking soda paste, spray with vinegar, scrub again and wipe clean with vinegar followed by water)

Many people I know dilute vinegar at least by half with water for many of the above applications. I don’t because (a) I’m lazy, (b) I like to know I’m getting a disinfecting effect out of the deal and (c) vinegar is cheap.

For laundry, I use about an ounce (or whatever a squirt equals - I don’t measure) of Dr. Bronner’s peppermint castile soap, and 1/2 cup of vinegar in the rinse.

If there’s anything I haven’t addressed here that you’d like to know, just ask and I’ll be glad to share.

And keep those suggestions coming over in the right sidebar! If you ask, I’ll answer.

Sneaking in with a little update — Yesterday we got the results from my Dad’s latest CT scan and he’s cancer free again! We’re flying high at that news. The next scan is in July, and we’re really glad they’re staying on top of it.

He’s got amazing doctors and so many people praying for him and sending positive thoughts. And he’s got an awesomely positive attitude, which certainly can’t hurt! The rest of his body is falling apart, but for the moment there’s one less battle to fight.

Thanks to everyone who’s still purchasing from the Cancer Sucks store - I’m still donating all profits and get super excited every time I get an email about another sale made. The profit margins are small but last month I was able to sign over a $35 cheque, and every penny helps!