I have addressed this before but it’s that time of year: The windows are open, the air is balmy and it’s time to clean! During the holidays, most of us have little time to do any thorough cleaning and get by with an occasional wipe of the dust cloth and quick swipe over the mirrors. I have become an advocate of using homemade products during these cleaning frenzies. As a result, I have found it cheaper and much, much safer for our home environment.

Have you actually looked at the labels of those common cleaners you buy at the grocery store? I can’t pronounce most of the ingredients but they include, and are not limited to, ammonia, bleach, butylcellosolve, cresol, dye, ethanol, formaldehyde, glycol, hyzenes, perchloroethlylene, petroleeum distillates, phenol, phosphoric acid, propellants, sulfuric acid and trichloroethlylene.

Whew. Instead, you can use natural ingredients you find easily at the store or are already in your cupboard or pantry. The most common, and ones I use myself, are: baking soda, white vinegar, unscented liquid castile soap, borax, olive and almond oils, and pumice. If you have these, you will be able to make all the products I have listed here.

Going from store-bought to green cleaning was not an easy transition for me. My name is Sherry, and I’m addicted to bleach and Windex. There. I said it. I didn’t know what to do during cleaning if I didn’t have those two products in my possession. Right along with all the other products I couldn’t live without: foaming tub cleaner, mildew spray (so toxic!), get rid of lime spray (even more toxic!), Ajax, bleach countertop cleaner, regular countertop cleaner, bathroom countertop cleaner, etc. etc. etc. And let’s not forget the cost of those items. The average price is $4-6 dollars EACH and if you’re anything like me, it seems they run out at the same time and the grocery bill is outrageous.

The ingredients I’ve listed are some of the least expensive items you can purchase. Bought in bulk, they’re even cheaper. The essential oils, initially, can be a little pricey (average around $6 for1/2 ounce) but you use a few drops each product, which means it lasts for quite awhile. If you want to start small, you can add whatever essential oil you want to the recipes since they all have good cleaning properties. Start out with tea tree oil and another one to add a nice scent (I, personally, don’t like tea tree oil for it’s smell-a little too ‘astringent’ for me), like lemongrass or lavender. Purchase the rest of the essential oils a few at a time and in a very short while, you’ll have a nice collection. Using these homemade products can take a little more elbow grease, I’ll admit, but I feel good it’s safe for me, my family and even pets. It’s cheaper and there’s more room under my kitchen sink. Bonus!

List of ingredients

baking soda
white vinegar
borax
washing soda (Arm & Hammer makes this and you can find it at your local hardware store)
liquid castile soap (I found this by the gallon, at eBay, for around $25, plus shipping and handling)
almond oil
olive oil

Essential oils-only use the suggested drops in the recipes. Essential oils are a powerful ingredient and using too much can be irritating to the skin and eyes.

-lemon (degreaser, alleviates depression & fatigue)

-cedar (disinfects, provides uplifting scent)

-orange (degreaser, alleviates depression & fatigue)

-tea tree oil (effective against bacteria, fungus-good cleaner when there’s illness in the house)

-eucalyptus (disinfects while helping stuffy noses-good when you’re cleaning while fighting off a cold)

-peppermint (uplifting)

-rosemary (antiseptic, good for headaches)

-lavender (antiseptic, antibacterial and antifungal)

-cinnamon (disinfectant, clean smell)

-clove (antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antiseptic)

-thyme (strong antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal, excellent disinfectant)

-geranium (astringent, mosquito repellant, too!)

-grapefruit (disinfectant, stimulating and energizing)

Countertop Cleaner

32-ounce spray bottle (I find these at WalMart for around $1.00)
2 cups water
1/2 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup peroxide (I find this at the dollar store for, yeah, you guessed it, $1.00!)
1 tsp liquid castile soap
20 drops tea tree oil
20 drops lavender or lemongrass-I use lemongrass in the kitchen and lavender in the bathrooms

Combine ingredients in spray bottle. Label and shake during use. I use this on all surfaces in my house and it works beautifully. And smells so good.

Kitchen Sink Scrub

1/2 cup baking soda
1/8 cup vinegar
5 drops lemon
5 drops orange

Combine all ingredients and use on sink. It’s best to use this as you make it since the baking soda will dry into a hard lump. It only takes a few seconds and works real well. The vinegar acts as a great antibacterial.

Sink Scrubber for Stains

1/4 cup washing soda
1/4 cup baking soda
8 drops rosemary, eucalyptus or tea tree oil
3/4 cup vinegar, for rinsing

Combine ingredients, other than vinegar, in an airtight container (like a squeeze bottle) and shake well to blend. Sprinkle a small amount into sink and scrub with damp sponge. Rinse with vinegar and then with hot water. For stubborn stains, allow this formula to rest on the stain for several minutes, then scrub and rinse with vinegar and hot water.

Tub and Shower Scrub

1/2 cup baking soda
10 drops tea tree oil
10 drops lavender
10 drops geranium

You can make this in bulk. Put baking soda in air-tight container. Place drops of essential oils on cotton pad and put it in the baking soda. The essential oils will be infused into the baking soda. The recipe helps to remove and prevent mold and mildew buildup. For serious mildew, combine 20 drops of tea tree oil and water in a spray bottle; spray area every day for 5 days, let dry and scrub with sponge. Use 2 times a week from then on.

Germs-Be-Gone Toilet Cleaner

2 cups water
1/4 cup liquid castile soap
1 TBS tea tree oil
10 drops eucalyptus or peppermint

Combine all ingredients in spray bottle; shake well. Spray on toilet surfaces and wipe clean with damp cloth or sponge. For extra tough stains, use a pumice stone along with some good, old-fashioned elbow grease and scrub away. If you do this once to get rid of all the stains, it will be easy to maintain.

Toilet Soak

To soak the toilet for extra cleaning, put baking soda in the bowl, let it stand for an hour or so, then flush. Add vinegar for a bigger boost.

Furniture Polish

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup white vinegar
3-4 TBS almond or olive oil
40-60 drops lemon
20-30 drops cedar
20-30 drops orange

Put all ingredients in spray bottle. Shake well before and during the time you’re using it. Spray furniture and use a clean cloth to wipe.

For wooden floors, spray duster and wipe down floors as usual.

For extra thirsty furniture, replace all the water with oil, place the ingredients in a squeeze bottle and shake well before use. Put oil on clean cloth and wipe over furniture. Use a second clean cloth to wipe up any oil left behind.

Hot Tub Cleaner

To disinfect and fragrance the water in a hot tub, add 3 drops of lavender, cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus, thyme or grapefruit per person that uses the tub. You can use any combination of oils for this.

May I just say right away that I am NOT Dr. Sher? When it comes to First Aid at Home, I, like most moms and grandmas, have all kinds of remedies that have been passed down from one generation to the next. The ones I am going to recommend are what I have used over the years with both my sons and granddaughters. And they work!

First off, I would like to encourage any of you who have not done so to put together or purchase a First Aid Kit. This is something we rarely think of until The Moment!  I am going to list the items recommended for a standard kit and one that can also be stored in the trunk of your car in case your emergency happens away from the home. Kits are available for purchase at any pharmacy or on-line. Just ‘Google’ First Aid Kit and you’ll get all kinds of hits.

Absorbent compress 5×9 dressing – Cover/protect open wounds
Adhesive bandages – Cover/protect open wounds
Adhesive tape – Secure bandages/splints
Antibiotic ointment packets – Anti-infection
Antiseptic wipe packets – Wound cleaning
Aspirin (chewable) 81mg – For heart attack symptoms
Blanket (space blanket) – Maintain body temp
CPR Breathing Barrier – Protection during CPR
Instant cold compress – Control swelling
Gloves (large) non-latex – Prevent body fluid contact
Hydrocortisone ointment packets – External rash treatment
Scissors – Cut tape, cloth or bandages
Roller bandage 3″ – Secure wound dressing
Roller bandage 4″ – Secure wound dressing
Sterile gauze pad 3×3 – Control external bleeding
Sterile gauze pad 4×4 – Control external bleeding
Thermometer, oral – Take temperature orally
Triangular bandage – Sling or binder/splinting
Tweezers – Remove splinters or ticks
First Aid Instruction Booklet

Burns
Aloe vera plants have been used for centuries to treat burns holistically. While the science to verify the long-held beliefs about the success of using aloe vera as an herbal remedy is conflicting, evidence that is works in my house is strong! The sap you find in the leaf of an aloe vera has pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory properties that sooth and heal burn injuries. Many times I have burned myself in the kitchen. The first thing I do is cut off a leaf, put the sap over the burn area and continue with my cooking!

Well, it’s not exactly THAT easy so I will list a few instructions for those of you who haven’t heard or used this wonderful plant. When my granddaughter, Ava, was a toddler, she referred to our aloe vera plant as The Magic Plant. And it is!

1. Cool a burn by running it under cool water. It’s important to take the heat out of the burn so that no further damage is done.

2. Assess the degree of the burn. First-degree burns are red and swollen but superficial, while second-degree burns are deeper and feature blisters. First and second-degree burns can be treated at home, but third-degree burns are very severe and require immediate medical attention.

3. Break off a leaf from an aloe vera plant and cut it lengthwise. Choose a plump leaf from the outer edge of the plant because aloe plants grow from the inside out.

4. Scoop out the inside of the aloe leaf, including the clear sap and the pulp, with a spoon.

5. Mash the aloe leaf contents into a paste.

6. Apply aloe vera gel paste to the burn when it has cooled down sufficiently. Aloe vera gel has analgesic properties that can help with the pain of the burn, and the anti-inflammatory properties can prevent swelling from causing additional pain and blood restriction.

7. Continue to apply aloe vera gel until the burn heals.

**Some of the provided information was found at www.ehow.com/aloe-vera

Mosquito Bites
This is a remedy I have used with my granddaughters many, many times. It is a combination of aspirin and baking soda. I put about a cup of baking soda and 1 aspirin in a bowl and using a pestle, I grind the aspirin into the baking soda until it’s completely crushed. I then add enough water to make a thick paste. I put the paste on the mosquito bite and let it dry. This requires the child to sit on a towel while it dries and works its magic. I know! I know! An impossible feat to keep a child still, but do what you have to to make it happen! The purpose of the towel is to catch any flaking of the paste while it’s drying. The baking soda soothes the affected area and the aspirin acts as an anti-inflammatory.

Bee Stings
You might think this is crazy but my remedy for bee stings is meat tenderizer. I learned this from my late-mother-in-law, Katie. While my guys were growing up, we had a pool that they practically lived in 6 months out of the year. And those of you who have one know that pools attract lots of critters including bees. Every once in awhile, usually after being irritated by rambunctious boys, a bee would win the contest by stinging someone. Here is a list of instructions if this happens to you:

1. Remove the stinger with all haste, in whatever manner is most convenient. If you see a little black dot in the wound, part of the stinger is still present. Try scraping across the skin with a credit card to try to remove the stinger.

2. Apply a solution of one part meat tenderizer to 4 parts water. Papain, the enzyme in meat tenderizer, breaks down the protein in bee venom responsible for the pain and itching. Don’t leave this on for more than 30 minutes, or it can irritate the skin.

3. Apply ice or cool water for 10-30 minutes after the sting. This blunts the body’s allergic response.

4. If the affected area is still irritated, try applying a paste made from baking soda and water. Calamine lotion has been known to work, also.

The meat tenderizer works within a few minutes of applying. It takes away that initial slap of pain one feels when the bee stings. If there are any other reactions that occur that concern you then by all means, contact your physician and address it.

**Some provided information was found at www.drgreene.com (search treating bee stings)

Cholla (Jumping Cactus) Needles
I am sure that if you have lived in the desert long enough, you know and recognize the cholla that is prevalent to the Sonoran Desert. Living out in the boonies like we do, there have been numerous times where someone (usually one of my granddaughters, sadly enough) has come in contact with this wicked plant.

I can’t count how many times we’ve come into the house from getting the paper or the mail, look down and find a large piece of cholla attached to our shoe! The best way to take a cholla off is with a pair of pliers. DO NOT attempt this with your hands! The tip of the thorn is shaped like a fishing hook so when it goes into the shoe or skin (ouch!) it can be deeply embedded and very difficult to remove. A firm grip with the pliers and a quick jerk of the thorn usually works well.

But that’s not where it usually ends. There are also teeny-tiny little needles that cover the thorn that can be left behind once the thorn is removed. It’s as if there are minuscule splinters that are invisible to the naked eye but can be felt by brushing the area with your hand or some cloth. Very annoying and it hurts! What I use to get rid of these horrid, little things is duct tape. I know the men will LOVE hearing that! Place a piece of duct tape directly on the irritated area and pull off quickly. Repeat, using fresh tape each time, until the needles can’t be felt any longer.

I know I have talked about Make It Yourself bug repellent before but since bugs are still around, I thought it would be a good idea to revisit the subject and maybe help those who are still as frustrated as I am about the little critters!

One of the buggers (pun intended!) is a mosquito. Since the weather is now warmer there is a good chance that you have been experiencing a few mosquitoes flying around the outside of your house. There are many choices of bug sprays to choose from at your store but I, personally, cannot stand the smell of them and have you ever read the ingredients? Just a tad toxic! I have a blend of essential oils for keeping those mosquitoes off the skin so you can enjoy our beautiful spring weather in the evenings without worries!

This formula can be made in bulk and then placed in small containers making it easy to transport in the car or your purse. Once you have gathered the ingredients, you will be able to make this many times and it soon becomes very cost effective. There are several ways it can be mixed together. I will give you the recipe for the spray but keep in mind you can put the blend in a carrier like almond oil or even olive oil and add it to unscented lotion. This makes a great way to apply it to your children’s skin and making sure you get every surface covered. In a pinch, if you need something and don’t have the ingredients I’ve recommended, pure vanilla extract seems to work when dabbed on your wrists, neck and any other exposed areas. Just don’t blame me if you crave cookies afterward!

One pest that seems to crop up once in awhile, even in the ‘burbs, is the almighty and scary scorpion! For some reason the thought of finding one in your house can make the blood chill. Being out in the foothills of the Superstition Mountains, we come across this once in a while but I have come up with a few different ways to keep my peace of mind and not have to shake everything before using it!

My number one recommendation is take away the scorpion’s food source. This requires doing something that is not popular with most Tree Huggers (my husband being one of them!) but I have a rule while living out in the boonies. As much as I love all the creatures we have around here, if one of them finds their way into my house, No More Nice Sher! I have a pest control company who comes out periodically to spray. I have been told, and now know it to be true, that if there are any little baby bugs or spiders in your house, the scorpions will come and dine. You need to make sure all the areas around your windows and doors are well sealed. If you can get a credit card through a crack then a scorpion can get through it, too!  The pest control stuff, on the other hand, does not work on scorpions. They have a very hard shell that the poison can’t penetrate. A way to get around this is diatomaceous earth. This is a product that is used in some swimming pool filters. It is a product that is made from crushed rocks and shells and although its texture feels like flour, it is actually abrasive and can scratch the outer shell of the scorpion allowing the poison to penetrate. Our pest control company puts this down around the perimeter of our house but you can do this yourself. One method is to spread the diatomaceous earth and then spray the poison over it. There are many who recommend using Borax the same way. If you were to ‘google’ borax-pest control, you would find quite of few sites with recommendations to get rid of scorpions as well as other kinds of bugs.

If you think you have scorpions, but aren’t sure, a good way to find out is to take a black light outside after 10pm and go around the house with it. Scorpions are fluorescent and shine like the dickens with a black light shining on them. They can’t see or feel the light so they don’t scamper away. You can kill them by smashing them with something. If you find a nest (feel free to shudder!), I would call a pest control company immediately and let them deal with it.

Scorpions hide during the day and come out to play at night. They love water so these are areas that could use a nice dose of diatomaceous earth or borax. Dave the Garden guy recommends putting down flypaper in those areas where the scorpions can be trapped and killed later. I am going to include a flypaper recipe for those of you who are trying hard to keep the poisons to a minimum, especially if you have kids or animals running around. A good link for scorpions and the prevention thereof is:

http://www.getipm.com/thebestcontrol/bugstop/control_scorpions.htm

It’s very informative, has the information I have provided plus more detailed instructions and recommendations.

Well, that’s two pests but there are many more out there. I am going to provide the recipes I mentioned above and will include a few more for those little critters I didn’t mention but are definitely a part of our lives!

Good hunting!

Bug Be Gone Body Mist
16 oz (or larger) spray bottle
12 oz water
4 oz witch hazel
¼ tsp. each:
lemongrass
-lavender
-cedar wood
-bay
-clove
-bitter orange

Method:
Put water and witch hazel in bowl. Add essential oils; stir and put in spray bottle using a funnel. Be sure to label the bottle so you don’t forget what’s in it. Shake well before each use. This spray can be used on skin or clothing. Insects have a very keen sense of smell so you don’t have to use a lot at each use, just often. There are many essential oils that work on bugs, of course; these are a few that are safer to use with children. Some say to dilute with more water if using this on children but even if it is made with the recommended amounts, it is still far safer than any of those chemical-laden ones on the market. You can use more of one essential oil than others, if you prefer. It is a personal choice. Just add a bit at a time since you can always add more later; it’s harder to dilute it. These essential oils can also be added to an unscented lotion for even better protection.

The following essential oils have been found to be helpful:

lemongrass
eucalyptus
lemon thyme
mountain mint
orange peel
citronella
patchouli
vetiver
sandalwood
peppermint
tea tree oil

You can use lavender and tea tree oil directly on the skin. For all others it’s recommended that you put the essential oil in a carrier (almond oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, etc) before applying to the skin.

Flypaper Strips
¼ cup maple syrup
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1Tbsp. sugar
Brown paper bag

Method:
Mix ingredients in a bowl. Cut paper bag into strips. Dip strips into bowl until saturated. Dry overnight and hang with string for flying insects or lay around especially water areas for scorpions. A water area might be outdoor faucets, hoses, or areas that are perpetually damp.

Ants Be Gone!
Spraying a mixture of vinegar and water in the area can help keep ants from invading your private space. If you have a problem that calls for more force, try my Pepper Spray. This is great for outdoors.

Pepper Spray
2 cups water
2/3 cup jalapeno pepper, coarsely chopped

Bring water to boil. Turn off heat and add jalapeno; let marinate a few minutes. Poor mixture through a sieve into a bowl to remove peppers. Put liquid in spray bottle and spray area you see ants and follow their path. Keep this away from children and plants since it can burn them.

Big Critters
We have lots of darling rabbits and frisky kangaroo rats around our house but they’re not so cute when they get in my garden or inside anything that looks like a nice condo! I even found some in our outdoor grill! What I have used that seems to work real well is Cayenne Pepper. I sprinkle this around the area where I am trying to deter them, making sure it doesn’t touch any plants. The critters hate the smell so they don’t usually come back. It’s necessary to reapply so buy the big bulk sizes at a place like Sam’s Club or Costco. I have even used this in an area of our gravel driveway where a neighbor’s dog mistakenly took to be his own private bathroom! That deluded thought didn’t last long.

I know that I go on and on (and on!) about how easy it is to make all your own lotions and potions at home. And I also know that some of you don’t believe it! I decided I needed to review with those Doubting Thomas’ (Thomasinas?) just how easy it is and that the ingredients I use are probably already in your pantry!

What started me on the Make-It-Yourself journey were two things: A good friend, Linda Singh, an expert of gardening, herbs and cooking and then my finding a simple recipe for Foot Cream. Linda introduced me to the wonders of aromatherapy and the healing factors of herbs and spices. She has been generous enough to share not only her limitless knowledge but also many recipes for all kinds of lotions and potions.  The Foot Cream recipe was found one day while I was browsing the Internet and I thought, “Gosh, I can make that for all my book club friends for Christmas!” I decided that the Foot Cream needed Foot Scrub and Foot Wash, and, well, you can see I was out of control! The fun part was how well received it was and how much my friends appreciated a gift that was homemade and worked!

In the beginning, I had a little shelf in the kitchen where I stored my unscented creams and essential oils. After it got to be a little messy, I bought a large, wired basket so I could just pull it out of the cupboard and have everything right there. When I started buying ingredients and containers in bulk, I had them stored all over the house-kitchen, bathrooms, broom closets, even under the bed! Out of self-defense, my husband had a little room made up for me in the garage for storing all my ‘stuff!” What a luxury to go into that lovely room, grab stuff, mix it up and Done!

What I like about the things I make is that most of the ingredients I needed were ones I already had! Please understand that I really did start simply. The only essential oils I used for quite a while were lavender and peppermint. These particular oils can be found most anywhere on sale and are favorites of both men and women. Combined in lotions or bath salts or even an air mist, they make an easy and inexpensive gift for just about anyone for any occasion.

Aromatherapy is another adventure! If you Google ‘essential oil blends’ you will be amazed at how many places you can go to learn about aromatherapy and which blends create relaxation, stimulation, bliss, uplifting and all kinds of other moods! I have even Googled ‘essential oil romantic blends’ for Valentine’s Day Massage Oil and got many wonderful, fragrant blends. You can find essential oils at most Bashas’, Whole Foods, Sprouts or natural food stores. I suggest you go to the suggested stores and smell different ones to see which appeals to you the most. I buy mine in bulk at the website of www.mountainroseherbs.com. I have tried several companies and this particular site has the best quality and is very reasonably priced. Buying larger volumes of essential oil is much less expensive. Keep in mind that most of the recipes call for ‘drops’, so whatever you buy could last for a long time and make bunches of presents!

I made up a list of what I think you would need to create a Spa Pantry. If you have all these ingredients on hand, the possibilities will be endless! I also included some basic recipes for you to consider keeping in mind that you can use whatever essential oil you wish depending on the mood you want to encourage.

I don’t claim to be an herbalist or an aromatherapy expert; but I can claim to be a person who is very intrigued by the whole concept and have turned it into a very enjoyable hobby!

Spa Pantry

Ingredients:
unscented body cream (Cetaphil, Trader Joe’s Body Cream)
unscented body lotion (Cetaphil, Trader Joes, Body Lotion)
nscented glycerin soap (Trader Joe’s)
olive oil
almond oil
Jojoba oil
sugar
baking soda
salt (Epsom, Kosher, and Sea Salt-both large and fine cut)
powdered buttermilk
Witch hazel
rubbing alcohol
essential oils (lavender, peppermint and lemongrass are popular scents)

Tools:
bowls
measuring cups
measuring spoons
mixing spoons
bowls
whisk
funnels
containers: jars and bottles can be found at Cost Plus World Market or you can find a variety of inexpensive containers at www.sks-bottle.com.