DIY Life

I've been extolling the virtues of Spring the last few weeks with springtime bath and body products and my festive green bath salts and earrings. Yes, Spring is exciting and everything is new and fresh ... except my house.

Probably yours too, if you haven't tackled that Spring cleaning yet. Anna has posted about the many uses of vinegar and baking soda for cleaning. These are two of my favorite cleaners as well. They are all-natural, good for the environment, won't kick up any allergies or sensitivities and are safe to keep in bottom cabinets if you have kids. Did I mention how effective they are? You really don't need chemicals.

Essential oils can be used in cleaning recipes with vinegar, baking soda and other natural cleaners to boost their effectiveness and leave a fresh clean scent around your newly sparkling house. Read on for recipes to brighten, degrease, deodorize and disinfect.

We all know that coffee grounds have many uses, but did you know that coffee filters can be used for more than just holding your coffee grounds? The coffee filter is the first thing that I reach for when I need to make a new pot of java, but they come in handy for all sorts of little chores.

Valli on gomestic.com writes up a fine article on 10 amazing uses for coffee filters. They really are amazing, and I have tried many of them with success. Here is her list:

1. Cover a bowl of food with a coffee filter to prevent splattering when cooking in the microwave.
2. Coffee filters can shine your mirrors, TV screen and your computer monitor.
3. Prevent rust in your stored iron cookware by placing a coffee filter in it to absorb moisture.
4. Clean your glasses with a coffee filter and they will be lint free.
5. Place a coffee filter over the drain hole in the bottom of a planter so the soil won't leak out.
6. Cork bits get into your wine? Use a coffee filter to separate the wine from the cork bits.
7. Coffee filters can keep your fingers clean if you serve a messy hot dog or popcorn in them.
8. Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.
9. After deep fat frying, use coffee filters to help catch the small food remnants from the oil.
10. Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car.

I use a coffee filter to cover my food so my microwave doesn't get dirty, and it works great. I wear glasses to read and I also need them when I am on the computer, and I used a coffee filter to clean my glasses, and was totally amazed and happy with the results. Try the uses and you'll be amazed too.

I have a confession to make. I hate spending money on things that make me physically ill. Take for example, household cleaning products. I hate them. They make me sick and give me terrible migraines. So, do I buy them? Yes, that is my confession. I am getting better though. I only buy them once a month now, and more often than not, they sit in my cabinet, lonely and unused. They are unused because I clean with lemon, vinegar and baking soda. Baking soda is used for everything in my house these days, and I would like to share with you some of my favorite things to clean.

I use baking soda to clean almost everything in my bathroom. For cleaning rust stains out of my toilet, I pour 1 cup vinegar in and then about 2/3 cup of baking soda. I let it sit for about 15 minutes, then scrub and flush, and like magic, the toilet is now clean.