Rodent Repellant and The Rat Palace: Getting Ready for the Cold Front

Last night it was pleasant here in San Antonio, and around nine o'clock I went outside to ponder the day while setting on the back porch.  It was peaceful and quiet; the pups were happily sniffing the ground and hoping that the neighbor's cat might pop in for a visit.

In my head, I was planning for Thanksgiving, silly happy thoughts with a silly happy smile on my face, I'm sure, when all of a sudden: YIKES.

I saw a RAT, not a mouse, not a squirrel, not a possum or bird or space alien, crawl down a tree limb in the neighbor's yard and disappear into their metal gardening shed (which sets back on the fence line of their property, next to the alley, catty-cornered to me).

Now, I was pretty darn far away from that Big Fat Rat.  The dogs either didn't notice it or didn't care.  So, I didn't jump up onto my chair or scream or faint or anything.

I did get extremely creeped out, however.  During the night, my thoughts kept returnING to that Big Fat Rat.  My imagination had that one rat entering an advanced Rat Kingdom inside that shed.

Remember the scene in Men in Black where they open the bus locker and there's the alien world? Repopulate that image with rats and you've got my Neighbor's Rat Shed.

Even today, as I sit in the same spot on the patio in the afternoon sunlight, I sneak little glances over toward the sinister shed.  I listen for Rat World noises.  Wait, they're noctural.  Rat World snores.

Where the heck the neighbor's cat is during all this, I have no idea.  He sure likes to climb my trees and go after birds with great regularity.

So, Dear Reader, here's the thing.  I just threw 8 of these Fresh Cab Rodent Repellents all around my garage and my backyard shed this afternoon, before the infamous Alaskan Cold Front descends upon us.

I tried this stuff last year, and boy howdy does it work.  I like that it's not some toxic chemical mess; it's a strong smell that keeps them away from your place.  It's REALLY PUNGENT.  You wouldn't want to use this inside the house, but it's great for the garage.

I have a friend up north who just "put away" his Porsche for the winter, filling it with Bounce dryer sheets. (We should all have the dilemma of having to store our Porsche for the winter, right?  Such a stressor.  LOL.  I digress.)  Maybe I'll tell him about these Fresh Cab bags.  Along with my neighbor who has a Rat Palace.

Egads!  Now I just imagined throwing a couple of these bags into that Rat Shed and all those rodents running out, hoardes of rats and mice ....  I'm all creeped out again.

FlyLady Helps You Clean Your House and Your Life While You're At It

I've posted here about how to clean house, periodically sharing tips I've learned.  I get how frustrating this can be for many of us.

It's hard for me.  Just plain hard.  In fact, housekeeping can be flat out overwhelming sometimes.  Especially when I'm on a deadline.  I just don't see the mess, really I don't, because my head is filled with the research or the writing or the editing.  I just don't SEE it.  Then the deadline is met and I relax and suddenly I look around, and wow.  I need a break and I'm surrounded by mess.

I hate this.

I remember reading on The Bloggess about how she suffers from mental illness and one of her red flags that she may be about to have a bad episode (here in the South, we call them a "spell"), is that her vision narrows.  Like she has blinders on her eyes.

What I experience is something like that -- I'm busy, I'm buzzing along and my head is happy with thinking, and I don't register that the dishes need washing or that the porch needs sweeping.  It's just not there for me.

However, living in mess is definitely real and I hate it.  It's major no fun to come out of the waters of creating something good, all ready to wallow and relax, only to find that you're in a messy environment.

Energy Saving Curtains – I’m Loving Mine So Far

This week, the temperatures here in San Antonio dropped from a pleasant low 70s/high 50s range to yesterday, where the high was something like 48 and the lows got into the 20s.  Which means this week was my first chance to really test out how my new Energy Saving curtains really worked.

I love them.

Not only do these things block noise, which gives me a better night’s sleep, but the heater isn’t coming on nearly as much.  I haven’t got my new utility bill yet, but I know it’s going to be less – it’s that obvious. 

There are negatives, of course.  In the bedroom, I replaced some very pretty Battenburg Lace curtains with these babies, and the new ones are not as pretty and there’s a lot less light now.  I didn’t buy full blackout curtains, but these “energy savers” do make the room lots darker. 

This can be solved by a tie-back or two, so I’m not that concerned with this issue.  Truth be told, at night the thicker curtains make the room much cozier for sleeping than the lace curtains did.  I’m losing the beauty of the sunlight coming through the lace to get this, but right now I’m okay with it. 

I’ll keep you posted on what the utility bill does this month and next month, too.  I’ve been these curtains in most of the house now, so there should be a big difference. 

Tom's of Maine 24 Hr Crystal Confidence Deodorant: All Natural Deodorant that WORKS

This may be getting close to TMI for you, Dear Reader, but I just have to share this great personal find.  I've been wanting to avoid standard antiperspirants for years now, for all those bad juju reasons we've all heard about -- and because rolling aluminum bits into my body on a daily basis just seems stupid, quite frankly.  (For what that does, read the postscript.)

However, this posed a big, big problem because while I can deal with the transition from anti-perspirant to deodorant okay, I just did not want to ... well ... stink.  There I said it: stink.  Smell.  Clear a room smell-bad.  This is a big deal for me, and I bet it's a big deal for you.  Sweat is one thing.  Stink is another.

So, imagine how thrilled I was after all this trial and error to find Tom's of Maine's 24 Hour Crystal Confidence Roll On Deodorant.  I like the Citrus Zest version, because the scent is so nice.  I also like that it works. 

Not to say that other natural deodorants didn't work -- they just didn't work for me after around 3 -4 hours.  Working from home, this is easier to accommodate than my past life in the Office.  I had gotten into the habit of using some of the other versions periodically during the day, because forewarned was forearmed.  Better to be a little nuts and add a little more here and there, than have a Deodorant Failure.  Funk is bad. 

No need with Tom's of Maine's 24 Hour Crystal Confidence.  Now, it doesn't last me for 24 hours.  But it'll go a good 12 or more.  And that, to me, is just fine.

Try it -- see what you think. 

PS - Potassium alum vs aluminum in anti-perspirants

Tom's of Maine Crystal Confidence does contain potassium alum, but this is different from commercial antiperspirant's aluminum component.  Potassium alum has a different chemical composition; you can buy it in solid, crystal form as Thai Sticks if you prefer that to Tom's version, and from what I've read, it's not absorbed into the skin.  It's too big, cellwise. 

Potassium alum lies on your skin and kills baceria; in the commercial anti-perspirants, some form of aluminum ( aluminum chloride; aluminum zirconium tricholorohydrex glycine; aluminum chlorohydrate; aluminum hydroxybromide; aluminum hydroxide) actually goes into your body to chemically block the sweat glands from releasing their liquid.  Apparently, the sweat glands just swell up with sweat that's not allowed to escape naturally.  Ewww. 

Growing Plants to Clean The Air Inside Your Home

Dr. Garrett Wdowin has written a great article for HealthierTalk.com where he not only discusses the impact of air quality on your health, but he provides a simple solution to combating the high levels of toxic fumes permeating our dwellings: houseplants.

That's right: a number of plants, grown indoors, act as automatic air purifiers.  Wow. 

In his article, Dr. Wdowin references studies done by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) on the impact of growing plants upon chemicals, and has included the NASA list of plants proven to remove toxic chemicals (formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene) from the air. 

The NASA List of House Plants That Purify the Air: Natural Air Filters

To read the NASA research report, check out the pdf version available for download. According to the NASA report, the scientists studied the following plants - most of which are easy enough to find in your local nursery.

Their Common Names:

Bamboo palm
Chinese evergreen
English ivy
Ficus
Gerbera daisy
Janet Craig
Marginata
Mass cane/Corn cane
Mother-in-law's tongue
Peace lily
Pot mum
Warneckei

Their Scientific Names:
Chamaedorea seifritzii
Aglaonema modestum
Hedera helix
Ficus benjamina
Gerbera jamesonii
Dracaena deremensis "'Janet Craig"
Dracaena marginata
Dracaena massangeana
Sansevieria laurentii
Spathiphyllum "'Mauna Loa'"
Chrysanthemum morifolium
Dracaena deremensis "'Warneckei'"

If you're really interested in this - and want a longer list of air-cleaning house plants, check out B.C. Wolverton's book How to Grow Fresh Air: 50 House Plants That Purify Your Home.

Cleaning House - Some are Better than Others

I firmly believe that true housecleaning is a talent. One that I don't have. Some folk have a Green Thumb in the garden, and some have a Clean Thumb in the house. I have neither. I have to work at it.

And, here it is: Spring Cleaning Time.

So, it being April and all, I've made my list of chores for my annual Spring Clean. In doing so, I've gone to the web for help. Making this list just doesn't come naturally to me; luckily, there are lots of bloggers out there who have tips and hints for people like me. And maybe you, Dear Reader.

Here's some of the great things I found:

All About Home is just loaded with cleaning tips, in a nicely organized site. Something I learned here: rubbing alcohol will take out those stains on the window sill (which are really bothering me, now that I've got the blinds up and the curtains pulled back, airing out the house with the nice Spring breezes).

How to Clean Anything has a great collection of Spring Cleaning articles. Very informative - and they cover a nice spectrum of topics, including your car (and the leather car seats -- cool hint, leather is a skin. Treat it accordingly).

Robbie Haf's got a lot of great info. Lots here, things like an easy way to clean a George Foreman grill (where the plates aren't removable) -- and here's a great one: when you move furniture and the carpet is pushed down, put an ice cube there. As the ice melts, the carpet fibers will bounce back. Wow, gotta try that one!

And, of course, there are commercial web sites with lots of tips, too. Mr. Clean, LYSOL, Windex -- they've all got helpful info (if you're willing to work around the fact that in giving advice, they're busy promoting their product).


And, just in case you're interested - today, I got an advertising message from a local cleaning service. When I look at their price list, silly as it may be, it really helps me to put a value on all that I'm doing (and have done) every week, much less in this month's Spring Clean.

Daylight Saving Time Begins on March 14, 2010

Daylight Saving Time always sneaks up on me.  It always seems like the minute that I've adjusted to the new time, I'm moving the clock backward or forward. 

Maybe it's a family thing:  I remember visiting my mother's Great Uncle Billy (my grandmother's uncle, he was an old guy) when I was very little. On this one visit, which must have been shortly before Easter that Spring, Uncle Billy had made a Major Life Decision which was twisting my mom and her cousins into knots. 

The Origin of Billy Time

Uncle Billy just decided he'd had enough, he was retired and he wasn't going to change the clocks anymore.  He'd just go by "Billy Time" in his house.  He didn't care that Gunsmoke would be an hour off.  (He loved him some Marshall Matt Dillon, this was thought to be a powerful argument advanced by my mother.)

The more they argued, the more he chuckled.  I still remember that chuckle with a smile -- coming from a jaw with white and grey stubble covering it, because Uncle Billy didn't always shave in the morning.  I remember that he became quite fond of "Billy Time," the phrase became part of the family vernacular (and not always in a good way) and to this day I always remember that we fall back to Billy Time and spring forward from it.

So, here we are leaving Billy Time tomorrow night - only to return sometime next November.

By the way, there's a neat article over at About.Com written by Matt Rosenberg that gives all sorts of background on DST.

I learned that it's "Saving" not "Savings" - who knew?  I also learned that it all began back when we were fighting World War I, so factories had more sunshine time to churn stuff out - saved energy costs back then (guess the theory is that it still does).

Mothballs Have All Sorts of Uses

Mothballs are smelly, white balls of the chemical 1,4-dichlorobenzene that are traditionally placed in drawers and closets to keep moths away.  Why?  Moths eat holes in fabric, and can ruin your clothes.

However, mothballs have lots of other uses around the house, too.  Here are a few of them that I've personally tried with some success (check out the linked sites for other ideas):

1.  They stink so much that animals don't want to nest around them.  So, throw some mothballs around and keep rats, bats, and stray cats away from your garage, attic, or shed.

2.  Keep puppies and kittens out of potted plants by putting a couple of mothballs around the topsoil -- IF you're sure that they won't try and eat them.  Mothballs are toxic to the little babies so make sure they hate them before you put them into the plants. 

3.  Put the family silver in a plastic bag with a couple of mothballs and voila! nothing tarnishes. 

House Smell Like Dog? How to Get Rid of Dog Scent - OdoBan

I've owned dogs for years, and there's always that worry that you've become accustomed to the dog smell in your house, but that anyone visiting your home will feel they're entering a kennel.  Not good.

And, over the years, I've tried lots and lots of remedies for this problem - because no, I will not go with the easy alternative of moving the dogs outside.  I LIKE having the pups inside with me.  They do play outside, they have a nice yard.  But at night, or now, while I'm working, they are nearby.  It's comforting, it's fun. 

Dog lovers totally get this. 

Plus, as pack animals, you'll get a lot better results in training your dog by maintaining that Pack Persona.  Leave your dogs alone and away from you, and they'll form their own mini-pack bond, and you'll lose some Pack Leader Power.  They don't have to be your shadow, but especially at night, it's a big pack thing to be near each other. 

However, there are always negatives with the positives and, well, they are dogs.  And dogs will leave a scent, no matter how much you bathe them.  What to do?  I have the answer.

1.  Air out your house often.  This is just good for you anyway, get fresh air circulating inside.
2.  Use OdoBan DAILY.  It's cheap, it's used in nursing homes and day care centers all over the place because it really, really works.  Doesn't cost that much either.

Me, I have OdoBan spray bottles scattered throughout the house (the big gallon bottle at Sam's comes with a quart size sprayer), hidden in cabinets, underneath the desk, etc.  I buy the big gallon bottle at Sam's Club - it comes undiluted, then replishish my stash bottles as often as needed.

OdoBan smells nice.  A little eucalyptus-y.  And it kills the odors.  You can spray it EVERYWHERE.  Sofas, rugs, doggie beds, never stains. 

What all does OdoBan do?  From the OdoBan site:

1. Deodorizer… eliminates unpleasant odors on washable surfaces such as upholstery, carpets, bedding, showers, walls and floors while leaving a fresh scent.  
2. Sanitizer… kills 99.99% of germs such as †Streptococcus pyogenes (Strep), Escherichia coli 0157:H7 (E.coli)(pathogenic strain), Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus (Staph) and Klebsiella pneumoniae on hard, nonporous, nonfood contact surfaces in 60 seconds. 
3. Disinfectant… fungicidal against germs ‡such as Trichophyton mentagrophyte (the athlete's foot fungus), when used on surfaces in areas such as locker rooms, dressing rooms, shower and bath areas and exercise facilities.  
4. Mildewstat… effectively controls and inhibits the growth of mold and mildew. 
5. Virucide*… kills *HIV-1 (AIDS Virus), Influenza A/Hong Kong and Herpes Simplex type 2 in 60 seconds.

I've just discovered that OdoBan has an entire line of pet-related products.  I'll be investigating them, but I don't know how they could surpass my current basic OdoBan stuff.  It's just fabulous.  Maybe the pet urine product would be good for my friends that just got the new puppy .... 

How to Do Laundry: Save Money and Energy By Washing in Cold Water

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, around 90% of the energy costs in doing laundry in your washing machine comes from heating up the water, and twice as much is used for hot water as is for warm. 

So, you save a lot of energy (and therefore, help your monthly budget) by washing your clothes in cold water.

But will they get clean?  Sure.  If you've got some stains with oil in them, they may need some special treatment (rub your laundry soap into them directly before putting the item in the washer).  And, you'll be wise to use those cold-water detergents that are made for cold water laundry. 

January is National Radon Action Month. Check Your Home! 1 in 15 Homes Have Too Much Radon

January is National Radon Action Month.  Radon is a gas that you cannot feel, smell, taste, or see -- but it can be present in your home, condo, or apartment and is a lot more common than most folks realize.

Radon kills people. It is a cancer-causing radioactive gas. According to the Surgeon General, RADON is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today. Who knew, right?  

So where does it come from? Radon comes into your dwelling via the ground underneath your home; or through the groundwater (waterwells can be a source of radon), or via building materials. Radon decays over time.

10 Ways To Avoid Overspending at the Grocery Store

Let's face it -- grocery stores want to make a profit just as much as any other business, and while their profit margins are notoriously low, they can and do have lots of subtle ways to get you to spend cash on their products. 

Here's 10 ways to stop yourself from spending more dollars than you should at the supermarket:

1.  Never go to the grocery store hungry.  If you're parking in their lot and your stomach's growling, then take the 5-10 minutes to chow down on a snack at their little cafe or deli (most of them have these now), or get a yogurt smoothie, cold organic juice, or protein drink and guzzle that down (show the empty container to the cashier at check-out, you're not going to get stopped in the store for drinking the stuff while shopping).  Don't roam those aisles on an empty stomach!

2.  Shop once a week for perishables, biweekly or monthly for staples.  Fresh fruit and veggies need to be replenished more often than toilet paper, but not every trip to the grocery has to be a Major Event.  Have a plan for your non-perishables (personal hygiene items, canned goods, etc.) and buy them once or twice a month.  Bigger packaging means less cost per ounce, etc. but make sure to check the unit price on the item, don't just assume bigger means cheaper.  CostCo and Sam's are great places to buy things like this -- toilet paper, pickles, beans, rice, things like that.  Have a weekly run for the stuff that goes bad -- bananas, milk, stuff like you want to eat fresh. 

3. Never enter a grocery store without a list.  Make a list of what you need -- go thru the house, keep a running list on the fridge.  When you're in the store, only buy what is on the list.  If you're new to this, trust me -- it gets easier over time. 

Personal Post: MothBalls for the Mysterious Guest

We have a mysterious guest here in the garage. He's been here about a week.

That's when the dogs first starting going nuts, sniffing the outside wall of the garage - as well as inside, where cardboard boxes are stacked and there's a couple of old window screens lined up against the back.

Of course, the first thing I thought was RATS.

EWWWWW.

ARE CLOTHESLINES ILLEGAL IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

When I was a newlywed, we lived in an old duplex and I remember hanging the sheets out on the ancient clothesline out back ... I think back to how sweet and soft those cotton sheets were, and how homey it made things. I have fond memories of that clothesline.

Today, I might be breaking the law for using it.

Apparently, all over the U.S. and elsewhere (Canada, for example) legislation as well as homeowner's association regulations, etc., have been implemented to purportedly protect property values. The Kansas City Star quotes one Baltimore, Maryland, resident complaining that a neighbor's use of a backyard clothesline "makes our community look like Dundalk."

Apparently, having to see your neighbor's clean laundry on the line quietly became unacceptable in modern society. Until now.

Slowly, communities are taking back their right to dry their clothes on a line in the back yard. Just last week, the New York Times reported on Southampton Town Board member Anne Throne-Holst, who successfully spearheaded a campaign to rescind the "anti-clothesline" legislation that had been on the books for six years.

In Colorado, the state legislature passed a new law that allows backyard clotheslines, effective this month (August 2008), as long as they meet homeowner associations' aesthetic guidelines.

Meanwhile, up north, those crazy Canadians are actually risking it -- it's being reported that they are just blatantly breaking the law, using their backyard clotheslines with pride.

Apparently, clotheslines are extremely controversial. So much so that an actual movement has been growing -- the 'Right to Dry' movement, where neighborhood by neighborhood, folks are standing up for their right to have and use clotheslines in their backyard in lieu of their electric or gas dryers.

So, are clotheslines okay in your neighborhood? Check with your homeowner's association, as well as your local representatives. Maybe you're forbidden to have one right now.

Personal Post 9: Cut Electric Bill by Half

Just thought I'd share my efforts in cutting the electric bill -- of course, the real test will be the next few months, when the hot Texas summer kicks in. (Today, we're going to be in the mid-90s for a high.) So far, I'm proud to report that the electric bill is half what it used to be.

Yes, folks, HALF.

1. I've started buying the CFL bulbs, one or two at a time, during the major grocery run. The plan is to stagger replacement of the bulbs throughout the house, starting with those used the most to those used the least. This is still a work in process.

2. Any appliances that aren't used daily have been unplugged. In my home office, for example, the electric 3-hole punch (which I love) is a fantastic help, but I don't need it everyday. Other examples: table lamps in the living room, a corner lamp in the den, and we just got rid of the electric can opener flat out. (Standby consumption by each of these appliances can equal leaving a lamp on with a 75 watt conventional bulb.)

3. The chargers don't get plugged in unless it's time to charge something.

4. Using room air conditioners instead of central air - for as long as possible (this is Texas, after all). And, using them only when necessary -- the house is well-insulated and the roof is protected from full sun by shade trees; it averages 10 degrees cooler in the house than outside as a general rule.

5. Using fans instead of any air conditioning. Fans give a nice breeze, they're comforting in an odd way, and they really can keep you cool.

6. Washing all the laundry in cold water (learned this trick from watching Kate doing laundry on the reality show Jon & Kate + 8).

7. Drying lots of things on a little clothes hanger set up in the laundry room instead of throwing everything in the dryer (and always changing the lint filter before every load, too).

8. Handwashing the dishes instead of using the dishwasher except on weekends, and then waiting to run a full load -- and choosing air-dry for those loads.

9. Hung heat-resistant mini-blinds and heavier drapes in the den (where there are two big sets of floor to ceiling windows) - this has really helped keep the den more comfortable than past years.

10. The ever-popular rule: turn the light out when you leave the room ....

For more information:

NRDC

EHow.Com

ConEd's 100 Tips

Those Funny Light Bulbs - Are CFL Bulbs Worth the Price?

You've seen those strange light bulbs at the store - they aren't the normal round light bulb; instead, they're a glass coil - and they cost a lot more than the standard bulb (about three times as much). Officially, they're called "CFL" bulbs, which stands for "compact flourescent light," and they tout themselves as being better for the environment and cheaper on your pocketbook.

Personally, I had walked on by those CFL displays at the grocery, because they did cost so much more than the regular bulbs and I couldn't believe that changing out a couple of bulbs could make that big of a difference.

Could be, I was wrong.

Several folk have reported on the web that they've cut their electric bill in half by replacing the bulbs in their home with CFL bulbs. That's right: HALF.

How can this be? Well, it seems that CFLs do not use heat to make light, and a 13 watt CFL will give you the same results as a standard 60 watt bulb. Less watts mean less cost. The more bulbs you replace, the more savings you'll see.

It's recommended that you begin the transition by changing out the bulbs in your high-use areas: the kitchen, the den, the bedroom - you'll begin to see the biggest difference on your electric bill with these changes, and you can avoid the immediate outlay for enough CFL bulbs to replace every bulb in the house.

There is a hitch, though. Seems these CFLs contain mercury. When they burn out (which takes a lot longer than the standard bulb -- a CFL purportedly lasts 10 times as long as a standard incandescent bulb), you need to dispose of them properly. Don't let that mercury get hauled with the rest of the trash, over to the landfill. Call 1-800-CLEANUP for info.

For more information:

18seconds.org
City of Chicago
Fox News, "Are Compact Florescent Light Bulbs Good for the Environment?"

Fleas - Vacuuming Is The Best Remedy

Ohio State University has just released a study where they found that thoroughly vacuuming the house is an effective way to get rid of fleas (other than on the dog or cat, of course). Vacuuming killed 96% of the adult fleas and 100% of the younger ones. Associate Professor Glen Needham:

“For awhile, fleas owned us. But now they're on the run.... There are all kinds of ways to manage the problem, but how people feel about insecticides and how much money they want to spend factors into what they're going to do for flea control. Vacuuming is a great strategy because it involves no chemicals and physically removes the problem.”

Personal Post 5: Crazy But True Fly-Stopper

I have alley trash pick-up, but there has been some confusion lately about where to put the garbage during a temporary alley shut-down, allowing for pruning of the overhanging tree limbs, etc. By confusion, I mean that I put the trash bags in the wrong spot, and they didn't get picked up.

Which means the garbage had to set, developing its aroma and oozing its vile liquid, for another four days. You could almost hear the flies spreading the word. Feast. Fiesta. Major Party Time. The advance team was there within the hour.

So, I went online and discovered that in third world countries, they commonly hang open Ziploc bags filled with water near areas that flies are prone to visit, and somehow this keeps the flies away. The more modern version is reported to be placing CDROMs near the area. Something about the reflection off the water, or off the CDROM - flies don't like it.

Sounded silly, just too darn good to be true. But the volume of testimonials, from all over the world, swayed me. Plus, what's a CDROM hung up on the fence? Cheap, easy, right?

Well, it worked. The shiny CDROM kept all flies from the area. No kidding. And the trash reeked and oozed, a real big test of this folk remedy.

Since then, I've left the CDROM there, and placed one by the back door as well. Nary a fly -- I'm amazed at this one. Thought I'd share it with you.

Homemade Laundry Soap

There are several sites with lots of recipe lists for homemade laundry soap. Why bother?

It's cheaper. Lots cheaper. The Simple Dollar reports a $70.00 savings and provides a per load savings comparison to bulk buys at Sams and Costco here.

Another factor is that making your own laundry soap means you know what's going into it, which can really help with skin allergies, eczema, and the like. Artificial fragrances alone are the source of many skin irritations.


For recipes, check out:
The Frugal Shopper
The Family Homestead
Christian Mommies

Natural Remedies 4 Fleas on Dogs

Back in the day, there were lots of perfectly good folk remedies for keeping fleas off the dog, and out of the house, off the kids, and off of you.

Here are some of them -- personally, I've used the garlic remedy for over 14 years now, with no problem (some will say garlic is bad for dogs -- mine, all lab mixes, have never had a complaint). I do more than just the garlic, though: I combine several of these remedies, and we never have a flea problem.

1. Apple Cider Vinegar - 1 T in the dog's water bowl. Fleas don't like the smell.

2. Brewer's Yeast Tablets - fed to the dog, the yeast makes the skin uninviting to fleas.

3. Garlic - I put fresh garlic into the homemade dog food, others give their dogs a clove each day. However you think best, it's another smell-repellent.

4. Omega 3 and Omega 6 Fatty Acid Supplements - Omega 3 (flax seed tablets, salmon, sardines) or Omega 6 (sunflower oil, safflower oil, wheatgerm oil, evening primrose oil). Feed them sardines, put oil in their food, or give them supplements.

5. Homemade Flea Collar - take a rope or cloth collar and thoroughly rub into it one of the following: tea tree oil, lavender oil, eucalyptus oil. Do this WEEKLY.

6. Dog Spray -- combine boiling water with a couple of quartered lemons. Let it set for a day or two. Spray on the dog, particular the vulnerable spots (armpits, tummy).

7. Salt Water Baths -- dogs near the ocean have it made; salt water baths are a great flea preventative.

8. Thorough cleaning of the dog bed, frequent vacuuming of the home, and bathing of the pets are great helps.

Personally, I put garlic in the homemade dog food, and apple cider vinegar in the water periodically. The dogs get bathed, and the floors get vacuumed frequently. I use the new Febreze Allergen Reducer spray on the mattress as well as the den furniture (the dog areas) and I think this helps, too. Yes, fine. The dogs sleep on the bed. I admit it.

Sources: www.doggienews.com; www.motherearthnews.com; www.dogfoodproject.com; www.peteducation.com