ADHD of the Christian Kind - Non-Irritating Cleansers

Nonirritating Cleansers

Most of the recipes below are inspired by The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery. Incredible resource.

Scouring Powder

Baking Soda - Pour baking soda in the sink or on the counter and scour same as with a commercial powder. For stubborn stains, squeeze a little lemon juice or vinegar on the stain and allow it to sit for at least 10 minutes. Then scour with baking soda.

All-Purpose or Glass Cleaner

Add 2 Tablespoons of distilled white vinegar to 2 cups of water and use same as commercial glass cleaners. I add a few drops of Ivory dish detergent for a multi-purpose cleanser that does not streak.

Deodorizer

Baking Soda is an excellent deodorizer. I sprinkle this in carpet, mattresses, garbage disposals, refrigerator, freezer, laundry, car/van seats. Just vacuum after sitting for an hour or two (for carpet, mattresses, car seats).

Carpets - Sprinkle liberally over carpets and sweep into pile. Allow to sit for an hour or two, then vacuum.

Laundry - Add 1/2-1 cup baking soda to the laundry and it will deodorize as well as naturally soften the water. This is supposed to be good for a septic system as well.

Air freshener - place a bowl of baking soda in any closet, room, or space and allow to remain indefinitely. It will absorb odors and freshen any space.

Mildew Remover

Add 2 Tablespoons vinegar to 1 quart warm water and wipe onto mildew. Allow to sit. This solution can be sprayed on.

If this fails, careful use of chlorine bleach (brand doesn't matter) sprayed full-strength onto mildew will remove it and kill the organism. [Chlorine bleach can be a terrible pollutant, so use only when other methods fail. WARNING: never combine chlorine bleach and ammonia. Deadly fumes will result. Ventilate well when using bleach.]

Oven Cleaner

Salt - Keep a box of salt available at all times to pour on any fresh spills; they can then be wiped up when oven cools.

For oven build-up, preheat oven to 200 degrees and turn off heat. Pour 2 cups of ammonia into a shallow pan (not aluminum) and place on the oven rack. Allow to sit overnight. Next morning, wipe off sludge. CAUTION: Provide adequate ventilation when working with ammonia.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Sprinkle baking soda in bowl then pour vinegar on baking soda until it is just moistened. Scrub hard! You can allow this to sit if you need additional deodorizing. Flush.

Liquid Hand Soap- Dishwashing Liquid - Laundry Liquid (natural fibers)

Grate Ivory soap or any other natural soap, place in bowl and add equal amount of boiling water. When soap has melted, smooth with wisk and pour into bottles for dispensing.

Laundry Soaps

The Feingold Association approves laundry detergents with no fragrances and dyes, such as Cheer Free or All Free. I have found the inexpensive Purex Free to be the best detergent available, and it is less expensive than All or Cheer.

Want something a little more natural? These are non-polluting laundry cleaners:

Simple Green - not sure if this would be Feingold approved.
Ivory soap - you can grate pieces from a bar of soap or purchase their laundry flakes. For best results, allow grated pieces to soften in hot water before adding to washing machine.
Bon Ami products

Dishwasher Soap

Borax softens water and cleans. For hard water, add "washing soda" or baking soda.