DEODORIZING YOUR HOME… NATURALLY by Vickie Kline

If you dislike using purchased products to deodorize, try some of these neat tricks. These are natural ways to keep your home and surroundings smelling fresh all year-long:

1. Deodorize Clothing: You’ve taken clothes out of seasonal storage and they have a musty smell. Solution: Spritz garments with a small amount of vodka – be sure to spot-test first. Straight vodka kills bacteria, but doesn’t leave a scent. Hang clothes to dry in a well-ventilated area. Then, just to be safe, take a swig!

2. Deodorize Kitchen Sink: If you notice a foul odor in the kitchen, it may be your garbage disposal. The disposal will process food, but very often hang on to the odors. Solution: Use baking soda and vinegar. Pour about a cup of baking soda into the disposal, and then pour a good amount of vinegar on top. This will create a foam that will get in all pieces/parts of the disposal and deodorize. Then, give the disposal something significant to devour, such as, orange or lemon peels. Mmmmm, smells great!

3. Deodorize Freezer: Does your ice have an unidentified, interesting flavor that you’d rather not have in your tea? Or something that’s making your frozen meals taste generally funky? Solution: Wipe the freezer down with a cotton pad dampened with pure vanilla extract. Odor gone and ice tastes clean!

4. Deodorize Car: Is your car carrying odors from the last fast-food joint you visited or remnants of a trip to the vet or recycling center? Solution: Drop a potpourri wax tart into a cup holder. Remove prior to outdoor  temperatures rising or you’ll have a second mess to deal with!

5. Deodorize Food Storage Containers: We love our leftovers, but sometimes the smell of our favorite spice or herb is too much for our plastic storage containers. Solution: Soak containers in warm water and baking soda overnight. Ready for the next night of leftovers!

6. Deodorize Carpet: Carpets tend to hold unpleasant odors, particularly in high traffic areas and spots where pets like to sleep. Solution: Mix one 16-ounce box of baking soda, 20 drops of lavender essential oil, and 10 drops of lemon oil. Sprinkle mixture on carpet, allow to sit for 10 to 20 minutes, then vacuum. Not only clean, but fresh-smelling!

7. Deodorize Pet Bedding: Your pet’s bed is another place that tends to hold odors more than you may like. Solution: Toss bedding in the dryer on medium heat for about 30 minutes with a home-dry-cleaning bag and cloth from Dryel. Your pet will be impressed!

8. Deodorize Basement: Musty smells in your basement causing problems? Solution: Cut an onion in half, place on a plate, and leave in the basement overnight. Once the onion smell evaporates, you’ll have fresh air again. The onion absorbs odors and leaves only the good stuff!

Using these natural deodorizing remedies will help keep you and your family healthy year-round. These ideas came from REAL SIMPLE magazine, where you can find a lot of natural solutions for health and home.

Strive to be healthy!

 

CITRONELLA PLANTS by Vickie Kline

I recently made a great discovery. It’s possible many of you know about this already, but it was news to me… Citronella plants. These plants from the geranium family are pretty, smell good, have scalloped leaves with lavender flowers, and act as a mosquito and fly repellant.

In the past, we’ve used citronella candles on our back deck to try to keep mosquitoes away. I believe it helped, but the scent was too much for me, causing wheezing and coughing. (Why is it when we try to resolve one problem we end up creating another?) Anyway, while at the Herb Day sale recently, I discovered there is a citronella plant with a pleasant, lemony aroma. We had a gathering on our deck and placed four small plants down the center of the table as our centerpiece decorations. It was a cool evening, but I was not bothered by mosquitoes at all and they usually LOVE me!

In doing some research on the citronella plant, I found other useful information. If you add a pinch of purchased citronella oil to unscented lotion and apply to your skin, mosquitoes and pesky flies will stay away. To make a liniment for repelling flies and mosquitoes, place four ounces of dried citronella leaves into a pint jar and fill with isopropyl alcohol. Allow mixture to sit for three days, strain, and apply to skin. (There are strict instructions not to drink this blend… um, common sense, please).

So, try the non-chemical, natural, good-smelling way of repelling flies and mosquitoes… Citronella plants.

Strive to be healthy!

WATER FOR WHAT AILS YOU by Vickie Kline

If you’re looking for one thing to change in your life that will help you feel better by this time tomorrow…make a plan to drink more water. You’ll be amazed at all the healthful benefits of water. And you know what? It doesn’t cost you a cent, is easily accessible, and the results are immediate.

I’m going to share with you some top reasons for increasing your intake of water today:

1. Losing weight: Yes, water can help you lose weight because it flushes down the by-products of fat breakdown. Water also helps you feel full so you’ll eat less at mealtime… and is completely calorie free. Clothes shopping anyone?

2. Remedy for Headaches: Yes, water will help relieve headaches. Very often, dehydration is a common cause of headaches; increasing your water intake will keep you hydrated and possibly get rid of that annoying headache. How about a game of tennis?

3. Healthy Looking Skin: Yes, water replenishes skin tissue, moisturizes skin, and increases elasticity. Can you say healthy glow?

4. Brain Power: Yes, the brain is made up of mostly water, so hydrating will help you concentrate and remain focused. Are you thinking an A on that exam?

5. Better Workouts: Yes, water will regulate your body temperature and help fuel your muscles, helping you feel more like exercising. Okay, more clothes shopping?

6. Digestion and Constipation: Yes, water helps your entire system work more smoothly. Relieving digestion and constipation issues will improve your life overall. Shall we walk around the block?

7. Leg cramps: Yes, water will decrease leg cramps by lubricating joints and muscles. Especially if you suffer from leg cramps during sleep… hydrate during the day and you’ll be amazed at the difference. Thinking of sleeping six hours straight?

8. Respiratory and Sinus Ailments: Yes, water will help keep your system clear and decrease lung and sinus congestion. Water helps to liquify congestion so it’s free to be flushed out. Are you breathing easier?

9. Relieves Fatigue: Yes, water will help flush out toxins and waste products from the body. When your organs have to work hard to do this, it causes you to feel exhausted. Give them a little help and you’ll have more energy. Possibly a new workout plan?

It’s a well-known fact. Increase your water intake and improve many areas of your life. Not sure? Try it for one week and feel the difference.

Strive to be healthy!

Cats and Tin Foil

There are differing opinions as to whether tin foil deters cats or not… but I have found it to be true, especially if your cat is scenting inside the house. For instance, if your cat is unhappy with an odor or smell on the side of your couch, he or she may think it’s appropriate to place their scent in that spot. If you cover the area with tin foil, the cat should refrain from scenting there. Or, if your cat has chosen a place on your carpet it likes to use for a litter box, when there is no litter box present, clean the area thoroughly and cover with tin foil. This again should keep the cat from urinating in that area.

The “non-believers” in this method state cats will still walk on tin foil, which is true. What they don’t like is the sound of urine hitting the tin foil. They may still walk around the area or be interested in the tin foil, but they should quit scenting and using inappropriate areas for a litter box. To also help with this problem, be sure you have plenty of litter box space for your pet. If a litter box is too small, or multiple cats share a litter box, you run a greater risk of having issues. Always use one individual litter box per cat and separate them a bit. We all know cats like their privacy… well, anyway…

Strive to be healthy!

Healthy Pets

A friend told me about Rescue Remedy for pets quite a few years ago. It took me awhile to find it locally and begin using it, but I am now a firm believer in this product. The full name is Rescue Remedy: Natural Stress Relief for Pets and is made by the Bach Company. The remedy is available specifically for cats and dogs, but also in a general pet serum.

Stress in animals is responsible for all types of behaviors, such as separation anxiety, anxiousness, or depression from losing a pet friend. I know it sounds strange, but animals experience many emotions just as humans. Rescue Remedy is a way to ease these emotions and resulting unwanted behaviors with an herbal product consisting of Impatiens, Star of Bethlehem, Cherry Plum, Rock Rose, and Clematis. If your animal is in pain, experiencing fright, shock, or grief, or is anxious, this blend will help calm them.

Rescue Remedy comes in a liquid and is administered in several ways. The product may be put directly into the animals mouth with a dropper or rubbed on the animal’s teeth or gums with your finger. Depending on the issue you’re dealing with, you don’t want to use this method if it causes the animal more stress. Alternative methods are placing Rescue Remedy in your pet’s water bowl, sprayed directly on the animal’s fur, and in the location where they sleep or spend time. Lastly, the remedy may be rubbed into the skin such as, behind the ears, on the paws, or nose area where it will be absorbed or licked off.

It is recommended to start with a few drops once or twice daily. If you see improvement, you’ll know the dosage is acceptable. If you feel the need to increase the dosage, don’t give more, but give it more often.

I use Rescue Remedy in the water bowl for my cats. Each day when I freshen the water, I place a few drops in the bowl. I notice my cats being less aggressive with each other, eating better, and they are more active. The remedy also seems to improve their coat texture and weeping from their eyes.

Rescue Remedy is available in health food stores or online at Amazon. There are also many published articles about the remedy and its uses. Check it out and improve your pet’s life by helping them remain stress free.

Strive to be healthy!