\ncalendar and in the air. Birds are singing, bees are buzzing<\/a>, flowers are making me sneeze—or
\nperhaps it’s this dust that’s been building up all winter. Time for the annual
\nwashing, scrubbing, wiping, sweeping, and general expunging of stuff known as
\nspring cleaning. I scoured the archives for some past advice on all things
\ntidy, hygienic, and sparkling. Got any special tips for getting the grime out? Hit me up in the comments below.<\/p>\n
DIY \nBreak \nMethod \nBleach: Not just a Nirvana album<\/strong>.<\/strong> Scrubbing bubbles-ly, Related Links:<\/strong><\/p>\n Ask Umbra on Babeland’s boinking for bucks<\/a><\/p>\n How to strangle a climate skeptic [VIDEO]<\/a><\/p>\n Ask Umbra’s DIY healthy junk food: Kale chips [VIDEO]<\/a><\/p>\n
\nnot?<\/strong>
Forgo commercial chemical cleaners, and make your own. All homebrew cleaning
\nrecipes involve four simple ingredients: white vinegar, castile soap, baking
\nsoda, and water. Baking soda is the
\nscrubber<\/a>.
\nAbrasive, soluble in water, and anti-fungal (or at least anti-some-fungi),
\nbaking soda requires a bit more elbow grease than chlorinated powders but
\nleaves you with a working windpipe. Vinegar is the deodorizer and sanitizer;
\nits mildly acidic nature is anathema to bacteria and mold. Soap is the…soap. It cleans away dirt. Don’t mix it with vinegar. Other components of a
\ngood, healthy cleaning regimen include hot water and arm strength. You can even
\nput your old
\ntoothbrush to use<\/a> with your homemade creations. Get the full Ask
\nUmbra answer<\/a> and video<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nthe mold.<\/strong>
Give those nasty black spots in the bathroom the boot without toxic chemicals. A
\nmixture of hydrogen peroxide and water may do the trick; let it sit a few hours, and then
\nwipe away with impunity. Borax is another option. Of course, the best solution
\nis to avoid mold in the first place by regularly cleaning your bathroom with a basic vinegar\/baking soda\/hot water cocktail<\/a>. Get
\nthe full Ask Umbra answer<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nto the madness.<\/strong>
Eco-cleaning lines
\nlike Method have proliferated on the shelves at Target and Whole Foods, and while they’re a better option than their toxic chem–ridden counterparts, that doesn’t mean you need to stock up on the vast pastel parade of pump
\nbottles. Yes, we need non-polluting laundry detergent and soaps, but almost all
\nof our other general household cleaning can be done with DIY cleansers.
\nIndividual grapefruit-scented wipes (non-toxic and bamboo-based or otherwise)
\nare, basically, silly. Don’t get sucked into the shopping vortex. Get the full Ask Umbra answer<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Bleach is bad. Let’s start there. Reserve it for only the most necessary
\ndisinfection emergencies (MRSA or, um, copious amounts of blood, for example). Chlorine bleach eats
\nat your lungs and mucus membranes. The production of bleach results in the production
\nof dioxins. Do I need to say more? Probably
\nnot, but just in case, you should know that
\nas you use the bleach, it may produce trihalomethanes, which are linked
\nto cancer, and absorbable organic halides, which are harmful to marine
\norganisms. If all that you seek are grime-free, shiny surfaces, our old friends
\nvinegar, soap, and baking soda will do you proud. Get the full Ask Umbra answer<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Umbra<\/p>\n