HOW DO YOU MANAGE?

As spring nears, think green

March is here and I am anticipating spring. The stores are decorated for Easter, and all the color seems to provide a sense of refreshment.

I am ready to say farewell to old man winter and begin planning those family barbecues, building that new deck and planting that garden.

For some, spring means cleaning the house from top to bottom. I can remember my great-grandmother changing the storm windows, washing the draperies and airing her quilts. If these chores were not completed, spring could not begin for her. While I try to perk up the house, I am going to be a “green cleaner” by using safe cleaning substances.

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Try the following materials for your household cleaning: white vinegar, pure soap, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), washing soda (sodium carbonate), borax (sodium borate) and household ammonia. Never mix ammonia with bleach because the mixture creates a poisonous gas.

Experiment with some of the following recipes from Helping the Environment, More Conservation at Home by Saskatchewan Environment.

To make an all-purpose cleaner, mix together in an old one-gallon (4 L) container one tablespoon (15 mL) baking soda, 1Ú4 cup (50 mL) vinegar, 1Ú4 cup (50 mL) household ammonia and fill the rest with hot water. Use in a pump spray container.

For a stronger cleanser or wax stripper, use double the amounts of all ingredients above except water. Be sure to wear rubber gloves and use in a well-ventilated area.
For a drain cleaner, first use a plunger or plumber’s snake. If that doesn’t clear out the problem, pour 1Ú4 cup (50 mL) baking soda down the drain, then 1Ú2 cup (125 mL) vinegar. Cover with a rag and let bubble for about 30 minutes. Flush with boiling water.
Another drain cleaning met-hod is to place one or two 1,000 mg vitamin C tablets in the drain overnight and then flush with hot water the next morning.

Remove scale accumulation in kettles and irons with a solution of two parts vinegar to one part water. Pour some in your kettle and boil; then rinse thoroughly. Pour some in your iron, let stand for 30 minutes and then rinse several times.
To polish furniture with bare wood surfaces, place one tablespoon (15 mL) lemon oil mixed with four cups (1 L) mineral oil in a spray bottle. Spray on, rub in and polish.
For furniture with varnish or lacquer finish mix 1Ú8 cup (25 mL) olive oil, 3Ú4 ounce (15 mL) vinegar and four cups (1 L) warm water. Apply with a spray bottle, then rub dry with a soft cloth. The polish works best when warm. Heat in a pan of hot water.
To clean and deodorize rugs and upholstery, mix two parts cornmeal with one part borax. Sprinkle liberally and leave one hour, then vacuum.

To polish copper, mix some lemon juice or vinegar with salt and clean with a rag.
To clean silver, place silverware in a mixture of one quart (1 L) warm water, one teaspoon (5 mL) salt and one teaspoon (5 mL) baking soda. Add a small piece of aluminum foil and replace it with another as it becomes black. Rinse and polish silver with a soft cloth.
For an automatic dishwasher powder, try mixing one part borax with one part washing soda. (Increase washing soda if your water is hard.) Or, choose a dishwasher soap that is phosphate-free.

Instead of chlorine bleach use a mixture of eight parts water to one part of three percent hydrogen peroxide. Soak garments and rinse.
For washing windows, mix 1Ú4 cup (50 mL) vinegar with 1Ú3 bucket warm water. Wash with a sponge and squeegee, and dry with a clean soft rag or old newspapers. Avoid using paper towels.
Clean your oven regularly with baking soda and water. For stubborn stains, preheat oven 200 F (100 C). Place a pan of boiling water on the bottom of the oven. Place a small dish of ammonia on the top rack. Shut the oven door and leave overnight. Before opening the oven in the morning, open windows to ventilate kitchen. Wash the oven with baking soda and water.
For a homemade toilet bowl cleaner, mix one cup (250 mL) of three percent hydrogen peroxide with one teaspoon (5 mL) household ammonia in two quarts (2 L) water. Pour into toilet, let stand 30 minutes, scrub and flush.
To freshen air in the house, use sachets or bowls filled with potpourri or pomander balls made with oranges and spices. Or simmer on the stove a few cinnamon sticks and cloves in water. A little vinegar boiled on the stove will remove most cooking odors.

Add living plants to your home as they can reduce the levels of noxious gases found in nearly all indoor environments. Some good plants are philodendrons, spider plants, dracena, English ivy, chrys-anthemum, gerbera daisy and golden pathos.

Bacon cure

Dear TEAM: I would like a recipe for curing bacon like we used in the 1930s or 1940s. I have lost my recipe. It was made into a brine consisting of brown sugar, salt, pepper, garlic and red pepper. After we kept the bacon in the brine, we smoked it. It was delicious! I would also like a recipe for garlic sausage. – Roblin, Man.

Chewy whole grain bread

Dear TEAM: In response to J.R., Leader, Sask.: To make chewy whole grain bread, pour two to three cups (500-750 mL) of boiling water over one cup (250 mL) of Sunny Boy or Red River cereal. Cracked wheat also works. Stir until mixed and set aside for 20 minutes. Add this to your regular whole grain bread recipe.

In my bread machine I take 1Ú4 cup (50 mL) of Sunny Boy and use the hot liquid in the above recipe. Let cool and proceed as per recipe. – M.S., Invermere, B.C.

Thank you, M.S., for sharing your bread making tip with us.