excerpt from The Cure For All Diseases
© 1995 by Hulda Regehr Clark, Ph.D. N.D.
“For Laundry
Borax (1/2 cup per load). It is the main ingredient of non-chlorine bleach and has excellent cleaning power without fading colors. Your regular laundry soap may contain PCBs, aluminum, cobalt and other chemicals. These get rubbed into your skin constantly as you wear your clothing. For bleaching (only do this occasionally) use original chlorine bleach (not “new improved” or “with special brighteners” and so forth). Don’t use chlorine if there is an ill person in the house. For getting out stubborn dirt at collars, scrub with homemade bar soap first; for stains, try grain alcohol, vinegar, baking soda.
For Dishes
Don’t believe your eyes when you see the commercials where the smiling person pulls a shining dish out of greasy suds. Any dish soap that you use should be safe enough to eat because nothing rinses off clean. Regular dish detergents, including health brands, are now polluted with PCBs. They also contain harmful chemicals. Use borax for your dishes. Or use paper plates and plastic (not styrofoam) cups.
In The Dishwasher
Use 2 tsp. borax powder pre-dissolved in water. If you use too much it will leave a film on your dishes. Use vinegar in the rinse cycle.
In The Sink
Use a dishpan in the sink. Use 1/4 cup borax and add a minimum of water. Also keep a bit of dry borax in a saucer by the sink for scouring. Don’t use any soap at all for dishes that aren’t greasy and can be washed under the faucet with nothing but running water. Throw away your old sponge or brush or cloth because it may be PCB contaminated. Start each day by sterilizing your sponge (it harbors Salmonella) or with a new one while the used one dries for three full days. Clean greasy pots and pans with a paper towel first. Then use homemade bar soap.”
“Floor Cleaner
Use washing soda from the grocery store. You may add borax and boric acid (to deter insects except ants). Use white distilled vinegar in your rinse water for a natural shine and ant repellent. Do not add bleach to this. For the bathroom floor use plain bleach water – follow the label. Never use chlorine bleach if anyone at home is ill or suffers from depression. Use grain alcohol (1 pint to 3 quarts water) for germ killing action instead of chlorine.
Furniture Duster and Window Cleaner
Mix equal parts white distilled vinegar and water. Put it in a spray bottle.
Furniture Polish
A few drops of olive oil on a dampened cloth. Use filtered water to dampen.
Insect Killer
Boric acid powder (not borax). Throw liberal amounts behind stove, refrigerator, under carpets and in carpets. Since boric acid is white, you must be careful not to mistake it for sugar accidentally. Keep it far away from food and out of children’s reach. Buy it at a farm supply or garden store. It will not kill ants.
Ant Repellent
Spray 50% white distilled vinegar on counter tops, window sills and shelves and wipe, leaving residue. Start early in spring before they arrive, because it takes a few weeks to rid yourself of them once they are established. If you want immediate action, get some lemons, cut the yellow outer peel off and cover with grain alcohol in a tightly closed jar. Let stand at least one hour. Use 1 part of this concentrate with 9 parts water in a spray bottle. Mix only as much as you will use because the diluted form loses potency. Spray walls, floors, carpets wherever you see them. The lemon solution even leaves a shine on your counters. Use both vinegar and lemon approaches to rid yourself of ants
To treat the whole house, pour vinegar all around your foundation, close to the wall, using one gallon for every five feet. Expect to damage any foliage it touches. Reapply every six months.
Flower and Foliage Spray
Food-grade hydrogen peroxide. See instructions on bottle
Moth balls
I found this recipe in an old recipe book. Mix the following and scatter in trunks and bags containing furs and woolens: 1/2 lb. each rosemary and mint, 1/4 lb each tansy and thyme, 2 tbs. powdered cloves.
Carpet Cleaner
Whether you rent a machine or have a cleaning service, don’t use the carpet shampoo they want to sell, even if they “guarantee” that it is all natural and safe. Instead add these to a bucket (about four gallons) of water and use it as the cleaning solution:
Wash water
1/3 cup boraxRinse water
1/4 cup grain alcohol
2 tsp. boric acid
1/4 cup white distilled vinegar
or 4 tsp. citric acid
Borax does the cleaning; alcohol disinfects, boric acid leaves a pesticide residue, and the vinegar or citric acid give luster. If you are just making one pass on your carpet, use the borax, alcohol, and boric acid. Remember to test everything you use on an unnoticed piece of carpet first.”
8 responses to “Recipes for Household Cleaning”
Great way to remove stains from clothing works best for tough oil,food,wine grass stains ect.. Firstly you will need:- Talc,a good washing liquid,hot water and old toothbrush or hard clothes brush.
Get the item of clothing and lay flat on a hard surface ie work top, and put talc over the full stain so it is like a pile on the stain, leave the talc on for 24HRS then get your washing up liquid and put a lot over the talc get your tooth or clothes brush and scrub the liquid and talc into the stain dunk the brush into hot water to help lift the stain.
After this you will need to put in the washer and wash as normal, you may also need to repete this if stain hasn’t gone completely (THIS HAS ALWAYS WORKED FOR ME MAINLY WITH OILED CLOTHING,GRASS STAINS,FOOD AND BLACKCURRENT AND WINE STAINS):-):-):-):-)
TALC is now implicated in cancer of the uterus and should not be used for anything..
TALC is only implicated in cancer if it was used in the pubic area. Talc is not implicated in cancer when used on other areas of the body.
Thank you for this info. It’s going to help me transition my family away from chemicals!
I’m so happy I landed on your website! I like cleaning my house naturally! I’ve never tried borax but I’ll do it definitely! I mainly use vinegar, baking soda and lemon juice for my homemade products! Thank you for sharing these nice and green recipes! Best wishes! Jane Jane
Boric acid does too kill ants. Works best with water and Medina Orange Oil. About 1 or even 2 cups a gallon is best. Also vinegar is good to kill ants but use with boric acid since they scatter so well before they go with just household vinegar.
How much vinegar for mopping? Boric acid?
Hi,
What type of vinegar and how much in the dishwasher int he rinse cycle?