If you're trying to go green, try Hydrogen Peroxide. It's cheap, and it's a natural antibacterial. Remember when Mom used to pour it on an open cut and watch it foam? It wasn't to amuse you (although it was a diversion!) It was to sanitize the cut.

I keep a spray bottle mixed 1:1 with water in my kitchen. Spray it on your wooden cutting boards after you wash, and let it dry. Spray it on your counters instead of bleach. Spray it in the microwave and let it sit for a minute, it will loosen all that dried on stuff from the exploding food. Does the same for the splattered spaghetti sauce on the counter. Spray it on your faucets and watch it foam away the heebie jeebies.

Here are some more ideas that I found online, I couldn't find the extensive list I used to have:

Toothbrush: Soak your toothbrush in 3% hydrogen peroxide between brushings to kill bacteria and stop the passing of sickness to family members

Shower: Keep a spray bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide in the shower for spraying down the shower to kill bacteria bugs and viruses

In the dish wash/rinse water: Add 2 ounces (or more) of 3% hydrogen peroxide to the regular washing formula to safely sanitize and eliminate the tranmission of colds and diseases.

Washing meat: Use salt and 3% hydrogen peroxide in chilled water for washing fish, chicken or other meat to kill bacteria and viruses.

Cleansing for vegetables and salad greens: Add salt in addition to 1/4 cup 3% hydrogen peroxide to a sink full of cold water. Wash vegetables thoroughly, rinse with cold water and drain. This process prolongs freshness.

Leftover tossed salad: Spray with a solution of 1/2 cup water and 1 tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide. Drain, cover and refrigerate. Eliminates use of chemical preservatives.

Marinade: Place meat, fish or poultry in a casserole (avoid using aluminum pans). Cover with a diluted solution of 3% hydrogen peroxide. Place in a loosely covered container in refrigerator for 1/2 hour. Rinse and cook.

To freshen kitchen: Keep a spray bottle of 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide in the kitchen. Use to wipe off counter tops and appliances. It will disinfect and give the kitchen a clean, fresh small. Works great in the refrigerator and lunch boxes.

Humidifiers & steamers: Use 1 pint of 3% hydrogen peroxide to a gallon of water. This helps keep them clean too.

Laundry: Add 8 ounces of 3% hydrogen peroxide to your wash in place of bleaches.

Pets: For small animals (dogs and cats) use 1 ounce 3% hydrogen peroxide to 1 quart water for their drinking water and bath.

House & Garden Plants: Put 1 ounce 3% hydrogen peroxide in 1-quart water. Water or mist plants with this solution.

Sprouting needs: Add 1 ounce 3% hydrogen peroxide to one pint of water and soak the seeds overnight. Add the same amount of hydrogen peroxide each time you rinse the seeds.

H2O2 can be found on next to the rubbing alcohol in a brown bottle. Most places, a quart is less than $1.

Thanks AOK. Sometimes the obvious is not so obvious. And, yes, it is cheap. I think it's 2 for a dollar at the dollar store. I'll definitely try it for laundry. Regarding the toothbrush, do you mean to leave it in HP at all times?

I'm glad I asked. I'll definitely do a little homework myself.

Interesting. I didn't know you could use hydrogen peroxide on food. I've been meaning to pick some up for cleaning purposes but haven't gotten around to it. I do use a lot of baking soda for cleaning, though.

:)
Dee

msyoohoo ~ I got those tips from here: http://www.h2o2-4u.com/house.html , as I couldn't find the more extensive list I used to have. So I don't really know the answer to your question.

If you google on "uses for hydrogen peroxide", there are any number of sites with different suggestions. I personally love the stuff!

baking soda, vinegar. That's it for my cleaning supplies. I use vinegar as a rinse instead of fabric softner in the wash. Also use it diluted sprayed in the shower, for cleaning counters, etc.

For laundry soap, I make my own. I found a recipe, can't remember where. It uses washing soda, borax, and octagon soap.
Or you can try Charlie's Soap- they have a website. I don't know what exactly they use to make it, but it's 97 or 98 % biodegradeable in 28 days. I read the statistics, but don't remember exactly.

I have used H2O2 for lots of things, it is very versatile. I did not know about all the uses that aok mentioned, I will have to try some of them. I think everyone knows how well it works on removing blood. As a nurse I use it often to remove organic stains, like blood and other body fluids I might get on my uniform (sorry, I know that sounds gross). It is the secret behind OxyClean that you see on TV.

Another phenomenon is vinegar. I'm sure you can google both of these and find out a bunch.

I'm curious if anyone has a good homemade laundry soap that will work in hard water. I used to grate my homemade bar soap for laundry, but everything turned gray. I have read that washing soda helps prevent this, but I am unable to find it in the stores here in MO.

O.F. - There was a post somewhere on gardenweb that listed the phone # for washing soda. I called them, gave them my zip code and they gave me a couple of local sources. I'm not sure where you are but I got mine at Shop 'n Stop. I wish I had the # for you.

White vinegar is good for negating the effects of hard water when doing laundry. It also deodorizes, disinfects and acts as a fabric softener. I use All Free, or Arm & Hammer liquid laundry detergents. I use 1/3 the recommended amount.

I make cleaning solutions with grapefruit seed extract and essential oils. The grapefruit seed extract is odorless and it disinfects. If I want extra antibacterial power I add oil of oregano. The oregano has a scent which is not exactly agreeable, so I add lavender oil as well. I make up two or three spray bottles of cleaning solution at a time.

I also use hydrogen peroxide. It makes bathroom tiles gleam and, if allowed to work for awhile before being wiped off, helps to whiten grout. I've used it to help remove mineral deposits around my kitchen sink, again letting it work for awhile before wiping the area dry.

I bought a magnet system for my well to help soften the water. It was expensive, but needs no maintenance and lasts a lifetime. There are two magnets on the main pipe coming from the well. There is also a magnet on the pipe going to the hot water tank and another on the pipe going to the evaporative cooler. When I did research before buying the system, I found Web sites which claimed the magnets do nothing to soften hard water. However, that isn't true. There are far fewer spots on my glassware when I wash dishes, so the magnets are doing something to break up the minerals.

I use the empty white vinegar gallon jugs for storing emergency water. I fill them with tap water. The little bit of residual vinegar in the jugs ought to keep the water fresh for quite awhile.

Lorna

I was searching a bit, looking for the phone number for the washing soda. I haven't found that thread, but I found this one from a while back, on this same topic. There might be some other ideas posted.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/gogreen/msg0913142214352.html

Found it!!!!!!!!!!

Call this phone number 1-800-524-1328 and have the UPC code 33200-03020. The service will ask for your zip code and then tell you places in your area that sell the item. I believe this service will locate most items if you have the UPC code number. My area said the Kroger store.

I copied part of an article on the use of baking soda vs. washing soda in laundry from URL:

http://www.diaperpin.com/clothdiapers/article_bakingsoda.asp

"The Baking Soda/Washing Soda question pondered . . .

A definition from Dr. Dan Berger (Faculty- Chemistry/Science dept. at Bluffton College) gives a bit of understanding regarding the primary difference between Washing Soda (Sodium Carbonate) and Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate).

". . . washing soda will consume two equivalents of acid, while baking soda will only consume one equivalent."
So, what does this mean for those of us concerned about laundering our cloth diapers and family laundry? Well, basically that Washing Soda is a stronger base than baking soda, and is in fact, CAUSTIC. This is one reason why it isn't used for baking!

Washing Soda is caustic/alkaline with a pH of 11 (with 7 being neutral). Though it does not give off harmful fumes, you do still need to use/wear gloves when handling it directly as a cleansing agent. In reading about safe household cleaners, it always is recommended to save the Washing Soda for the stubborn stains that you are going to tackle by making a paste. For instance, if speaks about petroleum spills on garage floors . . . grease build-up in your oven . . . y'know, truly STUBBORN STAINS!

Baking Soda is only slightly alkaline with a pH around 8.1 (again, 7 being neutral).

What exactly is PH?
I personally prefer Baking Soda to Washing Soda for my laundry because it is a much milder alkali and yet, still can lift dirt/grease/urine/poopies off my diapers/laundry effectively to dissolve easily in the wash water. Because it is so very water soluable, it dissolves before its soft crystalline molecules can scratch or damage a surface. The same is NOT TRUE of Washing Soda - because of its extra alkaline, it can eat away at elastic and cloth over time and is also used to rough-up fabric for dying. In fact, Washing Soda has just enough alkaline content to fall short of being labeled non-toxic.

Baking Soda and Washing Soda have the power to neutralize odors, instead of just covering them up. Most unpleasant odors come from either strong acids (like our baby's urine) or strong bases (fish oils - which we find in some of our mainstream diaper rash ointments). The Baking Soda and Washing Soda deodorizes by bringing both acidic and basic odor molecules into a neutral state.

Robert Barefoot - Medical Journalist - cites from Nobel Prize Winner, Otto Warburg's work in his article, "Why is our pH Balance So Important . . ?" He substantiates that all body fluids are supposed to be mildly alkaline at pH 7.4, EXCEPT for stomach and urine fluids. Stomach fluids must remain acidic to digest food and urine must remain acidic to remove wastes from the body.
Drawing from what we know of Baking Soda's neutralizing properties and the acidic levels naturally present in our baby's urine, we can see how Baking Soda would help restore pH balance in our washing routines.

We know that our body also produces a form of sodium bicarbonate (Baking Soda) and utilizes it much like we do with our laundry. For instance . . . our body's naturally produced sodium bicarbonate neutralizes the stomach acids mentioned above (helping to prevent ulcers) and neutralizes plaque acids (helping to prevent tooth decay). So, this 'like' substance that even our bodies produce is most definitely a safe alternative for stain removal and pH balance in our laundry/for our diapers."

Lorna

AOK - your determination paid off! Good!

Thanks Lorna - that was interesting.

Thank you for posting that phone #. I will be calling it, I'd like to try out the washing soda.

Lorna, thanks for posting all that info, certainly stuff to keep in mind.

Msyoohoo -- Your original post said that you also wanted an alternative to fabric softeners, so let me direct you to Charlie's Soap Laundry Powder. Once I switched to Charlie's I was able to stop using fabric sheets, which sometimes make my skin itch. While still a commercial product, it is non-toxic and biodegradable, made by a small family-owned company. And you only need 1 Tbs per washload. Between the Laundry Powder and Charlie's All Purpose spray, I have been able to get rid of much of my Big Brand cleaners. I love the stuff.

Folly

Here is a link that might be useful: Charlie's Soap

i just want to tell you all to be careful with hydrogen peroxide. I definitely do not think it is safe to add to your own food or your pets water dish. Hydrogen peroxide is not meant to be digested because it kills cells. It will actually slow healing if you put it on a cut because not only does it kill the bad germs but it also kills your bodies own cells which are trying to regenerate to heal the cut. hydrogen peroxide is a toxin that if it builds up in your cells it causes them to burst. In your cells you have these tiny little organelles called peroxisomes and their entire reason for being there is to break down any tiny amount of toxic peroxides and other toxins that threaten your cells. they contain enzymes which do the actual breaking down, but if you put all that extra hydrogen peroxide in your food and water i cant imagine that it would be good for you. Not to mention the fact that it is not good at all for your immune system if you disinfect everything. Your body needs to be exposed to some germs to give your immune system some practice, keep it healthy and functioning properly. I'm definitely not telling you to leave your house dirty and all, i just think you should use the stuff with caution and on things you or your pets wont be ingesting. You don't need to disinfect your meat if you make sure it is cooked properly and all the way through. Marinades are typically made with vinegar though, not peroxide. The vinegar has the same disinfecting effect but is much less toxic to your body.(and I'm sure it tastes much better) Just keep that in mind when you're all cleaning. : )

PS. I was just looking at my bottle of the stuff and it says right on there "IN CASE OF ACCIDENTAL INGESTION, CONSULT A PHYSICIAN OR CONTACT A POISON CONTROL CENTER IMMEDIATELY."
aok, how can you be sure when you're cooking with this stuff that you get it all off before you eat the food? personally, i wouldn't risk it myself.

Interesting thread - I'll digest it all later. Riley did make some good points regarding hydrogen peroxide used internally and the caveats are valid. One aspect I haven't noticed in this thread is the purging effect of hydrogen peroxide in some cases of potential poisoning.

From a pet perspective (ipecac seems to be the expectorant of choice in humans) ..... if Fido or Fluffy ingests something harmful, a capful or two of hydrogen peroxide (dependant on weight of animal) will induce immediate vomitting and get the bad stuff out. I have used this method once when my pup grabbed a baddie and it worked. Made me nervous as all get out, but it worked and pup was A-OK in the end. Note: you've gotta take control and pour it down the throat - no asking Fluffy or Fido to sip it!

Good points, Riley.

A question to those who use Charlie's Soap Laundry Powder: does it matter what kind of water you have, hard or soft? I haven't had much luck with hard water.

Kinda off topic, but I thought I would pass this along. Actually ipecac syrup is rarely recommended anymore, I don't think you can even buy it. I think it is being reviewed for becoming a prescription only drug.

Here is a link that might be useful: my new blog

Hi zigzag. Just recently, one of my minpins got hold of some chocolate and I gave her a teaspoon of h2o2 in a small bowl of milk, which she happily lapped right up. Within 10 minutes she hurled everything up and we didn't have to get in a fight over it :)