This blog has moved!!!

This blog has moved! Check out http://naturalbutnormal.net to find your favorite recipes or to purchase the multipurpose cleaner!

Another great use for vinegar!

I’ve had a lot going on this last week with family and am very, very tired. But I wanted to share this because it was super cool.

I found one of my son’s toys dangling from his swing set this afternoon. It was completely rusted. I was frustrated. I figured, why not pour some vinegar on it and see what happens. I tossed it in a bowl and poured straight vinegar in the bowl to submerge it and walked away. Fast-forward 30 minutes… I came back and took a peek in the bowl and what did I find? Nasty bits of rust floating around and a mostly clean toy. I went and got an old toothbrush and gently scrubbed it and the rest washed right off. Good as new.

So then I had to know why. If you know me at all, you know that this is par for the course. So I did some chemistry research and it turns out that weak acids (like vinegar) breakdown and even can dissolve hydrated iron oxide (rust).

So… next time you have something rusty, don’t run and grab the CLR! There’s no need. Just douse it in good ol’ vinegar!

(I should have taken a before and after pic but I didn’t realize how good it was going to work. I will try to find something else that’s rusty and take some pics soon.)

Cleaning that oven…

I hate doing it. It’s tedious. And if you use commercial oven cleaners, frankly, it’s caustic for your lungs! However, there are natural ways to do it. Here are a couple of tricks:

Scenario #1: You notice something drip onto the bottom of your oven right away.

If you notice a spill immediately, open the oven and pour coarse salt on the spill. It will absorb the spill while you finish baking. When the oven cools, sweep out the salt. Most of the spill will come with it. Then wipe it out with a half & half vinegar/water solution.

Scenario #2: You notice a spill when it’s beginning to cause that nasty burning smell in your house.

If you notice a spill when it’s become a dried, crusted mess at the bottom of your oven (this is when I usually notice them) make a thick paste out of baking soda and water. Heat the oven to 300 degrees and then CAREFULLY spread the paste over the spill. The paste will immediately start to sizzle and turn brown. Turn the oven off and let it cool. Take a plastic spatula and scrape the bottom of the oven. Most likely, the spill will come off in a couple big chunks.

(Note: If the coils are exposed at the bottom of your oven, both Common Sense and I encourage you not to try this method.)

Scenario #3: You just need to give it a little polish because you’re so diligent.

Congrats, my friend! You’re one in a million! So if you need to clean up a little bit of stuck on grease that’s built up over time, take a medium-sized ceramic or glass bowl, fill it with a half & half vinegar/water solution. Put it in the oven and heat it up to 350 degrees and then turn it off. Let the oven cool and then wipe it out.

Okay, now I’m going to get back to How I Met Your Mother… Happy oven cleaning.

Eeeeek! PESTS! (and natural ways to get rid of them)

Now we’re getting really down and dirty– literally. A lot of people think that the only way to rid your home of pesky critters is to use harsh chemicals. Not the case. Now, the first line of defense is to keep a clean home. I am not implying that you have a dirty home if you have pests, I’m just saying that’s step one. If your home is clean but you’re still having issues, here are some quick tips:

1) Keep sweet foods in air-tight containers. If there’s no trace of sweets, most pests have nothing to seek out.
2) Keep things dry. Most pests are either looking for sugar or water. Wipe up spills and make sure all taps are turned off.

If the problem persists, here are some methods for dealing with some of the peskiest pests.