In the Oct/Nov issue of MaryJanesFarm, “Hanky Panky” (on newsstands Sept. 15), I led you here to my daily journal for a chance to win a fanciful farmgirl soap from Hawaii’s Filthy Farmgirl. Their ultra-cute labels have a decidedly tongue-in-cheek attitude—their “Live Nakedly” motto refers to their 100-percent natural ingredients, and a few of their titles bend toward the bawdy with double meanings, but there are lots of options for good, clean farmgirl fun.
You can win one of five large bars of Balmbastic Basil—”Explosively aromatic with a blast of basil and lemongrass, a rich beeswax balm, and a coarse millet scrub. Great for gettin’ gardenin‘ grime off your filthy farmin’ hands!”
To enter, just share a favorite clean-up tip in the comments below. I’ll toss your name into a hat and draw a lucky winner in mid-November, when the Oct/Nov issue expires on newsstands. Stay tuned for more magazine-related giveaways!
If you’re not yet a subscriber to my magazine, MaryJanesFarm, subscribe here for $19.95/year.
Finally, Hand soap for Land Girls! I love it!!!
A tip I have is if you have been clearing out an area where there was poison ivy, wash your hands, arms, and legs well with Fels-Naptha soap before showering. The soap helps remove all the poison ivy oils from your skin so you don’t spread it around to other areas of your body.
I unzip and remove my couch cushion and pillow covers and run them through a wash cycle. They have to be put back on damp and dried in then sun or they are next to impossible to get back on. Most fabrics can be washed this way, even a lot that say they can’t!
How lovely!
My favorite clean up tip is less about cleaning and MORE about how to keep things clean. I am a single mama to a two year old daughter. I own my own business, write from home, and spend most of my time…you guessed it! At home! It is SO easy for our houses to become a mess when they are cluttered, and having a young child- believe me! I get how fast that can happen. My tip is to learn that less IS more. You do not need all of those things that clutter your home and heart? Why let them stress you out? Learn to declutter your home and you will have less to clean! <3
I love bathing with natural soaps. My clean-up tip is to make your own laundry soap – liquid or dry – using Washing Soda, Borax, and grated bar soap. There are several “recipes” on the Internet like the one from wellnessmama.com.
Borax, its the best for good safe cleaning, and it even keeps fleas at bay. I add it to my washer when I do laundry and it really amps up the cleaning power.
I like to use baking soda to clean the sink, and it’s really good on a damp dishcloth as safe, slightly abrasive cleaner on the cook stove.
I love to use natural products for cleaning as there are way to many harmful chemicals in our cleaning supplies. These chemicals harm our environment and also us… So lets all try to be more conscious of the things we use around our home for our families safety. Good old fashion Ivory Soap is very good at getting stains out of clothing.
I clean everything with either baking soda or peroxide!
I love the natural, big, soap bars. After working outside you can soap up your hands with a bar of soap and stick your nails into it to clean under them..of course, garden gloves are an option…but, I always seem to end up outdoors without them! I also like to clean with vinegar…vinegar and water..equal amounts with some pure essential lemon oil (like that from mountain rose herbs) about 10 drops or more…shake it up..put in a spray bottle..it cleans wood floors, glass, sinks, counter tops….my spray bottle says “Mrs. McKissic’s vinegar, water and lemon oil all purpose cleaner” on it…wrote on there by my grandson! Safe around the grandkids….I also like murphy’s oil soap for my wood floors….walls….a clean smell….like someone has been cleaning all day…
Here’s what I do when cleaning the house. I sweep everything that’s laying on the floor into a pile, and say “okay kids, if you don’t want it thrown in the trash, you need to put it away.” As for any other type of cleaning…who has time for that??
I use vinegar and water to clean most everything in the kitchen and bathrooms. I was making my own laundry soup using the recipe I found in your magazine but when I got a high energy washer, I was told not to use it. Is it safe? I loved the scent and how it cleaned the laundry!
Before heading outdoors I stick my fingernails into a cake of soap (even if I will be wearing gardening gloves) and find that my nails are so much easier to clean when I am done. That gardening dirt doesn’t get so embedded under my nails and they clean up so nicely.
To get the bottoms of copper pots back to their original shine just rub ketchup on bottom of pot let sit about 20 minutes,then wash . shinning again,works for me all the time.
by the way I just love your magazine!
Baking soda is a wonder! I like to sprinkle the carpet with it before vacuuming. Nice and fresh!
End cuts from your local newspaper office are usually available for free. The ends are ink-free. It cleans windows and glass without streaking, is great for packing paper, and can be used under craft projects to protect your table. I always keep a stack.
Don’t throw away your newspaper (black and white pages). I wad them up and use them to clean the inside glass of my lanterns after using them. Cleans them right up.
I, too, have become a fan of vinegar. I put some baking soda in sinks and pour some vinegar in. It really helps freshen drains.
Baking soda! Baking soda! Under my arms, mixed with vinegar for the countertops, straight-up with elbow grease in the tub.
I am truly simplifying my bath & body cupboards & drawers. Dr. Bronner’s castile soap can serve as both shampoo & body wash in the shower. Coconut oil is a great moisturizer from head to toes. Presently my favorite bar soaps are those made by a girlfriend – but she recently moved to a town over an hour away :(.
For cleaning me: I love castile soap! There are so many scents too…like lavender, which is my fav!
I use baking soda to clean potatoes before baking. It also will clean and kill bugs on greens fresh from the garden. I put baking soda in the water and soak greens and rinses afterwards.
I just discovered norwex cloths for cleaning! Love them–only water is needed!
I’ve stopped using cleanser on my face altogether. Last year I started mixing sweet almond oil and castor oil Ava using it at night to dissolve make up and grime. Amazing. Fewer breakouts, no dry spots. Just rinse with a warm, wet cloth. In the morning, just warm water.
I put some vinegar in the bottom of the dishwasher before I run it. Helps to keep D/W clean and with rinsing.
2-4 oz of hydrogen peroxide in the dishwasher and washing machine along with the detergent to an extra boost in cleaning and keeping the machinery clean as well!!
One of my favorite ways to clean or things to clean with is lemon! It smells great and acidity is perfect for the job! Especially on the cutting board. Also a standard borax all purpose cleaner, mix 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup baking soda (or 2 teaspoons borax) into 1/2 gallon water. Store and keep. You can use it for removing water deposit stains on shower panels, bathroom fixtures ect.
I use vinegar instead of Rinse Aid in my dishwasher and instead of Fabric Softener in my washing machine. Leaves dishes cleaner and clothes softer.
My clean up tip using vinegar and dawn soap to clean the shower. Boil the vinegar in the microwave, put in a spray bottle, add dawn soap, shake to incorporate. Spray in the shower, wait awhile then scrub and rinse. First time you may have to scrub more, but if you continue to use it gets easier.
I use a paste of Dawn and baking soda to clean cooked grease off of my muffin tins.
I am a stickler for clean windows. Especially with little wet dog & cat noses constantly smudging them up, I end up cleaning certain windows every day! I use newspaper to clean the windows instead of paper towels or cloth rag. When I need to clean windows inside and out I stick with the vertical swipes when inside, horizontal swipes outside. Then if I notice any streaks later, I will know which side to clean.
I purchased some balls of ewe yarn and use them instead of static/fabric softeners. almost two years later they still are effective.
Vinegar and lemon Essential Oils are my favorites. The vinegar cuts through some pretty nasty grime and disinfects at the same time.
Before putting on gloves and going out to garden lightly run your finger tips over a bar of soap. Getting a little soap under your nails prevents discolor get from dirt and weeds
Borax in the laundry and baking soda and salt for cleaning an old, much loved, and much abused porcelain kitchen sink.
I like to use newspaper to rub and put a shine on glass and mirrors. My Aunt Beverly showed me that trick.She had 12 children and lots of fingerprints to keep clean.
Keep the dogs out of the house! (Of course that doesn’t happen, but if it did, my house sure would be cleaner!:)
nail brush! have to use a nail brush. top and bottom and all around my fingers. always helps to have a sinkful of dishes to take care of. a little therapy and good smelling hands.
My two most used items around the house for cleaning are vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. For the dryer I use wool drier balls and hang clothes out otherwise. Love Mary Janes Forum and magazines.
We have loved Filthy Farmgirl soaps since we discovered them in Hilo. My husband swears by the licorice and I love the Clementine. I save all the wrappers as they are a kick to read.
Wonderful Graphics!
My clean up tip is when I am washing a new clothing item that is a dark color I add a cup of white vinegar to the wash water to help set the colors. I do this with the new quilts I make and wash be for giving a way.
Save pieces of soap,tie them tightly in a piece of soft flannel,and dip in boiling water until soft. Place in cold water until firm. Remove the flannel and a good ball of soap is ready for use.
My favorite cleaning idea is to soak the humidifier parts, water-stained jars & glasses in white vinegar overnight. It does a good job removing the white residue from our city water.
To get musty smells out of wet farm clothes, I soak them in vinegar for an hour and then regular wash.
My favorite clean-up tip involves poison ivy. I am exposed to it frequently as I weed in other people’s yards! Wash as soon as possible with cold water and soap that is not anti-bacterial. Another option is to make a poultice with baking soda and let it dry on the infected skin. Lemon Joy dish soap is mild, and rubbing it directly on the skin until it froths and leaving it to dry works well, too. If you can’t get inside to wash right away, rub gritty sand on your exposed skin to neutralize the oil. With all these options to choose from (and others), I rarely get a rash any more. Making your own DIY laundry soap with Fels-Naptha, borax, and Washing Powder also takes the oils out of your clothes!
I like to use my old pumice stones to clean the lime rings around my toilets.
To clean my shower I just put some shampoo on a wet crunchy and scrub away while I’m in the shower.
I’m a big believer in the power of white vinegar! Cleans everything and is so natural!
I use baking soda and vinegar to clean my toilets. It doesn’t put chemicals into the septic system and ground water. Anything to save the earth and creatures.