Spring Is In The Air

-- A Brummet in the Media --

Join me on May 11 when I am "Guest Blogging" at BK's Live Journal: http://bk-walker.livejournal.com

My contribution to this blog is an article titled: Realizing Obstacles and Strengths, which explains the value of a personal evaluation as part of a marketing plan. 

-- Announcement --

In fulfillment of a promise to the family that I will take several days in a row off from the office every month... I will be on a 2 1/2 day hiatus from the office as of this afternoon. My gardens, dogs and family need my attention now, and my eyes and brain need a rest from the office. - lol - I'll be back to create a new blog post on the 14th... and will have some great information and a new guest joining us, so please check back with us then. In the meantime, feel free to leave comments, sign up for our bi-weekly newsletter, check out our sites and links or send us a comment or message anytime :)

-- Spring Cleaning --

Spring is here and I find myself anxiously tending the yard and gardens, watching the first blooms come in and enjoying the twittering of multitudes of birds... which have feasted on my grass seed (where I repaired the lawn from the dogs "work") and have blissfully scratched in one of the garden beds - where the kale was coming in nicely. *sigh* Ah... the joys of Spring. -lol-

With the weather the way it is, I find myself rushing out to the patio to enjoy lunch or coffee breaks if the sun is shining - just to be out there for a little while, before I head back to the grind.

One of the many things we often find ourselves doing this time of year is the Spring Cleaning frenzy. This is a really good time of year to do these activities - what else would we do during the raining, and chilly days? So, with this in mind I've put together a piece on Green Cleaning... I hope you enjoy!

Did you know that lead exists in household dust? Or that a simple 5% solution of vinegar will kill 99% of bacteria, 82% of mold and 80% of viruses... and vinegar can save you money too - 4 Liters of vinegar costs between 2-3$ at the grocery store. Compare that to other bottled cleaners on the grocery shelves and see how much you can save!

Keep a large box of baking soda handy – to replace powder and cream scrubbing solutions, soak up oil spills, kill small kitchen fires, polish stainless steel and remove rust, prevent odor issues and more. Baking soda is a naturally occurring substance and is non-toxic. A large box can be purchased for less than $2 – in the bulk section, it can be found for even cheaper.

Vinegar, the cheap white vinegar found in 4 liter bottles in grocery stores, is a form of acid created through the fermentation of sugars or starches. A bowl of vinegar can eliminate household odors, clean up liquid spills on carpets, windows, floors, metals, and remove mineral build up in toilets, on faucets and taps and other areas. * Do not use vinegar on marble or cement surfaces! Apple Cider Vinegar, and a scrub brush, effectively removed coffee stains all the parts of my coffee press in seconds!

* I haven't yet tried this next recipe but intend to try it one day soon: To clean wood paneling and; as a substitute for furniture polish, use a mixture of 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup vinegar and 2 cups of warm water. Alternatively for thirsty wood that needs more help, try 1 part lemon juice with 1 part olive oil.

Lemon juice is another effective cleaner – try putting a small cup of water with 4 Tbsp lemon juice in the dirty encrusted microwave; heat and let set for a minute or two and clean – then dry.

Keep drains clean by using one cup b.soda, followed by 1 cup vinegar – let sit for a few minutes and follow with enough boiling water to rinse thoroughly.

Borax is another major cleaning tool that can be purchased for pennies. I’ve used it in the past as an ant killer when necessary (borax mixed with equal parts of white sugar) and have read that it will kill other pests as well. 

The book Greener Cleaner Indoor air offers numerous cleaning tips for these ingredients I’ve listed here, but these are the ones I am most familiar with and can testify they really do work.

Save hundreds of dollars every single year AND reduce your exposure to toxins by using these ideas above.

Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio shows and free resources and more at: www.brummet.ca

*Support the Brummet's fund-raising efforts for charity, and help them continue to offer their blogs, radio shows, articles and newsletter - by purchasing one of their three books: www.brummet.ca