Household and Family Tips
The house is the center of good family relations. Being creative with certain problems in a natural way helps us to appreciate the home even more. Part of that appreciation means finding ways to keep busy and happy. I have added projects to keep children busy learning new things during those rainy days, or just days when parents are busy with other chores. Some of these games and projects will be as fun for adults as they are for children, so some of those chores just might get put off for another day. Fun time spent with your children is time well spent.
I really feel that being a mother is the most important job in the world. A good start during infancy and the early years of childhood sets the stage for adulthood, so I have included a few special recipes for nursing mothers. I feel that breast-feeding is the only way to go, so the recipes deal with increasing milk production. I breast-fed my first two children, but unfortunately the last two were born a few months prematurely, so the opportunity was not there.
Part of having a well-run home is being prepared for emergencies—and I consider unexpected guests an emergency. Many of our friends drop by unexpectedly, but no one ever leaves my home without eating a good meal. My parents were sticklers about that and I guess I keep the same hospitality rules in my house.
In addition to eating a good meal, my guests leave with new knowledge about some delicious and nutritious wild plants. Many of them tell me they enjoy eating with us because they never know what I’m serving next. I take that as a compliment. Keep them surprised and you keep them interested.
There are many jobs around the house that we all have to do. Here are a few hints on how to do them in a more natural way.
Cleaners
Chrome Cleaner
Cut a lemon in half. Wipe the chrome with the lemon.
Metal and Brass Cleaner
Horsetail is an excellent herb for cleaning metal because of its high content of silica. Simply rub the metal with the fresh herb. Or make a strong tea and soak the metal in it. To make the tea, add 4 cups of horsetail (packed) to 4 cups of water and boil it. Allow it to sit overnight. Immerse the metal in the tea.
Mildew Treatment
Wash down the areas that are prone to mildew with a strong thyme tea. Steep 4 cups of thyme in 1 gallon of water for several days. Use to scrub down the area.
Oven Cleaner
Sprinkle water on the bottom of the oven. Put baking soda in an even layer over the water. Sprinkle again with water and let sit overnight. Wipe off with a clean, damp cloth.
Toilet Bowl Cleaner with Denture Cleanser
Drop several tablets of denture cleaner in the bowl and let sit overnight. Scrub with brush and stains are gone.
Toilet Bowl Cleaner with Vitamin C
Drop 3 vitamin C capsules in the bowl and let sit overnight. Scrub with brush in the morning. Stains are gone.
Wallpaper Cleaner
Use slices of white bread to clean wallpaper. Just wipe away the stains and dirt with the bread.
Fresheners
Air Freshener
This will clean your aluminum pots while freshening the air in your house at the same time. Drop slices of grapefruits, lemons, or oranges in your pot. Cover with water and simmer for an hour.
Closet Freshener
Saturate a cotton ball in your favorite scented oil and place on a shelf in the closet. Repeat as needed.
Keep Fresh Cut Flowers Longer
Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of sugar to 4 cups of water. Add 1⁄2 teaspoon of bleach and your flowers will stay fresh much longer.
Kitchen Refresher
I use dishwashing liquid to mop my kitchen floor because it adds a shine to the floor and is easy to rinse. Add scented oil to your mop water for a fragrant kitchen. I add peppermint oil around Christmas. Any of the scents really add a lot to your home. The floral scents are good to use in the spring and summer. The cooking spices, such as cinnamon or nutmeg, are good for fall and winter.
I really like the fragrance of vanilla and add vanilla incense oil to my cleaning water. After using a certain fragrance for all your cleaning needs over a period of time, the whole house holds a permanent fragrance.
Romantic Room Freshener
Place several drops of your favorite scented oil on the light bulbs. The heat from the bulbs will make the fragrance fill the air.
Room Freshener Using Spruce Tree Cones
Add 3 pounds of green spruce tree cones to 4 gallons of water. Let steep for at least 24 hours. Boil the mix for 2 hours. Add to humidifier. This can also be added to the bath water for treatment of rheumatic discomforts.
Room Freshener While Vacuuming
To freshen the air while you vacuum, simply soak a cotton ball with your favorite scented oil and add to your vacuum cleaner bag. The whole house will smell wonderful.
Laundry
Fabric Softener
Using fabric softener on bed linen and clothing of asthmatic people can sometimes cause asthma attacks. It’s best to line dry all clothing and linens. Do not use fabric softener.
Laundry Bleach
Add 1⁄4 cup of vinegar to your wash. Removes odor along with dirt.
Remove Grease from Clothing
Cola soft drink may be corrosive to your body’s system, but it does get the grease out of your clothes. Pour 1 can of cola in your washer when you need to clean really greasy clothes. Dissolves the grease fast. (Edgar Cayce recommended drinking 1 can a month to clean your system.)
mother’s Hints
Borage Tea for Nursing Mothers
Use borage flowers and leaves to make this tea. Put 1⁄4 cup of chopped leaves and flowers in 2 cups boiling water. Allow to steep 10 minutes. Strain and sweeten. Drink several cups a day. This is also good to soothe nerves, while helping to increase milk production.
Dry Up Mother’s Milk
Put 2 teaspoons of sage in 1 cup of milk and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Strain and sweeten with honey. Drink several times daily.
Fennel Tea for Nursing Mothers
Fennel tea is good for milk production. Pour 1 cup boiling water over 1 teaspoon of dried fennel. Steep 5 minutes. Strain and sweeten. You can add a dash of ginger if desired.
Increase Milk Production with Sweet Basil
Add 2 teaspoons of sweet basil to 1 cup of boiling water. Steep 10 minutes and strain. Sweeten and drink several times daily.
Increase Milk Production with Violet Flowers
Add 2 tablespoons of hops and 1 teaspoon of violet flowers to 1 cup boiling water. Steep 10 minutes. Strain and sweeten with honey. Drink several times a day. Also helps to relax mother.
Pregnancy
Red raspberry tea is said to make birthing easier if used throughout the pregnancy. Pick 4–5 fresh leaves and pour 1 cup boiling water over the leaves. Cover and steep for 10 minutes. Strain and sweeten.
Polish and wax
Floor Wax
Melt 4 tablespoons of paraffin and add to 8 cups of mineral oil. Cool before storing in glass bottle. Apply to floor and allow to dry 30 minutes before lightly buffing.
Furniture Polish Using Mineral Oil
Add 1 tablespoon of lemon oil to 4 cups of mineral oil. Place in a spray bottle and use on wooden furniture. Rub it in and then wipe off.
Furniture Polish Using Olive Oil
Mix together 1 teaspoon of olive oil and 1⁄2 cup of lemon juice in a small pan. Dip a cloth in the liquid and wring out. Use this to dust and polish furniture. The cloth can be used repeatedly.
Wooden Floor Polish
Mix together 4 tablespoons gum arabic, 4 tablespoons rectified turpentine, 4 cups denatured alcohol, and 1 cup of orange shellac. Stir until the gum arabic dissolves. Apply with a cloth and allow to dry for 30 minutes before buffing. This can be stored for later use, but be sure to label it. It gives a high shine and makes floors non-slip.
Repellents
Ant Repellent Using Catnip
Place crushed catnip on ant trails. They will leave the house.
Ant Repellent Using Goldenseal
Place goldenseal tea bags around the area where there are ants. They soon leave.
Bug-Free Grain and Flour
Add bay leaves to a small bag of pepper (black or cayenne) and tie tight. Add to flour bin to keep out the weevils.
Fly Repellent
Crunch equal amounts of bay leaves, crushed cloves, pennyroyal, and eucalyptus. Place in attractive mesh bags and hang close to doors or on your screen door.
Fly Repellent for Picnics
Leave freshly picked basil on the picnic table to keep your picnic free of flies. For protection inside of the house, put basil sprays all around in the rooms. Chamomile, garlic, and mints are good to leave lying around the house as they are all good bug chasers. Yarrow repels many insects if used as a spray.
Head Lice
Pour 4 cups of boiling water over 1 large handful of tobacco leaves. Let steep several hours. Strain, keeping the liquid. You will need to reuse this tobacco rinse, so have a basin ready to catch the liquid as you pour it directly over freshly shampooed hair. Rinse the hair in it at least 15 times. Comb hair directly after rinsing. Leave on for several hours before shampooing out.
I have had people tell me that they used the tobacco from a pack of cigarettes (they removed the papers) and this worked very well.
Insect Repellent Using Oil of Sassafras
Rub oil of sassafras on the skin before venturing out. To make it, put 1 cup of sassafras into a jar and cover it with vodka. Screw the lid on tightly. Put it out in the sun for the whole day, or in a low-heat oven overnight. I set mine on top of our baseboard heater.
Insect Repellent Using Pennyroyal
Put 2 tablespoons oil of pennyroyal in 2 cups of vodka. Shake well and apply to skin before going outdoors.
Keeps Insects from the House
Hang dried bunches of tomato leaves in each room of the house. Keeps insects away.
Moth Repellent
Hang bunches of sage in your closet to keep moths away.
Silverfish
Place costmary sprigs (also called “bible leaf”) around the house to get rid of silverfish.
Worm Treatment for Children
Have the child eat 1⁄2 cup of blackberries with each meal for 3–4 days. This will dispel the worms.
Things to keep the kids busy
Baskets
Kids love to make gifts. Teach them to make small baskets and to use natural dyes to color them. Walnut is one of the easiest natural dyes to make. Put walnut hulls in water and simmer for several hours. Dip the baskets in the liquid and the basket becomes very pleasing to look at. This makes a useful gift, one that can be kept forever.
If you want your baskets to be scented, soak the reeds in an essential oil for 15 minutes. This will also keep the reed supple while you’re working with it. The basket will give off a pleasant scent.
Bookmarks
To make attractive book marks, dry an herb of your choice between absorbent paper. Press it flat with something heavy. When dry, place between two pieces of plastic. You can cut the plastic into a shape or design that you find pleasing. Anchor with glue, punch holes around the edge, and lace with yarn or embroidery thread.
Easter Eggs
This is the old-fashioned way to color eggs. Wrap the eggs with onion skins and cover in foil. The eggs come out golden. Use beeswax to put names or designs on the eggs. While you are writing on the eggs, place brown or red onion skins in an old pan and cover with water. Heat the water to boiling. Add designed eggs and boil slowly for 30 minutes. Remove and dry.
An easier and more interesting way is to raise araucana chickens. They lay colored eggs. If you breed an araucana rooster with a rhode island red hen, the offspring will lay pink eggs. You will have varying shades of pink, blue, and green eggs. Kids don’t fuss much about caring for these chickens. They are very mild tempered and the eggs are said to be lower in cholesterol.
Elder Flute
To entertain children while you are berry picking, hollow out a small branch of the elder to create a musical instrument. They become quite creative with it.
Finger Paints
Mix 2 cups cold water with 1⁄4 cup of cornstarch. Add food coloring. You can also store this in the refrigerator for later use.
Growing Coals
This is something fun for the kids to do. Place several chunks of coal in a deep dish. Mix together 2 tablespoons of water, 1 tablespoon of bluing, 1 tablespoon ammonia, and 2 tablespoons of salt. Pour over the coal. Put several drops of different colors of food coloring at different places on the coal. It will take several days before the coal starts growing.
Job’s Tears
Job’s tears make interesting plants for your children to grow. In the fall, the plants are covered with hard beads that make beautiful jewelry. They are easy to string and children enjoy making their own gifts. To string the beads, use fishing line. It makes a strong necklace.
Modeling Clay
Mix together 1⁄2 cup of salt, 1 cup flour, and 3 teaspoons of alum. Add food coloring and enough water to make a nice clay. Keep in a covered jar, kneading in more water if it becomes too dry.
Other Hints
Appetite Suppressant
Rub a clove of garlic on your upper lip before eating.
Cattails
Cattails are good for making gifts or for home use. Break them up and they make wonderful stuffing for quilts. They are insulating, so they really keep you warm. You can also use them to line coats or vests. They are good to use in hunting coats as they are waterproof and insulate for warmth while out in the cold.
Drain Maintenance
Pour 1⁄2 cup of baking soda down the drain. Pour in 1⁄2 cup of lemon juice or vinegar. Wait 15 minutes before flushing with hot water.
Exposure to Nuclear Accident
Chew 4 dolomite tablets 4 times daily. The pectin found in apples is also good to use. Pulverize and eat 3 apples at least 4 times daily. Both these methods help to bind strontium and carry it from the system.
Make Your Own Lye
Place wood ashes in a pan of water and allow to soak overnight. Strain off the wood ashes and you have the lye water. Use it to make soap (see soap recipes in chapter 5, pages 88–93).
Stop Hiccups
Eat 1 teaspoon of sugar. Should stop hiccups immediately.