Personal Care for Masochists

So I mixed up a batch of Neena's Red Spicy Tooth Dirt of Utah. I couldn't get any prickly ash or bayberry bark. But I ground up the other bulk herbs (in a clean coffee grinder) and added the already ground herbs in the following proportions: 2 Tbs each of Cinnamon, baking soda, horsetail, echinacea, myrrh resin, and 1 Tbs of cayenne pepper. And I added 2 drops of peppermint essential oil, shook it all up and put it in an old, cleaned out spice bottle.

It looks like dirt, and when you spit it out, it's as if you brushed your teeth after eating a chocolate bar, gooey and brown. And the taste? At first (every time) it's like when you first hear a Justin Timberlake song on the radio. "Gah! Foul! Make it stop!" but then you slowly warm up to it.

By the end of the tooth-brushing, you've brought your sexy back, your teeth feel CLEAN and you can't get the taste out of your mouth for hours. Spicy! Slightly burning . . . but in a good way. Invigorating. If you like Altoids or Dentyne Fire gum, you might want to try it out.

So I followed up a spicy dirt toothbrushing with a shower using only Dr. Bronner's peppermint oil infused castile liquid soap and a washcloth. Washed my hair and everything with it ~ tingly, invigorating, refreshing! We always bring this soap with us camping because you can wash anything with it (dishes to faces) and it's biodegradable.

That little routine really woke me up this morning.

I was inspired to dig out my Dr. Bronner's soap after reading a cool little book ~ Clean House, Clean Planet by Karen Logan. In it, Logan describes about every cleaning scenario imaginable, discusses the commercial, often toxic and expensive "standbys" and offers cheaper, healthier, easy to make alternatives.

Basically, if you have a gallon of white vinegar, a bunch of baking soda, a box of Borox (in the laundry section) for tough jobs, some liquid castile soap (Dr. Bronners! At health food stores, some others), some club soda, distilled water and a few bottles of essential oils (peppermint, tea tree, eucalyptus, lemon, lavender all work, organic is best as pesticides can concentrate in these oils) ~ along with a few good spray and squirt bottles and some clean rags, you can clean anything cheaper, safer, and as effectively as commercial brands.

This is great if you have allergies, kids, pets or concerns about the environment or your health. (And also, of course, if you enjoy Sticking it to The Man.)

Examples:

~ Spray club soda (!) on glass, wipe it off. Works immediately, much better than Windex, much cheaper, and without the toxic ammonia. It's the sodium citrate or some such. (I had to try it and it blew my mind a little.)

~ Diluted (in distilled water, especially if you have hard water) white vinegar with some essential oils, makes a great floor cleaner.

~ A little box of baking soda with some drops of essential oil mixed in makes a great odor absorber (and sprinkled at the bottom of a kitty box will do wonders). A little baking soda with some peppermint essential oil works as an ace toothpaste if you run out.

~ Another good room freshener - put a cotton ball in an open jar, saturated with several drops of your favorite essential oil.

~ Have a ring of grime in your toilet? Use a pumice stone (it won't scratch the porcelain.)

There are some other recipes here (but they seem a bit more complicated than the ones in Logan's book).

Did I just get excited about cleaning? And write a post about brushing my teeth and taking a shower? Somebody slap me.

Comments

[skydancer069]

Yeah, my boyfriend thought I was crazy when I cleaned the mirrors and windows with club soda, I can only imagine what he will think when I replace the toothpaste.
I love these posts and have learned so much.

[V]

I use several "homemade" cleaners also. Here are a couple of my favorites...1/2 borax and `1/2 washing soda for the dishwasher. You only need about 3 TBSP's per load. I also do that oil on a cotten ball thing with vacumming...if you have a canister vacuum, drop the cotton ball inside the canister before vacuuming and it makes your house smell lovely. :)

[Shephard]

Cool! Hey... I'm wondering what would be good for cleaning the top of my stove... it's chromed. Been using windex.
~S

[Jayne]

Skydancer: Great! Let me know how they work : )

V: Oh, I love the vacuum idea! I will definitely try that. Sprinkled Borox (with added essential oils) on the carpet for a few minutes before vacuuming can also deoderize and kill fleas, etc. (And the dishwaher idea, but what's washing soda?)

Shephard: Hi! For chrome, she says to spray a little club soda on it, put a few drops of essential oils on a lint-free cloth, and wipe it off. This will make it "really shine and prevent water spots from forming." Consumer reports also says purified water works the best for cleaning windows, who knew. Let me know if this works for you!

[Neena]

I love the name you gave my tooth powder. Club soda!! I've always just used vinegar and water, but I'm getting myself some club soda. I'm also LOVING 'The Herbal Medicine' book. Now I'm REALLY coveting your apothecary. My milk thistle is growing up and getting it's second set of 'real' leaves (I've also planted lemon balm, catnip, calendula, chamomile, peppermint, holy basil, and something else I can't remember). My kitcen/dining room is now a green house as it has the best lighting for growing stuff. Oh, and thanks again for YET another book recommendation.

[dee]

I like the thing about the kitty litter myself. Some really good ideas there.

[krista]

Ok- that Justin Timberlake reference was freaking golden. Hilarious.

[V]

I *THINK* that washing soda is non-food-grade baking soda. I think.

[jules]

try this link to learn about washing soda. Or you can google it like I did. You might can find it in the laundry section. http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/home/440

[Jayne]

Neena: The key with the club soda is to have 2 clean cloths. One to clean, the other (drier one) to dry until the streaks are gone. Happy to recommend another book (Haha you started it with getting me hooked on The Fantastic Voyage!) That is so cool how much you are growing! I started some nettles, chamomile, evening primrose and echinacea. Tiny little tender seedlings.

Dee: Yeah, I'm going to try the kitty litter thing, it's supposed to make the bottom of the box smell decent (the oils seep into the plastic).

Krista: That damn song gets in my head!

V and Jules: ah-ha! Mystery solved, thank you!