Getting Back to Basics, Remedies
April 23, 2011
Before the days of endless availability of products and high-tech remedies for things like cleaning, laundry, pest control and others, people had to make do with the materials that they had on hand. They were able to accomplish the same tasks that we deal with today, while using only a handful of basic supplies, some ingenuity, and elbow grease.
The way-of-life for generations before us was one of commonsense, practicality, frugality, and simplicity.
More and more people are longing for the simplicity of the ways of old – when things were less complicated, less wasteful, and healthier in many ways.
Rediscovering the tools and practices of generations gone by – letting nothing go to waste, finding new uses for basic supplies and used items, are all very valuable knowledge and skills for a post-collapse world, or even a modern world where you choose to live a frugal way of life.
Survivalists and preparedness minded folks are often learning and practicing these lost remedies, all of which will prepare you for living well, when the products of today are not readily available. Should be needless to say, but it will also save you a fair amount of money – today.
You may be surprised how good a job can be done with basic and inexpensive supplies. Modern day marketing has brainwashed most into thinking that the only solution to cleaning windows, toilets, floors, etc.. are the products tailor-made for these tasks by the handful of corporate conglomerate giants that place them on your store shelves. Same is true with most other products. Don’t be fooled.
For example, here are a few inexpensive remedies that you could try for yourself.
How to get rid of the soap scum buildup on the sides of your bathtub
Mix 1 part baby oil, or generic, in 4 parts water
Pour the solution into a spray bottle
(Tip: save old spray bottles from used up commercial products, just clean them first)
Spray the sides of the tub
Wait 5 minutes
Wipe clean with a damp cloth
Careful, this will leave the bottom of the tub a bit slippery.
A sponge soaked in white vinegar will wipe away the slick.
How to make your own window cleaner solution
1/2 cup rubbing alcohol
2 tablespoons ammonia
1/4 teaspoon dishwashing liquid (not antibacterial, which will streak)
Pour the solution into a spray bottle
(Tip: save old spray bottles from used up commercial products, just clean them first)
Alternate window cleaning solution for touch-up
1 cup water
2 tablespoons vinegar
Pour the solution into a spray bottle
(Tip: save old spray bottles from used up commercial products, just clean them first)
You will find lots of remedies online. If you start thinking in terms of using your own mix of general purpose cleaning solutions, you will save yourself money and open your mind to a new way of thinking. Give it a try.
Here’s a previous article about the many benefits of Borax
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Home Remedies for Stress, Anxiety
February 28, 2011
In today’s modern world, nearly everyone seems to be stressed out in their daily lives. Both spouses working to make ends meet, often long days – particularly in today’s environment where employers have the upper hand. With the remaining hours of the day there are endless chores, duties, activities, and obligations that consume those precious remaining hours.
Stress is experienced often by most people, and is mostly unavoidable in a busy life. Anxiety is a result of stress, and is usually a tenseness about an upcoming deadline or something coming up in the future.
You’ve probably heard it before, but stress can and will affect your health. Your heart rate, blood pressure, muscles, and emotions are all subjected to stress and can lead to headache, upset stomach, insomnia, and may even lead to illness or aggravate an existing or underlying health problem.
How to control stress
Get enough sleep
Sleep deprivation is unfortunately all too common these days. Long days and stressful worries will result in a poor night’s sleep. One of the most effective remedies for stress is to get enough sleep. Even one extra hour will make a big difference. Give something up and go to bed earlier…
Do physical activity
Exercise will improve your mood, your blood flow, and help you to think more clearly. A simple walk each day will do wonders to help battle stress. During your walk, you will probably discover that you are resolving some of the issues in your mind as you exercise.
Break up big tasks
Break up responsibilities into smaller pieces. You will be surprised at the effectiveness of visualizing and doing just one task at a time, instead of constantly thinking of the overall big project.
Be practical
Don’t take on more than you should. Be realistic about your expectations. Learn to say no. Do things that you can reasonably achieve. Don’t set yourself up for failure. Delegate.
Limit caffeine
While caffeine in coffee, tea or soda may seem like a beneficial supplement to get you going, it will actually increase your stress levels. As with everything, moderation is the rule.
Make time for yourself
Get away from your normal surroundings once in a while. It is all to easy to be in a constant routine. A purposeful change of scenery will be refreshing.
Learn to calm down
There are many methods you can learn which will lead to relaxation. Closing your eyes for ten seconds while breathing deeply and slowly and thinking of your favorite place in the world, can be just the thing. Getting a massage, doing Yoga, and learning meditation will all help to achieve a relaxed state.
You only have one life to live, and as each day ticks by, it’s a day that you will never get back. Take a step back from an overly busy life of stress and anxiety, and enjoy it – smell the roses…
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How to Put Out a Grease Fire
February 14, 2011
Fire needs three things to burn. Heat, Oxygen, and Fuel. A fire will keep growing until one of those is removed.
The safest way to extinguish a grease fire burning in a pan is to remove the oxygen.
In the following order,
- Put on oven mitts to protect your hands.
- Get the lid that fits the pan and ‘slide’ it across the top of the pan to smother the flames. Or, use a cookie sheet and slide it over the top of the burning pan.
- Shut off the burner to stop adding heat.
- Leave the pan alone, don’t move it, and don’t remove the lid until it has cooled completely.
Other secondary methods to put out a grease fire
Use a class B or BC or ABC fire extinguisher.
Caution: Fire extinguisher’s release so much pressure that it could tip the pan or spread the burning grease if sprayed too close to the grease fire. So, if you do use a fire extinguisher, start at a distance away and move towards the fire, rather than locating the nozzle directly near the burning grease.
Carefully pour or sift a liberal amount of baking soda onto the grease fire.
Soak a towel under the faucet, wring out the excess dripping water, and drape over the burning grease pan to smother it.
Things NOT TO DO to put out a grease fire
DO NOT move or carry the pan outside, it will fan the flames and risk spreading.
DO NOT douse the grease fire with water, or milk, etc…
If you do, it will explode into a fireball.
DO NOT throw flour on to a grease fire because flour is combustible.
NBC TODAY Show: Kitchen Fire Safety
Example of water on a grease fire, Extinguished by using a wet towel
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Home Remedy for Upset Stomach
June 3, 2010As a modern society we have been ‘programmed’ to seek medical relief from the use of pharmaceuticals, be it prescription or over-the-counter. This is somewhat understandable given the system we operate in today with our busy lifestyles filled with speedy shortcuts. We forget that our grand parents and ancestors had discovered countless natural home remedies for all types of ailments, many of which have not been passed down to current generations.
The following home remedy is one for which many are inflicted, an upset stomach or stomach pain. Rather than reaching for a pharmaceutical, why not first try thinking about the possible cause (a particular food sensitivity, etc…) and second, why not try a natural home remedy such as this one, which sometimes works better than a pharmaceutical!
The following are two natural home remedies that work for me for an upset stomach to offer temporary relief, and will work like a charm.
Ginger Root for upset stomach pain
The first home remedy for my upset stomach actually came form my gastroenterologist. He said, “You know what would really help you? Ginger. Make some ginger tea, it will really help your stomach pain.” Now, I had already tried taking ginger capsules that I bought at a vitamin store with no relief. The fact that I was seeing a gastroenterologist meant I was frustrated with the situation and I was willing to try just about anything to obtain some relief. So I went to the store and bought some ginger tea. Guess what? I had no relief.
Shortly thereafter, I happened to be talking to a friend, who is also a physician. When I told him that I had no relief from the ginger tea, he asked me how I had made the tea. I said, “Well, I took the bag out of the box…..” He chuckled and said, “no, no. You’ve got to make the tea from fresh ginger and cinnamon sticks.”
Ah, ha! The light bulb went on! I had also heard somewhere that cinnamon was helpful in calming an upset stomach. So I made the ‘recipe’ he gave me and experienced a lot of relief within 10 – 15 minutes of drinking the tea.
The recipe is simple.
Take some fresh ginger root and slice into medallions about ¼ inch thick. You want about ¾ cup when you are done. Remember that when purchasing your ginger root you want to look for ones with smooth skins. If the skin is wrinkled, it means the ginger is old.
Bring to a boil 6 cups of water. Add the sliced ginger root and 4 to 6 cinnamon sticks. Let the ‘tea’ simmer at a low boil for 20 minutes. Let cool. Remove the ginger root and cinnamon sticks.
I have found that the tea is more enjoyable after it has been refrigerated until cold.
This recipe makes a nice pitcher-full so I always have some handy in the fridge if upset stomach acid rears it’s ugly head. Relief is only 10 – 15 minutes away.
Coconut Water for upset stomach pain
This next remedy, for me, was much more effective on upset stomach than even the ginger root tea. One day I was having stomach pain, a bad acid attack. Though the ginger tea helped, it was not its usual relief. My husband started looking online and found the following remedy. That day, it was nothing short of a miracle for me.
Go to the store and buy a whole coconut. This remedy is coconut water, not coconut milk! You need to extract the water from the inside of the coconut. Now, I had a bit of a dilemma. How to crack open the coconut without losing the majority of the natural water. My husband the MacGyver went out to the tool shed and brought back a cordless drill for the simple solution.
Drill a hole in the coconut and pour the ‘water’ into a glass with a piece of cheesecloth over the top to strain out any small pieces of husk etc. Drink it down! It actually tastes good. I found a lot of relief in about 5 minutes.
Hope this information helps you the next time you have an upset stomach to consider or seek out other natural remedies rather than automatically reaching for a pill 
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Poison Oak / Ivy Itch Relief
February 21, 2010
Hot Water Relieves Poison Oak / Ivy Itch
This is the best temporary cure for poison oak or poison ivy itch. Run HOT water over the affected area, as HOT as you can tolerate, the HOTTER the water, the more effective it will be to eliminate the itch!
Start with hot water that you can stand and quickly increase the temperature to the HOTTEST temperature that you can tolerate without burning yourself. I must warn that the initial itch sensation from the hot water contacting the affected area will be quite overwhelming (at least it was for me). You will have a very intense urge to scratch the itch – but do not scratch! You will know when you have reached a hot enough temperature when you begin to feel that intense itch sensation.
Run the hot water for about two minutes, while the urge to scratch will begin to reduce in intensity. A very HOT bath will work too. After the hot rinse, the itch will be completely gone for several hours! It really works!
How Hot Water Relieves Poison Oak / Ivy Itch
The immune system reacts with the poison ‘urushiol’ oil from the poison oak (or ivy) encounter, and generates histamines at the affected areas. Hot water draws out the histamines from the skin. It takes the body several hours to build up more afterward. Taking an over-the-counter antihistamine such as Benadryl also helps, but will make you drowsy.
First Thing To Do After Poison Oak / Ivy Contact
When you first realize you have been exposed to poison ivy or poison oak, you have about 15 minutes (some say up to 2 hours) to greatly reduce or eliminate the symptoms.
Immediately run lots of cool or cold water over the skin. The best action is to take a cold shower and let the water rinse off the poison urushiol oil before it bonds with the skin. The water will be spreading the oil around so you want the pores to close, and you need to rinse long enough for all of the oil to run off completely. Do not use warm or hot water during this first step, which will open the pores and allow the poison urushiol oil to penetrate.
My inspiration for writing this article is from my recent encounter with poison oak while pruning my merlot grape vines this week. Since there were no leaves on any of the vines, while I was clearing out some overgrown area, I did not realize that some of what I was handling was evidently poison oak. Another lesson learned was always wear long sleeve shirts. Fortunately, I was wearing gloves.
Leaves Of Three, Let Them Be
Poison Ivy and Poison Oak have 3 leaves and appear somewhat oily or shiny. The leaves will sometimes have a reddish hue depending on their age and the season. Poison Ivy leaves are more pointed than Poison Oak leaves.
An email from a reader questioned about Poison Oak growing and intertwining with strawberry plants. Great question because in fact, Poison Oak is often found intertwined with Blackberry vines and thrive together, whereas apparently, Poison Oak is often absent around Strawberries. Having said that, always keep a look out while out in nature!
Blackberry leaves appear to be similar to Poison Oak leaves, but the key difference is that Blackberry stems are thorny and their leaf clusters often actually have 5 leaves.
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