his Q&A blog is open for all to participate. Feel free to ask your own questions and answer questions posted by others. I know all of you have a wealth of information and experience on healthy living and you are welcome to share it here. 
Cleaning
how can I clean up motor oil?
My husband spilled motor oil on the cement floor of our garage, leaving a patch of around 12 inches diameter after he blotted it up with paper towels. Of course, it still smells really bad. Does anyone know of any way I can get the rest of it up, preferably using some kind of enzymatic product that will degrade it into harmless components?
Thanks,
Ellen
First you need to absorb the oil into some material to remove it, such as unscented kitty litter or sawdust.
Then apply something that breaks down grease, such as soap, and scrub it with a brush until the residue is removed.
Storing homemade cleaning solutions
I was wondering if you've found a good stainless steel (or other 'safe' material) spray bottle that would be good for storing cleaning products. I use vinegar/water to clean pretty much everything (that's ok right?) and I store it in a plastic (PETE) spray bottle. Is the PETE plastic potentially leaching toxins into the solution (which is acidic) that I'm spraying all over everything, including my kitchen counters which I cook on? Or is PETE ok? If not, what should I store it in? Thanks for any input! :)
PETE is polyethylene terephthalate. It is also commonly abbreviated PET.
PET is a pretty toxic plastic. It has been associated with leaching endocrine disruptors.
Yes, it would likely leach endocrine disruptors into your cleaning solution, which you would then be spraying all over.
Again the most inert material for storage is glass. I know I know about breakage. Tie a cotton bandana around the bottle to act as a cushion in case you drop it.
BTW, the standard plastic squirt mechanism screws perfectly on the 16 ounce Heinz vinegar bottle. Likely will fit other bottles too, as that is a standard size,
safe clean-up after furnace blow-back/puff-back
I recently experienced a blow-back from my boiler. I now have a coat of soot all over everything. As I am chemically sensitive, I would to clean up in a way that will not create another problem.
Has anyone had any successful experience cleaning up a blow-back with non-toxic products?
Readers?
Washing dishes
I always hand wash my dishes in hot water; I don't really use the dishwasher. Do you recommend using gloves? We have the Radiant Life whole house water filtration system, as well as the water purification system ( for drinking). However, I am concerned it's not enough after reading the section on water in "Home Safe Home." I am wondering if I should protect my hands from chemicals that migt still be present. Also, do you still use Castile soap for dishes? I bought Dr. Bronner's liquid soap to wash dishes and baby bottles/ parts, but notice it's not 100% pure. What do you recommend? Thank you!
I personally wash my dishes by hand in the same water I shower in, because it all goes through my whole house filter. Sounds like you have the same situation. I don't use additional gloves. I also don't soak my hands in water. I just put the soap in one of the pots or bowl, dip the sponge in, the wash the item with the sponge, and rinse.
What part of Dr Bronner's organic liquid soap do you think is not pure? I just looked at the ingredient list. Looks pure to me.
Nontoxic disinfectant
I make nontoxic bath and body products and I'd like to start selling them. However, it is vital that my workspace as well as the lotion containers be disinfected. I have been using alcohol. Everyone I know uses bleach/water solution. I'd prefer not to use either one as they give me a headache and are contrary to what I am trying to do. That said, I also don't want to get sued if there is bacteria in my lotion. Are there any less toxic bacteria killing cleaners out there that I could also use to sterilize my bottles? Thanks
Are you using glass or plastic bottles? Glass bottles could be sterilized by immersing them in boiling water.
Many essential oils also have disinfectant properties. I wrote about this on page 110 of my book Home Safe Home.
cleaning microwave
Someone cleaned my microwave with an all purpose cleaner by 7th Generation. I cannot get the smell of the cleaner out and I'm afraid the scent and/or chemicals left behind are leaching into our food when we use the microwave. It has been a couple of months, and I'm still smelling it. I've tried to clean it with soap and hot water and have tried boiling lemon water in the microwave but nothing has helped. Is this odor harmful for our food and can you suggest what I can do to get rid of the odor?
This doesn't sound right to me. The odor shouldn't linger that long.
I would contact Seventh Generation and ask them how to solve the problem.
Better yet, stop using your microwave.
Removing Mildew from Towels
Hi, Debra--we have a 10-year old front loading Asko washing machine. I've recently been reading about the importance of cleaning front-loaders, and from the article, I realize that our towels have mildew (I had no idea why they were starting to smell kind of weird). I've read about a product called Smelly Washer and also Smelly Towels which are supposed to help get rid of the mildew in the machine, but other than saying that the products are made from citrus, they don't disclose their ingredients. Any other ways to clean a front loader and especially to get rid of the mildew in the towels? I use Maggie's Soap Nut liquid, and sometimes include Borax, Hydrogen Peroxide bleach, or Baking Soda if our clothes are extra dirty.
Thanks for the help!
Best,
Sandy Moskovitz
Princeton, NJ
Anyone have any experience with these products or with removing mildew from towels? I personally have never needed to remove mildew from towels and couldn't find a MSDS for the products.
Removing strong perfume smell
Hi Debra -
We received a used Wii game system from a friend. They had been storing the Wii in their closet that also must have had some potporri stored in there. The game controllers all smell like potporri. I've tried soaking the wrist straps in baking soda and washing down all the plastic parts, but it still smells. What else do you suggest I try? My kids love this and I don't want to have to get rid of it. Right now we just keep it in a drawer and it doesn't bother me until they bring it out to play with it.
Thanks so much!!!
Ronda
Readers, any suggestions?
Additional carpet cleaning question
Debra,
I posted a few days ago about the cleaning solution that Chem-Dry uses when cleaning carpets. I have found another company that says they use a mixture of citric acid, sodium bicarbonate, and sodium from a product they buy. Here is the link to the product they use: www.jondon.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=30963. There is also a link to the MSDS sheet. What di you think of this?
Thanks,
Deanna
This product looks fine to me.
Removing Essential Oil Fragrances from a Home
Does anyone have any recommendations for removing the fragrances that are from natural essential oils in a home that I am considering purchasing? The owner is now using only fragrance free products per my request but the fragrant odors still permeate the home. Has anyone had success in removing these fragrances to make a home completely nonfragrant? Thank you
Readers, any experience with this?
