Friday, September 10, 2010

Smelly Drains - Get Rid of the Odors
 
     Smelly Drains - what can be worse than fixing dinner with the odor of last night's fried onions hanging out in the kitchen drain? There are worse odors but drains can definately be offensive whether it be mold in the tub drain or food clinging on the side of your kitchen drains. Let's get a grip on these drain issues.
 
Get rid of Disposal odors: I always keep my used sink brushes for cleaning the disposal. Grab that, a box of baking soda and Mary Moppins CleanEZ
 
1) Run the water and disposal to remove any food that might be lingering. 
2) Warning: do not use a lot of baking soda or it could clog the disposal.
3) Dampen the sink brush then pour on just enough baking soda to scrub. Reach down in the disposal with the brush and scrub the inside thoroughly.
4) Pour some diluted CleanEz on the brush and scrub a second time.
5) Run the water to rinse the baking soda then run the disposal a final time.
 
Odors in standard kitchen and bathroom sink drains:
 
1) Turn off the water at the back of the sink and place an empty bucket below the sink under the counter. 
2) Remove the pipe allowing the water to drain into the bucket. While waiting for the water to drain, use a scrub pad to clean the interior of the pipe with baking soda and Mary Moppins CleanEz. CleanEz kills any mold and thoroughly cleans the drains.
3) Use a thin nylon bottle brush and pour a bit of baking soda on it and scrub the pipes as far as the brush will reach.
4) Reattach the pipe fitting and run the water checking for leaks under the sink.
5) Every month before going to bed pour a cup of Nature's Miracle or for my RV or boating friends - use Happy Camper - down the drain. These two products are enzymes that "eat" bacteria and get rid of the rest of the odors.
 
Unclogging tub and shower drains:
 
I've covered this topic in my blog but a repeat is always handy. To prevent drains from clogging, switch soap. Use a a glycern or organic soap. Stay away from antibacterial soaps. They do nothing to destroy germs on your hands and are made from chemicals that have been linked to cancer. Anti-bacterial products are marketing hype geared to make money for the manufacturers. Good ole soap does a fine job of getting rid of germs. Besides if you are going to take ill from a virus on your hands, it has attacked long before you get to any bathroom to wash your hands. 
 
Bar soaps are made from animal fat and lye. Animal fat clogs the drains, leaves soap scum on your shower walls and clogs the pores on your skin. The pores are there to help move air into your body and germs out. When you clog them with soap and lotion you keep your skin from breathing and letting go of the germs antibacterial soaps are supposed to kill. Switch soap and you solve a lot of problems!
 
Baking soda and food grade distilled white vinegar helps unclog these drains. Call a plumber if you suspect tree roots. Otherwise pour half a cup of baking soda down the drain followed by a cup of vinegar. Let that set a good hour or so and rinse with hot water. Pour one cup of Nature's Miracle or a scoop of Happy Camper down all the drains once a month to end your clogged drain issues and the odor problems. These two enzyme products also continue to "eat" debris in the city drains as well so you do the environment a huge favor as well as keep your drains running free.
 
There are articles pointing to the fact that when we urinate in a toilet, any vitamins or medicine that is unused by our bodies gets flushed into the water ways and is making it's way back to us in our water supply. The municipal water systems are not able to flush it out. The enzymes in Nature's Miracle and Happy Camper help eat these products as it finds it's way to the municipal water system. They won't totally solve the problem but they help.
 
Raw veggies and fruit also have enzymes that will help get rid of these excess medicines and vitamins in your body before it hits the toilet. Eat lots of raw foods then stay away from processed foods and you will stay healthy this flu season and the rest of your life. It's far safer and healthier to eat organic fresh fruit and veggies than to take a flu shot or down cold medicine.
 
This article may only be re-printed giving full credit to Mary Findley and her website at www.goclean.com. Copyright@2010 all rights reserved worldwide.

Thursday, September 02, 2010

The Cure for Smelly Socks and Shoes 
 
     Sorry guys, but nothing smells worse than the odors of socks or shoes of teenage boys. Okay in all fairness the underarms section of teenage girl's gym shirts comes close. I'm not sure if stinky sneakers and socks pose health issues but finding a cure for smelly household issues will improve air quality and should reduce a few germs. So for the next few blogs, let's cover these smells and ways to eliminate odors. 
 
     Let's start with the sock, shoe and clothing problems. Train your children early on to hang their socks or gym or uniform shirts on the side of the clothes basket after removing them so they can dry. Even easier buy a few of the plastic hooks that go over doors to hang clothes. They fit shower rods and glass shower doors as well and are quick and easy way for the kids to hang their clothes to dry.   
 
     Next buy a spray enzyme product like Nature's Miracle and spray the clothes before hanging them. Enzymes love to "eat" bacteria and will help irradiate these unpleasant atrocities. Launder all sports clothing including socks together. Never launder odorous clothes with other laundry or your other clothes could end up smelling as well. 
 
     Begin filling the washer and add your organic laundry detergent - Bio-Kleen is my favorite - and a cup of food grade distilled white vinegar. Swish that around a bit then add the clothes. Remember never fill a washer past 2/3 full. Clothing must have room to move otherwise the odors will remain and so will the stains. When the tub is filled turn off the machine and let the clothes soak for 5 minutes, then finish laundering. Never dry clothes if you suspect the odor still lingers. Heat permanently sets stains and odors. 
 
     Shoes: Never stuff socks inside shoes. Shoes must dry out or the trapped moisture increases nail fungus and skin disease. Spray the inside of shoes once a week before bed with Nature's Miracle to help control odor. It's always wise to avoid wearing the same pair of shoes two days in a row. They must dry thoroughly to prevent problems nail fungus and skin issues.   
 
     If you have specific odor problems you wish covered, please post a note in the comment section and I'll answer in my next blog.   
 
This article may only be reprinted giving full credit to Mary Findley and her website at www.goclean.com. Copyright @2010 all rights reserved world wide.