As mentioned vinegar is a wonderful natural thing. I use it to mop my no wax floors and nothing I have ever tried leaves them as shiny. I also use one part vinegar and one part water for counters and things. Though it smells when wet, once it dries there is no odor. It is also useful in getting ants to clear out too.

You can also sprinkle a healthy amount of baking soda in your drain and follow with enough vinegar to get it down the drain to a clog. Let it set for about 5 minutes, plunge and run hot water. If it doesn't clear repeat it. I have not purchased any drain cleaners in years! I had waist length hair for a long time and this really worked to bust those clogs up.

An interesting thing to control ants too is grits! Sprinkle some grits along the ant trail and watch them come out of the woodwork to grab it. Let them have a party because when the get it to the nest and eat it they explode once the moisture in their bodies mixes with it. I swear by this method as i have housecats and had a real problem with ants at my last apartment. Once a week I would put some grits down and never saw them after about a month of that.

Baking soda can be used as an abrasive like Ajax and does a nice job and won't scratch your surfaces either.

Olive oil on a dry cloth, in small amounts also is a wonderful furniture polish too.

Nice ideas everyone.

red

I didn't know about the trick using grits to get rid of ants. Good to know that grits are good for something. Eating them is out of the question! LOL.

It may be that the sugar beets are GM crops now but occasionally I'll get a batch of sugar that the ants won't touch. It's disconcerting to find food meant for human consumption that the creatures won't eat.

Originally posted by whitewave
I didn't know about the trick using grits to get rid of ants. Good to know that grits are good for something. Eating them is out of the question! LOL.

It may be that the sugar beets are GM crops now but occasionally I'll get a batch of sugar that the ants won't touch. It's disconcerting to find food meant for human consumption that the creatures won't eat.

What brand of sugar? I have been using a lot lately because I've been making jelly.

Stinging Nettles are a good way to keep the vine fretter (plant louse) population down, as they harbor butterflies, and ladybugs.

If you soak 1kg of them in a Liter of water for 24h, you can spray the result onto your plants as an insect-deterrent (the friendlier, nicer cousin of the insecticide). Might have to spray for a couple of days against lice. Works fine against cotton rust (Puccinia Malvacearum).

If boiled they make a tasty salad (also dandylions+leaves) or can be served similar to spinach.

Nettles can be used as fertilizer:

Mix finely cut nettle leaves with limestone (inhibits smell, adds minerals) in a large bucket (ferments with loads of frothing action).
Stir frequently to facilitate oxygen supply.
The fermentation is complete, when the broth has cleared up.
Dilute the broth 1:10 and water your plants with it.

Nettle-Vinegar: (against dandruff)

Clean and chop up nettle roots and place together with a strong wine-vinegar (quality is key) into a bottle.
Seal it airtight (use wax or something).
Leave in a well lit place for 3-4 weeks (e.g. window sill).
Apply and rub into the scalp. Can also be supplemented by drinking 1 teaspoon.

Nettle-Tea: (arthritis, gout, cough-suppressant, to release phlegm, and to pee better)

Use either dried, or fresh leaves.
1 Teaspoon nettle per 1 cup.
Boil water, pour over nettles, and let it seep covered for 5min.
Filter and drink slowly.

Nettle-treatments should be used for about two weeks.

Goes to show you that weeds should not be under-estimated!
Stinging nettles will grow darn near anywhere.

Another good insect-repellent: Nut tree (though ants don't mind)

de-fang?
I just handle their stalks, away from the leaves.
For larger jobs I wear thick jeans, and handle them with a rake/shovel combo, or military NBC-gloves when I need to get down & dirty.

Now please don't get all PETA on me, I'm just passing on what works.

For rats and mice, mix 1 cup of "cornice cement" (a fine white powder used to glue the cornice in your home) with 1/2 cup of plain flour and two dessert spoons of powdered sugar, mix really well, place in small containers where mice are active, renew weekly.

could you tell me if c means cups and if it does how many fluid oz to the cup pls?

Originally posted by gambon
could you tell me if c means cups and if it does how many fluid oz to the cup pls?

A metric cup is 250mls or around 8 fl. oz.

Oh, I almost forgot- here's a recipe for a great natural hair color or conditioner:

1 cup powdered henna leaves (neutral henna has no color; henna leaves can also be obtained in colors from red to brown; try Dharma Trading Company in San Rafael, California)

1/4 cup olive or cocoanut oil

1 raw egg

Enough hot water to mix with the above ingredients to make a thick, creamy paste

Pack the paste onto your hair & massage it into every strand, then bind it into a plastic bag tied around your head. It's a good idea to wear gloves & coat your face all around the hairline with vaseline beforehand if using colored henna to avoid staining). Leave it on for an hour.

Wash it out, comb your hair & let dry. Henna strengthens hair & conditions it naturally without harsh chemicals. It doesn't color all of the greys, but it highlights hair of any color beautifully. Try it on a sample of your hair first before diving in & applying it to your whole head. Henna stains things pretty badly so don't get it on anything you don't want it to color! This recipe can also be used for Mendi painting.

Henna can be grown in your garden as an herb plant. It was first used in ancient Egypt & starter plants can be obtained online by mail from Companion Plants of Athens, Ohio. Dharma Trading Company sells henna leaves as well as every dye you could possibly need for fabrics- re-dyeing clothes is a time- honored way of making clothes last longer as well as treating fabrics to make new ones.

Good luck!

hey anybody know of a natural immune system booster food type, other than vitamin C and echninacea?

Great input and links, guys. There is also the instructions on the first page of this thread for how to make your own yeastie beasties. I think all fruit has some yeast in it, doesn't it? Most vegetables too. Not all make tasty breads or brews but I guess that's what the experimentation is for.

I know a woman who had a sourdough starter that was originated over a hundred years ago. It had been passed like a family heirloom from mother to daughter for a few generations. If well tended they can last indefinitely.

Sourdough starters are kind of like having pets: they can't be too hot or too cold, have to be kept out of the drafts, have to be fed regularly, can't let them get infected with any free floating germs, etc. Sure make tasty biscuits, though.