home remedies

I like things that are natural and I also believe in being "green" and easy on the environment.  I believe in recycling and reusing.  I think it is important to be conscious of our resources.  I believe in medicine since that is my profession but I also think there are natural remedies for certain things, such as honey for cough and garlic for colds and respiratory illnesses. 

I do buy household cleaners but I use vinegar on my floors and I also like baking soda for scrubbing grime, such as in my oven or shower.  It is important to me that I use products that will get the job done yet not be toxic to me or my family.  I still make my own laundry detergent for two reasons, it is cheaper and also I know what is in it and I am not putting a bunch of chemicals on our clothing.  I recently noticed two of my shirts had white stains in the armpits from antiperspirant.  One of the shirts is older but a favorite and still in good shape and the other is relatively new and from Coldwater Creek (although it was on sale) and I did not feel I could wear these shirts looking the way that they did.  So I goggled antiperspirant stains and found a site that instructed me to mix 1/2 cup ammonia with 4 cups of water and using a sponge blot the stained area.  I did this and immediately saw the white disappear.  I then washed the shirts as usual and let them air dry to be sure all the stain was removed.  I was so happy that it worked! 

I also frequently use a stain recipe that my mom shared with me- you mix equal parts Clorox 2 powder and cascade powder (without bleach) and hot water and soak your stained item overnight and then wash as usual.  If I have several items that are similar in color I will use 1/2 cup each and soak but if it is a small stain I will just make a small paste and apply it to the stain and let it sit overnight and then wash.  This recipe has worked on new and old stains!

Do you have any home remedies that you would like to share?