July 2004
Dear Friends,
Thank you for all your kind comments about our new site. It’s wonderful hearing from you! I hope you’ll take a moment and let me know what’s on your heart and about other homemaking tips, lessons or devotionals you’d like to see.
Last month I promised to tell you about a
free sanitizer. There are so many products on the market now that promise to disinfect, sanitize, and kill all sorts of bacteria. They do work, but only when used in very specific ways; more on that in a minute. Our grandmothers had few of these products, but they knew that sunlight disinfects – and it’s free! I remember my grandma hanging out the carpets, bedding, draperies, and heavy clothing from the closets each Spring and letting them “sun”.
Sunlight contains ultraviolet rays which can do harm – sunburn, for example, or fading of fabrics. But they are also germicidal. Just 15 minutes in the sun will kill many germs on a variety of surfaces. I put my mops, toilet brush and other cleaning tools in the sun to dry. Germs thrive on damp surfaces so the sunshine dries them quickly and kills germs at the same time.
A word of caution: sunlight can cause fading and the breakdown of fabric so don’t expose delicate or antique fabric to sunlight. Also, avoid sunning clothing, carpets and curtains during pollen season (usually Spring and Fall). Pollen sticks to everything and there’s no need to bring more pollen into your home.
So many products today are labeled “anti-bacterial”. I used to spray them on, wipe them off, and think I had killed all the e.coli or salmonella that might be lurking in the kitchen. I was wrong! One day I started reading the fine print on the labels. Most liquid disinfectants require a lot of the product be applied full strength to the surface and left on for as long as 10 minutes. Toilet cleaners and other liquid cleaners often require that 6 ounces (just under ½ Cup) be applied – full-strength – and then left to stand before washing off if you want to disinfect a surface. So read all labels carefully and follow the directions.
Bleach kills a wide array of germs but remember, it is corrosive and must be used with great care only in well-ventilated areas. It can harm your lungs, eyes and skin, to say nothing of your clothes! To disinfect non-porous surfaces, the Clorox company recommends a solution of ¾ Cup bleach per gallon of water. It must remain on the surface for 5 minutes. Then rinse with clean water and dry with a clean paper towel. Always test a small area of the surface to be cleaned before using bleach to be sure it is color-fast.
Never combine bleach with ammonia, toilet cleaners, or other cleaners. A harmful gas may result.
I like to buy bleach when it’s on sale and stock up, but I learned recently from the people at Clorox that that’s not a good idea.
Bleach loses its effectiveness rather quickly and they recommend replacing bleach every 3 months with a fresh supply. To my surprise, I learned that a new bottle of bleach has virtually no odor! As bleach gets older, the odor gets stronger. It may still remove color from clothing, but it won’t effectively kill germs. So buy bleach more often in amounts you can use promptly to maintain its efficacy.
While we’re talking about bacteria and disinfecting household surfaces, let me share a couple of new uses for toilet cleaner. I don’t know about your house, but our
garbage disposal and some of the drains get very smelly – especially in the summer. Odors like that come from the millions of colonies of bacteria (and mold and mildew) thriving in the damp, dark places around the house. The food and water that end up in the kitchen sink guarantee a feast for the bacteria that live there and in the drains below.
I’d tried everything to kill the drain and disposal odor: bleach solution, vinegar and baking soda, commercial cleaners, you name it. Nothing seemed to work well. One day I decided to try toilet cleaner and it worked like a charm! I found Lysol toilet cleaner with bleach works best for me. It is thick and clings to the sides of the disposal and drain and maintains a fresh smell usually for several days.
Here’s how I clean the garbage disposal: Rinse away all food with cold water and run the disposal until clear. Lift up the rubber flap (remove it if possible). Squirt toilet cleaner down into the disposal, around all the sides and under the flap. Keep an old round kitchen brush just for the disposal. Brush the inside of the disposal thoroughly, and all around the rubber flap. Allow to sit for a couple of minutes. Rinse thoroughly. Run the disposal with clear water and ice cubes to help sharpen the blades. Put the brush out in the sun to dry and label it in some say so it won’t be used for anything else!
The chemicals in toilet cleaners vary, so before you try this, you may want to check with your husband or plumber first. Test a small amount of toilet cleaner on the sink surface to be sure it won’t discolor it. I have a stainless steel sink and have not had a problem. When using any cleaning products, be sure the area is well ventilated.
For smelly drains in the kitchen or bathroom, pour a little toilet cleaner around all sides of the drain. If there is a metal drain guard, remove it first or wipe off the toilet cleaner so it won’t discolor the metal. Allow the cleaner to remain 10 minutes (if the area is well-ventilated), then flush with plenty of fresh water.
Well, ladies, I did not intend to write entirely this month about sanitizing the house, but it really is important to maintaining a healthy home and family. Sanitizing a drain may seem like a small thing, but homemaking is often made up of many “small things” which add up to a comfortable home when we tend to them. They are important, these many small and repetitive tasks we perform; do not grow weary but remember the Lord looks at our faithfulness in caring for our home and family.
I’ve heard from a number of ladies who appreciated the devotional “Be Still” and who felt caught up in the never-ending rat race. Most despair that there is no way to get off. We are not rats! God did not create us to run ever faster, multi-tasking our way through life, pushing and pulling the children along the hectic highway we call “living”. He created us to know and love Him, to glorify Him and spend time with Him. That’s hard to do when “frantic” is the only pace we know.
I encountered a stark reminder of this while on vacation last month. We spent a lovely time with cousins on their farm in rural Saskatchewan and then traveled through the Canadian Rockies and into the western US. What a welcome change from city life and the heat of Florida in the summer! Hurrying through an airport somewhere, a large billboard grabbed my attention. I have no idea what it advertised, but the picture I will never forget: A man, briefcase in hand, lay caught in a rat trap.
Too often, I realized, I am like that man; the rat race has trapped me and I can’t seem to get out of it. Do you know the feeling? Often I tell myself that I’ll slow down soon, just as soon as the next project is done, or after vacation, or next year, or…. But by then there are new commitments, activities, and opportunities pressing ever harder upon me.
I’ll have more to say about this in devotionals and letters in the coming months because I think the over-busy, stressed-out lifestyle many lead today is a great danger for us – physically, mentally, and spiritually. I’d love to hear from you if you have thoughts along this line.
Next month: 3 questions that will help you organize your day.
Until next time ~
Yours in Him,
Copyright, 2005, Laurie Latour.
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