1.21.2009

here's a story...

over the weekend i decided to clean the toilet. i grabbed a rag and my go-to cleaning supplies: dr. bronner's peppermint castile soap, baking soda and an old washcloth that is now designated as a bathroom rag. i mixed 1/4 of a cup of baking soda with a few squirts of dr. b's, along with a drizzle of water from the tap, and got down to business cleaning the potty. when i was done, i tossed the rag on the bathroom rug (intending to wash both of them later). i hopped into the shower. 

not long after, (and unbeknownst to me) this little girl i know crawled down the hallway. she stopped by the bathroom and took a peek in the door. she spotted the dirty toilet rag--no doubt looking like the perfect play toy. jeremy was hot on her trail, but not quite quick enough. she picked it up and, well, you get the idea. yum, right? 

my mother's intuition kicked in as soon as i heard a little, contented giggle from the bathroom floor. i hollered from the shower "don't let her play with that toilet rag!" and jeremy quickly pried it from her little hands. i returned to my ever-so-relaxing shower, (while jeremy went the kitchen sink to scrub down our daughter), no-doubt grossed out by the entire thing. but i was also struck with real relief and satisfaction, as it hit me that there were no harmful chemicals on that rag to make my baby sick or irritate her skin. 

switching to homemade cleaners has not only saved us money, but i find them just as effective as the old stuff we were using: ajax, soft scrub, pine sol and liquid bleach. (can i just tell you how many sweatpants i've had that have been ruined while cleaning with bleach-laden cleansers?) for the most part, i use dr. bronner's, water and baking soda. it makes a great "soft scrub" cleanser and you really can't mess this recipe up--just add the castile soap to the baking soda until you get a good consistency. a little bit of water helps to thin it down. the rest of the time, i just use straight vinegar. it gets glass gleaming and streak-free, gets cemented bananas off of lucy's high chair, and gets rid of mildew (good scrubbing needed for total success) in the bathroom. 

lucy is fine after the toilet rag incident, by the way. but this whole crawling thing is certainly keeping jeremy & i on our toes!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I always use an old ratty rag for the toilet and then throw it away. My last step in cleaning the bathroom is either to empty the trash after I throw the rag in it, or shove the rag down under other trash