Herbal Insect Repellent

1 part Eucalyptus essential oil

3 parts Citronella essential oil

1 part Lavender essential oil

8 parts Almond oil

1 part Pennyroyal essential oil (Optional; DO NOT use if pregnant)

 

Blend the oils and store in a bottle.  Try a test patch on your skin for an hour;  if irritation develops, discontinue.  Because the essential oils evaporate quickly, reapply the oil every 45 minutes.

To draw out a splinter, try placing honey or sticky pine resin over it, cover with a bandage, and wait from one hour to two days.  You may be surprised how quickly these ingredients work to pull splinters out.

The pine-resin technique comes in particularly handy if you're out in the wilds without your first-aid kit.  Just find a pine tre eand scrape up some of the sticky stuff that oozes from various spots on the trunk.  Alcohol - rubbing alcohol, drinking alcohol, or a tincture -- will remove the sticky resin oncce the splinter is out.

Here's another way to draw splinters out if you're not out in the wilds, but at home.  Cut a slice of raw potato or steam a cabbage leaf until it's limp, and apply a small section to the splinter area, bandaging it if necessary.  Before bedtime, replace this with another piece, bandage, and leave on overnight.  By morning, the splinter probably will be gone.

For Ages: 2 Years and up

Yields: 6-8 Servings

During the winter illness season, you cacn use this basic recipe as an immune-building base.  Experiment.  See what's in your pantry.  Add foods your children like. 

1 large onion, chopped (antibacterial, antiviral)

3 cloves garlic, minced (antibacterial, antiviral)

2 Tablespoons olive oil

4 or 5 astragalus sticks (immune stimulant, antiviral)

1 cup celery, chopped (fiber and vitamin source)

2 cups carrots or other root veggies, chcopped (rehydrating, potassium source)

2 large potatoes, chopped (potassium source)

4 dried or 2 fresh shiitake mushrooms (immune stimulant)

Basil, parsley, tarragon, or other culinary herbs to taste (antibacterial)

1 pound tofu, cut into small cubes (protien source)

1 to 2 tablespoons white miso (alkaline, rehydrating)

1 cup whole wheat pasta (fiber source)

8 cups water

Saute onion and garlic in oil in a large stockpot until softened.  Add water and bring to a boil.  Add vegetables and astragalus.  Simmer, covered, 30 minutes.  Add tofu and simmer an additional 20 minutes; add herbs and pasta and simmer 10 more minutes.  Remove from heat.  Remove astragalus sticks and stir in miso to taste.  Depending on your child's tolerance for spiciness, you may want to add hot pepper sauce, fresh ground pepper, or additional fresh garlic.

Suggestions for homemade herbal preparations only.  For commercial products, use package directions, because product strength may vary from brand to brand depending on manufacturing technique.

 

Teas (1 cup = 8 ounces = 240 ml)

Up to 24 pounds, 1-2 years, start with 1/4 cup, work up to 1/4 cup 3 times daily.

24-48 pounds, 3-6 years, start with 1/2 cup, work up to 1/2 cup 3-4 times dailly.

48-95 pounds, 7-11 years, start with 3/4 cup, work up to 3/4 cup 3-4 times daily.

95 pounds- Adult, 12-Adult, start with 1 cup, work up to 1 cup 3-4 times daily.

 

Glycerites (glycerine extracts)

Up to 24 pounds, 1-2 years, start with 10 drops, work up to 15-20 drops 3 times daily.

24-48 pounds, 3-6 years, start with 20 drops, work up to 20-40 drops 3 times daily.

48-95 pounds, 7-11 years, start with 30 drops, work up to 40 drops 3-4 times daily.

95 pounds- Adult, 12-Adult, start with 40 drops, work up to 60 drops 3-4 times daily.

 

Capsules (Standard, 00-size)

Up to 24 pounds, 1-2 years*, start with 1/4 capsule, work up to 1/4 capsule 3 times daily.

24-48 pounds, 3-6 years*, start with 1/2 capsule, work up to 1/2 capsule 3-4 times daily.

48-95 pounds, 7-11  years, start with 1 capsule, work up to 1 capsule 3-4 times daily.

95 pounds-Adult, 12-Adult, start with 2 capsules, work up to 2 capsules 3-4 times daily.

 

Tinctures (alcohol extracts)

24-48 pounds, 3-6 years**, start with 10 drops, work up to 10-20 drops 3 times daily.

48-95 pounds, 7-11 years, start with 15 drops, work up to 20-30 drops 3-4 times daily.

95 pounds-Adult, 12-Adult, start with 30 drops, work up to 40-50 drops 3-4 times daily.

*Instead of making capsules, blend these amounts of powdered herb into food for chcildren under age 7.

**Not recommended giving alcohol-based products to children under 3 years.

Clark's Rule

Named for chemist Cecil Clark, can be used to convert dosages labeled for adults.  Clark's rule is based on the fact that most herb dosages are calculated for use by a 150-pound adult.  To calculate an appropriate dose based on how much your child weighs in pounds, divided by 150.  For example, a 50-pound child ( 50 divided by 150 equqals 1/3 ) would take one-third of the adult dose.

WARNING: Never mix cleaning products containing bleach and ammonia as dangerous fumes will result.

OVEN CLEANER
2 tablespoons dishwashing liquid
2 teaspoons borax
1/4 cup ammonia
1-1/2 cups warm water

Mix the ingredients together, apply to oven spills, and let sit for 20 to 30 minutes. Scrub with an abrasive nylon-backed sponge and rinse well.

 

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GENERAL-PURPOSE CLEANER
1 teaspoon borax
1/2 teaspoon washing soda
2 teaspoons vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dishwashing liquid
2 cups hot water
Combine all the ingredients. If you don't have washing soda (generally found in the laundry section of supermarkets), use 1 teaspoon baking soda instead. For a more pleasant smell, use lemon juice instead of vinegar. Be sure to label the bottle accordingly.

Polishing Cloths
You can make your own polish-impregnated cloths to dust furniture. Pour some furniture polish into a large glass jar and shake it until the sides are coated. Pour the remainder of the polish back into the polish container. Place terry or other absorbent cloths in the jar and cover tightly. Leave overnight or until the cloths have absorbed all the polish. Store the cloths in the jar.

Here's another method for making polishing cloths. Add 1/4 cup polish (such as lemon oil) to 2 cups hot water. Mix well. Soak dust cloths in the mixture, then let them dry before using. Save the mixture in a glass jar. When the cloths become soiled, wash them, re-treat them, and use again.

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EASY SCRUB
3/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup borax
dishwashing liquid
Combine the baking soda and borax. Mix in enough dishwashing liquid to make a smooth paste. If you prefer a pleasant smell, add 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice to the paste.

 

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JEWELRY CLEANER
1/4 cup ammonia
1/4 cup dishwashing liquid
3/4 cup water
Mix all the ingredients well, then soak your jewelry in the solution for a few minutes. Clean around the stones and designs with a soft-bristle toothbrush. Buff dry. (Caution: Don't use this with gold-plated jewelry; with soft stones such as pearls, opals, or jade; or with costume jewelry, because it could ruin the plastics or loosen the glue.)

 

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HEAVY-DUTY DISINFECTANT CLEANER
1/4 cup powdered laundry detergent
1 tablespoon borax
3/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup pine oil, or pine-based cleaner
Slowly stir the detergent and borax into the water to dissolve. Add the pine oil (available at hardware stores and supermarkets) and mix well. For bathroom cleaning, use the mixture full strength. In the kitchen, dilute it with water.

 

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WOOD FLOOR POLISH
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil Mix the ingredients well, rub on the floor, and buff with a clean, dry cloth.

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RUG CLEANER
1/4 teaspoon dishwashing liquid
1 cup lukewarm water
Combine the ingredients. Use a spray bottle to apply the solution over a large area, or use the solution to spot-clean nongreasy stains. (Don't use laundry detergent or dishwasher detergent in place of dishwashing liquid, as they may contain additives that can affect the rug's color.)

 

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TOILET CLEANER
1 cup borax
1/4 cup vinegar or lemon juice
Combine the ingredients to make a paste. Apply it to the inside of the toilet bowl, let sit for 1 to 2 hours, and scrub.

 

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MILDEW REMOVER
1 tablespoon powdered laundry detergent
1 quart chlorine bleach
2 quarts water
Combine all the ingredients in a pail. Wearing rubber gloves, wash off the mildew.

 

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FLOOR WAX REMOVER
1 cup laundry detergent
3/4 cup ammonia
1 gallon warm water
Mix all the ingredients together and apply to a small area of the floor. Let the solution sit long enough for it to loosen the old wax, at least 5 to 10 minutes. Mop up the old wax (or scrape it up, if there's a lot of it, using a squeegee and a dustpan). Rinse thoroughly with 1 cup vinegar in 1 gallon water and let dry before applying a new finish.

 

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FURNITURE POLISH
1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice
1 tablespoon boiled linseed oil
1 tablespoon turpentine
Combine the ingredients in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake until blended. Dampen a cloth with cold water and wring it out until it's as dry as you can get it. Saturate the cloth with the mixture and apply sparingly to a small area at a time. Let dry for about 30 minutes, then polish with a soft cloth. Note that this mixture gets gummy as it sits, so make just enough for one day's work.

 

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GLASS CLEANER
2 tablespoons ammonia
1/2 cup alcohol
1/4 teaspoon dishwashing liquid
a few drops blue food coloring
water
Combine the ammonia, alcohol, dishwashing liquid, and food coloring, then add enough water to make 1 quart. If you prefer a nonammoniated cleaner, substitute 3 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice for the ammonia.

 

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CARPET FRESHENER
1 cup crushed dried herbs (such as rosemary, southernwood, or lavender)
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
Combine all the ingredients in a large jar or other container with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well to blend. Sprinkle some of the mixture on your carpet, let it sit for an hour or so, and then vacuum it up. It will give the room a pleasant smell and neutralize carpet odors.

Excerpted from Clean & Simple by Christine Halvorson and Kenneth M. Sheldon. Copyright 1999 by Yankee Publishing, Inc. From "The Old Farmer's Almanac Home Library" series published by Time-Life Books; call 800-277-8844, or check your local bookstore.

Copyright ©2004, Yankee Publishing Inc. All rights reserved.