Cleaning Up, Cleaning Out and Shining Fresh!

B'SD

19 Adar, 5775

I'm a bit sad after ending my lovely time off to nurture myself. But I have happy memories to cherish. I spent quality time with friends, spiritual and cultural pursuits.

The Jewish world has cleaned up from all the Purim goodies and ready to take on Pesakh preparation. As we remove every crumb and speck of hametz/khametz (remnants of leavened foods), we focus on improving our characters by removing blocks to better behavior.

I like to keep life simple (a time-tested way to stay in a good mood), so I'm launching a series of posts about EZ Shmeezy household cleaning methods that are safe for people with allergies and skin sensitivities.

​Part 1:

I recommend buying natural (NOT synthetic) vinegar and Kalinda powder (Bon Ami is fine) to ease your Pesakh cleaning. Soak stubborn floor stains in vinegar, then scrub them off with stiff brushes half an hour later. 

Kalinda or Bon Ami powder makes an effective non-scratching  scrub all over the home. Astonish creme (jar or upright squeeze bottle) gets stove tops, ovens, and white granite sinks clean with a simple flourish and wipe-down. Pella sponges do, too (wear protective gloves).

Wash the windows with a mixture of water & yellow vinegar, using plain old newspaper. Works wonders. If newsprint irritates your skin, use white cotton cloths (cloth diapers will suffice).

Stubborn laundry stains? Soak them in liquid laundry detergent, Or, douse them with hydrogen peroxide. Wait half an hour, then launder. Works well on proteins such as grass, foods and evidence of boo-boos. 

Mitpakhot (head scarves) or casual wear hats driving you nutz with perspiration stains? Soak them in a clean bucket filled with a large shot of cheap-o baby shampoo and water. Wait a day, agitate the headgear in the shampooey water by hand, then rinse, and hang the clean, fresh scarves and hats to dry.

This message has been brought to you because a Beersheva friend impressed with my non-allergenic household skills and chemicals asked me to share my secrets with the wider world.

Wait'll I tell you what baking soda can do! Um, don't tell the kids that I also know how make a volcano with it. Let's wait until after chag (the holiday). You have enough cleaning to do before seder night. I'm sure it's called seder night because after a month of turning our homes and lives upside down to get rid of chometz, we need a lotta seder...

And remember: Dirt is not chametz. Spring cleaning is a whole 'nuther topic.

Buy the E-book or print edition of EMPOWER Yourself to Cope with a Medical Challenge.  

   

Face Your Medical Problems with Dignity. Face Your Future with Optimism.

Figure out what works for you.

Prepare for Passover without Worsening Your Health!

B'SD

8 Nisan 5770


Jews around the world have been busy for weeks, scrubbing their homes clean of leavened foods and their hearts of distractions. We're getting ready to celebrate Pesach aka Passover.

Do you resent the extensive clean-up involved? One way to prevent unnecessary muscle aches and bad attitudes is to do spring cleaning at a different period of time. Dirt is not the same as leavened products (chametz).

Here's a video that summarizes the more well-known points of the Jewish Freedom Festival. Enjoy the break from the scrubbing and rubbing.




Oops, somebody goofed up there. Moses' staff turned into a crocodile, not a snake. Read the original Hebrew-language account ;^ )

Here's a quick overview of Passover's main points. The holiday begins on the evening of March 29/Nisan 15 this year.

Click on Matza 101 to learn what it is
and how it's baked.

If you have medical issues with observing Passover, please contact your local Orthodox rabbi. Ask for guidance about the diet, medications and medical equipment you're using and how to do so in compliance with the spirit of the holiday.





EMPOWER Yourself to Cope with a Medical Challenge.

Coping with a Medical Crisis?
Make the Changes You Need in Your Life

Women in the USA & Receiving Breast Cancer Chemotherapy Can Have Housecleaning Help at NO CHARGE!

B'SD

21 Shvat 5770

Been working on my book trailer. WOW the agent who came across it likes my script! So do musicians. Keepin' the beat to healthier living… Now, on to the reason for this blogpost ;^ )

Cleaning for a Reason

If you know any woman currently undergoing Chemo for Breast cancer, please pass the word to her that there is a cleaning service that provides FREE housecleaning - 1 time per month for 4 months while she is in treatment: Cleaning for a Reason

All she has to do is sign up and have her doctor fax a note confirming the treatment. Cleaning for a Reason will have a participating maid service inher zip code area arrange for the service.

Please pass this information on to bless a woman going through Breast Cancer treatment. This organization serves the entire USA and currently has 547partners to help these women. It's our job to pass the word and let themknow that there are people out there that care. Be a blessing to someone andpass this information along.

Amy Tam-Liao
Community Organizer

Queens Community House

Pomonok Center 67-09

Kissena Blvd. Flushing, NY 11367

718-591-6060 phone

Readers across the world, I do my best to bring you such information. There's other valuable news about GLOBAL RESOURCES for free and low-cost help to see you through your medical crisis or that of a loved one in EMPOWER Yourself to Cope with a Medical Challenge.





Yocheved Golani
Coping with a Medical Crisis?
Make the Changes You Need in Your Life

Can your Kitchen Cleanser KILL Someone?

B'SD


27 Adar 5769



Mmm, the scent of freshly cleaned and aired-out closets fills our happy noses. But WHAT is filling little mouths and tummies as we scour our homes and businesses for the tiring rite called Spring Cleaning????

Ladies and gentlemen, as you shine your environment for the neighbors and inner taskmaster to admire, be sure to use child-safe cleansers. I've worked in emergency rooms and met children (some adults, too) who had been drinking Drano, bleach and other dangerous to life-threatening stuff on purpose or by accident.

DO NOT put cleaners in cups, mugs or glassware someone normally uses at mealtime.

DO NOT mix chlorine and bleach.
It causes a killer cloud of
invisible danger to everyone
who tries to save
the unconscious victim!

DO NOT keep cleansers and rags, sponges, or other items
used in your cleansing efforts
near children or pets.


Here's a terrific idea:

Make Your Own

Home Made Cleanser

that Can't Hurt Anybody:

Set a large pan (wide and deep) on a steady surface such as a counter top. Fill it with 3-4 liters or so of very warm water (depending on how much you'll be cleaning and how thick a paste you prefer)

Add 4 or more tablespoons of baking soda (yep, the simple stuff you put into cakes or add to washing machines when you need to freshen body-odor affected clothes)


Add a drop of dish washing liquid


Now soak soiled items (including silver), then rub with a sponge or soft cloth until the dirt lifts off.

Rinse well under hot water, and let them stand upside down upon a dish-dry rak or towel.

Dip a clean cloth into the mixture and scrub your COUNTER TOPS to a brilliant shine. Wash off the cleanser and buff dry with fresh towels.

Want to clean WAXY CANDLESTICKS? Soak rags in the mixture and cover the candlesticks with the cloth. Rub vigorously, then rinse under hot water. Dry them immediately.


Finished with the kitchenware? Great. Now add hot water to the leftover soda-water-soap cleanser and load OVENWARE and/or GREASY POTS into the mix. Scrub with a rough sponge (or plastic wire balls for dishware sold in many supermarkets). Rinse off your sparkling stuff with hot water.

(Hint: make smaller batches of the

mixture for cleaning smaller amounts of dirty goods

on different days.

Keep an old toothbrush handy for
cleaning out hard-to-reach gunk)

Want to lose that carpet spot? Mix some watered-down vinegar with warm or hot water. Soak the stain and rinse it well.

Pour vinegar onto yellowed areas of your clothing and toss the laundry into the wash machine. Remove your restored clothing in one cycle!

OK, even if the kids sample some of your hardworking home made cleaning goo, they won't die from it. They'll feel awful, but a visit to the doctor should make things better quickly.

And watch how nicely this recipe treats your hands!

Need more people-friendly tips? Click on Read Yocheved's Book and Learn Many More.


To your good health,

Yojeved Golani
Coping with a Medical Crisis?
Make the Changes You Need in Your Life