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Face Your Medical Problems with Dignity.
Face Your Future with Optimism.
Fill your needs affordably (the EMPOWER Yourself book is packed with such information!)
B'SD 28 Adar, 5775 Whew! I've trimmed overgrowth in the garden, pulled weeds (those 5 weeks away from home were evidently good for them!) and house-broken a friend's puppy this week. Yes, paper-training can be fun when you are consistent with it. That gave me energy to wash the sliding glass doors and windows today. Now I'm enjoying gorgeous sunshine indoors, instead of looking at several week's worth of dirt when I look outside.
Here's the non-allergenic low-down on how to wash windows painlessly:
The OUTSIDE
Grab a broom, that clampy sponja stick I described the other day, some fresh smartut cloths (torn towels will do) and a container of soapy water (I use dish soap). If you use a sponge-mop instead of the sponja stuff, that's fine. Set them near the sliding glass doors. I'm going to teach you how to wash windows the way you wash floors: Within easy reach.
Put on a disposable face mask and disposable gloves
that you can buy from local grocers or pharmacies.
Slide the glass doors together, exposing the screen. Be sure that the wind is blowing AWAY from the house before you do the next thing: Sweep the screen gently from top to bottom and side-to-side. You'll see billows of dirty dust (with teensy tinsy dust mites too small to see) flying away. Your mask will protect your mouth and nose from inhaling the sneezy wheezy mess. Now clamp your fabric to the sponja stick or grab your sponge-top floor mop. Soak them with the soapy water, then wipe the glass top down and side-to-side. Scrub stubborn spots as necessary. If metal grates are in the way, insert your cleaning tool between the bars, then wash the glass with a limited range of motion. Move on to to other spaces until the job is done. Rinse the fabrics or toss them aside. Squeeze out the sponge if that's what you're using. Rest a bit. When you're feeling ready, soak fresh fabric or the sponge mop in clear water, then rinse off the soapy residue. Voila, the sunshine and fresh air will dry the outside of the windows for you.
The INSIDE
You can do the same thing indoors, but be very careful not to splash water or soap. How? Skip the buckets. I recommend saving two spray bottles from some household product - or buy them. Fill one bottle with soapy water. Fill the other with plain water and use them sensibly to clean, then to rinse the glass.
The trick is that the long sponja or sponge-mop sticks allow you to reach high and far areas of glass surfaces.
The controlled amount of water and soap prevent excessive drips and a need to repeat what you've already done.
The face mask plus gloves prevent sneezing from dust, and they protect your skin from the soapy water.
I hope that you'll let me know if my non-allergenic house-cleaning hints helped you or someone you know. Clean up your medical life: Buy the E-book or print edition of EMPOWER Yourself to Cope with a Medical Challenge. Face Your Medical Problems with Dignity.
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B'SD 26 Adar, 5775 Call the kids and seat them in front of your monitor. Share some quality time as you learn how to create a cleansing (and Passover-friendly), non-allergenic volcano in the kitchen, bathroom and other drains. You can use the recipe all year long, too. Fill a kid-friendly bucket with the following supplies: A plunger (NOT the one you use on toilets, a new one for the kitchen sink!) Several packets, or a box, of bicarbonate soda (mei shtiya מי שתיה in Hebrew) A slim container of 5% yellow vinegar Paper toweling Now you're ready for fun. But first, open a nearby window. Kids, take charge. Grab a paper towel and wipe out all the gunk from the kitchen sink. Toss that into the trash. Yes, you. Don't worry, this is gonna be fun in a minute. Take a new piece of paper towel and remove all the hair in bathroom sink, shower or bathtub drains. Trash that, too. Okay, back to the kitchen. Sprinkle a packet or several tablespoons' worth of bicarbonate soda into the drain. Boring, huh? Well, add some fun with a generous dollop of vinegar and watch your kitchen volcano go into action. PU! Stand back for fresh air and let the drain goo dissolve on its own. Add a bit more powder and/or vinegar to keep the action going. When the bubbling stops, you should, too. Use the Kitchen Sink-Only Plunger and pooka-pooka over the drain with all your might. You're using basic chemistry and good housekeeping skills at the same time. Adults, after the drain stops bubbling and it was pooka-pooka'ed loose of remaining debris, have the kid chemists stand far away from the sink as you pour boiling water down the pipes. That washes the loosened debris to the sewer. Mention that this is a dangerous task and that you'll teach the child/ren how to do it after they're taller and stronger. After you're sure that the drain is cleared of all obstructions, store the kitchen plunger where it belongs. Hide the water kettle and treat the stove as a No-Fly Zone. Thank each other and double-check that the flame on the stove is OFF. No need for more boiling water. Head on over to the bathroom and do the same vinegar and bicarbonate soda thing in that sink, and in the tub or shower drains. There's NO NEED to follow up with boiling hot water down those drains. A simple pooka-pooka with the bathroom plunger will suffice. Flush the toilet and run the shower to chase away loosened soil. The job is done. Teamwork is terrific. Thank each other again and have fun figuring out why that chemical combination worked so well. Check out Kid Chemistry and be sure to share Sneaky Uses for Everything. Your inner MacGyver will have lots of fun with those resources. PS - If you're cleaning for Passover, do not torture yourself and take the fun out of the holiday or its preparations. Dirt is NOT hametz (leavened food remnants). Rabbi Scheinberg shared that life lesson. PPS - Today is Israel's election day and my tummy is in a knot. I'm keeping in mind that Nissan begins this Shabbat. It's a month of miracles. I'm praying for several. May this be the year of Geula B'Rakhamim (global rescue by GOD). Politicians have sure messed up countless lives. Cheer up someone who's sick, even yourself. 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.
Fill your life with fun. It makes doing chores more bearable.
B'SD 25 Adar, 5775 Sighing as I type, I realize that the joyous month of Adar is almost over. I've enjoyed it immensely. But it's time to transition to other concerns. Not only do I face the serious prospect of introspection, but also going into high gear for pre-Passover cleaning. Cleaning souls is as much a part of the holiday preparation as are shopping for Passover-only foods, preparing them and studying about the laws of Passover. It is a most meaningful holiday about Jewish, and global, redemption. I treat myself well each year by setting a goal of having the kitchen - plus the rest of my home - ready for holiday season one week in advance. That lets me rest, read relevant texts, and focus on the spirituality issues. Ready to polish the rest of the house to shine as much as your Passover-ready kitchen? Here are some non-allergenicCleaning
Your Kitchen More Easily Tips, in addition to those I've already shared. Tomorrow you can bring your little ones to the monitor to find out how to make a fun, safe volcano in the kitchen sink. It even cleans the drains in a non-allergenic way! All the non-allergenic information I've shared is good for year-round cleanliness. Your skin will remain softer, and your breathing will be easier for the user-friendly items now in your hands. Your mind and body will complete your cleaning tasks without becoming sore. THAT makes the clean-up less of a chore. There's more user-friendly information in the E-book and print edition of EMPOWER Yourself to Cope with a Medical Challenge. Face Your Medical Problems with Dignity.
Face Your Future with Optimism.
Fill your life with fresh approaches to solving persistent problems.
B'SD 21 Adar, 5775 How are you feeling after using the non-allergenic cleaning tips I've shared with you so far? Allergic people celebrating Passover/Pesakh need them, too. Allergies tend to knock us out as we need maximum strength to get ready for the 8-day holiday in a home absolutely bare of leavened food and crumbs.
One of the ways I minimize my efforts and maximize my remaining strength as I prepare for Passover is to do the heavy jobs early in the prep season, weeks before sitting down to the Passover seder. That lets me enjoy a more spiritual experience, with better focus on the meaning of Jewish history and on the reality that GOD wants genuine peace in the world.
Okey-doke, seriousness aside, let's have some fun!
We're gonna give YOUR kitchen a panic attack
so you won't suffer from one as Passover approaches.
The most laborious jobs are cleaning out the oven, stovetop and refrigerator. It's a sloppy job that takes up space, with oven racks, refrigerator bins, burners and what not all over the floors and counters you want to be clean. Here come cleaning tips that your allergist would approve. Breathe in strongly through your nose, hold it in a moment, now release your breath with your mouth for a few seconds longer than you breathed in. That releases negative energy. Repeat as necessary. Oven cleaning: Stack the racks neatly outdoors, or in the sink. Pile them onto a thick stack of newspaper purposely arranged on the floor if necessary. Place the burners neatly over the racks, and separate them with a junky magazine to prevent entanglement. I know, you're feeling tired, scared of the cleaning tasks ahead and self-conscious that you are so, SO not having a spiritual experience. The fun fact I can share with you is that indeed, you are being spiritual every time you breathe. Life's a work in progress. If not, humans wouldn't live much longer than animals. GOD gives us do-overs. It's our choice to use them. Each time your temper rises and you're struggling not to explode on somebody, remember this song
Keep in mind what loved ones and other people will think as they recall your outbursts or someone else's. Breathe in strongly through your nose, hold it in a moment, now release your breath with your mouth for a few seconds longer than you breathed in. That releases negative energy. Repeat as necessary. I'm on your side. It's tough job to prepare for Pesakh and that separates the beginners from the early-finishers. Stick with me and you'll be ready a week or so before the holiday without trips to the ER or a need to wheeze.
I'm keeping the cleansing information
non-allergenic.
You can use these tips any time of year,
minimizing itching and sneezing.
Okay, don your protective gloves and take out the cleansers and cleaning cloths, paper towels (remove the plastic NOW), scrubbies, etc. Wipe down the inside of the oven plus the entire stove top with Astonish creme. Let it sit a bit, then scrub out the stubborn stains and gunk. The hardest part of the job is officially over. Wipe off the rest of the stove top and oven, then wet your paper towels or rags. Wipe every surface until it shines clean. Deal with tough areas one at a time, dolloping Astonish creme on each spot, wipe, rinse, repeat as necessary.
Do the same thing with the racks and burners. Actually, creme them over before you start scrubbing the oven. That gives the cleanser time to work before the oven sparkles. Wipedowns will be easier. Now that the oven and stove are GORGEOUSLY clean, you can cook as usual with calmness. Simply clean up well after each meal, preventing buildup. You can do a much easier top-down clean-up before kashering the stuff. The gunk will already be gone way before the last minute, simplifying the process. On to the 'frig... Yes, the gook under the bins could scare you or the kids, but be brave. Let's lose it right away. Place a damp, soapy cloth or paper towel over soiled areas, and let it sit there a minute as you wipe out crumbs from the refrigerator seals on each door. Or use a spray bottle filled with soapy water to loosen hard stuff in those tight areas. Wait for it to work, wipe away the mess and toss it in the trash along with any negative thoughts. Okay, now that job is done and I bet you're feeling more confident that you'll have a clean kitchen earlier than expected. Um, want a 2nd opinion on how to clean your kitchen and all your glassware in another EZ Shmeezy manner? Andrea Kornfeld LMT, C-CST wrote the introduction to
and she has a recipe for an easy cleaner that does all the Pesakh cleaning without endangering anyone - provided that you're careful with the first ingredient:
1 PAIL/BUCKET of almost boiling WATER 1 LG squirt of KITCHEN DISH SOAP 2 -3 Tbl. of BAKING SODA 1 C clear white (cheapest one out there) VINEGAR
MIX by filling your cleaning cloth
Begin with glassware and windows (using cloths or paper toweling/newspapers) and continue on to cleaning the greasy stuff (kitchen scrubber is as strong as you need.)
Redo bucket as needed.
Psst! Please click here and nominate this blog for a prize. Pretty please? You can choose Best Writing or Best Special Interest, and explain why you made the choice. TIA! Ready to clean up some messes in your medical life? 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 which strategy works best for you. Life's not a 1-size fits all situation.
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.
