Non-Toxic Cleaning for the Home

...ey to clean windows is drying them thoroughly. Very dirty/greasy windows (particularly outside windows which have collected layers of dust and diesel particulate) might benefit from a quick preliminary rinse with plain soapy water to cut the grease and make it easier to polish them up. Dishes Handwashing: Dishwashing liquids are specially formulated to cut grease and leave dishes spot free and shiny. This ease of use comes with some cost, as most...

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How to save tomato seed

...of the water. Don’t let it sit in this state too long, or the seeds will start germinating in their bath.* If you’re in doubt as to whether it is ready, it’s ready. Far better to stop a little early than to let the seeds accidentally germinate. Pour off the moldy water, reserve the seeds. Add clean water back to the seeds and give the water a swirl. Let it settle. Any bad seeds will rise to the top. If they do, pour them off. Strain the seeds with...

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Tippy Tap, Beta Version

...rope around the body and secure that rope to the branch or cross bar. My particular variation on support My tippy tap hangs from a tree branch. I passed a rope over the branch, and slipped a pad under the rope to protect the bark. Now, on the lower end, where the rope meets the jug, I could have just knotted the rope around the handle itself, but if I did, when I wanted to refill the tippy tap I would have to untie and retie that knot — or bring...

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The Organic Minefield: How organic are your organic eggs, soy and dairy?

...n reason I’m posting this is because they produce useful quick reference charts for brand names and stores. I’ve just found their dairy chart, and wanted to share it with you, and thought I’d share some others as well while I was at it. We’ve posted about the eggs score card before, but it is important enough for a repeat. Check it out: Organic Dairy Scorecard Organic Egg Scorecard Organic Soy Product Scorecard Organic Cereal Scorecard Note: Links...

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Stickers for the Organic Gardener

...Boing a clever re-purposing: “Evil Mad Scientist Labs wants you to proudly label your organic garden with these handsome “Now Slower and with More Bugs!” stickers, originally produced to adorn software products. The influence of the Slow Food movement is increasing, and gardening is getting ever more popular. Even the tech bloggers are posting about local pollinators and getting beehives. In this environment, it is fitting that a new use has been...

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