Sustainable September 2017 - Day Eighteen

SEPTEMBER 18 (MONDAY)

CLEANING - VINEGAR

I've got a ripper of a headache so I'll do my best to keep it short. Mind you last time I said that it was one of the longest posts I had written. So maybe I should just forget the headache and do my best. Like usual.

Sustainable September Day Eighteen: Use Vinegar for cleaning. 

There are many magical properties of the humble white vinegar when it comes to cleaning. I've been using vinegar in my cleaning routine for a long time now. I dilute vinegar with water and wash my floors with it, I use it full strength for grubby marks on the counters or baked on on the stove, I use it as a fabric softener in my washing. It's amazing stuff. 

I learnt a lot about Vinegar and all its uses with the help of the Slow Home Podcast. It is one to a handful of podcasts that I listen to regularly. A while ago they had a whole series of episodes about cleaning simply and also easily. And they had a whole episode specifically on Vinegar. 

 You can check it out on your phone or tablets podcast app. I use the Apple Podcasts app because I have an iPhone that goes with me everywhere. Which means I can listen to podcasts as I drive around town or whilst I catch public transport. I often listen as I'm doing the laundry or cooking dinner. 

Anyway, back to Vinegar. It is a simple and environmentally sustainable cleaner that is safe for family, friends, neighbors, pets AND the environment. So that's a winner. I used to own a lot of cleaners, one super strong cleaner for every different surface in my house. Needless to say it was quite a lot of plastic and also a lot of chemicals that gave me headaches. So I had to find a better option. 

My brother in law started washing the floors with vinegar years ago and it sort of became a really normal thing for us all to do. We have an Enjo mop we use and we just wet it with equal parts water and vinegar and wipe down the floor (after it's been swept of course). And it's super easy and fast. The smell of vinegar disappears pretty quickly after it dries too so your house doesn't smell like pickles all the time. 

I really like the podcast because it shows you all the benefits of using vinegar and reducing all the other stuff in your house. The benefits include, saving money, using fewer toxic chemicals in your home, simplifying your cleaning routine, minimising waste and keeping the same level of cleanliness as commercial cleaners! 

I love that I can also refill my white vinegar bottle at the Wasteless Pantry too. Which means I'm saving on Waste coming into the home. I'm saving money because I'm not buying fancy cleaners that are specifically for one reason only. I love that it's earth friendly, because it's not going to accidentally poison my family if I wipe down my bathroom with it and then wash a glass with the same thing. If I did that with some other chemical based cleaners I don't know what my life expectancy would be. Heheheh. 

ACTIVITY: make some fancy Citrus Vinegar for your household. 

Don't love the smell of vinegar but like the smell of citrus? Well I have an idea for you. I put my old citrus peels in a jar. I make sure it's full of peel and then pour over vinegar. I seal the jar and let it steep for 2 weeks. Then I use this citrus smelling vinegar like I would use my plain white vinegar. And the smell is a lot more pleasing. You can check it out in the video below. 

I don't recommend spraying Citrus Vinegar in your mouth... watch the video for an example of why this is a terrible idea! hehehe. 

I hope this finds you all well. I'm off to bed with an icepack for my head and a big bottle of water. 

Love Daena

January 7, 2014

Hey everyone, 

Today was a day for my dad! For those that don't know, my dad has a rare brain disease called Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (CAA) as a result he has Fronto Temporal dementia. He lives about 2 minutes from my house in a nursing home that is so wonderful that mum, my sister & I always know he is safe and being well taken care of! 

Today my kindness was for my dad! Dad has had a few volunteers come and spend time with him over the years. He has been in care for almost 7 years now! Occasionally the volunteers read the paper to him, chat to him or spend time so he didn't get bored. One such young woman was his volunteer for 4 years, he bought "real" coffee for him, read to him, talked about his favorite topics endlessly and spent one morning a week with him to just get to know what a good guy my father is! She was there every week for 4 years until she had to give up coming in every week because she was moving interstate for work & study! However every time she has returned home for Christmas & new year she always pops in for a chat with dad and to see how he is doing! Today was one of those days...

So my kindness was to organise with this amazing lady for a time for her to come in and see dad! I surprised dad with her visit! I also prepared her for some changes in dads condition...

Around the middle of last year my father had a terrible stroke that had him completely loose the use of his right side, his dominant side! He has lost the ability to feed himself, stand or sit unassisted and needs to be strapped into a wheelchair. It now takes two people to move dad in and out of his chair, if he is well enough to get out of his bed at all. He cannot do anything for himself anymore and is restricted to a vitamised diet and thickened drinks to prevent chocking! He is slowly getting some use in his right hand back, although the arm itself is like a sack of potatoes and according to dad about as useful! Thankfully he is able to talk clearly (for a while it was limited to irritated grunts & gibberish) and he is regaining some of his   Cheeky nature again too. My father is a stubborn man and a survivor! It takes a lot more than a simple stroke to kill him (as he has proved to us again and again)! 

These changes were quite different to the mobile, cheeky and independent man my father had been (even still in the nursing home) until just before his stroke! I did my best to answer any questions about his change in condition and help her understand what life is like for us now! 

She is such a wonderful lady! We (mum, V & I) are all so grateful for her visits because she has been so supportive of us & especially of dad! She has endless patience and a gentle spirit that seems to calm dad in his agitated state! Thank you so much TD for making the effort! It is so appreciated! 

Today was also the first day since dads stroke that I was able to get him to listen to music! My father was a mad violinist (& loved his clarinet & sax too), he was a keen musician and a lover of all forms and styles of music! So him being without music is like a fish being without water... However since his stroke loud noises were too much for his mind to cope with, so his music listening habits stopped until today! I coaxed him to listen to a CD I bought for him in Ireland, whilst I was there, and consisted of a good collection of Irish folk songs and bar songs! he enjoyed it! as I sang along to the songs, he tapped his good hand along to the beat, which was a start by no means! 

It was a good day for dad, for his volunteer friend to catch up with him and for his love for music rekindled! :) 

I have a terrible headache so will climb back into bed (I've been there almost since I left dads), but I'll know dad was happy today! And although that isn't a cure or an end to his terrible suffering (for he still suffers greatly with his diseases), he was happy with family, friends and music and right now that's all that matters! 

I hope you are all well today! 

Luv Daena