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This site is a member of WebRing. To browse visit here. Sunday, January 04, 2009 Cleaning the non-electric home Since I've been making such an issue about living without electricity, I thought I should post some tips about how to actually do it.Disclaimer--I do have electricity at the moment, and also cold running water. But I've lived without them in the past, at one time for an extended period, and I live as much as possible now as though I didn't have either one. So what I describe here is applicable to the truly non-electric home (even if I do make occasional references to things like electric appliances and plastic garbage bags).Repeat after me: Google is not your friend today; baking soda is your friend. Baking soda can be substituted (by itself or with one or two simple additions) for toothpaste, scouring powder, deodorant, a facial scrub, an effective relief for insect bites and sunburn, to deodorize the refrigerator, garbage can, diaper pail and kitty litter box, to put out kitchen fires, and many more uses, including what most people think of--as a leavening agent for baking.Here is just a sampling of household cleaning uses:Make a paste with baking soda and water to clean greasy cast iron and enameled pots. It won't scratch the enamal, and it will remove baked or fried-on deposits from your cast iron without damaging the seasoning.You can safely clean any type of formica, granite, tile or marble countertop with dry baking soda and a damp sponge or dishcloth, also stovetops, appliances, and stainless steel sinks and fixtures.Most people use baking soda in the fridge, but it's good for other potentially stinky areas too. When you change the bag in your garbage can, sprinkle some baking soda in the bottom to offset odors from anything that might sneak down into the can itself.Since the non-electric home won't have a microwave with which to sanitize your dishcloths and/or sponges (and IMHO no one should have one now either), soak them overnight in a solution of baking soda and water, about 3 tablespoons to a quart of warm water (and in the future, pour boiling water over your dishcloth after you finish the dishes, then hang it up to dry--this will keep it from getting smelly in the first place).Keep wooden cutting boards and counter tops clean by scrubbing with a paste made fron a tablespoonful each of baking soda, salt and water.Soak your stainless steel (but not aluminum) coffee pot in a solution of 3 tablespoons baking soda to one quart of water.A glass or stainless steel lined thermos will benefit from a soaking in the same strength solution of baking soda and water.Sprinkle baking soda on greasy spots on concrete.For pet stains, saturate the spot with vinegar, then scrub with a paste of baking soda and water. This tends to produce a lot of fizzing and bubbling, which may also have the effect of amusing the children.Baking soda is a good non-abrasive cleaner for fiberglas sinks and shower stalls.Add a cup of baking soda to the toilet, let it sit for an hour, and then brush and flush.You can find many other uses for baking soda on the net, but you do have to exercise some caution and common sense. There is a classic old 60-point list of uses from the library of the Institute of Appropriate Technology that many others have copied and added to. Unfortunately, some of those copies suffer from simple typos and others from an unfortunate lack of knowledge. On the original list, #54 read "When scalding a chicken, add 1 tsp. of soda to the boiling water. The feathers will come off easier and flesh will be clean and white." Someone else substituted "boiling" for scalding in their list of uses, obviously unaware that "scalding" a chicken has nothing to do with cooking it.Another helpful person suggested using baking soda and citric acid as a substitute for yeast. Baking soda can indeed be used to make baking powder, by combining 2 parts cream of tartar with one part baking soda and one part cornstarch, but this is not a substitute for yeast. Using a baking soda and citric acid (or lemon juice) mixture in place of yeast will effectively make a quick bread out of whatever yeast bread you were trying to make. While that might be fine in an emergency, you won't get the same texture and crumb as if you used yeast.One big advantage of baking soda is its low cost. Even Arm and Hammer, the most expensive brand, is fairly reasonable. I've checked out what it would cost to purchase 50 pounds or more at a time, but shipping is a killer. So I watch out for it at the discount and warehouse stores I know of, and buy the largest package size they have.The other big advantage of baking soda is that it doesn't have any particular storage requirements, other than being kept dry. It's perfectly happy in your unheated garage, shed or barn (or in my case, outside in plastic pails under a tarp). It doesn't even need to be stored in food-safe pails if you keep a separate supply specifically for food use.Coming next: cleaning with vinegar.Labels: baking soda, cleaning, non-electric posted by Liz @ 10:46 AM | The template is set to display 10 posts. To see all the posts for this month, click on the month name in the Archive section RSS Feed PERSONAL Send email toliz at life-as-a-spectator-sport.com Home I'm a mother, grandmother, a computer professional, Democrat, Christian. I welcome politely worded comments and email, my spam filter throws the rest away, so don't bother to flame me WHY 'LIFE AS A SPECTATOR SPORT' "If you're lucky not to live in the gutters of a slum, but still can't afford to take vacations in the Alps, you're part of that enormous middle class who lives life through the medium of the television, further separated from "real" life by air conditioner, by automobile, by dishwasher, microwave and ice-in-the-door refrigerator, by automatic washer and dryer, and all the other appliances and conveniences that make it possible for America to live life at second hand. I'm not sure why Americans decided that televised drama was better than the real thing, that cardboard microwave food containers were an adequate substitute for real dishes, and their contents for real food, or that cooking, dishwashing and face-to-face conversation wasn't worth the effort and time it required. Someone fed this nation a plastic crate of out-of-season tomatoes and told us it was life and we took them at their word, and we're so much the poorer for it that it's hard to know where to start to list the shortcomings." I wrote this a couple of years ago, but I have to admit it's much less amusing than I thought it would be to see the artifical construct falling apart. THE NON-ELECTRIC HOME Cleaning, 1 Cleaning, 2 Cleaning, 3 KNITTING BLOGS Extravayarnza Knitting Heretic Mind of Winter Pie Knits Persistent Illusion See Eunny Knit The Keyboard Biologist Taleweaver's Ramblings TECHnitting Wendy Knits FINISHED PROJECTS -------FINISHED IN 2006------- Peruvian Cap Tutti-Frutti Socks Shelley's Socks Carol's Socks -------FINISHED IN 2007------- Chain Link Socks Baby Surprise Jacket Valerie & Friend Baby Bonnet Rainbow Baby Socks Girls Pixie Hood Mitred Square Heart Red & White Socks Coffee Cup Pot Holder Nubbins Dishcloth Garterlac Dishcloth Suede Booties Kate's Socks Norwegian Sweet Baby Cap Half Thumbless Mittens Red Mittens for Akkol -------FINISHED IN 2008------- SELF-RELIANCE AND THE FUTURE -- Blogs and websites -- Causubon's Book Club Orlov Food Storage Made Easy From the Wilderness In the Wake Listening to Katrina Survival Topics The Modern Homestead The Oil Drum Notes from a Hillside Farm -- Mailing Lists -- 12vdc Power Living on the Land Rainwater Refrigeration Alternatives Old Ways of Living POLITICAL BLOGS and SITES The political sites have moved BOOKS I'M READING How to Grow More Vegetables, etc. Small Scale Grain Raising ARCHIVES February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 August 2008 July 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003 December 2002 November 2002 October 2002 September 2002 August 2002 July 2002 June 2002 May 2002 April 2002 March 2002 February 2002 Feedjit Live Blog Stats
Since I've been making such an issue about living without electricity, I thought I should post some tips about how to actually do it.Disclaimer--I do have electricity at the moment, and also cold running water. But I've lived without them in the past, at one time for an extended period, and I live as much as possible now as though I didn't have either one. So what I describe here is applicable to the truly non-electric home (even if I do make occasional references to things like electric appliances and plastic garbage bags).Repeat after me: Google is not your friend today; baking soda is your friend. Baking soda can be substituted (by itself or with one or two simple additions) for toothpaste, scouring powder, deodorant, a facial scrub, an effective relief for insect bites and sunburn, to deodorize the refrigerator, garbage can, diaper pail and kitty litter box, to put out kitchen fires, and many more uses, including what most people think of--as a leavening agent for baking.Here is just a sampling of household cleaning uses:Make a paste with baking soda and water to clean greasy cast iron and enameled pots. It won't scratch the enamal, and it will remove baked or fried-on deposits from your cast iron without damaging the seasoning.You can safely clean any type of formica, granite, tile or marble countertop with dry baking soda and a damp sponge or dishcloth, also stovetops, appliances, and stainless steel sinks and fixtures.Most people use baking soda in the fridge, but it's good for other potentially stinky areas too. When you change the bag in your garbage can, sprinkle some baking soda in the bottom to offset odors from anything that might sneak down into the can itself.Since the non-electric home won't have a microwave with which to sanitize your dishcloths and/or sponges (and IMHO no one should have one now either), soak them overnight in a solution of baking soda and water, about 3 tablespoons to a quart of warm water (and in the future, pour boiling water over your dishcloth after you finish the dishes, then hang it up to dry--this will keep it from getting smelly in the first place).Keep wooden cutting boards and counter tops clean by scrubbing with a paste made fron a tablespoonful each of baking soda, salt and water.Soak your stainless steel (but not aluminum) coffee pot in a solution of 3 tablespoons baking soda to one quart of water.A glass or stainless steel lined thermos will benefit from a soaking in the same strength solution of baking soda and water.Sprinkle baking soda on greasy spots on concrete.For pet stains, saturate the spot with vinegar, then scrub with a paste of baking soda and water. This tends to produce a lot of fizzing and bubbling, which may also have the effect of amusing the children.Baking soda is a good non-abrasive cleaner for fiberglas sinks and shower stalls.Add a cup of baking soda to the toilet, let it sit for an hour, and then brush and flush.You can find many other uses for baking soda on the net, but you do have to exercise some caution and common sense. There is a classic old 60-point list of uses from the library of the Institute of Appropriate Technology that many others have copied and added to. Unfortunately, some of those copies suffer from simple typos and others from an unfortunate lack of knowledge. On the original list, #54 read "When scalding a chicken, add 1 tsp. of soda to the boiling water. The feathers will come off easier and flesh will be clean and white." Someone else substituted "boiling" for scalding in their list of uses, obviously unaware that "scalding" a chicken has nothing to do with cooking it.Another helpful person suggested using baking soda and citric acid as a substitute for yeast. Baking soda can indeed be used to make baking powder, by combining 2 parts cream of tartar with one part baking soda and one part cornstarch, but this is not a substitute for yeast. Using a baking soda and citric acid (or lemon juice) mixture in place of yeast will effectively make a quick bread out of whatever yeast bread you were trying to make. While that might be fine in an emergency, you won't get the same texture and crumb as if you used yeast.One big advantage of baking soda is its low cost. Even Arm and Hammer, the most expensive brand, is fairly reasonable. I've checked out what it would cost to purchase 50 pounds or more at a time, but shipping is a killer. So I watch out for it at the discount and warehouse stores I know of, and buy the largest package size they have.The other big advantage of baking soda is that it doesn't have any particular storage requirements, other than being kept dry. It's perfectly happy in your unheated garage, shed or barn (or in my case, outside in plastic pails under a tarp). It doesn't even need to be stored in food-safe pails if you keep a separate supply specifically for food use.Coming next: cleaning with vinegar.Labels: baking soda, cleaning, non-electric
Labels: baking soda, cleaning, non-electric
The template is set to display 10 posts. To see all the posts for this month, click on the month name in the Archive section
RSS Feed
PERSONAL
WHY 'LIFE AS A SPECTATOR SPORT'
"If you're lucky not to live in the gutters of a slum, but still can't afford to take vacations in the Alps, you're part of that enormous middle class who lives life through the medium of the television, further separated from "real" life by air conditioner, by automobile, by dishwasher, microwave and ice-in-the-door refrigerator, by automatic washer and dryer, and all the other appliances and conveniences that make it possible for America to live life at second hand. I'm not sure why Americans decided that televised drama was better than the real thing, that cardboard microwave food containers were an adequate substitute for real dishes, and their contents for real food, or that cooking, dishwashing and face-to-face conversation wasn't worth the effort and time it required. Someone fed this nation a plastic crate of out-of-season tomatoes and told us it was life and we took them at their word, and we're so much the poorer for it that it's hard to know where to start to list the shortcomings." I wrote this a couple of years ago, but I have to admit it's much less amusing than I thought it would be to see the artifical construct falling apart.
THE NON-ELECTRIC HOME
Cleaning, 1 Cleaning, 2 Cleaning, 3
KNITTING BLOGS
Extravayarnza Knitting Heretic Mind of Winter Pie Knits Persistent Illusion See Eunny Knit The Keyboard Biologist Taleweaver's Ramblings TECHnitting Wendy Knits
FINISHED PROJECTS
SELF-RELIANCE AND THE FUTURE
POLITICAL BLOGS and SITES
BOOKS I'M READING
How to Grow More Vegetables, etc. Small Scale Grain Raising
ARCHIVES
February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 August 2008 July 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003 December 2002 November 2002 October 2002 September 2002 August 2002 July 2002 June 2002 May 2002 April 2002 March 2002 February 2002
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