Borax
In nature, boron combines to form boric acid and inorganic salts called borates and does not exist by itself. Borax is a form of hydrous sodium borate that occurs in and regions, forming from the evaporation of saline lakes. It is also synthesised as a by-product of borate deposit mining. It is normally colourless, white, or light grey. Naturally occurring borax is translucent due to water in its structure, but develops a white powder on its surface as the water evaporates.

Borax has myriad uses in the modern world, both at home and in industry. In the home borax is used as a laundry detergent booster, cleaner, preservative, fungicide, insecticide, herbicide, and disinfectant.

Disinfectants
Once again simple laundry soap can be used as a disinfectant. In addition there are many essential oils, such as lavender, clove, and tea tree oil (an excellent natural fungicide), that are very antiseptic. Use one teaspoon of essential oil to two cups of water in a spray bottle is not only a fabulous disinfectant, but leaves a wonderful scent in the air. Locating natural essential oils online is simple when you find a site like OzFreeOnline.com. There are thousands of classified ads and searching for what you want is easy once you have registered and logged in. So happy searching.

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Sodium Carbonate (aka Washing Soda)
Soluble in water and very slightly soluble in alcohol. Pure sodium carbonate is a white, odourless powder that absorbs moisture from the air, has an alkaline taste, and forms a strongly alkaline water solution. It is one of the most basic industrial chemicals. Sodium carbonate decahydrate, Na2CO3·10H2O, is a colourless, transparent crystalline compound commonly called sal soda or washing soda.

Because seaweed ashes were an early source of sodium carbonate, it is often called soda ash or, simply, soda. The principal uses of sodium carbonate are in the manufacture of glass and the production of chemicals. It is also used in processing wood pulp to make paper, in making soaps and detergents, in refining aluminium, in water softening.

When you are ready to go online to search for these ‘green’ alternatives for cleaning, logon to OzFreeOnline.com, register and then search through the thousands of classifieds where you will find some of these alternative detergents and ‘green’ products. Washing soda releases no harmful fumes and is far safer than a commercial solvent formula, but you should wear gloves when using it because it is caustic.

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Perhaps you have sensitive skin, or one of the kids is asthmatic, maybe you don’t want to use harsh chemicals around your home. There are so many products in our supermarkets for use in household cleaning it is absolutely overwhelming. Think about this. If we bought one item for every job in our house, we would most likely end up with hundreds of products in our cleaning cupboard. Well, I am here to tell you that grandmother was most probably right. All you need is some simple know-how, elbow-grease and the right ingredients to make your own non-toxic cleaners.

Just go online and look at the many sites, which sell cleaning products. I found too many to surf through and frankly, it became quite a chore. Learning to make some homemade recipes, can really be satisfying, and so much cheaper particularly if you take time to understand how some of the supplies work. Here are some simple ingredients, which are safe, effective, cheap, and make excellent cleaning products.

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When you next plan a refurbishment in your home, and are searching online for painters, decorators and tradespeople, consider the colours you are going to choose. Find every product and service you need at renovating.com.au. Alternatively to find a paint or a painter in your area Australia Wide. Fast, easy, and free then log on to OzFreeOnline.com. Register and log in to the free classified pages where you will find thousands of ads that will help you do the job right. For many years now, we have been told that colours you live with in your home can have a real affect on your emotional and physical states. Now it is time for you to be aware of how different colours have a unique vibration, and how this can notably affect feelings in a room.

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Store gravy packets, seasoning packets, etc. in a small, clear plastic or glass containers for easy access. Line up boxes with their sides facing front. If possible, store the most often used items at eye level. Store heavy items, such as boxes of ‘long life’ juice, milk, and cordials on a lower shelf.

If you have extra wall space, consider storage hanging hooks, a notice board, and other helpful organising items. Purchase handy space saving products such as stacking containers, and sturdy baskets for onions, garlic, and potatoes. You can buy so many kitchen items on line now and one site, which specialises in plastic containers of all sizes.

Organising spices which you use most often in the front row. If you have a shallow drawer near your stove, consider laying all of your small spice jars in there. Place them label side up so it is easy to view them all at once. Most dried spices lose their flavour in six months. Discard any spices that are older than six months or you no longer use. To keep track of the freshness of spices, write the purchase date or throw away date on the bottle with a black marker.

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