Word-of-Mouth Cures That Really Work!

I found this article on MSN today and thought it was worth reprinting in it's entirity here. This is some good information on home remedies. Enjoy.....

Word-of-Mouth Cures That Really Work!
Seven homespun remedies that have solid research behind them.
By Quick & Simple Staff

It's amazing how many traditional cures actually have evidence to support them, says Francesca J. Fusco, M.D., of Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. Here are seven that have solid research—not just someone's grandma!—behind them.

Zap nail fungus with bleach
Why: "We're not sure why, but there is something in bleach that slows down the growth of nail fungi," says Dr. Fusco.
How: Combine one teaspoon of bleach with one cup of water.
(Note: Always dilute the mixture—applying pure bleach will burn skin.) Then, use a dropper to place this mixture under the affected nail. Repeat twice a day until the infection disappears; this could take up to three weeks.

Prevent blisters on your feet with deodorant
Why: Blisters are caused by skin rubbing against your shoes, and are made worse by sweating. "Deodorant works on your feet just like it does under your arms: It stops sweat glands from producing sweat," says Ranella J. Hirsch, M.D., president of the American Society for Cosmetic Dermatology and Aesthetic Surgery.
How: Before heading out, roll deodorant—any kind will do—on your soles.

Soothe burns with tomato
Why: "The tomato contains lycopene, which is a natural anti-inflammatory, so it calms inflamed skin. And the wetness of the tomato juice helps draw some of the liquid out of the burn, reducing swelling," says Dr. Fusco.
How: Slice a large tomato and apply pieces to damaged skin. Leave on for five minutes, then remove, letting the remaining juices fully dry on skin. Once dry, rinse skin with cool water. Repeat twice daily until discomfort ends.

Calm insect bites with aspirin
Why: "Aspirin is made of salicylic acid, a potent anti-inflammatory that can reduce pain and itching," says Dr. Hirsch.
How: Crush three aspirin and add a few drops of water—enough to make a paste, Dr. Hirsch says. Apply mixture to the bite. Leave on for two minutes, then rinse with cool water. Repeat twice daily until pain and itching stop.

Stop small cuts from bleeding with used tea bags
Why: "The tannic acid in tea has an astringent effect, prompting blood vessels to constrict more quickly, which slows the flow of blood," explains Dr. Fusco.
How: Using light pressure, hold a cool (not warm) tea bag against the cut for one minute. Rinse, then cover with a bandage.

Remove warts with duct tape
Why: Experts at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Wash., found this remedy could clear warts in two months. There are a few theories about how it works. One is that duct tape irritates warts, causing an immune system reaction that attacks them. "Another is that the tape removes the virus-laden skin cells," says Anthony Mancini, M.D., professor of dermatology at Northwestern University.
How: Apply a piece of tape that's the same size as the wart and leave on for six days. (If tape falls off, replace ASAP.) Remove tape after the six days and clean area with soap and water; leave tape off overnight. In the morning, reapply tape, keep on for five days and repeat until wart disappears. It may take up to two months, says Dr. Mancini, but it's less painful and less expensive than repeated doctor visits.

Nix dandruff with apple cider vinegar
Why: "The vinegar's acidity reduces the natural pH of the scalp," explains Dr. Fusco. "And this creates an unfriendly environment for yeast that tend to overpopulate the head and cause dandruff."
How: Mix 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar with one quart of water and use as a final rinse after shampooing, twice weekly.

More Home Made Household Cleaning Products

Although I'd like to take credit for all the following - I can't. The first part of this post came from The Dollar Stretcher website at http://www.stretcher.com. It is an article written by Amy Allen Clark. She is a stay-at-home mother of two wonderful children. She is founder and creator of http://www.momadvice.com. Her website is geared towards mothers who are seeking advice on staying organized, living on a budget, and those seeking work-at-home employments. Please visit her money-saving blog where she offers even more tips for ways you can save your family money. The other part of this article is cut and pasted cleaning recipes from the Dollar Stretcher website. Just read - enjoy and then try the cleaner recipes. I have tried several of them before and they work. I did not know about the furniture polish though. I'm going to try that tomorrow or maybe the next day - or whenever I have time to dust...... LOL. I'm just too busy planting spring flowers and blogging for my wonderful readers to care about a dusty house right now. Here's Amy's article and the recipes:

I am not going to launch into a preachy prose about how bad commercial cleaning products are today when it comes to cleaning your home. It is common knowledge that a healthy home is not doused in heavy-duty bleach and preserving our environment should be tops on our priority list. The truth is, if you peeked inside of my caddy of cleaners, you would see some of these harmful products in there. The fact is that I am trying to rely less on these cleaners and rely more on homemade cleaners. I am in the process of making the transition over to using only healthy homemade cleaners and feel a lot of pride when I take the time to do this.

Making cleaners does not mean that you need to purchase a ton of items; in fact, most cleaners can be made from things you already have in your house. The main components that I like to work with are white vinegar, baking soda, liquid dish washing soap, and lemon juice. To get started, however, you may need to purchase a few spray bottles. I pick these spray bottles up from our local dollar store. These clear spray bottles will make it easy to measure and label your new cleaners in your house.

If you do decide to use these types of cleaners regularly, I would suggest making a trip to your wholesale club to buy the ingredients. A small box of baking soda can cost around fifty cents at your local grocery store. The same baking soda, in a twelve-pound bag, from Sam's Club costs about $5.42. What a savings! All of these products can be purchased in bulk, and once you begin using them regularly, you will go through them quickly.

While you are at the warehouse store, be sure to swing by the automotive section and pick up a bag of microfiber cloths. The cloths sold at the warehouse store are larger and thicker than the ones you can get in other stores, and these are great for all of the jobs around your house. You can use these wet or dry. You can also use these just using water and not even bothering with a cleaner because they are that amazing.

Be sure when you launder your microfiber cloths that you do not use any type of fabric softener and use a very little amount of soap or cleaner on them. If you overload them with cleaning products, they will become less and less effective, particularly when you are trying to attract dust towards them. Because these cleaners are homemade and use less harsh ingredients, they will require a little more elbow grease than your commercial products. Here are some of my tried-and-true recipes that we use in our house:
All-Purpose Cleaner - Mix together two tablespoons of mild dish washing soap and two cups of water in a spray bottle and give it a shake. Use this anywhere that you would use a commercial all-purpose spray. This cleaner is particularly great for counter tops, bathroom surfaces, and high chairs.

Glass Cleaner - Mix together one part white vinegar to one part water in a spray bottle. Spray this solution on your mirrors and windows and dry your windows with newspaper. The newspaper is great for lint-free drying.
Homemade Oven Cleaner/Deep Kitchen Cleaner - Mix a paste of three parts warm water to one part baking soda to clean away kitchen stains or to clean your oven.
Bathroom Cleaner - Mix dish washing liquid with baking soda until you have a thick paste and use this throughout your bathroom.
Toilet Bowl Cleaner - No measuring is required with this recipe. Sprinkle a little baking soda into your toilet bowl and then pour a little vinegar in and watch it fizz it up. Give it a swish with your toilet brush and then flush.
Floor Cleaner - Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to a gallon of water. The scent of the vinegar will fade in approximately an hour, but you can also add a couple of drops of essential oil to help with the scent.
Furniture Polish - Mix 1/4 cup olive oil with four tablespoons of vinegar and two teaspoons of lemon juice. Pour into a spray bottle and shake well before using. If you do not use all of it in one cleaning session, store the remainder in the fridge, as the lemon juice can go sour.
Silver Cleaner - Although I don't polish silver very frequently, this is a great to have in your bag of tricks. In a large bowl (or you can use your kitchen sink), place strips of aluminum foil and place the silver pieces on top. Cover the silver with boiling water and then add three tablespoons of baking soda and soak for ten minutes.

By making your own cleaners, you will save hundreds of dollars over the course of the year. What a difference that will make to your grocery budget and helping the environment is a wonderful benefit of your fabulous frugalness.

More frugal cleaning product ideas:

From a reader named Layne -

I, too, thought the price on the clean-up wipes was way too expensive at $3.99 for a package of 28 in my area, so I modified my homemade baby wipes to make my own clean-ups.

Cleaning Wipes: Cut a roll of Bounty paper towels in half, and remove cardboard tube. In an airtight container add 1 1/2 cups water and 1/2 cup of cleaner (bleach or pine Sol or whatever kind you want). I use an old 5-quart ice cream bucket and Mr. Clean Anti-Bacterial. Place roll of paper towels in and seal with lid. Turn upside down until all liquid is absorbed in paper towels. To use, pull each piece of paper towel out of the center. I figured I spent about 75¢ for 100 wipes. Quite a savings! They work great for wiping down the bathroom and kitchen.

From a reader named Bridgett -

Baby Wipes: I use Bounty Select-A-Size paper towels and fold them into thirds. Put them in an old Huggie wipee box. Mix 2 cups warm water, 2 tablespoons baby lotion, and 2 tablespoons baby bath. Pour over the paper towels. You can adjust the recipe if you like your wipees' wetter or drier.

For each of the following, I use Bounty or Viva paper towels, because neither one of these turns to mush. I take a roll of paper towels, cut it in half, and take out the cardboard inside. You won't need it for anything. You'll pull out the sheets from the center. I keep each of the following in a Rubbermaid container big enough to hold half a roll of paper towels:
Kitchen Face Wipe: 2 tablespoons Johnson & Johnson Baby Bath and 2 cups water

Bathroom disinfectant wipes: 2 cups Pine Cleaner (your choice) and 2 cups water.

Bug Wipe: 1 cup Avon Skin so Soft and 1 cup water

Window Wipe: 1 1/2 cups Glass Cleaner (your choice) and 1/2 cup water

All of the above save me some time and money, and they get used a lot here! I've marked the tops of each with exactly what is inside, and the same container gets used over and over again for even more savings.

Room Deodorizers from several readers:

The Fake Febreeze Recipe
2 C. Fabric Softener
2 C. Baking Soda
4 C. warm water
Mix and place in a spritzing bottle. Use just like you would the expensive Febreeze from the store. If you want, you can use the unscented fabric softener and then add a few drops of essential oil to make it a scent that you prefer. I just use Snuggle. Tina

Easy Deodorizer
The best deodorizer that I make is plain tap water with several drops of essential oil in it. I normally use lavender. About 15 drops for a 32-ounce spray bottle. When needed, I simply mist the air. I use lavender because it's so relaxing! Katrina
Good Use for Vodka
I own a business which styles and sells wigs, falls, and other synthetic hairpieces, and the best trick I've learned for getting smells out of those fibers works just as well on other fibers and fabrics. Just mix water and vodka in a 1:1 ratio and spritz it right on. Works as well as commercial products like Febreeze. It evaporates quickly, leaving no alcohol-scent behind. Penny
Less Expensive Substitute
Sam's club has a product called OdoBan. It comes in a gallon jug as a concentrate. You may make the scent as light or strong as you wish by adding water to a very small amount in a spray bottle. The scent isn't as flowery as Febreeze but pleasant, very effective, and very affordable. I have had my gallon for over a year and it's still almost a gallon. My daughter uses this product at her pet grooming shops. The scent of wet dog isn't so noticeable. I have also read you may add fabric softener diluted with water as a spray, but would worry about furniture because product stains clothes if not used right. Dian

Home Made Laundry Soap - and yes it is easy and worth it!!

It has been a hectic two weeks and I have not posted to either of my blogs because I have been so busy. First of all I had to make an unexpected trip to tow my nephew home to Utah from Baker California. I had 3 hours notice from the time we decided to go pick him up until I left. A few days later I went on an impromptu short trip with my man to Las Vegas (which would have been much more fun without the two year old - but at this point I will take what I can get). I now have house guest for another week and I am trying desperately to get organized enough again to post regularly to my blogs.......

I was very happy to have easy everyday food storage after a few weeks like this. My daughter that is a senior in high school, stayed home alone during my recent trips. She is so responsible!! I am so thankful to have a good daughter like her that I can trust to take care of the dogs and the house while I am away. I did not have to worry about going to the store before of after my trips and I did not have to worry about her eating junk food while I was gone. Before I walked out the door on my first trip, I put a casserole from my freezer in the oven for her to eat on while I was gone. She had plenty of things in 'the store' in the basement to eat for lunches and snacks. I did not have to worry about laundry soap or toilet paper or anything of that nature and it certainly makes it easier to just pick up and go when you have an organized 'store' of food and supplies. Speaking of laundry soap - that is what I want to share with you today.

I have not bought laundry soap in over 6 months now. I have been making my own and I am so pleased with the results that I now feel confident enough to tell you about it. Homemade laundry soap is not the old fashioned lye soap that grandma used to make - so there is no worry about having toxic fumes fill your kitchen. It is very economical too. I priced Tide at my local Walmart this week in preparation to share this with you. Where I live - it was $19.96 for a 96 load size of liquid Tide. That's about 21 cents per load. In contrast - making your own laundry soap is only about couple of pennies per load (depending on how much you use and which brand of bar soap you use to make it). You can get all three ingredients needed at your local grocery store. That's right - I said only 3 measly little ingredients and about 20 minutes on your stove top. It's super simple. Here's how to do it:

Home Made Laundry Soap

Ingredients:
1 bar Fel Naptha (you may also use Ivory soap (large sized bar) if this laundry bar is not available at your local store. In Utah - Fels Naptha can be found at your local Reams or Maceys in the laundry section.)
1 Cup Twenty Mule Team Borax
1 Cup Washing Soda (this is not the same as regular baking soda even though it is made by Arm and Hammer as well. It can be found in the laundry section of your super market. It is a detergent booster. it is also found in Reams here in Utah and Publix markets back East.)

Use your cheese grater to grate the Fel Naptha or Ivory soap into a bowl. Since these are non-toxic - you can grate them with your kitchen grater and not worry about using it on your food later. Use the smallest grate setting so the bar will melt easier later. Add the soda and borax and mix. You may use this detergent just as any other powdered detergent. Only use 2 TBS per load. In hard water areas try 3 TBS per load.

To make a liquid detergent (this is what I like to do), put 3 pints of water into a large stock pot. Add the grated bar, borax and soda. Stir over medium heat until the bar is completely dissolved and the mixture is thickened. Take your pot to the sink and add more warm water nearly to the top of the pot. Continue stirring. When it has cooled a little, pour mixture into a five gallon bucket and add more water to make approximately 4 1/2 gallons. Use a long handle wooden spoon to stir. (I have an attachment for my drill to stir paint that I bought at my local hardware store. That is how I stir my mixture, but I know not everyone will have this and a wooden spoon works just fine as well.) When all is done and the mixture is cooled enough to work with, use a funnel and 5 well cleaned milk jugs to store your product. I would use a two cup measure to pour from instead of trying to pour the mixture straight from the bucket into the funnel and milk jugs. Use only 1/2 cup per regular load. (1 cup if you have hard water)

Some people using well water might find that the mixture does not get clothes white enough in water with heavy minerals. If you're using very hard water, you might consider mixing the homemade version 50/50 with your expensive commercial detergent. We have very hard water in our town, but I have a water softener in my home and only have to use 1/2 cup per regular sized laundry load. I cannot say what your individual results may be. I think I would try using more of your homemade soap first before mixing it 50/50. Either way - it is still a significant savings. A five gallon bucket will yield 160 loads at 1/2 cup per load and only cost $2 per bucket to make. That's a far cry better than $20 for 96 loads of Tide and I can't notice a difference.

I spent $3.99 each on the box of borax and washing soda. Each box is enough for me to make 8 recipes of this detergent. The Fels Naptha is $1.26 locally here but Ivory soap is only $3.99 for an 8 bar pack of the larger sized bars. So basically for $12, I can make enough laundry soap to last my family for two years. That's 1280 loads at $12 bucks - so that's not even a penny per load if I use Ivory soap. Can you say WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tide is 21 times that expensive.

I also use this same mixture as a stain fighter and have not bought Spray-N-wash in over 6 months either. You can mix 2 parts of your homemade liquid soap with 1 part water and put it into a spray bottle to pre-treat stains. I also rub out particularly tough stains with liquid dish soap if needed. At $3 a bottle, Spray-N-Wash is just too expensive when I can do this.

When traveling on road trips, pack individual packets of the powdered version in plastic baggies to use at the laundry mat so you don't spend a fortune on those little one use boxes in the vending machine.

Additionally, use 1/4 cup of plain white vinegar in the rinse cycle as a fabric softener. This removes excess soap residue if you have that problem with your current brand. I do not have that problem with homemade detergent. Vinegar is much cheaper if purchased by the gallon, and pricing varies greatly. I use the cheapest store brand I can find and it works very well. Vinegar also has so many other uses such as in your dishwasher as a spot remover (no more expensive rinse agents!!) and as a window cleaner to remove hard water stains. For more tips and tricks on homemade cleaning products go to the Dollar Stretcher website at: http://www.stretcher.com/

30 minute Cheesey Italitan breadsticks

This recipe was originally posted as a video from YouTube last month (April 3rd if you want to look up the original video). Since then I have personally made it several times and tweaked it to my personal taste. My family begs for it now. I hope you will like it as well.

PS* - I just got a note from a friend of mine - Jolene McQueen - and she says she has experimented and made a similar recipe leaving off the cheeses and using cinnamon and sugar instead of the italian seasonings and garlic and that it is fabulous for breakfast and brunch. I am definatley gonna try that and I will let you know the amounts that I used to get it perfect (at least to my taste) later.

30 Minute Bread Sticks
Yummy delicious breadsticks your family will love and they truly only take 30 minutes from the moment you start to assemble your ingredients until they are out of your oven.

Utensils:

Stand mixer with dough hook attachment
A 9 X 13 baking pan or large cookie sheet if recipe is doubled
Measuring cup and spoons

Ingredients:

1 ¼ Cup really warm tap water
1 TBS yeast
¼ Cup butter or margarine (1/2 stick)
1 TBS sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 ½ TBS oil (olive oil taste best – but regular vegetable oil is just fine too)
3 Cups flour (I use half white and half wheat)
1 – 8 oz. package shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ cup parmesan cheese
More garlic salt to sprinkle on top to your taste

Directions:
Dissolve yeast in water right in your mixer bowl and let stand 2 minutes. Meanwhile – set your oven to preheat to 400*. Put the cold butter in your pan and put it in the oven to melt while you mix the other ingredients. Add sugar, salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and oil to yeast mixture in bowl. Mix on low speed just until blended. Add flour slowly – one cup at a time. After last cup, lock your mixer (if it has that option) and just let the mixer work the dough by itself on medium speed for about 2 minutes until it has formed a ball around your hook. Take the pan with melted butter from oven with hot pads. Remove dough ball from mixer and spread directly into buttered pan with your fingers. Be careful not to touch the sides of the pan since they will be hot. Some of the butter will ooze up over the top of your dough as you press it into the pan. Just use your fingers to spread it over the whole dough mass when you finish spreading the dough out to all the edges of the pan.

Let dough rest for 10 minutes to rise a bit. It won’t rise much – but it will get a little fluffy. Sprinkle dough with garlic salt. Top with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Bake at 400* for 10 – to 12 minutes until cheese is melted and lightly browned. Slice bread with pizza cutter if on a shallow sided cookie sheet. If it is in a regular baking pan slice with a knife while still warm. A 9 X 13 pan makes about 16 bread sticks. These are soooooo yummy you’ll be making them all the time.