Building an Emergency Kit for the Home
Final Thoughts

Here are three intangible items to "stash" in your emergency prepardness kit:

A. Designated central contact and memorized contact information

Did you watch any of the news coverage about Hurricane Katrina and the effects of the storm? Weren't you touched by the sight of tearful mothers who finally got to hold children after being separted from each other for months? Rescue workers frantically tried to re-unite scattered families, but it took a long time before the process was complete.

Equally heart-wrenching were the stories of adult children who had moved away from the Gulf to start their own families and who were desparate to know if parents, siblings, and extended relatives had survived. In many cases, parents were unable to ascertain if their grown children and their grandchildren were still alive.

Sitting in our peaceful homes, its hard to imagine that we could ever be out of touch with our loved ones, particulary with our children. However, Katrina and other events have proved that this can happen to even the most caring and careful of families.

One method to prepare for this eventuality is to ask a relative to be a "central contact" for members of your immediate family to call. Perhaps, you might choose a relative who lives a bit away from you, so that he or she would not be likely to be caught up in a local disaster alaong with your family. Parents and children should memorize the name, phone number, and, for those who are old enough, the address of this relative, as well. Instruct all family members to check in with this person as soon as they can in the aftermath of an emergency.

The central contact can coordinate efforts to re-unite the members of your immediate family. He or she can reassure you, "Yes, Junior called. He's ok. He's at the Red Cross Station on Second Street."

Younger children can give this name and number to emergency workers, who will call the designated relative if they cannot find you.

Also, if you are incapacitated by the event and are unable to care for your children yourself, the contact can provide emergency workers with the names of other local relatives or friends who can care for your children.

In setting this up, we don't want to fill the heads of children or teens with the idea that we might not be there for them in an emergency. So, it's best to take a casual approach to learning this and other safety information. Teach them how to be prepared, but not fearful. Then, if it looks like something like Katrina is headed your way, calmly remind family members that this relative is on hand to help.

B. A clear head and a faithful heart.

God gave fear to us for a reason. In an emergency, healthy fear motivates us to take action on the behalf of our family's safety.

However, it's all too tempting to let our healthy fear escalate into panic and faithless terror -- or at least that's easy for me to do. When we panic, we find it hard to make wise decisions, and we are ineffective in dealing with situations. If we are parents and we totally fritz out, our children may place pressure on themselves to take on the parent role. Or, they may freak out themselves. Panic is contagious, spreading itself throughout out family and possibly even influencing friends and neighbors, as well.

If we can still our hearts and seek God's peace, then we will be able to help others calm down, as well. The whole process of calming our emotions will be easier if we have already hidden God's word in our heart and if we are in the habit of seeking God in all the little joys and the little trials of daily life. Faith is somewhat like a muscle, which gets stronger if you use it on a daily basis.

If you find yourself clinging to the top of your house, watching the flood waters rise, you won't have access to a Bible. How grateful you will be if you have a storehouse of strengthening verses that you can draw out of your heart! That doesn't mean that a person who isn't spiritually prepared shouldn't also cry out to our merciful God for help. But, how much better it is to be solid with God before an emergency arises!

Once an immediate crisis passes, we can still be tempted through our emotions. This is especially true if the after-effects of an emergency persist for a bit. Though a blizzard may have stopped or a hurricane may have passed, our lives may still be disrupted for days or weeks or months.

In such conditions, we will be fatigued from the strain on our emotions and our bodies. We will be out of our normal routine, and we may not have as fresh or as nourishing a diet as usual. Our sleep quality may be poor. We also may not have access to many comforts that we usually take for granted. While we will probably be able to take care of the basics, we may not be able to maintain the level of hygiene that our modern bodies are used to. We may not be able to exercise or even to get fresh air. Our children may not have a way to let off their youthful vigor, and that bottled up energy can make them restless and irritable. We could be mourning the loss of people, pets, farm animals, or property.

We may be stranded for a few days with our family inside our home, with little or no contact with the daily world. We may wind up in a crowded emergency shelter, with other people who are frightened, who are hungry and thirsty, who are out of their normal routine, who would give anything for a nice shower, and who want to go home just as badly as we do. Some of these people will take their uneasy feelings out on us or on the emergency workers who are trying to help.

How easy it would be in such situations to be grumpy, If we can manage to stay polite, calm, and cheerful in spite of our trials, we will be a positive influence on our families and, even, on people outside of our family. Our children will take their cues from us. Even fellow evacuees in an emergency shelter may be soothed if we keep a helpful attitude.

Understand, we're not talking about being fake, but about disciplining our emotions. You will not be able to keep up a courageous front by your own power. You will need God's help to sustain you. It may be hard to find time for peaceful conversation with God, but you can likely find some way to pour out your feelings to Him. Perhaps, you might even be able to calmly talk out your feelings with someone else, when appropriate. You might need to have a good cry with God or family members to clear things out and give you a fresh perspective.

Even with your children, it's ok to humbly admit, "Yes, I'm a little afraid, but I am giving my fear to God. This verse helps me to trust him," or to say, "I am sad that our house burned down, just like you are." This opens the door for children to express their own fears and sorrow and it also models for them how to deal with hard times in a faithful way.
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The goal is to discipline, rather than to deny, our emotions. We recognize and work through our feelings. But, we do not let our feelings control us. We school ourselves so that our actions, our words, and our decisions are governed by faith.

Many of us will never face a disaster on the scale of Hurricane Katrina or the World Trade Center bombings. For that we can be grateful. More often, we will merely be inconvienced by a power outage or by being snowed in. When I was a child, without adult responsiblity and unmindful of the dire things that can happen in this world, I had a blast in situations like this. I have fantastic memories of family time spent during and after a hurricane -- and this is despite the fact that a tree split in two and one half fell on our house! Later on, we moved from Florida to Georgia. From our Georgia days, I have wonderful memories of camping out in the den during several ice and snow storms, the kind that paralyze Southen cities because they are rare, messy, and we don't ahve the equipment on hand to deal with them. But, to me, every moment of a winter storm was fun! If you treat occasions like this as family adventures, your children will, too.

C. Steadfast Home Keeping

Even in an emergency, you are still keeper of your home. If all you can do is neaten and brighten your little corner of an emergency shelter, do it. If you have children, enlist their help, as well. At the very least, they can roll up sleeping bags and wash their faces and comb their hair. Keeping some sort of domestic routine and making as homey an atmosphere as possible will give you something positive to do, and it will benefit your family, as well. Who knows? Your example could even inspire fellow evacuees.

Of course, if you are injured or sick during an emergency, you need to concentrate first on getting well. And, even if you are well, do not get frustrated if your attempts to keep things homey go awry. This is no time to be a perfectionist! Just do the best you can.

I read a letter on Flylady's site that has truly convicted me. It was written by an American woman whose family lived in a middle eastern country when she was a child. Her father started working there when things were fairly peaceful, but the relationship between America and this country deteriorated. As tensions escalated and violence towards Americans increased, her parents made plans to get the family to safety. But, it was not easy for civilian Americans to get out of the country. Her father was forced to keep working as normal until he could figure out a way to get them all back home.

Meanwhle, this woman's mother was determined to steadfastly keep her home as a safe shelter for her family. No matter what was going on outside the doors of her house, she did not let the conflict deter her from loving her family. She always set a lovely table. She cooked and cleaned as usual, and she added the little touches to a house that make it a home. The family always talked and played cards after dinner. They kept this up until the father was able to find military transport out of the country.

Because her father remained calm and her mother kept an orderly home, the woman who wrote the letter and her siblings hardly knew what danger they were in. She realizes now what courage it took for her parents to keep their family life so stable. But, all she remembers from her child's point of view is the happy times they shared. She credits this largely to her mother's steadfast home keeping.

I would like to have met that woman's mother. Wouldn't you? What a woman she must have been!

Domestic matters seem like such a small thing in the world's eyes. But, some of the bravest, most resourceful women in history were those who steadfastly kept home in the hardest of circumstances.

Enjoy!
Elizabeth

Building a Home Emergency Kit -- Part III
Consider These Items

Here’s a list of items that might be stored in a home emergency kit. I pulled this list together with short-term emergencies in mind. These will be useful whether you can stick out the emergency at home or if you need to evacuate. .

Many of the items on this list are things that you already use in your daily life. However, it is advisable to keep unopened duplicates of these in easy-to-carry, easy-to-locate containers. The last thing you want to do if you have to “but out” is to fly through your home, frantically gathering things together when you should be heading out the door.

Even if you do stay at home – say your family is snowed in and the power is out – your life will be easier if your supplies are located in one or two central locations. Pack you car with your emergency containers to make sure that you have enough space to carry them and your family members, as well. You may need to pack smaller containers with the barest essentials for evacuating and hold the overflow in larger containers for emergency use when staying in the shelter of your own home.

Every family should have an evacuation plan in case of house fire or nearby toxic accident or some other unforeseen emergency.

Check supplies frequently to make sure there are no leaks or holes and that the items are fresh. Swap out any things that are reaching their “use-by” date for new ones. You can place these aging items in your kitchen, laundry room, or medicine chest so that they will not be wasted.

Once you have your short-term kit in place, you can think about storing six months to a year of non-perishable rations, toiletries, etc, for your family. These do not have to be packed for evacuation, as you probably couldn't carry them with you anyway.

When building an emergency kit, you don't have to buy everything all at once. Most of us can't afford to go out and do that. You can buy an item here and there as the budget allows, until you feel that you are decently prepared.

Adapt this list to your needs. You may need things that aren’t on this list or decide that you don’t need some of the things that are on the list. This is just to spur your thinking.

Bible – tuck extra copy into your emergency supplies.
Water -- One gallon per person per day, at least three day’s supply
Canned fruit juices – Use for extra liquid and nourishment.
Canned milk – ditto to juices, plus use to prepare food. Use canned goat milk or non-perishable containers of soy milk if your family does not do dairy
Non-perishable food items -- Include many which do not require preparation. Have enough to feed your family for at least three days. Non-electric can opener. Disposable plates, cups, napkins, plastic forks, spoons, etc.
Family health history, emergency numbers, extra I.D., proof of insurance, in water proof packets.
Some emergency cash and credit/debit card. Also consider a money belt. Parents should divide the emergency cash between them. Each adult and each child old enough to handle money should also have enough change to make a couple of emergency calls and cash to buy a meal or two in case of separation from the family. I personally don't think that it would not be wise to give children enough cash to attract thieves. I base this on the chaotic conditions we saw after Hurricane Katrina, where violence errupted even in emergency shelters. However, I'm not expert in this area, so you should come to your own conviction about that.
Extra set of keys – Keep these on a hook by the door closet to your cars.
Extra prescription medicines and extra glasses/contacts, wet wipes (useful even for adults), liquid and tablet Benadryl, Tums, teaspoon or calibrated cup for measuring out liquid medicines, Tylenol and/or aspirin, ibuprofen, adhesive bandages in a variety of sizes, sterile gauze, adhesive tape, blunt-tipped scissors, Ace bandage, anti-diarrhea medicine, Sunscreen!!!, antibiotic cream, heat strips and/or cold packs – the ones that do not need electricity, refrigeration, hot water, or ice in order to work.
Chlorine bleach and/or other water purifier, Also rubbing alcohol to use as disinfectant.
A few inexpensive toys, children's books, etc. – Use to keep children entertained and calm during an emergency. A dollar store is a great place to find some items for this stash -- especially books -- but also buy a few things that won't break as quickly as dollar store items might. Books to read or books of puzzles, an inexpensive and easy cross-stitch kit, etc. -- These are for you, your spouse, and for older children. Riding out a disaster at home or in a shelter involves lots of waiting. Especially, if you are uprooted to an emergency shelter, you will need soothing, yet entertaining things to do individually and as a familly.
Blankets, sleeping bags, pillows. Rain gear. Long underwear (for cold climes). Sturdy shoes. Tie shoes for kids. One complete change of clothing for each family member.
Baby items, Feminine supplies (Note: In an emergency, a feminine pad can be pressed on someone’s wound to stem the blood flow until you can get medical help. Better to be a little embarrassed to use one for this purpose than to let someone continue to bleed),
Shampoo, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, dishwashing liquid, small shovel in case have to dig emergency latrine, garbage bags and ties, roll of toilet paper, paper towels, flashlights, radio, extra batteries, household gloves, signal flares, first-aid manual, disaster survival manual, safety pins, thermometer, compass. Travel sewing kit. New, never-used bucket for rinsing out dishes or clothing in emergency situations. Separate bucket to use as a chamber pot if home toilets cease to function.
Wrench within easy reach – This is if you need one to shut off gas or water.

You could also include copies of one or two of your favorite family photographs in your emergency evacuation kit. Stick an acid free stiffener, such as acid-free cardboard, between the photographs to protect them. Wrap them in waterproof plastic wrap.

Don’t, however, try to lug along huge photo albums or lots of sentimental objects if you have to “bug out” of your home. I say this as someone who gets very sentimentally attached to objects. Family or personal treasures are links to the people we love and the memories we cherish. Sometimes, we wrongly equate losing these links with losing the people or the memories themselves. However, as Jesus said, our lives do not consist of our things. Even if our houses and all of our possessions were to be destroyed, we’d be ok. In a crisis, it’s more important to focus on the present needs of our family.

Building an Emergency Kit for the Home -- Part II
No lights! No heat! Now what?

The obvious place to start in building a home emergency kit is with sources of alternate lighting. Don't think that because you live in an area where the weather is generally mild that you don't need to prepare for power outages; we've had them at our house even on beautiful sunny days! Moreover, our Southern state has a temperate clime and is not known for receiving a lot of ice and snow. But, on those rare occasions when we do experience wintery precipitation, conditions are are messy enough to shut down the whole town. Once, after an ice storm, we experienced a power outage that lasted for weeks!
Most of us know that we need flashlights and batteries on hand. I try to keep them stashed around the house, because you never know where you will be when the power goes out. This article is causing me to think that I need to make sure that our flashlights are in their proper places and that we have fresh batteries. In our home, flashlights and batteries, like pens and one sock out of a pair, seem to "go wandering".
In addition to flashlights, you will need longer-burning sources of light. Most experts suggest that you use battery powered lanterns, rather than candles or kerosene lamps. Our family has used candles, oil-burning lamps, and the light from fireplaces. If you also use these, please remember to be extra careful. Light sources that do produce a flame carry the risk of burns and fire. If you are already in some kind of power crisis, the last thing that you want to do is to to deal with a burn injury or set your home ablaze.
Once you've settled the question of light, you should then think ahead about prpearing for etreme heat heat or cold. Power outages often occur during times when the weather is very cold or very hot. Familiarize yourself now with directions for recognizing and treating heat-related and/or cold-related health problems. Be especially careful to watch for signs of temperature-related health issues in young children, the elderly, or in anyone whose body is already strained by an illness.
Check out the CDC's (U.S. Center for Disease Control) website for more information about treating hyper- and hypo-thermia. Make sure that your emergency stash contains any items suggested in the patient care directions.
In cold weather, you will need a way to heat your rooms. If you absolutely have no other way to provide warmth, do this: At the beginning of an emergency, while there is still hot water in your tank, run hot water into your tubs. (Keep kids away from steaming water). The water will give off some heat and will buy you several hours until you can get your family to safer conditions. Don't count on this method making the house comfortable; you will still need to bundle up.
Obviously, if you have wood-burning fireplaces or wood-burning stoves, you can continue to use these as you would in normal conditions. (Some wood-burning stoves rely on electricty to start them and to filter out toxic fumes, so know ahead of time if yours can be used in an emergency). The pros and cons of using portable heaters, fire places, and wood burning stoves are too extensive to mention in this post. There are benefits and hazards associated with each. Do some research and select what works for your family. If you do count on using a wood-burning fireplace, make sure you have plenty of dry wood on hand.
Remember, battery operated sources are safer than fire- or kerosene powered ones. They do require that you have enough batteries to last out a crisis, though.
When using alternate heating sources, consider safety issues such as the buildup of toxic fumes and potential fires. Make sure you have a working fire extinguisher on hand. Also, make sure that you understand the principles of adequate ventilation.
Portable generators are nice to have in a long-term power outage. Our family has not yet seen the need to purchase one. But, depending on your family's circumstances, you may deem that it is essential for you to have one. Generators generally run on deisel, natural gas, gasoline, or propane. Some are portable and provide just enough power to get you through an emergency (or even to add convience to a camping trip). Or, you can install a permanent residential standby generator. With both kinds of generators, make sure that you are aware of all safety considerations and that they are properly used and/or installed. When it comes to purchasing a generator and operating it properly, there's a lot of information to help you make wise choices.
You will also need a way to feed your family. Keep peanut butter and crackers or other food items that are nourishing, non-perishable, and require no cooking. You can heat up some foods in chafing dishes that are warmed by sterno cans. If you are a camper, you probably have a portable cook-stove in your gear. Remember, you may need to take such a stove outside to operate it safely.
If you have a fireplace, don't forget that some foods can be skewered and cooked over the glames. Be sure that you know what you are doing before you attempt this. Children may find it great fun to watch parnets cook in a fireplace. They may also delight in roasting hot dogs or tofu dogs or marshmallows, themselves, with adult supervision.
Perhaps, you might be lucky enough to find an old-fashioned corn popper or kettle and hook that were designed to used in a fireplace. Some modern fireplaces are too small to use the latter. But, if you have large one, you might be able to set it up ahead of time or some emergency cooking. Again, be sure that you know what you are doing!
Familiarize yourself with food safety guidlines for power outages. Train yourself and your children not to open freezers or refrigerators more than is necessary when the power is down. Keep the cold air inside. Keep an appliance thermometer in the fridge and freezer at all times.
If your power outage lasts less than two hours, the food inside your refrigerator and freezer will be safe to consume. After that, you will need to start evaluating which items are still edible, and which must be disposed of. Keep a list with emergency food safety guidlines close to your refrigerator or freezer. You can find such a list through many health department or food-service publications. There are several charts with emergency food safety guidelines aviable on the web, as well.
You can buy some extra time by using dry ice. This is providing that you can obtain it during an emergency and that you are aware of all safety considerations. Or, you can try placing some refrigerated items in coolers with regular ice. If you are in a warm weather outage that will last after the ice melts, you are not likely to have a way of replacing the ice.
If your power outage occurs during wintry temperatues, you can take advantage of "nature's freezer". Store some well-packed items on a screened in porch or in some other outdoor location that is safe from foraging animals.
Or, fill and re-fill coolers with snow. Remember, today's snow is contaminated with chemicals. Pack your food tightly so that that food surfaces don't come in direct contact with the snow.
In a power outage, it's possible that water safety could become an issue. I, personally, have been through several power outages in my life time. The only case I have seen where water became unfit to drink was during the aftermath of a hurricane. But, according to public health organizations, water contamination occurs often enough that we should all be prepared to deal with it.
For this reason, you should keep drinking water on hand for each of your family members. The usual rule of thumb is to have enough for each family member to use for three days. Check the bottles frequently. One of my storage containers of water and leaked on a wooden floor.
If you have an alternate source of heat that will allow you to boil water for up to one minute, you can purify tap water through that method. The CDC web site offers directions for using chlorine tablets or unscented household bleach to purify your water, as well. Again, don't wait until an emergency strikes before familiarzing yourself with water safety precautions.
Emergency prepardness is more than just accumulating "the right stuff". It's also about knowing how and what to do in a crisis. When it comes to power outages, write down plans for food, water, and temperature safety before an emergency strikes. Jot these down in a notebook, along with other first aid and emergency prepardness information. Having pre-determined guidelines can give your family a structure to follow in a crisis. This will keep you and your family calm.
Also, keep a battery-operated radio on hand. During a prolonged emergency, officials will broadcast reports about the severity of a crisis, how much longer the crisis is predicted to last, any improvement or worsening of local weather conditions, and specific instructions for how to deal with your locale's current difficulty.
Generally, there are two stages of a power outage: the first crisis and the aftermath. Once the first crisis had passed, I suggest that you don't stay glued to media coverage. Instead, check in from time to time as needed. Keep yourself and your family focused on the positives. Use a power outage as a time to build family memories. This is at least one time when you will be all together without any distractions from the outside world. Play games. Tell stories. Read books.
Even if the children whine during a power outage, don't fret. Later on, they probably won't remember that they found things to complain about. Instead, they will remember the fun things you did.
***Finally, be sure you read your homeowner's policy carefully. Some insurance policies will pay for your family to move to a hotel during a prolonged power outage. We found this out after an ice storm had downed power lines in our neighborhood and had severed a connection to our home. Our family spent days shivering in the cold and the dark and huddling around one little wood-burning stove. After the crisis had passed, I talked with some friends who lived about a mile away from us. Their family had spent those same days living it up in a warm hotel Their chldren even made use of the hotel's pool. We checked our policy, and, sure enough, we could have fled to the warmth and luxury of a hotel, too. Had we only known!

Being prepared for emergencies - Part I

First, let me say that I do not believe God wants us to live in the kind of fear that surrounded the supposed "Y2K" crisis. Phil. 4:4-8, Matthew 6:33:-34, and Luke 21:9 are just a few of the many verses in the Bible that teach us not to freak out about current or potential circumstances, but to trust in the Almightly Lord's loving care.
Nor, do I believe that we are to hoard. Luke 12:17-19 warns us of the dangers of greedily storing up things for ourselves and, yet, not being rich towards God.
In fact, there are times, for the sake of the gospel, when we may be called to give back to God every possession he has given us. Jesus commended the poor widow for putting everything she had into the temple offering, and he commanded the rich young ruler to sell everything he had and follow him. I have known familes who have sold everything except what could be packed into one suitcase per family member so that they could become missionaries in other countries. God has blessed every family I have known who have made financial sacrifices such as this or in other ways for the Lord.
On the other hand, many verses in Proverbs warn us not to be lazy, but to work and to plan for the future. Proverbs 21:20 says the foolish person devours everything he has the moment he gets it, but in the house of the wise, there are stores of food and oil. The lowly ant is held up in Proverbs 6:6-9 as an example for the sluggard to copy, for it gathers its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.
The Proverbs 31 woman is a great example of being prepared. She makes warm, brightly colored clothing ahead of time, so that her family will have something to wear when the cold cames.
As part of providing for a family, a couple may decide that it's wise to keep some extra stores of food, water, medicine, etc., on hand. These supplies can be used 1) for unexpected company 2) to share with others in time of need (I read about a woman whose family sent their entire stock of emergency prepardness items to New Orleans flood victims.) 3) to take care of your own family members during an emergency. (One family I read about lived on their emergency stock for many months while the father was out of work) 4) to buy something at a lower cost now that will be more expensive later (This is apropos in times of high inflation) and 5) to have some replacements on hand in case you can't get out to the store when you run out of something.
Each family should decide whether or not to build an emergency store. If you do decide to create one, your emergency kit could be very small -- a flashlight, some batteries, a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a few bandaids. Or, it could be larger -- enough food, water, and medical supplies to keep a family running for six months.
When considering what to have on hand, here are a few questions to ask: Do we have a family member with special medical needs? For example, does this family member need extra medicine for a condition such as heart problems, diabetes, or asthma? Do we live in a place that is subject to earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, or floods? Are we near to or very far from a shopping area? Is it more economical for us to buy things ahead, or would we end up wasting extra supplies? Would we like to store an emergency medical kit, flares, and a blanket in our automobile?
In the past five years, we here in the U.S. have seen that we are vulnerable to things like terrorist attacks and devastating hurricanes. I have also heard reports saying that the medical community would like to the public to be prepared for a possible flu pandemic, such as the one that hit the world in 1919.
If a pandemic were to happen, many medical personnel might become ill, hampering the work of hospitals and clinics. With hospitals and doctor's offices on overload, we might need to treat all but the most severe flu cases at home.
Moreover, medical personnel and their families would receive the first supplies of medicines and vaccines that could be produced to fight a pandemic flu strain. Then, the public would receive what was left in order of need -- the elderly, heart patients, asthmatics, the very young, etc. You might not think it's fair to treat medical personnel and their families first. Remember, however, that in a pandemic, patients would overcrowd hospitals, clinics, and doctor's offices. All across the nation, medical workers would be asked to serve round the clock for days, perhaps weeks, on end in order to meet the needs of the ill. We could not afford to lose these medical servants to illness. Nor, could doctors and nurses function effectively if they feared they might take flu germs home to their families. Since they would be our first line of defense in the fight against a deadly transmutation of the flu bug, medical personnel would receive the first line of support.
Many farmers and workers in the food and pharmaceutical industries might become ill. So, too, would the people who transport products to the stores.. This would mean that shops could not replenish their stock. Scores of panicking customers would empty store shelves of all the remaining food stores, pain relievers and fever reducers, drinks, natural medicines, prescription medicines, and over the counter medicines in a particular community.
Even if stores and pharmacies were able to remain stocked, the public might be asked to stay home in order to stop the flow of contagion. All things considered, we might not be able to purchase what we need in such an emergency. We might be forced to make do with what is already in our houses.
Now, again, we should not let such potential or actual crises cast an anxious shadow over our lives. Psalm 26:1-2 tells us what our attitude should be: "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the sea."
Nor, should we think that we can always keep difficulties away just because we lay in some emergency provisions. Many citizens in the areas hit hardest by Hurricane Katrina probably had set aside emergency stores, only to watch them be destroyed in the torrent.
In short, it's wise to keep supplies on hand. It's even wiser to have some packed in waterproof containers and within easy reach in case a family has to evacuate their home. Learning about emergency prepardness only makes sense. However, we should not put our trust in a store of supplies, but in the Lord who gives us these recources for our benefit.

Using Ammonia in the Home

Remember the "smelling salts" of Victorian days? Our great-grandmothers used to carry decorative vials of ammonium carbonate, which releases ammonia when crushed. The stimulating odor could be waved under the nose of a woman who had fainted in order to revive her. You don't want to know what substances Vicotorian manufacturer's used in synthesizing these salts.
If you wonder why great-grandma felt it necessary to carry this stimulating salt with her, remember that she was tightly corseted. Her church and social activities often took place in hot, crowded rooms -- particularly in the summer. Under these conditions, she easily became a bit lightheaded from not being able to take in enough fresh air. On occasion, she probably received unpleasant news. Given all that, it's no wonder that Grandma was always prepared in case she keeled over.
Though we have dropped the custom of carrying our own vials around with us, smelling salts are sill used medicinally today. Though it's unlikely, you might find someone waving the salts under your nose one day. Be thankful that today's ammounium carbonate is clean!
In Great-grandma's day, ammonium carobnate was also known as "Baker's Ammonia," and was a forerunner of today's baking soda and baking powder.
Household ammonia is slightly different chemical variation of ammonia than smelling salts. It usually comes in a solution of ammonia that is 5 to 10 % by weight. Please note that cleaning ammonia is not intended to be used medicinally. As the fumes can be irritating to the respiratory tract, it would not be unwise to intentionally inhale it or to wave some under a fainting person's nose.
When I think of today's household ammonia, I think of it as being an ingredient in window and glass cleaners, as well as an ingredient in concotions that remove the dirt from jewelry and makes jewelry shine. However, it can also be used as a laundry booster and stain remover.
Many frugal housekeepers mix their own cleaning solutions for various items, and many of these "homemade recipes" include ammonia. Like chlorine, household ammonia is relatively cheap.
Remember, whether using a pre-mixed solution containing ammonia or when making your own, never, ever use it around or with chlorine containing products, such as bleach. I don't think that can be said enough.
Since ammonia is alkaline, you may want to think in terms of using it to neutralize acid-based stains. Fresh urine, fresh perspiration, and fresh anitperspirant stains tend to be acidic and can be removed by cleansing with an ammonia solution. If these stains are left long enough to "set", they will oxydize and will no longer be acidic. In that case, ammonnia will no longer work. It's better to clean these stains quickly, before this point. If, for some reason, you are dealing with older stains, you will want to use white vinegar instead of ammonia.
According to Cheryl Mendleson of Home Comforts, you can add 3/4 cup of household ammonia to the laundry before you add clothing, provided, of course, that you will not also be using any laundry product containing chlorine. She says that this can sometimes brighten a load of laundry. I, personally, have not tried this. I prefer to use other products.
If you would like to shine your windows -- inside and/or out -- ammonia is one of the most effective cleaners. You can use a commercially prepared product with ammonia in it, such as Windex. Or, you can make your own out of 1/2 cup per gallon of warm water. The same holds true for mirrors. However, if your mirror or shower glass has an aluminum frame -- such as might be common in a bathroom -- be careful not to get any of the cleaning solution on the aluminum. Some people avoid using ammonia on an aluminum trimmed mirrors all together, just to prevent the ammonia from accidentally contaminating the metal. Ammonia can be corrosive to aluminum. Check the bottle to see if you need to take the same care with other metals, as well.
(Here's something that I, as a longtime home keeper, should have known, but didn't until I read this fact in "Home Comforts": If you are cleaning outside windows with an aluminum solution or any other type of solution, try to do so on a cloudy day. Strong sunlight will dry them quickly, leaving streaks.)
Some people find mild household ammonia to be an excellent cleaner for gold or diamonds. It should not be used on silver and on certain gem stones. If you are interested in using ammonia as a jewelry cleaner, be sure to do some research first to make sure that you know what you are doing. Personally, I prefer to let a jeweler's clean my jewelry. I do occasionally use pre-mixed jewelry cleaning solutions, which you can buy at a jeweler's or in a drugstore. I would guess that these may have some ammonia in them, but I do not know for certain.
(By the way, a common "new wive's tale" is that a denture cleaning tablet dropped in a glass of water is good for soaking and cleaning jewelry. This does appear to work in the short term. But, many denture tablets have an agent in them which actually produces chlorine bleach. Over time, this can be very damaging to your jewelry).
Ammonia is such a common cleanser that it is found in many, many household products. Likewise for chlorine bleach. You might see these substances listed in another checmical form. For example, hypochlorite acts as a chlorine-type cleaner and ammonium carbonate acts as an ammonia agent. Be sure to read labels on both cleaners and the items to be cleaned, so that you can be sure you know what you are dealing with. If you do not know what a particular ingredient -- such as hypochlorite is -- you can always look it up or ask someone with chemistry expertise.

Enjoy!
Elizabeth

Using Chlroine Bleach in the Laundry

Bleaching white or colorfast fabric items removes stains, and it deoderizes and freshens these items, as well. My favorite way to use bleach in the laundry is in the form of a "bleach pen"; since you can use it to target specific stains. But, I sometimes use liquid bleach in a wash load.
Here are a few benefits of bleach: Because so many of us use cool water to launder our fabrics now, bleach can replace the sanitizing and detergent-boosting effects of hot water. Using bleach is one of the fastest and cheapest ways for a busy mother to keep mounds and mounds of laundry fresh and clean. Bleaching is generally the best method for salvaging a fabric item that has mildewed. It's also one of the most effective ways to reduce stains of all kinds. It is inexpensive, and a little bit of bleach goes a long, long way.
Reading the manufacturer's label on a fabric item will tell you if it can safely handle the use of chlorine bleach. Generally, you will find the manufacturer's ok on sturdy white fabric items, some colorfast cottons, and on most fabrics made of manufactured fibers.
Even when a manufacturer prohibits bleach, I've found that you may be able to get away with bleaching cotton or cotton blend items on an occasional basis. For example, a man's T-shirt or a baby's onesie may not hold up under regular bleaching. But, it might be ok to bleach an item like this once a quarter or so. Or, you might do a one-time bleaching in an emergency situation, say with a grass-stained white skirt. I wouldn't try bleaching without the manufacturer's ok, however, unless you are certain the potential benefit is worth taking the associated risk.
I don't mind sneaking in a little "forbidden" bleach when it comes to items that I could replace if I had to. Nor, do I mind trying bleach if an item is so nearly ruined that I have nothing to lose by the experiment. Unless I had a manufacturer's blessing, however, I would never, ever use bleach on any heirloom or expensive fabric.
You can never get away with using bleach on silk, mohair or cashmere, wool, or leather. Other fabrics that do not stand up well to bleaching are spandex, nylon, and many fabrics treated with flame retardents . Since a lot of children's clothing is flame-retardant, please check the manufacturer's label to determine how to launder them properly.
Even on bleach safe fabrics, be sure not to add bleach until the wash has been going for around five minutes or so. Modern detergents contain cleaning enzymes and also brighteners. Bleach may interefere with the action of both. So, you want to give the detergent a bit of time to do its job before you add the bleach.
If you use detergents with oxygen type bleaches, chlorine bleach will invactive these. Consult the directions on the container of an oxygenated detergent to determine if and when you should use chlorine bleach along with it.
Many machines have bleach dispensers which dilute the bleach for you so that it does not eat holes in the fabric. When pouring bleach into a dispenser, be careful not to let any splash onto your laundry or onto the machine itself. (More importantly, wear gloves and don't let it splash on you). Some bleach dispensers time the release of bleach; others do not. In the latter case, you will need to wait about five minutes before pouring the bleach into the dispenser. If your machine has no dispenser at all, you will need to dilute the bleach according to directions on the bottle before adding it directly to your laundry water.
(Ok, confession time. I've been known to add bleach to a wash load by pouring it in the stream of water running into the machine's tub. Please don't tell Martha Stewart or the grandmotherly woman whose face appears on Mrs. Stewart's bluing! I promise to straighten up and fly -- or at least launder -- right.)
Note: If your water contains a lot of iron, chlorine bleach may cause rust stains to appear on fabrics.
Repeated bleaching may cause yellowing, but we know the solution -- bluing!
Splashes of bleach can eat holes in fabrics and can cause discolored spots or faded spots. It's also not a good idea to let bleach spots stand on your washing machine or your dryer.

Final note: I generally reserve chlorine bleach for items that are true white. I seldom use chlorine bleach on even an off-white or light beige item, unless it's so badly dirtied that I deem bleach as the garment's only hope. For anything other than white, I use a bleach specifically designated as an "all-fabric" or "color-safe" bleach. But, this is just my practice and not a hard-and-fast rule.

If you are willing to risk a tiny bit of lightening and color-fading over time, you may find that you like using chlorine bleach on color-safe. Of course, this is provided that you do it according to fabric labels and the directions on the bleach bottle. In making your decision, you do have to consider that unlike some color-safe bleaches, chlorine bleach works in even the coolest of water. It's cheap. It's strong and quick-acting. Let's say that you have ten active children in your household, who pile up loads of outdoor play-clothes faster than you can say "Wash day". You might decide that a little color-fading is nothing compared to the ease, quickness, and ecnomy of using chlorine bleach.

Enjoy!
Elizabeth

Using Chlorine Bleach To Cleam and Disinfect the Home

A couple of posts ago, I emphasized the potential dangers of using chlorine bleach. As most of us know, it is a substance that must be handled with great care. It can be damaing to to certain materials. More importantly, it can be harmful or fatal to people. But, as long as we follow directions and also keep it out of the reach of children, there's no need to be afraid of chlorine bleach.
In fact, chlorine adds to our safety. Even if we don't pesonally have a bottle on hand, we daily benefit from its disinfectant properties. The proper amounts purifies our drinking water and our swimming water. Many public buildings, especially hospitals, are made sanitary by chlorine.
Chlorine bleach is a good, broad-spectrum disinfectant. It is not a perfect disinfectant, but it kills many strains of bacteria, many viruses including HIV, and some fungus and molds. Chlorine bleach eliminates germs and bacteria that my be hiding in the fibers of fabric items, and it is good for disinfecting white bedding items. It also attacks germs on counters, tubs, showers, etc. Because it does kill bacteria and fungus so effectively, it eliminates many unpleasant household odors.
The FDA and the USDA consider that bleach is a safe method for sanitzing food-contact surfaces in your home. They believe that it does not accumulate with repeated use, and that it breaks down, leaving salt water behind. Of course, again, this must be done according to directions for safe use and never used at the same time as an ammonia based product. Clean before you sanitize to get rid of any organic matter that might reduce bleach's effectiveness.
Cheryl Mendleson of Home Comforts fame says that you can disinfect pot scrubbers and dish brushes by immersing them in a solution of tablespoon regular chloinre bleach per gallon of water for five to ten mintues. Then, drain and let dry. She also suggests that you at least occasinally use bleach when you wash dish cloths, dish towels, kitchen hand towels, aprons, pot holders, and bleach-safe table linens.
In fact, Cheryl suggests that you never buy cloth for the kitchen that you cannot bleach. I must say that since I love colored kitchen cloths and pretty linens and delicate lace tablecloths, I do not follow the rule of buying only bleach-safe kitchen and dining room fabrics. But, I do undersatnd her point.
Cheryl also says that when used according to instructions, bleach is a good choice for disinfecting baby and children bleach-safe equipment, toys, and utensils, when you think that this is necessary. Our noses are sensitive to bleach, and the fact that a slight bleach odor remains on such baby items does not mean that they are unsafe. But, to be on the safe side, you should try to dilute the bleach solution to the extent that it does not leave chlorine odors on items used around baby. Again, I would clean before sanitizing.
John Hopkins University suggests that we all keep chlorine bleach products on hand in case there might be a flu pandemic one day. So, they I figure that if bleach is useful in fighting a pandemic, it must work for ordinary cold/flu seasons as well.
According to the hospital, chlorine bleach can be used to disinfect materials contaminated by blood or body fluids. The hospital suggests that you can use a particular dilution of hospital grade bleach. A more realistic solution for most of us is to use household chlorine bleach in a 1:10 ratio with water. To keep its effectiveness, this dilution must be kept in an opaque container away from sunlight and re-mixed every day. The hospital suggests that an easier option is to use Chlorix surface spray as a good, pre-mixed alternative. The hospital also gives directions for mixing granular chlorine if you cannot obtain liquid bleach. Naturally, the hospital guidelines include cautions for safe use.
John Hopkins reccomends using rubbing alchohol for surfaces where bleach cannot be used. (If you are interested, visit this link, http://www.hopkins-cepar.org/news/Flu_guide_families.pdf#search=%22Disinfectant%20properties%20of%20bleach%22.
to learn more about the bleach reccommendatiosn, as well as a thorough guide for preparing your family for a possible flu pandemic)
When cleaning hard, non-food contact surfaces, you may sanitize and clean in one step. There are powdered laundry detergents that are safe to add to a bleach solution to use as a household cleaner. But, do not do this without reading the directions given by a manufacturer of household bleach.
In researching bleach as a disinfectant, I learned two things that I had not known before. One, is that bleach should be diluted in cold, rather than hot water, or else it loses its effectiveness. The other is that undiluted household bleach may cease to be effective as a sanitizer after six months. Since I do not use bleach on a daily basis, it takes me a while to go through a bottle. So, in the future, I will check the date on the bottle more closely. This is particularly important as I do want to follow the John Hopkins reccomendatons for having bleach on hand. I will need to rotate bottles out so that I won't get caught with a sick family and a bottle of bleach that doesn't work as a disinfectant any longer.
Most of us use chlorine to tackle mold at one time or another. "Spore Tech, Mold Investigations" is of the opinion that chlorox does do a fair job of fighting certain molds and fungus (athelete's feet, being one) on hard, non-porous surfaces. They state that is not effective for porous surfaces, such as wood. Therefore, they believe that its use as a mold fighter should be reserved for kitchen and bathroom countertops, tubs, and shower glass.
Some families who develop a mold problem in their home turn to commercial services for helping them get rid of mold. Spore Tech warns to be wary of those who reccommend using bleach outside of the guidelines mentioned in the above paragraph. This would be an indication
that they do not know what they are doing.
At this point, majority opinion still holds that bleach is a great disinfectant and a good cleanser. However, bleach does have its critics, particularly when it comes to its role as a cleaning product.
Cleaning industry experts Don Aslett and David Andrew Smith have independently come to the conclusion that chlorine bleach masks cleaning problems without solving them. Don Aslett applies this specifically to the mold issue. He thinks that chlorine bleaches merely "bleach" the color out of mold in a shower or tub, making it less visible to the eye, but leaving spores to grow.
Mr. Smith sees even more limitations to bleach's cleaning power. He believes that our parents' and grandparents' generation began to rely heavily on laundry bleach as a cleaning product. Thus, we associate its strong smell with clean bathrooms. Yet, in his opinion, the whitening effects simply fool us into thinking that chlorine bleach gets rid of dirt, mold, stains, and other things. Thus, he thinks we deceive ourselves by relying considering bleach as a household cleaner.
I think there may be merit to Mr. Aslett's and Mr. Smith's points of view. Thus, I don't rely soley on bleach or bleach-containing products when cleaning my home But, since the medical community still considers bleach to be a decent, fairly broad-spectrum disinfectant, I do frequently use surface cleaners with bleach in them. I don't think of bleach as the total answer for keeping my home clean and fresh; it's just one weapon in my arsenal of cleaning products. Here's a definition of chlorine and a a description of its benefits from "How Stuff Works". I must admit that this article is a little over my head. But, I find that if you can grasp how and why something works, you can use it more effectively. So, I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it:

"Chlorine itself is a gas at room temperature. Ordinary table salt (sodium chloride, NaCl) is half chlorine, and a simple electrochemical reaction with salt water produces chlorine gas easily. That same reaction produces sodium hydroxide (NaOH), and by mixing chlorine gas with sodium hydroxide you create sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl). When you buy a gallon of bleach at the grocery store, what you are buying is the chemical sodium hypochlorite mixed with water in a 5.25-percent solution. You're buying salt water that has been changed slightly by electricity. Chlorine is used in pools and drinking water because it is a great disinfectant. It is able to kill bacteria and algae, among other things. Chlorine also makes a great stain remover, but not because of the chlorine itself. Natural stains (as well as dyes) produced by everything from mildew to grass come from chemical compounds called chromophores. Chromophores can absorb light at specific wavelengths and therefore cause colors. When chlorine reacts with water, it produces hydrochloric acid and atomic oxygen. The oxygen reacts easily with the chromophores to eliminate the portion of its structure that causes the color."

Got all that?

In closing, I'd like to throw out a question: I have found two references to the fact that my parents' generation turned away from other cleaning and laundry methods in favor of using bleach. Does anyone know why this happened?

Until later,
Elizabeth

Using Chlorine Bleach To Cleam and Disinfect the Home

A couple of posts ago, I emphasized the potential dangers of using chlorine bleach. As most of us know, it is a substance that must be handled with great care. It can be damaing to to certain materials. More importantly, it can be harmful or fatal to people. But, as long as we follow directions and also keep it out of the reach of children, there's no need to be afraid of chlorine bleach.
In fact, chlorine adds to our safety. Even if we don't pesonally have a bottle on hand, we daily benefit from its disinfectant properties. The proper amounts purifies our drinking water and our swimming water. Many public buildings, especially hospitals, are made sanitary by chlorine.
Chlorine bleach is a good, broad-spectrum disinfectant. It is not a perfect disinfectant, but it kills many strains of bacteria, many viruses including HIV, and some fungus and molds. Chlorine bleach eliminates germs and bacteria that my be hiding in the fibers of fabric items, and it is good for disinfecting white bedding items. It also attacks germs on counters, tubs, showers, etc. Because it does kill bacteria and fungus so effectively, it eliminates many unpleasant household odors.
The FDA and the USDA consider that bleach is a safe method for sanitzing food-contact surfaces in your home. They believe that it does not accumulate with repeated use, and that it breaks down, leaving salt water behind. Of course, again, this must be done according to directions for safe use and never used at the same time as an ammonia based product. Clean before you sanitize to get rid of any organic matter that might reduce bleach's effectiveness.
Cheryl Mendleson of Home Comforts fame says that you can disinfect pot scrubbers and dish brushes by immersing them in a solution of tablespoon regular chloinre bleach per gallon of water for five to ten mintues. Then, drain and let dry. She also suggests that you at least occasinally use bleach when you wash dish cloths, dish towels, kitchen hand towels, aprons, pot holders, and bleach-safe table linens.
In fact, Cheryl suggests that you never buy cloth for the kitchen that you cannot bleach. I must say that since I love colored kitchen cloths and pretty linens and delicate lace tablecloths, I do not follow the rule of buying only bleach-safe kitchen and dining room fabrics. But, I do undersatnd her point.
Cheryl also says that when used according to instructions, bleach is a good choice for disinfecting baby and children bleach-safe equipment, toys, and utensils, when you think that this is necessary. Our noses are sensitive to bleach, and the fact that a slight bleach odor remains on such baby items does not mean that they are unsafe. But, to be on the safe side, you should try to dilute the bleach solution to the extent that it does not leave chlorine odors on items used around baby. Again, I would clean before sanitizing.
John Hopkins University suggests that we all keep chlorine bleach products on hand in case there might be a flu pandemic one day. So, they I figure that if bleach is useful in fighting a pandemic, it must work for ordinary cold/flu seasons as well.
According to the hospital, chlorine bleach can be used to disinfect materials contaminated by blood or body fluids. The hospital suggests that you can use a particular dilution of hospital grade bleach. A more realistic solution for most of us is to use household chlorine bleach in a 1:10 ratio with water. To keep its effectiveness, this dilution must be kept in an opaque container away from sunlight and re-mixed every day. The hospital suggests that an easier option is to use Chlorix surface spray as a good, pre-mixed alternative. The hospital also gives directions for mixing granular chlorine if you cannot obtain liquid bleach. Naturally, the hospital guidelines include cautions for safe use.
John Hopkins reccomends using rubbing alchohol for surfaces where bleach cannot be used. (If you are interested, visit this link, http://www.hopkins-cepar.org/news/Flu_guide_families.pdf#search=%22Disinfectant%20properties%20of%20bleach%22.
to learn more about the bleach reccommendatiosn, as well as a thorough guide for preparing your family for a possible flu pandemic)
When cleaning hard, non-food contact surfaces, you may sanitize and clean in one step. There are powdered laundry detergents that are safe to add to a bleach solution to use as a household cleaner. But, do not do this without reading the directions given by a manufacturer of household bleach.
In researching bleach as a disinfectant, I learned two things that I had not known before. One, is that bleach should be diluted in cold, rather than hot water, or else it loses its effectiveness. The other is that undiluted household bleach may cease to be effective as a sanitizer after six months. Since I do not use bleach on a daily basis, it takes me a while to go through a bottle. So, in the future, I will check the date on the bottle more closely. This is particularly important as I do want to follow the John Hopkins reccomendatons for having bleach on hand. I will need to rotate bottles out so that I won't get caught with a sick family and a bottle of bleach that doesn't work as a disinfectant any longer.
Most of us use chlorine to tackle mold at one time or another. "Spore Tech, Mold Investigations" is of the opinion that chlorox does do a fair job of fighting certain molds and fungus (athelete's feet, being one) on hard, non-porous surfaces. They state that is not effective for porous surfaces, such as wood. Therefore, they believe that its use as a mold fighter should be reserved for kitchen and bathroom countertops, tubs, and shower glass.
Some families who develop a mold problem in their home turn to commercial services for helping them get rid of mold. Spore Tech warns to be wary of those who reccommend using bleach outside of the guidelines mentioned in the above paragraph. This would be an indication
that they do not know what they are doing.
At this point, majority opinion still holds that bleach is a great disinfectant and a good cleanser. However, bleach does have its critics, particularly when it comes to its role as a cleaning product.
Cleaning industry experts Don Aslett and David Andrew Smith have independently come to the conclusion that chlorine bleach masks cleaning problems without solving them. Don Aslett applies this specifically to the mold issue. He thinks that chlorine bleaches merely "bleach" the color out of mold in a shower or tub, making it less visible to the eye, but leaving spores to grow.
Mr. Smith sees even more limitations to bleach's cleaning power. He believes that our parents' and grandparents' generation began to rely heavily on laundry bleach as a cleaning product. Thus, we associate its strong smell with clean bathrooms. Yet, in his opinion, the whitening effects simply fool us into thinking that chlorine bleach gets rid of dirt, mold, stains, and other things. Thus, he thinks we deceive ourselves by relying considering bleach as a household cleaner.
I think there may be merit to Mr. Aslett's and Mr. Smith's points of view. Thus, I don't rely soley on bleach or bleach-containing products when cleaning my home But, since the medical community still considers bleach to be a decent, fairly broad-spectrum disinfectant, I do frequently use surface cleaners with bleach in them. I don't think of bleach as the total answer for keeping my home clean and fresh; it's just one weapon in my arsenal of cleaning products. Here's a definition of chlorine and a a description of its benefits from "How Stuff Works". I must admit that this article is a little over my head. But, I find that if you can grasp how and why something works, you can use it more effectively. So, I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it:

"Chlorine itself is a gas at room temperature. Ordinary table salt (sodium chloride, NaCl) is half chlorine, and a simple electrochemical reaction with salt water produces chlorine gas easily. That same reaction produces sodium hydroxide (NaOH), and by mixing chlorine gas with sodium hydroxide you create sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl). When you buy a gallon of bleach at the grocery store, what you are buying is the chemical sodium hypochlorite mixed with water in a 5.25-percent solution. You're buying salt water that has been changed slightly by electricity. Chlorine is used in pools and drinking water because it is a great disinfectant. It is able to kill bacteria and algae, among other things. Chlorine also makes a great stain remover, but not because of the chlorine itself. Natural stains (as well as dyes) produced by everything from mildew to grass come from chemical compounds called chromophores. Chromophores can absorb light at specific wavelengths and therefore cause colors. When chlorine reacts with water, it produces hydrochloric acid and atomic oxygen. The oxygen reacts easily with the chromophores to eliminate the portion of its structure that causes the color."

Got all that?

In closing, I'd like to throw out a question: I have found two references to the fact that my parents' generation turned away from other cleaning and laundry methods in favor of using bleach. Does anyone know why this happened?

Until later,
Elizabeth

Bleach

The purpose of this series is to talk about chlorine bleach. That is what most of us think of when we hear the term, "bleach".
However, before we move on to to that, I want to point out in this post that we all use a number of other substances to bleach things -- to lighten them, to disinfect them, and to remove stains. We may use the following items without conciously labeling them as "bleaches", but that is what they are.
The loveliest bleach of all is sunlight. Sunlight's effects are strongest on wet items. But, you can also achieve some wonderful results by putting placing dry bedding items, such as pillows, in outdoor sunlight for a few hours.
According to Don Aslett, sunlight was one way our great-grandmothers got these things so fresh and white. He also says that sunlight can kill mildew.
According to Cheryl Mendleson, author of home comforts, sunlight kills dues mites, and she recommends airing and sunning furnishings and bedding. However, she notes that sunning an item all by itself will not remove the bits of allergens left by dustmites and that you must also launder the item, as well.
I'm a huge fan of using fresh air and sunlight to freshen a home and also to bleach many fabric items, as I suppose most of us home keepers are. Sunlight is obviously free and God-given. It is also non-toxic. Taking something outside to leave it the sun and then going out to bring it back in gives you excuses to relax for a moment outdoors. Of course, if you live in a heavily polluted area or an area where the breeze kicks up allergens, you may find that the air will leave enough gunk in your items to cancel out the sun's beneficial effects. And, you don't want to bake your unprotected skin along with your sheets. Even so, I think there's nothing sweeter than an item which has been dried or disinfected in the sun.
One caveat: Sunlight can bleach items even when we don't intend to lighten them. For example: An unpholstered couch placed near a sunny window will "bleach out", causing the fabric to fade and to dull. This is especially noticable if you have a companion piece located in another, darker corner of the same room. The difference between the sun-protected item and the sun-faded item will quickly become obvious.
If you have a lovely casual English or cottage style room in which all of the furniture gets an equal amount of light, the effects of the sun's rays on upholstery may not bother you. Sun-faded chintzes are at home in either of these decorating styles. However, you may not like this effect if you favor a more traditional decorating style or if one chair fades and another remains close to its original state.
Drying dark colors on a clothes line can cause them to fade, as well. So, think carefully about which items you want to expose to the sun's rays. Drying colored items in the shade will give them a fresh-air scent, but without any bleaching effect.
When it comes to drying whites in the sun, they can "yellow" just as if they were washed and dried in machines. If you are simply freshening a dry item, such as a pillow, you may find that three or four hours in bright sun is all you need. Based on Cheryl Mendleson's recommendations, I'd say that you might want to wash a linen tablecloth, a T-shirt, a sheet, etc., and leave the item on a line to dry for up to one day. You might "sun-bleach" an time for three days in a row, max. Keep an eye on it to make sure that it is not yellowing as it bleaches. If you do get into trouble, see the note on bleaching and bluing below.
Lemon juice is another tried and true favorite. You can soak delicate, but slightly stained items in a solution of mostly water with just a bit of lemon juice and then rinse them in fresh, cold water. (I have used this method with great success. But, please don't, on my account, try it on your great-great-grandma's hand tatted lace tablecloth! Get a second opinion from a professional cleaner or an experienced homemaker before mixing up that lemon water). Sometimes, this method is combined with drying it in the sun.
One famous use for lemon juice is to bleach hair. When I was a girl in the sixties and seventies, we lighter haired girls used to squirt lemon juice into our wet hair, comb it through, and then let our hair dry outside. The result was lovely highlights in hair that was already naturally light brown or blonde. I'm not so sure that hairdressers would find this method to be kind to fine, delicate hair. But, it works! And, it does not expose you to some of the irritating fumes and potential allergic reactions as commerical hair lightening products.
According to TipKing: Use 1/2 cup of lemon as a bleach in the laundry rinse cycle and to bleach kitchen surfaces. Also, you can wash white clothing in borax and lemon juice, and then lay flat out on the dewy lawn on a sunny morning or hang on a clothesline and let the sun help naturally dry and bleach your garments.
I also use vinegar in this way, as vinegar has some disinfectant qualities and also neutralizes odors in laundry.
Cheryl Mendleson suggest that you can remove rust stains from no-wax floors by cutting a lemon in half, sprinkling a half liberally with salt, and rubbing it tino the stain. Then, rinse wiht a sponge and water. I personally haven't tried this method on a floor, so please test it on a small spot before applying it to a larger area.
Oxygentated bleaches can be used to remove stains. "All-fabric" bleach is usually made of an oxygenated bleach.
Hydrogen peroxide -- the kind you buy as a disinfectant in the drugstore -- is an oxygenated bleach. But, the bottled disinfectant has a wider range of uses than oxygenated bleaches intended for laundry. If you dilute it acccording to directions, it is safe for use on many household surfaces and fabrics.
In another article, we'll talk about how ammonia also can be used as a bleach.

Remember: Bleaches takes away stains, but merely taking away stains does not equal brightening. When it comes to white clothing or bedding, you may find that your items look dull after bleaching. If you do run across this, use bluing in the next washing to restore your white laundry's "blue hints" and to leave them bright and white.

Also, while some bleaches are milder than others, repeatedly using a bleaching agent isn't necessarily kind to fabrics. Particularly when it comes to chlorine bleaches, be sure to read fabric labels to determine which items may be safely bleached. If chloringe bleaching is not recommended, you can probably still employ sunlight or lemon juice as bleaches. For ultra-delicate or highty treasured heirloooms, I would use these mild agents on an as-needed basis.

Even if clothing fabrics or sheets can safely handle chlorine bleaching, I wouldn't do it with every wash. You can extend the life of your fabrics by limiting exposure to bleaching agents. Use bleaches to disinfect laundry and to remove laundry stains, but in moderation. And, remember, if you regularly hang your laundry outside, it's not always necessary to put your items in strong sunlight to get them dry.

Enjoy!
Elizabeth

Part I:Using Bleach and Ammonia in the Home
(But never together, or you will create a poisonous gas!!)

Last week, I wrote that I enjoyed using both borax and bluing, but didn't know much about them. So, I decided to learn more and posted the results. This week, I'm delving into the attributes of bleach and ammonia.
Even though they are both extremely effective, borax and bluing are among the mildest of household chemicals when used as directed. As I'm sure you know, both bleach and ammonia are much stronger. More caution needs to be taken when using either one of these these.
Because of the potential dangers of bleach and ammonia (not to mention that both have a strong smell), many homemakers prefer to use more gentle alternatives. However, many homemakers could never imagine running a household without having these two cleaning powerhouses on hand.
I personally use bleach and some products with bleach in them, but I use theses sparingly and for specific purposes. I am more reluctant to handle plain ammonia, but I do use products that contain ammonia as an ingredient.
I'll do some research on both and let you draw some conclusions of your own:
First, in this post, let me issue a caution: Never use ammonia or products with ammonia and bleach or products with bleach in the same room at the same time!!! For example, if you disinfect your sink with bleach, don't immediately wash dishes with a detergent that has ammonia in it. Be even more careful when cleaning bathrooms, which are smaller and have less ventilation.
I probably err on the lax side when it comes to using products in my well-venilated downstairs rooms. After having done research for this article, I will be more careful.
However, I have long been particular when it comes to cleaning a bathroom. If I use bleach to clean a bathroom counter or a shower stall, I do not use a window or mirror cleaner with ammonia in it until all of the bleached surfaces have dried and the bleach smell has gone entirely away. I do this even if it means waiting until the next day to clean the mirrors. And, if I use an ammonia-based product in the bathroom, I wait until the ammonia smell is completely gone and the surfaces are dry before using bleach or a product with bleach in it.
I hate to be a bit crude here, but some experts claim that even the amount of ammonia in urine can react badly with bleach in a toilet. I personally think that this worry might be a little overboard. However, if I still had small children in the home, I might think differently. If I were to leave bleach in a toilet to disinfect it, I would take care that little ones did not slip in to use the bathroom before I had flushed the bleach away.
Why is all this so important? The combination of ammonia and chlorine produces a dangerous gas caused chloramine. This gas strongly irritates the respiratory system and the eyes. Over the years, many a person has fainted from this gas, resulting in injuries. At one time, emergency room doctors called this something like "housewife's disease" or "housewife's syndrome". In these PC days, I don't think they call it that any more.
If you shouldn't even use them at the same time within a confined space, do not even think of mixing them together in the same bucket or container. The results will be volatile!
While we're at it, be sure not to mix chlorine with any acid, such as vinegar, certain toilet bowl cleaners, oven cleaners, and drain openers. This produces an even more toxic gas -- chlorine gas -- which was used as chemical warfare in World War I and World War II. By the same token, do not mix chlorine with a strongly alkaline substance, as the effect is equally posinous.
Here's a list from the Poison Control Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia which describes items that commonly contain ammonia or acids and alkalis:
Ammonia: Floor cleaner, Glass cleaner, Jewelry cleaner
Acids: Drain Openers, toilet bowl cleanes, oven cleaners, vinegar
Alkalies: Drain openers, toilet bowl cleaners, oven cleaners, mildew stain removers
Be sure to read the labels of all commercially prepared cleaning products, as you will find that the majority contain either bleach or ammonia.
Even when used alone, bleach and ammonia have strong fumes that can be irritating to someone like me. I have slight asthma. I have noticed that using bleach to clean a small place, like a bathroom can make my asthma temporarily worse. This doesn't stop me. However, I do exercise caution.
I imagine that ammonia straight from a bottle would irritate my airways, as well. Who knows? Aafter I complete my research on these products, I may come to love ammonia from the bottle. But, I would still take caution not to let it aggravate my asthma.
Well, now that I've scared you, let me leave you with a more positive thought: For decades well-informed home keepers have used chlorine bleach for certain purposes and ammonia for certain purposes without suffering any ill effects.
In the old days, if a homemaker bought either bleach or ammonia, she had to buy it in the bottle and dilute it herself. Today, many home keepers save money by doing the same, rather than buying more expensive commercially prepared products.
Many home keepers believe that bleach and ammonia both serve purposes that no other product can fulfill as well. Ammonia and bleach are effective when used according to directions, when the user wears protective gloves and works in a well-ventilated room, and when care is taken not to use ammonia or bleach products in the same room at the same time or to use either product with another incompatible substance. Of course, as with all cleaners, these two must be kept out of range of children.
In the next post, we'll focus on the good things about ammonia and bleach. We'll look at the various reasons people use them.

I'm doing a little redecorating over here.

I'm trying out a whole new template. If I linked to you on my post, don't worry: I'll link back to you as soon as I can.

Alert for Mothers and Grandmothers: Obesity Pandemic Threatens Lives of our Children

I don't normally post twice in a day. But, I just heard this statistic, which I personally found alarming. According to MSNBC:

"Among the most worrying problems are skyrocketing rates of obesity among children, which make them much more prone to chronic diseases as they grow older and could shave years off their lives, experts said.

The children in this generation may be the first in history to die before their parents because of health problems related to weight, Kate Steinbeck, an expert in children's health at Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, said in a statement."

(Does that statement take your breath away? It does mine!)

I saw the headline about the children as I was watching the news, so I looked up the original article. It stated that a study in Australia shows that obesity is a pandemic that will soon overburden health care systems around the world. Shockingly, "University, said there are now more overweight people in the world than the undernourished, who number about 600 million." That really surprises me.

Of course, the wealthiest countries lead the way in this epidemic, which the authors of the study link to both overeating and under exericisting. But, the poorer countries are catching up. (Here in the U.S. it's often talked about that the poor are high risk for obesity, because (1) Fresh, healthy foods are more expensive than junk food and (2) the poor often are afraid to let their children play outside in dangerous areas.)

As wives. moms, grandmothers, future wives and mothers, we have a profound impact on what is cooked and eaten within a family. Of course, our husbands are the ultimate leader here, and we should never get into the mode of trying to "mother" a husband into eating the way we think he should. But, we can offer healthy, deicious alternatives and humbly suggest family times together that invovle physical activity.

My children are quite slim. But, DH and I both need to fight our own personal campaign against being overweight examples to future grandchildren (And young people in the neighborhood and church).

I don't want to be an alarmist in any area. So, rather than looking at the negative, I'd like to look at this as a wake-up call for women around the world. With God's help, we can change this. But, it's going to take more than encouraging our families to diet. It's going to take developing a way of life that heps us to be strong and healthy. And, it involves finding ways to help the less fortunate in ways that promote, rather than undermine, their health.

I know that Plain and Simple over at Echo from the Green Hills just wrote a post about developing temperance in eating that generated a lot of helpful comments. I think there are a number of web sites, blogs, and posts out there which have discussed the same issue. And, there are some helpful books. One of my favorites is French Women Don't Get Fat, though I'm not sure that I agree with everything in the book.

Elizabeth

Thinking Through Additions/Remodeling Projects

When I was a young girl, I was fascinated by the story of the Shunammite woman who built a guest room for Elijah. I loved her example of hospitality (And, at the same time, a future HGTV watcher was born!)
At one time or another many homeowners consider re-modeling, adding, or at the very least, re-decorating their homes. Often, the results are lovely and add to the comfort of family and friends. And, in some cases, they add to the monetary value of the home as well.
Often, houses do need to be expanded to meet the needs of growing families. And, all houses need some re-furbishing from time to time, so as not to fall into disrepair.
However, when considering a home improvement project, here are a few questions to ask:
1) Do I live in an area where the cost of this project would price my house out of selling range? Would the improvements make the house harder to sell or easier? Do we want the project badly enough to do it anyway, even if it means that we or our heirs might have a hard time selling it later? This is something to think about even if you live in a rural area, with lots of farm acerage between houses.
Our not-too-far-away neighbors refinished their basement to make a gathering space. It was complete with a kitchinette, a bathroom, a place to project TV onto a huge screen, "stadium" style tiers of comfy seats for viewing the screen," a foosball table, a little seating area with a table, a pinball machine, and soundproofing. This area served their family's needs. They often invited people over to watch a football game or listen to her "oldies" band play. This additonal space kicked up their finished square feet so that they became the largest and most expensive house in the neigborhood.
But, a few years later, they moved to another state. Their house sat on the market a long time. Not many people wanted to buy the most expensive house around. One family that did not watch TV at all looked at it and rejected it in favor of a smaller home in the same neighborhood. This family had to make double house payments -- in their new home state and on the home they left behind for many months. Finally, the right buyer for this house came along.
2) Will this project add to or detract from the value of a historic home? Many families live in delightful old farm or city houses that do need modern kitchen appliances, heating and cooling, and bathrooms. However, if you update an old home, you will want to do this in a way that does not detract from the historic value.
In the 1960's, father and aunt sold a family that had been in my grandmother's family since the 1870's. It is located in a very small town. At the time, it was all the rage to drop the ceilings of old houses and to completely re-work old houses so that they looked "modern". That is what the new owner did. In the 2000's, when people buy old Victorian houses, they often spend a lot of money knocking out former re-modeling projects in order to restore the home's original glory. Therefore, they are reluctant to pay full price for something that has been re-modeled badly.
3) Is our decorating style so distinct that it would put off potential buyers. Again, if so, do we love this style so much that we are willing to do it without thinking of re-sale?
When we bought our house, a developer was still building homes in our neigborhood. The house next-to-us had been bought by a family who had lived in it only a year or two and then needed to re-locate. The woman, apparently, had painted her house attractively, but in a very certain "decorator" type style that she had copied from decorating magazines. Even the ceilings were painted in strong colors.
This house sat on the market for months and months, as well. Buyers preferred to deal directly with the developer, so that they could choose their own fixtures and paints. Finally, a family came along whose furniture just happened to work with this woman's distinct style, and they bought the house.
4) Will this re-modeling project be "user-friendly" when we are older and less able to maintain our house and garden? When my parents-in-law retired, they built a lovely home with a studio for him to paint and a studio to quilt and for children and grandchildren to come home. They loved to garden, and they put in huge flower beds and a nice-sized vegetable garden. But, they also love to travel. They found that between traveling and some minor health problems creeping up here and there, they needed to take out some of their gardens and replace them with lawn. They built their home with top-grade materials. At the time, the majority of their children lived in the same town with them. But, through various circumstances, the majority of their children now live in another, more expensive town. They would like to move to be nearer their children, but are finding it hard to build or find an equally nice house in the other town.
5) Is the improvement I'm making one that is popular in our area and that will make our home easier to sell? Get advice for your specific locale. But, in general, you can re-coup your investments in kitchens or bathrooms.
Some couples buy a house and live in it all of their married lives. But, the future is in God's hands, and, since we don't always know what plans he has in store with us, we can't be certain we will stay in the same home for forty or fifty years. In fact, if your family is in the ministry or the military, you can be almost certain that you will move a number of times.

Speaking of re-modeling, I have inadvertently done something wild to my little home on the web. I am dangerous with HTML code. :) My PhD computer whiz of a husband is trying to un-do my "remodeling" project. So, in the meantime, please bear with me.

Enjoy!
Elizabeth

September Second’s Sensational Seven Saturday

Here’s a list of seven things that make me happy. I hope they will make you happy, too. Feel free to adopt any of these to use in your life or your household, except for number one – He’s mine. LOL.

1) Sensational man: DBM -- My smart, intelligent, funny, strong, handsome, loving, spiritual husband.

2) Sensational movie about importance of wives and mothers to a country’s survival: Mrs. Miniver. Mrs. Miniver is an old black and white film that portrays how the quiet courage of a gracious British homemaker was a support to those around her. The movie is a little cheesy, but I love it, nonetheless. I defy you to watch this movie without coming away inspired to be a courageous, gracious, and lovely keeper of your home.

3) Sensational October treat: I order one of my two favorite versions of a Christmas Carol in October and watch it at my leisure. I so this before the Thanksgiving/Christmas rush begins, before I get tempted to say, “Bah! Humbug!” How delightful it is to see Scrooge wake up a new man with a new heart. How fun it is to watch him think of ways to give. How wonderful it is to hear him say, “Oh, I don’t deserve to be so happy. But, I am.” Now, that’s an example of repentance for all of us to follow.

4) Sensational children’s story: The Old Brown House. I admit it. I often read children’s literature. One of my favorites is a short story called, “The Old Brown House.” In it, an elderly woman agrees to take care of a rose for her only friend, a sweet little girl. This girl has to move and cannot take it with her. The woman sets the rose in the window. Its beauty makes her want to wash the curtains at the window, to be in keeping with the rose. This leads her into a series of changes that transforms her from being shy, lonely, and unkempt, into being kind, neat, and beloved by many. What a happy shock it is to the little girl who comes back to visit and finds her old friend so transformed. (Did you doubt I’d love a story with a rose in it? LOL)

5) Sensational Sight in my Yard: Our morning glory vine with gorgeous blue flowers. How neat to see how God has created the blossoms to open in the morning and close in the afternoon. After three tries at Clematis, yeah!, I was finally able to get some kind of vine to grow up my mailbox.

6) Sensational Book for Women: A Gentle and Quiet Spirit, of Great Worth to God by Virginia Lefler and published by Silver Day Press.

7) Sensational quote about Christ’s trust in God, throughout his life on earth and when he was on the cross. “It is easy, indeed, to say that one trusts in God, but really to do it when justice seems dead and love seems to have vanished, that is difficult indeed…We dwell upon the things which have happened since his death, and dwelling upon these, we see that he has succeeded; but it should never be forgotten that his life on the day of his death appeared to be a terrible and heart-breaking failure...Never was there a man like this man. Other great and strong men have lied and labored, but never a man like Jesus of Nazareth. In the midst of the wildest storm that ever blotted out the heavens and caused the earth to quake, he looked steadily toward God, saying, “Not my will but thine be done. Luke 22:42. Look down across the ages and see the great men, how they are swayed and tossed by the winds and storms; but there above them all rises this man of Galilee like some majestic mountain.” Charles Edward Jefferson

Gina Bassman, example of how to determine what type of home business to operate

If you're thinking of starting an at-home business enterprise, consider the example of my new friend, Gina Bassman. After 18 years in finance Gina, left the corporate world to work at home. She wanted to spend more time with her husband and her five-year-old son, Nico.

Gina says about Nico, "He is a true miracle after 5 surgeries for me, one for my husband, and three years of infertility treatments."

Gina is a great example of how to lock in on a successful business idea. She looked at many web sites that claimed to promote the latest bargains from a number of merchants. However, she found that these sites were difficult for consumers to find their way around. She found that people got lost in unorganized lists of promotions.

So, she designed her own web site where on-online shoppers can grab bargains, promotions, discounts, coupon codes, etc. Though she founded the company in February of this year, she is already seeing the number of visitors to her site double each month, and she has been able to partner with hundreds of merchants to provide these visitors with the latest and best bargains.

Gina's unique seling point is that she drew up her own web layout. She wanted her site to be a fun and convenient place for people to either quickly locate a particular item or browse at leisure. So, she made sure her web design is easy for visitors to navigate. Shoppers can locate products by item name, by merchant, or by one of eighteen categories of products.

Since her aim is to help shoppers "fish" for today's best "catch" of the web, she came up with the concept, "Go Nico Fish". I asked her what Nico thinks of his name being used as part of the company title.

She says, “He answers as any little boy would, ‘Cool’!”

That brings us to something else. Tomorrow, on September 2nd, Gonicofish.com will be featured on coolsiteoftheday.com. Check it out.

Anyhow, I like Gina's story, because it contains a valuable hint for all women who are thinking about starting a home enterprise. Gina combined her business since with her own viewpoint as a consumer. Putting herself in the place of a frustrated shopper, she was able to identify a better way to offer promotions, coupon codes, discounts, etc. This makes her site stand out from the pack.

'As a consumer, if you ever find yourself asking, questions such as "Why doesn't anyone make a _____?", or, "Why doesn't this online store do ____________better?" you may have the seed for a business idea of your own. Of course, you will need to research this idea to make sure that (1) there are other customers who would love your idea enough to support your business (2) You can meet this need in the home business setting, and that you can carry it out without it ending up working as many hours as you would in th marketplace and (3) It's something you would enjoy doing it. But, often, the key to a successful home enterprise is finding a new niche to fill or a way of putting your own twist on something that's already out there.

Enjoy!
Elizabeth