Here’s what I came up with:

I cut the vinegar to 40% because I’m adding acidity with some citrus oils. So, 40% vinegar, 60% water and add to that Eucalyptus, Lemon and Grapefruit oils. The benefits of this mix are substantial!

The Eucalyptus is a proven pest deterrent and has the same ‘anti’ properties that Lemon does. Antibacterial, antifungal, antibiotic and antiseptic. That means they kill bacteria and mold as well. The grapefruit helps cut through the more pungent Eucaplyptus and rounds out the citrus note nicely. Not to mention that the citrus elements cut through grease like a dream. We already know that vinegar and water shine anything you will spend more money on in the store!

As you know, we have no secrets here at The Purple Fig. So we tell how we do things, in detail!

You will need...

I use a teaspoon each of the lemon and eucalyptus and 1/2 teaspoon of the grapefruit.

Add your drops...

You will need to shake the bottle frequently as the oils rise to the top. This is apparent with the lemon and grapefruit while the eucalyptus is clear.

Shake well, these oils settle.

This bulk mixture will only last me through about 5 cleans, but it should last you a good long while.

Happy Cleaning!

After 10 house cleanings, the loofah/sponge hybrid is still going.

After 10 cleans!

The pros and cons:

Pros:

The hybrid is long lasting and compostable. Far more green than I had even hoped. Once wet, it is flexible and easy to use. It rinses very well, unlike the scritchy side of conventional sponges. The edges get under and around tighter spaces too!

Cons:

There are only two cons to the hybrid. After the first couple of cleans, the loofah starts shedding and you have to wipe the threads away. It stops after a few cleans and since we polish after sponging, not a big deal for us. The second con is that it doesn’t removed really stuck on stuff. The stove top being the main area. I resolved this by purchasing a long lasting scritchy sponge from Reuseit as well.

Scritchy!

I expect this sponge to last months, as I only had to use it once this week for a bit of food that the loofah couldn’t handle.

We’re so excited to find more ways to become greener!

Happy cleaning everyone.

While I was researching a new source for our towels, (they get linty after long-term use) I came across a Reuseit.com. They had several sponge choices. The first one I chose is the  loofah-sponge hybrid. So now, we’re doing in the field testing to see how long they actually last during our deep cleans. These sponges are amazing and are also compostable. We may even have found a local farm that can use these in their compost, completing the local, green and organic circle.

The blue sponges we normally use can wear out quickly. The sponge part seems okay, but the useful, speedier scritchy part wears down, making it less effective than a cloth.

Sponges used once or twice, all used up!

A brand new sponge, scritchy still intact.

So the new, hopefully more efficient and green sponges are on trial.

Brand new loofah-sponge hybrids, both sides.

Loofah-sponge hybrid after 3 cleans so far. That's 9 hours!

Watch for an update on Friday evening (or Saturday, you never know with me) to see what it looks like at the end of a week. Cross your fingers!

This led me to think about how we get through the cleaning process without becoming too bored and how I could pass that information on to you.

I know I love music while I’m cleaning. Preferably, the sing-a-long kind. This does necessitate an empty house. I have a very powerful, very annoying voice. I find that wearing headphones that come along with me is the best way. That way, I’m not turning a stereo up loud enough to hear over running water and also anger the neighbors.

One of our Figgers likes to sort of blank out on the cleaning part and figure out a problem they are having. Something to work through in your head and not think about the ‘chore’ part.

I had a customer point out that it seems easier to clean someone else’s house than to clean your own. This gave me an idea. You could set up a system with a friend in which you both help each other clean. You could rotate the location every other week and make an afternoon of it. Trust us, it is far better to have someone to laugh with than to go it alone!

Happy cleaning!

First, let me tell you that every bit of this information can be found on the Wikipedia page for Thymol. It’s all over the web and in plenty of books that I read, but Wikipedia did a really excellent job of pulling it all together in one place. I want to sum it all up for you because I think it’s that important!

Thymol is the lovely source of Thyme’s scent and tantalizing flavor. It can also be found in Oregano and a couple of other plants, but it’s very prevalent in Thyme. It’s a very hardy plant that can be grown easily right here in Texas. It’s drought resistant and can stand a bit of freeze. Just give it some sun and well drained soil and you’re all set. Trust me. I can kill any plant but I’ve grown Thyme rather well.

I’ve mentioned some of Thyme’s amazing properties recently. It is antiseptic, antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal. Little did I know before this research that it can do so much with those properties!

Thyme is a great pesticide. It can deter all sorts of animals (including deer, rats, cats, etc.) and some mites that bother honey bees. The best news is that it degrades rapidly in water and soil, making it an extremely safe pesticide.

Thyme is an antibiotic helper! It reduces the bacteria’s resistance to antibiotics. Anyone who is immunocompromised will love this. It has an antimutagenic effect and is there is some evidence that it has antitumor properties. If I had to put this in layman’s terms, it seems that Thymol stops cells from mutating and therefore may help stop tumors. Wow.

To top it all off, it smells wonderful and adds a great depth to any dish. I can’t think of a plant more worthwhile to have handy in my herb garden!

Here’s what I found. Peppermint, long loved by the Purple Fig and it’s clients, seems to be the most common denominator in insect repelling oils. It deters ants, earwigs, silverfish and even mice! Wiping out your cabinets and counter tops with peppermint oil in your solution will help keep the critters out of there. If you have larger problems, find a discrete, child-free zone to drop a couple of drops in corners.

Cockroaches. Nature’s little tanks. The only thing I found is to bait them. The easiest solution I read was to mix some borax and sugar and set it out. They’ll carry the borax back to the nest. Obviously, you don’t want to do this where the kiddies or the kitties can reach it. But apparently, cockroaches like high places. Set your traps for these penthouse pests on top of the cabinets or any high, out of reach place they might wander!

Another multi-pest repellent I saw frequently was bay leaves. Just leave them in the cabinets or really anywhere you see pests.

A more general and lovely solution to things like mosquitoes and pests in general is Thai Lemon Grass. It’s an attractive piece of greenery that naturally contains citronella. You can use the pulp to rub on yourself for an active mosquito repellent, but if you’ve taken care of most of your pest problems, I recommend setting a couple of these around the house and on the patio to let those pests know that you’re on the job!

Happy hunting!

I have extolled the virtues, or “anti” properties of some of these oils to my clients while we’re discussing their homes many times. I usually forget and leave out one or two fabulous properties, so I thought I would get it all down here for a reference.

Some herbs are to me, super-herbs. They are antibiotic, antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral all at once. I call them the truly essential oils. We’ll get to their identities in a moment. Or scroll down, if you’re the kind of person who flips to the end of a book.

The oil is the easiest way to use these herbs in your cleaning and they’re all readily available. Here in ATX, you can find them at Natural Grocers, Central Market and Whole Foods, just to name a few. Look for the pure and undiluted oils, not the aromatherapy version. I tend towards purchasing the Now brand because I’ve never been disappointed by any of their products.

The general rule of thumb for just scenting a cleaning bottle (you’re familiar with our 50/50 vinegar and water mix by now) is to add 7 to 10 drops per bottle. The bottles we use are about a liter. If you’re using these for a serious application, full strength is about a teaspoon per cup of water. That can get expensive in a big bottle, so I use the pretty, cobalt blue glass bottles usually found on the same aisle. That way you can have an intense, super cleaner version and a more toned down but still effective version.

So while many oils are one, two or even 3 of the wondrous “anti” properties, only 5 make the list with all four.

• Tea Tree
• Lemon
• Thyme
• Lavender
• Eucalyptus

There should be a scent in there for everyone! So, go forth and vote!

The first Tip Tuesday of the new year. 1 down and 51 to go! This leap year doesn’t really effect the delivery of your weekly tidbits from the Fig.

Friends, I have a peeve. I’d say a pet peeve, but that implies only one. Who really has only one peeve? This is high on my list, though. When I roomed with our very own Charlene, she asked me what might annoy me the most. Since she had no microwave (ex-chef. ’nuff said.) and I was bringing mine into the household I told her.

I hate a dirty microwave. Seriously. Can you imagine what happens to the crunchy bits you leave on the ceiling of the oven? Next time you fire that baby up, they fall right into your food. Let’s all give a big, collective ‘Ewwwwwwww’.

I understand, really I do. Sometimes you’re pressed for time and you can’t stop to wipe out that bit of burrito that just exploded because you were distracted by little Susie’s math problem. While simple to wipe out as soon as that sort of thing happens, occasionally we really are just in that big of a hurry. That is the very essence of a microwave oven, after all.

But now cleaning day is upon us. The kitchen is in your sites. It’s not too bad, a few dishes maybe wipe off the top of the stove. Then you open the microwave. Suddenly, the theme from Psycho starts playing in your head. Someone has put (*gasp*) spaghetti sauce in there.

Well, we can approach this from a couple of angles, but it’s all basically the same principle. You’re going to use the microwave to help you clean the microwave. The same awesome molecule exciting radiation that cooks food rapidly can re-cook that caked on sauce. I used to simply turn on the microwave oven for a minute or so and then wipe it out with my favorite sponge and cleaner. Since the old days, I’ve done a bit of research and found a couple of helpful tips.

You can put a container of 50/50 vinegar and water in there until it boils. After the time runs out, let it sit and steam a minute. The vinegar will help get rid of food smells. Another tip recommends a second round with a lemon half. I see no reason you can’t add lemon juice to your mix and cut down on the time! Once it has loosened the calcified food, you can wipe it out with a sponge. I don’t need to tell you that the *boiling* water will be hot, right? Good. For those of you who really hate the smell of vinegar, try your favorite cleaner sprayed inside thoroughly.

Happy microwaving in the new year!

We have clients and coworkers who have entered our personal lives and let us into theirs. I cannot describe the joy this brings to us. I am humbled and nearly speechless with the honor.

We love you and wish you all the best.

As usual, I’m here to help. I recently had a client (okay, my very favorite client) ask about where to get her leather coat cleaned. She could have spent quite a bit of cash at a specialized cleaner, but I asked her to let me have a shot at it when I was done with her regular cleaning.

Leather doesn’t like a high pH level. It is still a hide. It needs nourishment to remain healthy. I worked for a leather company for 9 years and one of the most useful things I learned was how best to take care of leather.

This is so simple, you’re going to cry. Now, use a little common sense here. Don’t use this on suede and always test an inconspicuous spot first.

How to Clean Your Leather:

• Buy some Murphy’s Oil Soap. (Available in ATX at HEB.)
• Dilute! About 1/4 cup per gallon. Not too sudsy.
• Use a soft clean cloth without wringing it out overly much.
• Wipe down the leather. Do not rinse.

That’s it! Seriously! The oil soap will clean and condition the leather. It removed some sticky goop and a couple of stains from our friends jacket. I’ve used it on my leather chair once a year. It’s inexpensive and will last a good long while.

Happy cleaning!