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Therearesomanygood reasons to make your own household cleaners. It's cheaper and healthier and greener. These five homemade household cleaners do not contain chemicals. That means you can always count on them to be nontoxic. The ingredients in each of these cleaners are spe- cific. Follow the recipes carefully and make no substitutions. BATHROOM CLEANER. This is heavy- duty and will sanitize and clean bathroom counters, floors, sinks, glass and mirrors. Get a clean spray bottle. Fill it halfway with rubbing alcohol and then up to the top with white vinegar. Label the bot- tle. The ratio is 50-50 rub- bing alcohol to white vin- egar no matter the size of the container. The great thing about this cleaner is there's no rinsing re- quired. Simply spray, scrub with a sponge or cloth and wipe clean. GRANITE CLEANER: Pour cup rubbing alco- hol into a 16-ounce spray bottle. Add 3 drops blue Dawn dishwashing liq- uid and 5 drops essential oil (this is optional but makes the cleaner smell great). Add 2 cups water to fill the bottle. Shake to mix. Label the bot- tle and keep out of reach of children. From now on, use this cleaner to keep your granite coun- tertops beautifully clean and shiny without wreck- ing the sealant or caus- ing any other harm. Note: Any size spray bottle will work. Simply adjust the proportions to accommo- date. TOILET CLEANER: This is made with 1 cup baking soda and 1 cup white distilled vinegar. To use, first remove the wa- ter from the toilet bowl by reaching down behind the toilet and turning off the water-input valve. This is easy. Just turn the han- dle clockwise until it will turn no longer. Then flush the toilet once or twice, or until all of the water disappears. (Because you turned the input off, no water will fill the tank.) Sprinkle the baking soda all around the inside of the toilet bowl. Next, pour or spray the plain white distilled vinegar into the bowl. You'll get a lit- tle bubbling show and a popping sound. Great! That's the reaction you want. Using a good toi- let brush, scrub the toi- let down, including under the rim. Last, turn the in- put valve back on by turn- ing it counterclockwise until it stops turning. The toilet tank will fill. Flush the toilet to rinse. Re- peat as necessary. You've just cleaned, scoured and deodorized that toilet, and removed mildew and odors. TUB AND SHOWER CLEANER. Pour 1 cup blue Dawn into a 32-ounce spray bottle ( cup Dawn if you are using a 16-ounce bottle; 1/3 cup for a 12-ounce bottle). Fill the bottle the rest of the way with plain white vin- egar. Apply the sprayer top. Shake gently to mix. Label the bottle. To use: Spray liberally on the ar- eas to be cleaned — tub, shower walls, doors, floors or fixtures. Let it sit any- where from 30 minutes to overnight, depending on the amount of soap and scum built up. All of the offensive gunk and grime will break down and be- come soft and gooey. Sim- ply rinse it away. For es- pecially challenging sit- uations, or if this is the initial treatment, use a sponge or brush to gen- tly scrub the surfaces be- fore rinsing. To maintain, spray down the walls and floor of the tub/shower once a week. Then rinse and admire. WOOD AND LAMI- NATE FLOOR CLEANER. This is made with 1 part rubbing alcohol to 4 parts distilled water, plus a few drops blue Dawn dish- washing liquid. Mix this up in a spray bottle each time you clean the floors. Or if you want to make it ahead of time, be sure to label it well and keep it out of the reach of chil- dren. To use, sweep or vac- uum the floor; spray the cleaner in a small area; scrub well with a cloth or sponge; and immediately wipe the area dry with a microfiber cloth. The se- cret is to spray, scrub and wipe dry immediately. Would you like to send a tip to Mary? You can email her at mary@ everydaycheapskate. com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Ste. B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. EVERYDAYCHEAPSKATE Five killer make-your-own cleaning products CONTRIBUTED Bowman 4-H outdoor adventure members pose with posters they judged for the Tehama County 4-H annual Fun Night, scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 11 at the Tehama District Fairground. BOWMAN JUDGINGTHEPOSTERS Mary Hunt The following Altacal Audubon activities are planned for February. All programs and activities are free of cost unless oth- erwise indicated and are open to the public. For questions or further infor- mation, call Wayland Au- gur at 519-4724 or write to wba@acm.org. Program • Chico Creek Nature Center — Western Bur- rowing Owls in Northern California — 6:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 20 Larry Jordan became aware of Burrowing Owls several years ago when, one winter evening on his way home from town he spotted an odd look- ing, long-legged owl on the gravel road leading to his home. He had no idea what it could have been and had to look it up in his field guide. He soon learned that this small owl, ac- tive both day and night, was declining at a danger- ously fast pace. Jordan joined the Cal- ifornia Burrowing Owl Consortium and began plans to increase local populations of this char- ismatic species. The ar- tificial habitat created at Tuscan Preserve, here in Chico, is his first success in this effort to increase the number of Western Burrowing Owls in North- ern California. Field trip • Central Valley Bird Club and Altacal — Sat- urday, Feb. 11 Join Central Valley Bird Club and Altacal for a day of birding. The group will be leaving Chico for a rap- tor, Forebay, Afterbay ex- travaganza. Meet at 10 a.m. at Chico Park & Ride, clos- est to State Route 99. The trip will run until dusk so bring lunch, snacks, and plenty of water. Write to Matt at find- forster@yahoo.com for more information. ALTACAL AUDUBON Program and field trip for February REDBLUFF MEADOWS 850KIMBALLRD. RED BLUFF AcceptingApplications Spacious 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apts. featuring fully equipped kitchen, laundry facilities, energy efficient design. Rental assistance, is available. For further information and application, Call: 530-527-9196 TDD 1-800-735-2929 This institution is an Equal Opportunity provider, and employer M-W12:30-6pm T, Th, F 9am-6pm S. 8am-1pm 25yearsprofessional experience. QualityWork Very Reasonable Rates Red Bluff Transmission • Automatic • Manual • Computer Diagnosis • Clutches • Transfer Cases • CV Axles CALL TODAY! 529-4493 440 Antelope Blvd. #6 Bob's Youcantmissus... Weonly moved 50 feet!! 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