The Urban Homemaker Blog

Category: Homemaking

  • Cleaning Without Chemicals – 8 Key Considerations

    I just received this testimonial about the all-purpose Norwex Enviro Cleaning Cloth:

    The other day my grandson was making “pancakes” out of  silly putty at the kitchen counter. The moment I turned my back I found him making pancakes on the Living Room carpet! I was horrified at the mess on my new rug, but I didn’t panic.

    His poor little eyes almost popped out when he couldn’t get the putty up from the carpet!  I tried to remove the putty with a paper towel and another cloth towel with no success.  It just ground in more.

    Then, I got my Norwex Microfiber Enviro cloth and rubbed it across the  putty and instantly the putty came up out of the carpet and into the cloth!!  Joan H.  (reprinted by permission)

    Don’t you love happy, simple endings to potential cleaning disasters?

    Recently, I was in Florida to take care of my 89 year old father who was suffering from a life threatening and potentially contagious ailment and I was very concerned about hygiene and sanitation for his apartment and to protect me from getting sick.

    Fortunately, when I got there, I had my Norwex Enviro Cloth with me so I could start cleaning his apartment, bathroom, and kitchen.  I have to say it gave me a lot of peace of mind to know I could clean effectively without a lot of bleach while I was waiting to see if he was going to recover.  (He is now doing much better.)

    Considerations:
    • There have been over 80,000 new chemicals introduced into our environment since 1950 and only about one third of them have been tested to be safe.
    • The medical field has been seeing an increase in medical problems especially asthma and other respiratory problems which are thought to be caused by chemicals in our homes, homes that are built tighter, and hence, chemical residues are being breathed. Asthma diagnoses have increased 600 % since 1980.
    • The three top toxic products in our homes are fabric softeners/dryer sheets, oven cleaner, and drain cleaner.
    • Kathy Marsh (the new owner of The Urban Homemaker) and I were talking about this and she mentioned to me that her son was released from his pulmonologist and nebulizing treatments after she went to chemical free cleaning six years ago.
    • Homemaker Sammye Wright wrote:  ““I never felt my floors were really clean until I used the Norwex Mop System. I have found it is faster, and my floors stay cleaner, for longer times. Honestly, mopping is more fun and a lot easier and I have four little boys and a husband and clay soil surrounding my home! Mopping is no longer a chore for me.”
    • About 15-20 years ago, researchers in Norway found that microfiber products were an effective alternative to traditional chemical antibacterial products because they removed 99.9% of the surface bacteria.
    • Norwex Microfiber products were originally used exclusively in hospitals because they didn’t contribute to an ever escalating set of resistant bacteria.
    • Commercial floor care products, no matter how safe or non-toxic they may be, all leave sticky residues on the floor that work like a magnet to attract dirt. A product that doesn’t leave these residues will naturally make it easier to care for your floors.

    Norwex Microfiber products do not disinfect surfaces but REMOVE bacteria from smooth surfaces (including floors) and prevent the transfer of germs to your hands while cleaning and eliminate cross contamination.

    Norwex microfiber products contain a patented silver agent that prevents and kills bacteria growth, is safe to use, inhibits odor development and does not affect the  performance of the microfiber.

    My favorite Norwex chemical–free cleaning products are the Enviro Cloth, Window Cloth, and the Superior Mop System.  These three items will clean your whole house including the bathroom, toilet, shower, sinks, windows, refrigerator, counters, computer screens, flooring, and much, much more.

    All Norwex orders placed between now and May 31, 2011 will qualify for FREE SHIPPING!

  • Local Foods to Local Markets

    Do you LOVE Farmer’s Markets and participate in your local market as a producer or a consumer?

    Today I want to talk about ways you can help promote and support your local agricultural economy especially in Colorado.  If passed, Colorado would join nearly 20 other states (plus 5 pending!) who already support cottage industry food production.

    A bill recently introduced in the Colorado Senate would increase consumer access to local fresh and value-added agricultural products by permitting home and community kitchens to easily register to legally produce and sell low-risk foods.

    The goal is to encourage local farmers and small producers as entrepreneurs to spur economic development in Colorado communities.

    Provisions in the bill include:
    • It will allow consumers to purchase these products made with quality ingredients grown by their neighbors and other local farmers.
    • It will benefit our communities by keeping money circulating close to home.
    • It will encourage Coloradans to purchase nutritious food in their communities
    • It will allow local growers to be more profitable by utilizing products left over after market day, seconds, and surplus production
    • It will help local communities achieve self-sufficiency and sustainability
    • It will reduce the number of miles food is transported from farm to fork
    In Colorado and in other states it is now it’s up to us.  We must contact our Senators and Congressman  by phone or email—letters will not arrive in time.
    I would love to hear from those of you in other states who have successfully passed or benefited from similar legislation.
    In Colorado:

    1)  Contact all members of the Senate Agriculture Committee  to voice your support.  Please thank Senator Schwartz in Colorado, the Ag Committee Chair, for crafting/sponsoring this bill.

    2)  The Senate Ag Committee will hear this bill in Denver Thursday, April 28th at 1:30 PM.  If you can testify let Senator Schwartz know.  (Contact info in her email attached below.)  If you want to carpool from the Western Slope, please let me know as well.

  • It’s Possible to Reverse Food Allergies – read on

    Reversing Food Allergies

    Tired of living with gluten intolerance, dairy sensitivites, arthritis, eczema, and children with learning disabilities? Until now, I didn’t know there was a scientifically based diet that does more than control allergies by food avoidance, but actually reverses allergies and other health problems by healing the gut. I know many readers will be excited to, at last, find an on-line, in depth class with videos and recipes that will show you how to actually REVERSE ALLERGIES.

    My friend, Ann Marie Michaels, owner of Cheeseslave.com has put together a class based on what she learned with her own severe health problems diagnosed when she was only 25. You see, fifteen years ago, she was diagnosed with rhumatoid arthritis, sinus problems, chronic fatigue and other health issues. That led her on a journey to get better through diet instead of medications.

    In two years she was healed enough that she now enjoys vibrant health and she even eats occasional foods like chocolate chip cookies, pizza, and ice cream without any reaction because she restored her health through a diet regime and therapeutic grade pro-biotics.

    It has always intrigued me to think that dietary changes could make a significant impact on improving health and well-being but now there is hope that allergies can actually be reversed, permanently. Truthfully, I wouldn’t really know where to start if I was facing this choice, so a 12 week class to “hold my hand”, complete with video tutorials, and tried and true recipes that cost less than a doctor appointment and prescription medications sounds like an good option to me.

    This class is based on the book, The Gut & Psychology Syndrome by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride also known as the GAPS diet. The regime is based on the Specific Carbohydrates Diet originally created by Dr. Sidney Valentine Haas.

    If you and your family are being led to try diet to address health problems, this class will teach:

    • How to heal and seal your gut — improving digestion and nutrient absorption
    • How to make kid-friendly chicken nuggets — grain-free!
    • How to make homemade stocks that help to heal the gut lining
    • How to make fermented foods that provide beneficial bacteria that will rebuild your digestive tract
    • How to make delicious, yet legal desserts, from chocolate ice cream to birthday cake with colored frosting
    • How to save money on food by buying in bulk and cooking from scratch
    • How to save time and effort in the kitchen — She’ll teach you her tricks!

    In the 12 weeks of online classes you will get:

    • 50 Video Tutorials
    • Over 200 Printable Recipes!
    • Lifetime Access to the classes
    • Online Support Forum for Members Only

    Ann Marie is offering a $20.00 discount by using coupon code HEAL through March 28, 2011.

    For detailed  information, details, and registration go here:

  • Prepared or Paranoid? – Eyewitness report from Japan

    Ed Note:  I received the following eyewitness perspective from  Navy wife Tanya, living about 240 miles from the nuclear site.  I found Tanya’s perspective refreshing and encouraging as she and her family are learning to live with drastically less power and water in the aftermath of the earthquake.  I hope you will glean perspective and helpful tips as you consider what preparing for the future with an Almighty God still firmly in control will look like for your family.  Marilyn Moll

    Dear Marilyn,

    The Wisdom to Prepare.  I think sometimes it’s a fine line between prepared and paranoia. Both are reigning at the moment.
    We are in Misawa, Japan. We are 232 miles from the nuclear facility that’s on the verge of meltdown. Yet we’re not panicking (well, some people are, we’re not) while folks in the states are going ballistic buying iodine pills, which can actually harm you if you take too much, and really only protects your thyroid from radiation poisoning (other organs are still at risk).

    Some people are arming themselves not with wisdom and information, but fear and paranoia.

    There is also only so much you can prepare for, and if you try to “prepare” for the future by thinking of every possibility, you start to leave the realm of the first P (Prepared) and enter the realm of the second P (Paranoid), because once you start thinking of all the “But what ifs” it becomes overwhelming.

    We have, for months now, been starting to practice meal planning, freezer cooking, grinding our own grain and baking our own bread, etc. But even that has it’s drawbacks. We are military, but live off base in a house out in town. Our stove is propane gas. So when we lost power for 2 days following the earthquake, we could use the stove by manually lighting the burners. But the stove electronically controls the oven, so we couldn’t bake.

    Most freezer meals require an oven to cook, so we were considering creative options, like dumping the lasagna in an aluminum pan and firing up the charcoal grill. Not only that, since we had no power, the freezer was no longer any use. My husband bought me a water bath canner but I haven’t had an opportunity to use it yet.

    That’s what I  mean: prepare for the future how?  What if I HAD a rack of canned goods that then got knocked over and broken in a huge earthquake? What good is that then? I don’t often see pictures of home canned goods with padding or bungee cords protecting them, so are those people really “prepared”?  You simply can’t predict/prepare for every possibility. (emphasis mine.)

    As far as grinding our own grain, I fortunately had just baked 6 loaves of bread. But if we lose power again, I’ll have to resort to store bought flour, and have to knead it by hand. Fortunately, I’ve done that in the past, before I got the Bosch mixer, so I’m not a stranger to that method. I think that’s the most important thing people can do to prepare for a disaster: learn these skills. (Ed Note:  The Urban Homemaker has always used the tagline:   “old-fashioned skills for contemporary people.”)

    That doesn’t mean, become a homesteader and live off the grid. That’s not for everyone–heck, it’s not even for ME! I’ve been watching “Homesteading for Beginners”, and while there are great tips and helps, just watching it makes me realize I could never do that as a lifestyle. But I want to at least try my hand at some things so I KNOW I can carry my family through anything.

    Right now our town has for the most part escaped any serious damage–no deaths or injuries, that I’m aware of. The harbor was hit by a small tsunami, and the fishery was wiped out, but no lives. But the base is running on limited power (for the record, the Fukushima power plant is NOT the only one, though the media seems to be implying that, there are over 50, and only that one was damaged; however, they all shut off when the earthquake hit as precaution, and  now they have to refire them up slowly), we are being asked out in town to conserve as much as possible.

    Fuel is scarce and being rationed (but my husband has an extracycle, so he’s OK; I have 4 kids, but we’ll just have to limit van trips to absolute emergency).  Propane is running out (that’s how our stove runs). The kerosene distribution center–that’s how, off base, we get heat (for the house, water, dryer, etc)–is in Hachinohe, which was hit by tsunami (you can youtube video of it), and the tanks got water in them, and it’s anyone’s guess when we’ll get more. In other words, whatever little kerosene is in our home tank is all we have until who knows when. So we keep all heat off, boil water for dishes (but that uses propane), one bath a week for the kids, etc. I’m considering line drying clothes inside, but we just had another huge snowfall so it’s cold even inside.


    Anyway, I think this was a very timely article you wrote, and so true–only the wisdom of God can prepare us in the way that is most important for any disaster.

    Our kids have been pretty upset by the non-stop aftershocks, but they are getting better every day. Because every day we remind them that nothing has happened to them yet, and that’s because God protected us, and God will continue to look after us. He’s the only real preparation, because He gives us the peace to calmly make the decisions that will get us through. Thank you again for your work.


    God Bless,


    Tanya Stone
    Navy Spouse
    Misawa-shi, Aomori, Japan
    PS–I made a batch of your pancake/waffle mix recipe. We’ve used it twice already, and I think I’ll make more today since we can use our electric griddle. Thanks!

    Ed Note: There you have it dear readers – read, glean, learn, and pray for the people in Japan to have the wisdom of God to do the next thing.

  • Wisdom to Prepare

    In my newsletter I usually talk about steps to practical preparedness like food storage etc.  Today I talk about the spiritual side of preparedness.  I hope you will read on and share your thoughts with me!

    Proverbs 21:20 says:  “In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.”  Obviously, no amount of  food, fuel, and other tangible types of preparedness items would have protected those who found themselves in the direct path of the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami which hit the northeastern coast of Japan.  Nevertheless, I do think we can prepare ourselves and our children for whatever difficulties arise in our future by broadening our understanding of the wisdom required to prepare.

    We are reminded in Proverbs 21:30,  “There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD.”

    As your family prayerfully considers in what ways you will prepare for the future both physically also consider spiritual preparation.   Let’s start with the  Webster’s 1828 Dictionary definiton of  wisdom:

    “The right use or exercise of knowledge; the faculty of discerning or judging what is most just, proper, and useful…   It is the knowledge and use of what is best, most just, most proper, most conducive to prosperity or happiness. Wisdom exercises sound judgment either in avoiding evils or attempting good. Sincere and uniform obedience to God’s commands.”

    You already have probably read up on  what preparedness “experts” will tell you to do such as how much grain, oil, honey, salt, fruits and vegetables to store per person. They may also recommend  that you  have a fuel and a generator, etc, but ultimately, wise  preparations must be based less on the wise formulas of experts, but  more on the obedience to the clear direction of God through his word and through the leading of the holy spirit.

    The answer for your family may not be instantaneous but shown to you step by step, day by day as you prayerfully walk with God daily.  I have had several experiences lately, when the right course of action was shown to me only moments ahead of when I needed to take action.

    I have also been reminded over and over, in the recent months, by that still small voice, to ask myself, “Is this thought, idea, or course of action based on fear or faith?”

    I believe this simple question helps me exercise sound judgment and to better determine what is best  (wisdom) because I know how easily I can be “driven” to a course of action by the prevailing winds rather than “led” to the best, or wise path by  the still small voice of God.

    Now don’t think I have this walk with God in  day by day obedience mastered, but I can say I am growing in the ability to discern by determining if there is a spirit of peace rather than a spirit of torment that comes into my mind and heart  behind a particular thought or plan of action.

    I am learning to live more in the present with a step by step dependence on God each day which helps me move forward in peace on a daily basis.   I believe this daily walk is the beginning of the  supernatural wisdom that will carry us through the difficult days ahead.

    I would love to hear your thoughts on the wisdom required to prepare for the future.  Please email me: marilyn@urbanhomemaker.com.

  • Discover Waterless Cookware

     

     

     

    I have had this 17 piece set of waterless cookware for nearly 10 years and only burned something once!  I love the vapor-lock lid system which insures fast and healthy food without nutrient loss, how easy these pans are to clean, and most importantly, the 304 Surgical stainless steel  is non-reactive with acid foods.  Read on for details.   Frequently Asked Questions about Waterless Cooking

    Invest in a 17 piece set of Vapo Seal Waterless Cookware
    and I will include an Omelet Pan and Shipping for FREE!

    Only $299.99 while supplies last!

    TOP 10 QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD BE ASKING
    About Selecting High Quality, Long-lasting Cookware

    1. Why should I throw away my aluminum cookware?
    Aluminum is a metal that is very active chemically and
    reacts to acidic and base foods by dissolving in the cooking
    process and can leach into your food.    When you cook in
    aluminum some of the metal is excreted into your food and
    goes into your body.  Acidic foods cause a higher level of
    aluminum to be excreted and can even cause a metallic
    taste in the food.  Research shows a link between aluminum
    and Alzheimer’s disease and because of its properties,
    aluminum should not be used to cook directly out of.

    2. Doesn’t waterless cookware contain aluminum?
    Yes.  But the aluminum is encapsulated so that it will not
    ever come in contact with your food.

    3. Why should I throw away my Teflon?
    There is numerous health risks associated with Teflon
    especially when heated to high temperatures.  It is easy to
    see after many uses just look at your pan.  Flaking Teflon
    in your body cannot be good for you.

    4. How can waterless cooking improve my health?
    If the cookware is used properly it undoubtedly has
    wonderful health benefits.  Vegetables will retain 98% of
    their natural vitamins and minerals that are essential for our
    bodies.  Most cooking methods cause vegetables to lose up
    to 50% of their vitamins and minerals.  Because the flavor
    will be better you will enjoy eating and even trying all
    types of vegetables.  Eating vegetables becomes enjoyable
    and you begin craving healthier foods in your diet.  You
    will even begin to prefer eating at home rather than eating
    out.  Last, you won’t desire fried foods as much because
    you can cook meat without grease and still have abundant
    flavor and tenderness.

    5. What is the difference between waterless surgical
    stainless steel and the stainless steel that you can buy
    at discount stores?
    The difference is in the type of stainless steel and the
    construction of the stainless steel.  Waterless cookware is
    made of a high grade Titanium base surgical stainless steel
    the same type of stainless steel as used by surgeons, and
    dairies.  Because of its nonporous properties it is a very
    sanitary metal that doesn’t rust, corrode, or collect bacteria
    like some metals.  This property is also what allows for
    greaseless cooking.  The cookware is constructed with
    several layers of elements between the steel that produce
    very quick and even heat conduction.  Where other
    stainless steel pans though may look heavy can produce hot
    spots and burn easily.

    6. What is the difference between 9 element, 12 element
    etc.?
    There is not a lot of difference in cookware that imply
    higher or lower number of elements.  This is just the
    number of the different mixtures or alloys and elements
    used in those mixtures.  It doesn’t really matter how many
    elements are used in the construction.  What matters is how
    well and evenly the cookware conducts heat.

    7. What are the handles made of?
    Most waterless cookware has handles that are made of a
    high impact bake-a-lite.  This material is resistant to
    temperatures up to 400 degrees and doesn’t get hot to the
    touch on top of the stove when cooking like a metal handle
    does.  You don’t need pot holders to take the pan off the
    stove.

    8. What does the warranty on the cookware cover?
    Some companies have been in business for many years and
    have great customer service.  Other companies are trying to
    make a quick sale on auction sites but you may never be
    able to find them or their warranty again.  Most well
    established waterless cookware companies have great
    service and warrant their cookware against any defects and
    replace handles and knobs for minimal shipping and
    handling charge.

    9. What happens if I have a defective piece of cookware
    that is no longer manufactured?
    In this case the company should replace it with a similar
    product that is currently being manufactured.  Cost is again
    usually minimal shipping and handling charge.

    T304 Surgical Stainless steel cookware sets and pieces with
    a 7 ply construction of alloys and metals for fast even heat
    distribution and vapor sealing covers to allow for waterless
    and greaseless cooking.   The 7 ply  construction allows for fast and even heat distribution and
    the Titanium based steel surface keeps meat from sticking
    without using grease due to its nonporous properties.  The
    cookware has precision ground electronically balanced
    covers that create a vapor seal to allow for waterless
    cooking.  The vapor seal holds all the heat and moisture in
    the pan without the evaporation that usually occurs in the
    cooking process.

  • How do I salvage buggy grain?

     

    Have you ever experienced the sinking feeling of opening a bag of grain to bug invested grain?

    It’s a bit of a sinking feeling.  But here are the tried and true remedies to save the grain!

    A customer writes: ” I just opened the bag & found many many little black bugs roaming about in the bag with some webbing also.” My supplier said that I could salvage the 50 pounds of grain by washing off the grain & letting it dry out.” Another option is to freeze the grain 48 hours to kill the bugs. What have you done to salvage grain?  Here are reader responses:

    • I just saw this today: Preventing and getting rid of weevils in the pantry http://bit.ly/g5iUUo
    • I keep mine in the freezer in airtight buckets for at least a week then store it someplace dry and cool. If I leave it in bags it goes bad, but I live in the gulf South so that makes a difference.
    • I have had this happen before. I now use a variety of strategies including freezing, diatomaceous earth, and oxygen absorbers. I don’t wash the grain – just take it out of the bag (outside) and “sift” it with my hands to get the webbing off. Then (wearing a dust mask) I add in diatomaceous earth and freeze it. I DO NOT tell my kids the grain had bugs!
    • I always recommend grain be stored cool and dry so bugs don’t come alive, or use an oxygen absorber inside a sealed pail.
    • If you don’t want to salvage it for yourself, you can feed it to the chickens as is. they don’t care about bugs 🙂
    • Always transfer grain in bags to plastic storage containers that are food quality with tight fitting lids.
    • Place an Oxygen absorber in the grain pail and then seal it tightly.

    If you are new to food storage and storing grain take mental note or print out these tips.

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  • Easy Pancake and Waffle Mix

    In the Heart of The Urban Homemaker newsletter we have been talking about food storage and building a pantry.  The following recipe for pancake mix is a good example of how easy it is to put together good quality basic ingredients to make your own convenience mixes.

    Quick Mix Pancake and Waffle Mix

    8 Cups whole wheat pastry flour (packed if freshly milled) or other whole grain flour *
    4 tsp salt
    7 Tbsp baking powder
    1/2 cup Sucanat or brown sugar
    2 2/3 Cup dry milk powder

    Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir well to distribute the ingredients evenly.  Store in a zipper-top freezer bag or other freezer container.  Be sure to label the contents and include the recipe for making up the pancakes.

    *  Do not substitute hard winter wheat for pastry flour.  The pancakes will be heavy and dense.  Be sure to “pack” pastry flour into a measuring cup if it is freshly milled to get accurate measurements.

    Making Pancakes or Waffles

    1/3 cup oil, butter, or coconut oil

    3 cups Pancake Mix (above)

    2 Eggs

    1 2/3 Cups water

    Put all ingredients into a blender or large mixing bowl. Blend or stir until well mixed. Batter should be more thin than thick, adjust liquids if necessary so batter will be pourable.

    Heat the griddle to medium hot. Make pancake size as desired. When the top of the pancake is bubbly, flip to the other side. Serve with syrup, honey, apple butter, fruit syrup, fresh fruit or other topping of choice.

    Spiced Apple Pancake or Waffle Topping

    3 apples, peeled, thinly or reconstitute dried apples so you have 3 cups

    1/2 tsp cinnamon

    1/4 tsp cloves

    1/4 tsp nutmeg

    1/2 cup Sucanat, date sugar, or regular sugar

    1/2 cup water or apple juice

    In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine all ingredients until the mixture reduces.  This will be about 15 minutes.  You can add 1/2 cup brown sugar until it is dissolved, if desired.  Ladle the warm topping over pancakes or waffles and enjoy!

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  • What’s for Dinner? Curried Hamburger

    This is what we had for lunch at Mentoring Moms the other day.

    Everyone asked for the recipe because it is so easy and delicious.

    This dish is also known as Pakistani Kima and is adapted from the More-With-Less Cookbook and everyone loved it.  Yummy!

    A quick and easy hamburger curry the whole family will love.  Great use for leftover baked potatoes.

    Saute in a skillet:

    3 Tbsp coconut oil or butter

    1 Cup onion, chopped

    Brown 1 lb of hamburger or ground meat with the onion mixture

    Stir in:

    1 Tbsp curry powder

    1 1/2 tsp salt

    dash pepper, cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric, (cayenne if you like hot and spicy)

    1 clove garlic, minced

    1 – 14 oz can diced tomato or 2 Cups tomato

    2 – potatoes,  diced

    Cover the mixture and simmer for 25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

    Add 2 cups petite peas or cut green beans. Heat through.  Serve with brown rice.

    Garnishes: (Optional)

    Diced green onions, or chopped cilantro, sour cream, diced cashews

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  • Give Away: Magnet Ball and Ultra Power Plus Combo

    magnet-balllaundry-detergent_th_3

     

     

     

     

     

    Give Away:  Magnet Ball and Ultra Power Plus Combo – $64.98 Retail Value is now closed.

    The winner is  entry #3:  Janet Van der Kooi.  Janet please contact me at marilyn@urbanhomemaker.com to claim your prize.

    The Magnet Ball softens hard water without the use of any chemicals or other consumable products.  Softened water will enable you to cut the amount of detergent needed by 50% in your washing machine or your dishwasher.  The magnet ball will eliminate mineral deposit build up on appliances, clothes, and dishes.  If you use this in your dishwasher it eliminates the need for a rinse agent.  This product has a five year warranty.  I’m on year three with my magnet ball and it does fantastically in my dishwasher.

    Ultra Power Plus is filler free and unscented and will not leave any residue in your clothing.  It has superior stain removing properties, whitens whites, brightens colored fabrics, cuts through grease.  Since this detergent is ultra concentrated you only use 1 tsp of detergent for a front  loader or 1 Tbsp for a top loading washer.  Use it with the Magnet ball in a top loading washer and you can cut the amount of detergent needed some more.  You will get at least 140 loads at a cost of about 15 cents per load in a top loader and 3 times as many loads in a Front Loader.

    I also use Ultra Power Plus as my stain remover by dissolving 1 Tbsp in 1/2 Cup of  water and spraying it on stains before laundering.

    Here is how to participate in future Urban Homemaker Contests.

    This contest will end Monday March 7, 2011 and the winner announced on March 8.

    There are up to five ways to enter the contest!

    You get one contest entry for each of the following steps you take and you post that you did it in  the comments section of this blog page below:

    1.  Post this article to your Facebook page and tell me you did so in the comments section below.

    2.  Post this article to your Twitter page and tell me you did so in the comments section below.

    3.  Sign up for receiving The Urban Homemaker blog posts by email above, and tell me you did so below in the comments.

    4.  Mention this contest in your blog posting and link back to this page and post your blog link in the comments section below.

    5.  Sign up to receive The Urban Homemaker Enewsletter, and tell me you did so below in the comments.

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