What's Wrong With Bleach?

I'm frequently asked why none of my cleaning recipes include bleach as an ingredient. There are a many reasons why I don't use or endorse bleach. I am not alone. Most hospitals in America no longer use bleach to clean. Instead, they use germicides. It kills the germs with irritating the patients. Here are my reasons for not using bleach.

1. Sensitive skin- I have never actually been sensitive to bleach. I am allergic to latex. Using bleach usually means wearing cleaning gloves which are made of latex. When my child was about 6 to 8 months old and wore nothing more than a onesie, he often entertained me by using his tiny little hands to scratch his chest. After about a month I began to realize it wasn't the detergent that was irritating his skin and giving him a mild case of eczema but rather it was the bleach. Bleach can not only irritate the skin but also it can cause new skin problems.

2. Fumes - The fumes from bleach can cause you to temporarily lose your sense of smell and even your sense of sight if you measure it improperly.

3. Chemical reactions- Most of the cleaning recipes I share are made with something that can actually cause a dangerous chemical reaction if it comes in contact with bleach. Ammonia and bleach makes mustard gas and you don't want that in your home. I like to save housewives money by encouraging them to make their own cleaning supplies. Switching from bleach based products like Clorox Bathroom Cleaner to Ammonia based products like Windex can cause a serious reaction in your home. It's best to eliminate bleach all together.

4. It's not a stain remover- Bleach uses chlorine to disinfect by chemically killing the germs and bacteria. It does not however cause those dead germs to be removed. Instead, it changes the color of the stain to make it appear to be gone. Take an old white t-shirt that has always been washed with bleach and hold it up in natural sunlight. You will see "ghost stains". The shirt may be clean but the stains were just whitened. Pour bleach in a toilet and you will see the stains "whiten" before your eyes. Pour some ACT pre-brush mouthwash into the toilet and you will see the waste is still there.

5. It's expensive- One bottle of bleach costs more than a bottle of ammonia, vinegar, a box of baking soda, and a bottle of peroxide. All of these chemicals are used for house cleaning.

6. It's not green- Bleach is more harmful to the environment than other bleaching agents.

7. It ruins- Bleach breaks down the fibers in fabrics over time. This is the reason for holes in your white shirts and socks.

The better alternative to bleach is Hydrogen peroxide when it comes to spot treatments. It doesn't ruin your fabrics. It actually breaks the bond of the germs and bacteria and stains causing them to be removed as the peroxide evaporates. It's safer for the environment, won't irritate your skin and is cheaper.

Another alternative is baking soda. It oxidizes the stain and causes it to release from the surface it clings to. This is why baking soda is a great alternative to toothpaste when you are in a pinch. Vinegar is an enzyme cleaner that works like baking soda. Use vinegar to remove blood rather than bleach so that the enzymes are killed and removed. Mature women everywhere know why this is important.

Check my post archives for non-bleach alternatives.

Ask Red Cooking Edition

Dear Red,

I tried making my own mayonnaise like Dale on Top Chef during one of the challenges and I would end up with a bowl of egg soup. What did I do wrong?

Whipped
Virginia


Dear Whipped,

The first trick to making mayonnaise from scratch is to use a warm bowl. The second is to add the oil very slowly. The third is to beat the eggs quickly. If you are doing this by hand then you will need to go at a speed of 2 beats per second. The eggs have to absorb the oil. Cooking shows don't show everything because they don't have time and the have a storyline to follow. The episode of Top Chef you saw was about speed. It would have slowed down the flow of the show to see the extra steps it takes to make mayonnaise.


Dear Red,

Love you, love your blog. I was wondering what is the difference between brown eggs and white eggs?

Charlotte
Venice Beach


Dear Charlotte,

In short, the difference is color, bird, price, and diet. White hens lay white eggs and red hens lay brown eggs. Red hens eat more than the white hens. Since the cost of production is higher, that cost is passed on to the consumer. The only way to taste the difference between the eggs is to raise the hens yourself. The diet directly influences the taste of the eggs, the way that organic gardening makes produce taste better than pesticide protected produce. As a housewife, save the money and go with white.


Dear Red,

No matter how many times I try, my fried chicken is always pink in the middle and my BBQ ribs are never fully done. What am I doing wrong? This is really irritating.

Sara
Houston


Dear Sara,

I would need more information to know exactly what was going on. My first guess is the cooking side. Always start with the fat side closest to the heat. Fat is an insulator. You need that fat to heat up at a higher temperature so that it may render or drip away from the food. On the grill, cut slits on the back of your ribs to allow the fat to drip down over the coals. Cook this side first. The heat will get to the meat faster and cook it evenly. When you fry chicken start with the skin side down. Control your heat to prevent burning.

Dear Red,

My kabobs keep burning! I'm sure it's something simple but I can't figure it out. I made one with steak, red onion, and bell peppers. I made another one with with chicken. I use a charcoal grill because I can't stand gas. Is this the problem because I don't want to switch to gas grilling.

Beverly
Merced


Dear Beverly,

You're right, you're problem is simple. First test the heat of your grill. You don't need high heat for a kabob. You need medium to low heat. Hold your hand 6 inches over the grill. If you can hold your hand there for 3 seconds your grill is ready. If you can hold it there for 5 seconds you are at medium heat and longer than that is low. When you layer your coals, leave the outermost edges of the grill without coals. If your food begins to burn or cook too fast you can place it there to cool for a second. Inside that area place a single layer of coals for things that don't need as much heat and save the middle of your grill for a double layer of coals. The second thing to do is to brush your kabobs with oil to help them cook evenly. Oil isn't meant to prevent burning. Olive oil burns easily and quickly. Canola and vegetable oil take longer to burn. Use canola or vegetable oil on your kabobs. Third, use your vents. If your grill is too small to organize the coals the way I described, use your vents to control the heat. Closing the vents brings the temperature down by suffocating the fire. Opening them gives the fire air to breathe and keeps the temperature up. I hope that helps!


Have a question for Red? Contact her at TheRedHousewife@yahoo.com

In Holy Matrimony (July Posting)

‘Tis the season for wedded bliss. Brides everywhere are dieting and color coordinating so that they will have the perfect wedding. If you are one of the stressed out brides who is finding she is turning into a “bridezilla” or a “pouty princess”, here are some things to consider to help take the edge off.

What’s the point?

Always remember the point of the wedding. The point of the wedding is to become one with the love of your life. This is the person that you plan to spend the rest of your life with. He will be the guardian of your heart whether or not the flowers were properly rotated six degrees to the left. No limousine ride or dove release will make the love that the two of you share any richer. If you believe your day will be ruined by something other than the groom not showing up, you seriously need to reorganize your priorities and way of thinking.

It’s not all about you.

Let’s face it. You aren’t going to marry yourself. The only reason you have been blessed with the title of “bride-to-be” is because someone chose you to be his lawfully wedded wife. Don’t take this day to completely ignore him. This is as much his day as it is yours. Change your phrasing from “my day” to “our day. If you choose the chapel, let him choose the honeymoon hotel. If you choose the color let him choose the colors. Share and compromise now. If you can’t do that without conflict, your road to happily ever after will likely be short lived. This is one day in the rest of your lives together. Don’t let it define your entire relationship.

Your family and friends are not your servants.

With all of the stress that brides subject themselves to, they are left with no other choice but to defer some of that burden to their loyal and faithful servants. Even the nicest of brides will undoubtedly order her mother or sister to run a list of errands for her wedding day. It is a reasonable request for a nervous bride to ask the people she trusts most to handle the deeds that cannot be mishandled. It is not reasonable to shout at them and to ask them to do things that you can do yourself.

The thing to remember most about a wedding is that it is a day of celebrating the union between two people in love. Do your best not to tarnish something so naturally wonderful with salty behavior, wasteful spending and cruel treatment of the very people you will call on after your wedding day for advice.

The Red Housewife has spoken and will henceforth forever hold her peace.

Mix 1/2 cup of laundry detergent with 1/2 cup of fabric softener. You can choose the detergent that best meets your needs. You can use a free and clear detergent if you have babies, or allergies or a pet with allergies. You can use a cold water formula if your carpet cleaner is not heated. Whatever you choose, make sure it does not have bleaching agents. You may use a color safe bleach however, like Clorox 2. You can use any fabric softener but you may want to coordinate the fragrances with your detergent.

The most important thing to remember is that the manufacturer will never approve this method, as the owners' manual demands users purchase Bissell's proprietary cleaning solution or else the warranty will be voided. However, if the warranty is expired, what does it matter?

Make Your Own Swiffer Refills

Swiffer dust cloths
The cheapest way is to use a high quality paper towel like Bounty or Brawny. They are thicker and don't tear as easily. Simply attach the paper towel sheet as you would the regular pads. The most eco-friendly way is to use old clothing like fleece, flannel or jersey (from sweatpants or a sweater). You can also use microfiber cloths like the ones for auto care.


Swiffer wet cloths
The cheapest and eco-friendly way is to use dish cloths from the Dollar Tree. If you have a left over wet cloths container save it and fill it with the floor solution recipe listed here. This way is washable and reuseable.


Swiffer Wet Jet Refill Recipe
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons of ammonia, ½ cup of vinegar, ½ teaspoon of baby shampoo or other gentle, fragrant hand soap. Add all ingredients to the Wet Jet container and fill with water or mix the solution in a separate container and pour desired amount into the wet cloths container. Lay your cloths inside right before attaching to the Swiffer.

Frybread

Hello RedHeads!

I have been on Hiatis for awhile. But I am slowly getting back to my blogging. Here is an older video I made with the recipe and a technigue for making frybread. It's kind of funny. I will try to make another one soon. Right now the morning sickness is keeping me away from fried foods.

The video is kind of small so email me for the recipe.

Make your own Febreeze

Hello Redheads,

I've been on a little hiatus but I guess with all of the morning sickness and food aversions I deserve a free pass. Since the slightest smells send my stomach for a ride on a ferris wheel I thought that sharing my recipe for making Febreeze might be appropriate. 

You will never have to buy another $4 bottle again. 

1. If possible use an old Febreeze bottle. If you don't have one then buy an empty spray bottle at the dollar store. You will also need your favorite fabric softener and store brand, cheapo rubbing alcohol. 

2. Pour 3tbs fabric softener, 3tbs rubbing alcohol and 3 cups of warm water. Shake very well. 

3. Use as you normally would Febreeze. 


Try to use the same bottle when you make refills. You don't want to accidentally mix chemicals. Happy spraying!