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As long as I can remember I have had a certain predicament when shopping. I know I don’t want to use unsafe chemicals in my home and body, but the safe products are often too expensive for my tight budget. Don’t get me wrong: I like to support the production of safe healthy products whenever I can. I still buy my hand soap and laundry soap from my local farmer’s market, even though I make the laundry soap last longer by adding baking soda. But about a year ago I finally discovered the solution to my problem — coconut oil, lemons, and baking soda.
Lemons
Lemons are wonderful for your health and home. They’re also one of the best things to restore the PH balance of your body. I often add a little fresh-squeezed lemon to my water for a refreshing flavor. But straight lemon juice makes a great mouthwash. It’s anti-bacterial, promotes gum healing and freshens breath. And if you swallow it, it freshens breath for hours as it doesn’t just change the PH of your mouth but your stomach, too.
Lemons are also great for cleaning. Half a lemon with salt on it will clean copper, chrome, grills and grates. I clean and freshen my garbage disposal by running whole pieces of lemon through it. If you mix baking soda and lemon juice together to make a paste, you can use it as a dish soap, soap scum remover and grout cleaner. Baking soda and lemon juice together can clear minor drain clogs, clean your toilet, and even clean your produce.
Baking Soda
Most people use baking soda only for cooking, but it has many other uses. I use it as an abrasive toothpaste at least once a week to remove any build-up that regular brushing doesn’t get. I also use it as a natural deodorant. I keep it in a dish and use a cotton pad to pat it onto my skin. It lasts all day and doesn’t cause irritation.
Baking soda works as a natural antacid. If you just mix a little of it into water and drink it you get immediate relief. And you can mix baking soda, coconut oil, and a splash of lemon juice to make a wonderful exfoliating facial scrub.
And of course there are many cleaning uses for baking soda. One of my favorites is to clean my upholstered furniture. I simply sprinkle it on, rub it in with my hands, let it sit for about an hour or all day, and then vacuum the furniture clean. It works the same way for carpets: Sprinkle on, let sit, and vacuum. It absorbs odors, grease and germs.
Coconut Oil
Extra virgin coconut oil is something I no longer can live without. My family has used it for many years and as time goes by I find more and more wonderful uses for it. It’s not the cheapest product on its own but it does save me money in the long run. It blocks UVA rays by 30 percent, improves the LDL-HDL ratio, improves bone health, boosts testosterone, boosts brain power, reduces fever, heals wounds, burns belly fat, and it is anti-ulcer, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial.
I love the smell, feel, and taste of coconut oil, and it adds flavor and nutrition to much of my cooking. I constantly find more uses for this wonderful substance. I sauté vegetables in it and bake with it. It works great in place of butter because it becomes solid at room temperature like butter but doesn’t burn easily.
I’ve always struggled with having dry skin, and in recent years it got worse and became severe eczema. I tried many different things but was unwilling to use steroid cream, as it doesn’t really heal it and causes skin to thin after years of use. Coconut oil, though, healed my skin. Now, I have replaced my lotions and even my chapstick with extra virgin coconut oil.
I’ve had dry brittle hair for years and tried all kinds of over-the-counter moisturizers, conditioners, and treatments but nothing lasted, and the ends of my hair would break off. But when I started washing my hair with baking soda and water, and rubbing extra virgin coconut oil on it while it was damp, it wasn’t long before my hair relaxed, regained its shine, and stopped breaking.
Also, when I get a cut or scrape, instead of reaching for the anti-bacterial cream, I put some extra virgin coconut oil on the wound. The oil has all the needed anti-bacterial properties, and it moisturizes to promote healing.
It is just amazing all that we have right at our fingertips. I’m sure as time goes on I will find many more uses for these three wonderful products from nature.
What other uses have you discovered? Tell us in the comments section below.
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