BG, Diwali cleaning , wind chime

 इन्द्रियाणां हि चरतां यन्मनोऽनुविधीयते |

तदस्य हरति प्रज्ञां वायुर्नावमिवाम्भसि || 67||

BG 2.67:Just as a strong wind sweeps a boat off its chartered course on the water, even one of the senses on which the mind focuses can lead the intellect astray.

old news paper wind chime 

I made this wind chime on last Diwali 

Diwali cleaning.

After my vacation, I'm looking forward to a few moments this weekend to take care of a bit of Diwali cleaning. Cleaning is my favorite, but Diwali  cleaning is a fun time to clean out my closet, donate some clothing, and get rid of a bit of clutter. 

The space underneath my desk is infested with insects.  As I am off pesticides (these are more harmful to us that the pests), I scouted around to look for natural, non-toxic ways to control household pests. OH!  If I knew warding off pests was this simple, I would have saved tons of money AND kept my sanity. Here are how of them......

Ants:

-Put cucumber peels or slices in the kitchen or the ants’ point of entry.

-Trace the ant column back to their point of entry. Set either- pepper or coffee at the entry area in a small line, which ants will not cross.

Cockroaches 

-Did you know that cockroaches like high places?  Just put boric acid on TOP of your kitchen cabinets (not inside), if space allows between ceiling and cabinets, the roaches will take the boric acid to their nests, killing all of them. Do note that Boric acid is toxic by mouth, so keep away from children and pets.

-Keep a spray bottle of soapy water on hand. Spraying roaches directly with soapy water will kill them.

-In an empty can, place 1 or 2 pieces of bread, which have been soaked thoroughly with beer. Place in areas known to have roach infestations.  (Who would have known, they hate beer?)

-This one is my favorite: Leave bay leaves, cucumber slices or garlic in the affected area as deterrents.  It’s that simple!

Fleas

-Citrus is a natural flea deterrent. Pour a cup of boiling water over sliced calamansi or lemon. Include the skin, scored to release more citrus oil. Let this mixture soak overnight, and sponge on your dog to kill fleas instantly.

-Trap fleas in your home using a wide, shallow pan half-filled with soapy water. Place it on the floor and shine a lamp over the water. Fleas will jump to the heat of the lamp and land in the water. The detergent breaks the surface tension, preventing the flea from bouncing out.

Mosquitoes

The first line of defense against mosquitoes is to seal their point of entry. Mosquitoes are most active in the early morning and early evening. They seek areas of still air because breezes hamper them. Close windows and doors on the side of your house, which are opposite the breeze. Then try:

-The most important measure you can take is to remove standing water sources.

-If you’re barbeque-ing and can’t get the mosquitoes off, throw a bit of sage or rosemary on the coals to repel mosquitoes

oFor a NATURAL BUG REPELLANT, an effective natural bug repellent, is Tanglad or Lemon Grass. It contains the natural oil, citronella, which is safe and effective.  In fact, lemon grass citronella is considered more effective than true citronella as an insect repellent.

To use as a mosquito repellent, break a stalk off from the clump, peel off the outer leaves, until you find the scallion-like stem at the base. Bend the stem between your fingers, loosening it, and then rub it vigorously between your palms – it will soon become a pulpy, juicy mass. Rub this over all exposed skin, covering thoroughly at least once.

-Use mint as a fly repellent. Small sachets of crushed mint can be placed around the home to discourage flies.

-Bay leaves, cloves and eucalyptus wrapped in small cheesecloth squares can be hung by open windows or doors.

happy cleaning !