In The Good Old Summertime — Herbal wipes, sunburn remedy, “camper soap” and more…

 

How To Make Disinfectant Wipes

You’ll need a quart mason jar, spray bottle, 2 cups of white vinegar, and 2 tablespoons each of dried lavender buds, sage and rosemary.

Add all the ingredients to the mason jar, cap the jar and place it in a cool area. Infuse this mixture for seven days. Shake well before straining out the herbs through a fine mesh wire strainer. Add the liquid to a spray bottle.

Use this herb-infused disinfectant for wiping down shopping carts, door handles, toilet seats, faucets. Moisten a few paper towels with the spray and place the towels in a zip-lock bag. Perfect for wiping hands after you’ve handled money. Use at picnics, playgrounds, and for wiping down plastic toys. This spray has a crisp, clean scent and will kill common bacteria. All three of the herbs are anti-bacterial and so is the vinegar.

How to Make an Herbal Compress For Sunburn

You’ll need one tablespoon each of dried mint, lavender and rosemary; 3 bay leaves, 1 cup white vinegar, and 4 cups of boiling water.

Place the herbs in a muslin bag or organza tulle bag and tie the strings tightly. In a basin or large glass bowl, add the herb bundle, the vinegar and the boiling water. Let the herbs infuse for 30 minutes in the liquid. Remove the herb bundle. Allow the water to cool. Dip a soft wash cloth in the water and wring it out slightly. For larger areas, use a hand towel. Gently apply the cloth to the sun burned area. Repeat every hour or so until the sting and redness has diminished.

Making “Camper Soap”

This is simple to make, smells great and the bugs don’t like it.

You’ll need 2 cups of shredded bar soap (Ivory is good and so is Irish Spring), 1/2 cup water, 2 tablespoons each of dried peppermint, lavender and sage; and 5 drops of tea tree oil.

In a sauce pan (one you can spare or get it from the thrift store) add the herbs, water, and tea tree oil. On low heat, simmer the mixture for 30 minutes, remove from heat and add the shredded soap. Stir to blend. Allow the mixture to cool. Using your hands, form the soap into one-inch balls. Lay the soap balls on wax paper. Allow them to air dry in a cool room for several days. Store in a plastic bag.

The soap smells wonderful, and helps repel biting insects. It will also disinfect hands and nails and remove fishy smells. Great for camping too ! Rinse well with plain water after use.

More Ideas for Summer…

Take advantage of the space between slow growing tomato and pepper plants by inter-planting summer herbs such as basil and cilantro. Harvest them before the larger plants mature.

Succession planting ensures that every part of the garden stays productive during the growing season. When lettuce and radishes are finished, sprinkle dill seeds in the open area, and plant some cucumber seeds. Both will mature at about the same time.

Don’t toss out fresh lemon and orange peels. Sprinkle each peel with a drop of tea tree oil, and set them out around the picnic or barbecue area. The citrus peels and the tea tree oil will deter mosquitoes and gnats.

Change your body scent and fool outdoor insects. Use plain soap for bathing and skip the perfume. Before going outside, brush a scented fabric softener sheet over your arms and legs. It will mask body odors.

To green up herbs in midsummer, add 1 tablespoon of Epsom salts to a gallon of water. Stir and pour this around potted herb plants for rapid growth.

If you’ve come in contact with poison ivy, it’s very important to wash off the oil from the ivy as soon as possible. Dawn dish soap is excellent for this this. Don’t scrub. Gently wash the affected area with the soap. Dawn’s grease-cutting power will remove the irritating oils from your skin better than plain soap. Rinse well.

Blessings…

~Meadow Walker and Azul