Diogenes roamed his day with a lit lantern to find, not an honest man, but a human; go thou among those great apes and do likewise! And have fun looking.
I'm so glad the archive refers to the Burke Museum website about spider myths, which are everywhere. The comment on osage orange containing insect-repellent substances shouldn't be surprising, but is irrelevant, since spiders aren't insects and don't eat osage orange or absorb anything from walking on them. Osage orange, horsechestnut or copper pennies won't work. Overcoming that irrational fear of spiders, with the website's help, might. ... View related article.
Start with plain bicarb (baking soda). For stubborn food, use it straight on your washcloth or sponge. If you don't soak all dishes and bowls right away, you may have to go to washing soda (that's the carbonate, not bicarbonate) and/or borax. These are stronger, so I prefer the soak method. And why do this instead of the dollar store remedy? You spend 99c-$1 plus gas plus time, and get you-know-not-what for the trouble. Bicarb's cheaper, with multiple uses, and less stress on hands. End with vinegar rinse if you like. For a machine? I save water (yes, even over the more economical dishwashers now sold) by hand washing, so I don't have an answer. ... View related article.
Yes, it's for fleas! Cats, dogs, horses and birds evolved to bathe in dust because it dries fleas and other insects visiting. Another triumph for evolution, after it goofed by developing fleas in the first place. ... View related article.
Citrus do like a bit of acid soil, and are heavy feeders, meaning they use high N, as well as some P in the NPK mixes sold. Coffee grounds are probably good every 1-2 months now and 2-3 months when cooler, and are a good mulch near the trunk if dried. People, never toss coffee or tea leftovers, or even stale drinks! Gardens love that, and so do worms. By the way, some soil organisms love sugary things, so don't send sodas down the drain unless you're cleaning it- they're good for that too, though not for drinking. ... View related article.
The very best cider vinegar is "with the mother" AND raw, maybe home-made, but companies do sell it. Not all vinegar "with the mother" is raw, so read descriptions and labels carefully. Oh, and 1 teaspoon per gallon =1/8t in a pint of water, for smaller pets. ... View related article.
I too have seen the warning against using ozone generators; they said it wouldn't work. But it seems there's more to the problem than China, ordinary drywall is made from calcium sulfate, and there's maybe a tenth to one-half the strontium in US products as Chinese. Maybe drywall is unsuitable for sensitive humans, wherever made, since with moisture it can form sulfides. So many products, so little control. ... View related article.
The advice so far is good, but if all else fails, try cold-water coffee! I assume the makers are still sold, essentially you steep the grounds (by the way, if you don't grind your own, get a $10 coffee mill and enjoy better coffee) 24 hours, put some essence in a cup and add hot water. The cold water steeping prevents some of the acidity and waxes that irritate many people from entering the brew. ... View related article.
