The Amish Cook from Oasis Newsfeatures

Hi, I'm new here. I see I'm answering an old 2008 blog but anyway. Speaking of eco-friendly and the Amish, I've a web site on Amish information and goods- www.amish-info-goods.com come check me out.

Also, on the eco friendly side, I also use a Rainbow and sell them. The Amish are quite big on them too. What's a Rainbow? It's a total air purification and cleaning system that uses natures way to clean. It cleans the air too! Since most Amish live on dusty farms and in the country, they really enjoy not "sweepin up storms" anymore with brooms. Some Amish pipe in electricity from thier barns and others use generators.. But most wont' tell you that. If you want more info on Rainbows, you may email me at   And more info on Amish see my website..  Tks

Alright....  If you go to Walmart.com and type in tea tree oil there are several results, but the only one I think is worthwhile is a pharmaceutical grade, 2 oz bottle you can find here ( http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10316901 )  The good thing is that you can type in your zip code to see if your store carries it.  I really hope that is of some use to all of you searching who don't want to buy online (and I can't blame you when the shipping is sometimes more than the product!).

Just a note.  If you are looking for PURE tea tree oil, you may want to go to a health food store or just order it online.  The stuff I got at Walmart has tea tree oil as one of its main ingredients, but it's not 100%.  I just searched for tea tree oil.  Mothernature.com has a 1/2oz for $5.77  That's just one of several places.  Here's the link:  http://www.mothernature.com/shop/detail.cfm?sku=74410&rfr=FRG&zmam=1000941&zmas=18&zmac=110&zmap=74410

I just saw the tea tree oil in my Wal-Mart the other day and it was in the vitamin aisle.  Couldn't find it anywhere when I had a fungal infection on my thumbnail.  Now that it's all cleared up, I find it.....!  ~Diann

I got tea tree oil at Walmart before.  It was with the African-American hair products.  

GOD BLESS YOU I hope everyone found their Tea Tree oil successfully.

I have found that if you can ask one of the folks working in the Rx area, they are much more knowledgeable AND helpful in locating items like this.  I found it in a couple of differnet areas at Wal Mart. Guess they weren't certain where to stock it. It was by shampoos,first aid and ear meds in three different  stores.

Hope it helps.  It is definitely worth locating.  In another store they had theirs in the vitamins. ???

I have a recipe for eco=friendly cleaning.

1 gallon of water
2 cups rubbing alcohol
1 tbsp ammonia
1 tbsp liquid dish soap

Me, my fiends & family use it all the time . Try it & spread the word. It is great.

Hello! I am new here. My Sister in law is beachy amish- mennonite (she and her husband and children joined 6 years ago) and I asked her what she uses to clean her home and she says she makes some at home but most of the women buy from Melalucca. But she said everyone is different. People just get what they can afford. Tea tree oil is found in with the hydrogen peroxide, and other oils in first aide aile

GOD BLESS YOU

WalMart does carry this. AND nearly any drug store and health food store, also.

This is not just for cleaning. About 25 yrs ago, there was a handbook published with all the wonderful things this product can do for us, naturally.

A drop on a cotton swab touched to a tick or chigger is wonderful.

Same with undernail fungus. Small amount on swab placed uner nails. Clean debris nex day. Follow this for about a week and the mosst stubborn case of nail fungus is cleared up. A few drops in a foot bath will keep it that way.

Great with a couple drops in your mouthwash during sore throat season.

Health food store should still carry the first-aid handbook. It is not strictly a Tea Tree Oil book. Also has hints for honey and vinegar.

You can find tea tree oil at any health food place ( GNC sells it), or wild oats, I am not sure about Trader Joes. It is everywhere these days - I think I saw it at the grocery or drug store. Check their herbal aisles - most have them. And, of course, you can find it online - just type it in and see all the herbal places you will pull up. Some Amish stores sell it, not all.
You were talking about cleaning with lemon juice. When I have used lemons for juicing or a recipe I use the used lemon halves to wash my counter tops, stove top, and my faucet. I press down hard and it flattens the lemon half out. It does get spread some pulp around, but you can just wipe it up. There is cleaning power left in those halves!!
Can you share the recipe for the cleaner you want to make? That should be pretty good and strong stuff.

I use baking soda and vinegar (separately and also together) to clean lots of stuff.  My oven was in bad need of a cleaning, and the window inside the oven door had a thick layer of that sticky, orange-yellow grease that is almost impossible to get off.  I tried Soft Scrub with Bleach and a few other things, and barely got anything off.  Then I decided to try the old b. soda and vinegar.  I rinsed all the chemical junk off really well, then sprinkled baking soda all over the glass and scrubbed with a vinegar-soaked sponge.  It took a little elbow grease, but I got ALL of that greasy mess off! (Now I admit, I did use Easy Off oven cleaner for the rest of the oven because I definitely am not Super Woman!  LOL).

I clean my butcher block slab with a mixture of kosher salt and lemon juice, made into a paste.  It sanitizes and gets any bacteria off of there, plus it helps get rid of those pesky green stains from chopping parsley, etc.

One more thing: To clean your kitchen/bathroom drains, once or twice a month pour a small box of baking soda down the drain, and then chase it with a good amount of vinegar.  Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes, and then flush the drain with a pot of boiling water.  Really helps with minor clogs, too!

Lastly, to keep your garbage disposal smelling fresh and the blades sharp, throw in some vinegar ice cubes every so often and grind them up.  You can also use frozen slices of lemon.

Now, if anyone can tell me where I might be able to find tea tree oil, I would really like to know.  I have a recipe for an al-purpose natural cleaner consisting of water, vinegar, and tea tree oil and can't find the oil.

It would definitely be interesting to learn about Amish cleaning tips. Maybe you could add it as another section on the website. Then like the recipe section, you could add to it as you remember them or they come up in discussions. Just a thought...

Welcome, rainstorm!  You actually answered your own question:)  I'd hazard to guess that most Amish homemakrer housecleaning IS quite eco-friendly.  The reason, though, has less to do with an overwhelming eco-ethos than the simple fact that many of these homemakers are using "old ways" to do stuff and those tend to be more eco-friendly anyway, at least when it comes to household checmicals and the like.   There would also be a view of "frivoloity" among Amish homemakers towards chemical cleaners.  Why spend scarce $$ to buy some Mr. Clean when soap, water, and elbow grease has always worked just as well?  But I should compile some hints from Amish homemakers (one I use all the time is to clean glass with newspaper instead of cloth, that really does work to do streak free cleaning...I use the method on my car windshield)...I doubt I'd have Lovina do a second column though, one is dfficult enough!:)