Volcanic Dog Wash?

It's amazing what can get done while your kid sleeps!  LBG has been having some sleep issues which we resolved this week.  Long story and I'll probably be awarded the Worst Mother of the Year award.  Long story short, he wasn't getting enough to eat.  If I was told to go to sleep hungry, I'd be miserable too so I can't blame him. 

Ok, back to the subject at hand.  This morning I decided I'd be ultra super ambitious and give our small dog, Frida, a bath!  It's not a hard task when your dog is small enough to fit into the kitchen sink, but finding the time an energy is a totally different story. 

Who cares if she spends 75% of her day outside- her choice, not mine- or the fact that it's raining.  She needed a bath and that's all there is to it. 

In there "green" community, there is a term known as "No-poo."  Basically, it's using baking soda and vinegar -3rd grade volcano, anyone?- to wash your hair rather than shampoo.  I'm not adventurous enough to involve my own locks, but I'll gladly volunteer my scruffy 18lbs of pooch.  The Father and I have washed Frida this way before and liked it so much, we'll continue using the technique.

Here's how it works:
Cast of Characters:  Baking Soda, Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV,) water, a large cup, and your K-9 companion.

The Technique:  With your dog in the tub, sink, buck, toilet (I don't ask questions!) wet them down really well with warm water.  Dump a bunch of baking soda on your pooch and massage it in.  Don't worry you can't use too much.  Fill your cup with 1 part ACV and 3-4 parts warm water and dump over your dog.  Massage the fizz around.  You will probably see the dirt start to run off.  You can either repeat the process if you want to do a second wash, or rinse Fido off with lots of warm water.

Please try to contain your amazement when you see dirty, nasty, grossness run off your puppy.  A really cool fact about using this process is that it doesn't strip out all of the hair's natural oils so their skin won't dry out as easily.  Same process applies to your own hair but it will take at least a month of using the technique before your hair stops feeling oily all the time- or so I've been told/read.

YAY!  No more stinky pup.  Of course, after I got her all dried off, she wanted to go back outside.   Oh well, I tried.

Baking Soda and Vinegar

Mix them together and what do you get?
A volcano of course.

WRONG!!! Ok yes, you do get a volcano when you are in third grade but as an adult, you get a highly effective drain cleaner!

No, it won't evict the hairy monster that has been living down there for 5 years, but it will clear out the average speed bump. As a little bonus, the silver part of the drain will be nice and shiny!

Here is how you perform the procedure:

1. Fill you tea kettle with water and set it to boil.
2. Pour a fair about of Baking Soda down the drain. Use a spoon if it will help. I like to pack in as much as I possibly can.
3. Pour some vinegar over the drain and plug said drain as soon as you can.
4.When you hear the whistle, it's time to unplug the drain and pour the boiling water down

Ta-Da! Your drain is as good as new. If your little chemistry project as failed, it's sure bet you need to evict a hairy animal. You can easily fashion a pipe snake out of an old wire coat hanger (The Grandfather taught me this!) Once you are critter free, perform the procedure again.

It never hurts to turn your drain into a volcano once a month or so as a preventative measure.

Now, the next time your city/county has a hazardous waste collection day, please feel free to fork over the Draino!