DIY: Non Toxic Wood Oil Part 2 (The Floor!)

BEFORE PHOTO:

This is my bathroom floor before putting on the natural wood oil recipe I made - the wood is kiln dried hickory planks that were locally milled and deeply on sale...If ya need the wood oil recipe, click HERE for Part 1 I posted earlier today---> cause this now is Part 2, and all it is about is my extreme excitement and OCD about how I could not stop putting this amazing wood oil mixture on everything in my house! I couldn't stop cause not only did it smell delicious but it also looked beautiful (I mean, don't oily wet lookin' floors always look so good?!)
Armed with a pot of the natural wood oil and a organic cotton rag I was ready to start rubbing it in. During this process I thought possibly one of those sponge mops would be alot quicker, and at least a good buffer for after the oil is put on....

But I did this by hand, totally Mr Miyagi style "wax on wax off danial son!"

In my bathroom I laid it on extra thick and waxy because I didn't want the water from the tub or sink to penetrate the floor - you can see in the pic below the difference between the finished wood and the unfinished dry wood. The oil brings out all the wood's character, grain and color, artistically speaking just that look is worth all the effort.
Once I got finished the bathroom, I was on a roll! I put on some more of the mixture to be heated up (walnut oil, salt, bees wax, apple cider vinegar) and then It WaS ON !!!
I went right out the bathroom 'door' (i haven't got around to putting up my door yet), and proceeded to oil the kitchen floor too.
Then the OCD my mother instilled in me (AKA- don't ever quit in the middle of a project or activity) kept me going right out into my living room...
And going......... (like, who could stop when it's looking that good and the fear of it drying totally uneven kinda haunts your inner wanna be perfectionist!)
Eventually I made it across the entire house and let myself off the hook, to do my bedroom tomorrow instead. The hardest part of this project was moving stuff on the floor outta the way and the thought of moving the sofa I sleep on made me rather go cook dinna' instead.

The oiling part, though = majorly fun to watch, a little like magic. ;)
XoxoxoX

DIY: Natural & Non Toxic Wood Oil

BEFORE :

Here is my kitchen counter (made of unfinished hickory wood planks) before applying my wood oil recipe...

In order to prevent alot of staining plus possible mold and mildew growth on the unfinished wood, especially during the summer months I decided to 'stain' or oil the wood with a natural recipe - one that was 100% non toxic, that would not out gas, and would be safe for those people who are sensitive to the chemicals in commonly toxic wood finishes.

SUPPLIES :

• Bees Wax
• Walnut Oil
• S alt
• Apple Cider Vinegar
  

• Knife
• Stirring Spoon
• Pot to cook it in
• Rag, sponge or some type of tool to rub the oil into the surface

The first thing I had to do was cut a portion of the bees wax off, which luckily my friend Gabi gave me the awesome tip to heat up the knife first then cut into it "like buttah"...
Mine was super thick so, I had to re-heat it a few times until about 1/4 of the pound of wax broke and I had the perfect piece to add to my recipe.

NOTE: I recommend using bees wax and not a white food grade wax because of the coloring when it dries, and general coloring added to the recipe. Bees wax is also easier to work with and has a good smell!
ADD TO THE POT:

2-3 cups Walnut Oil, 1/2 cup Salt, chunk of Bees Wax, teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar... And bring to a boil till the wax is fully melted into the mixture and stir occasionally.

This is totally experimental amounts - if you add alot of wax the mixture will become so wax-y that it will be too thick a coating on the wood... if anyone has 'buffing tips' for a more wax heavy mixture please share!

After the wax is melted, rub it into the wood while warm...
Rub the wax in a buffing fashion, and be sure to not drip too much or lay it on thicker in various places... when using a mixture with wax you do have to be conscience of layering it evenly.
Looks awesome and smells edible.... but it could use a little extra buffing ---> so i am looking for suggestions of what would be a good material or tool to use for buffing this kitchen counter?
In the meantime, I LOVE it!!! I love it so much I can't stop putting that stuff on everything wood around the house. :) The bathroom floor is next!!!

Kiss This HOuse BEAutiFUL!
Xoxoxo

HimalaSalt Rocks (Pun Intended)

Here's the reason I love this salt - I can not use any brand of food, organic or not, without first checking with a company whether it is completely beyond a shadow of a doubt gluten free. I mean gluten free in the most hardcore, no cross contamination or I get brain damage and digestive horror kind of autoimmune hell fire way. I frequently get the cold shoulder or no answer from companies when I inquire about whether products are free of cheap wheat fillers & dusting... here is what I wrote to Himalasalt:
*
"Hey Ya'll !
I have celiac sprue and am on a gluten free diet. I have to make sure all my food is free of gluten, even of contamination with other gluten foods or the dusting of food belts by vendors.
Can someone let me know if your salt is safe for me to eat- by explaining how your facility works, and if there is gluten in the facility?
THANKS! leslie "
*
This is the standard friendly inquiry I usually (hate to have to) send out, but I did not get the usual letter back - instead I got what every person with Celiac Sprue, food allergies of every kind, and those with chem sensitivities wants to hear!...
*
"Dear Leslie,
We are a completely gluten free facility. We have our own certified organic/kosher for passover facility, where we do all of our own packing. We don't copack for anyone else, nor do we store any gluten, wheat, corn, nuts, shellfish, or any other allergenic substances in our facility. From what I've heard from many
other people like yourself, as well as grocery buyers across the country trying to find a clean product for their customers, we are the only ones that I'm aware of that maintains a facility of this type for packing salt.
Also, we do not iodize our products. Any salt that has been iodized has corn/dextrose included, as that is the base in which the iodine is delivered.
You can feel confident in the cleanliness and purity of HimalaSalt, and I wish you the best health ever!

My best, Melissa "
*
Go Melissa! That letter was the unicorn at the end of the rainbow for those with food allergies! Thanks for making a product that is an example of what all consumerism should look like. I made some bad ass pickles with the Himalasalt using cucumbers, herbs and onions from my organic garden! :)
XoXOooo

Natural Remedies: Salt

Salt is one of my favorite natural remedies, that whole "don't put salt in a open wound" is a metaphor gone wrong! Cause that is exactly what I do with salt...

Here's some things that salt works it's magical ways with:

1. Cuts/Scratches - There is always a chance of infection when you cut yourself or get scratched by an animal, but what you can do to prevent infection is mix some sea or kosher salt in a little water and put the paste on your cut. Yes, it burns like hell but if you actually do have an infection you can watch it be sucked out right before your eyes. And it looks pretty cool. Afterwards the wound closes up clean and heals.

2. Bites - I used to have 8 cats and some of them had biting issues. Achafalaya (my little man) bit right through my hand once (or twice really) leaving a puncture wound with swelling/burning. I soaked my hand in a cup of heavily salted water and the swelling went down and the holes closed up.

3. Accidents/Wounds - My X used to injure himself while doing renovation jobs all the time, you know those gnarly wounds where a nail goes through a finger or a saw slices into part of your hand!?! One of two things would take place - he'd refuse the salt and then get a really gross infection which then I'd make the salt cup for and it would pull the infection out OR he'd give into my salt cure from the beginning and the wound would heal up quickly never to get infected. Watching the nasty infections be pulled out was neat in that 'this is really sick but awesome to watch' kind of way...I LOVE salt!

4. Balancing Electrolytes - Our body naturally maintains levels of sodium, magnesium and potassium all in a delicate balance to keep us feeling healthy. A great way to relax while giving your body a balanced boost is to lay in a warm bath of kosher salt & epsom salt for approx. 45 minutes. It's the best remedy for when you are feeling tired, achy and dehydrated.The salt bath not only rejuvenates the body but also aids in gentle detoxification.

5. Facial Scrub/Face Mask - Why on earth buy expensive facial scrubs that contain plastic beads that poison our water when they go down the sink drain? Salt is the beauty queen's bad economy & environmental choice for scrubbing your face into a smooth glow! You know how when you go to the beach and your skin gets really clear and healthy from the salt water, you can make your own little ocean in front the bathroom sink with sea or kosher salt and scrub away. (BTW- you can also use salt to scrub all your skin while in the shower, people in China used salt exclusively for bathing before industrialization!)

*Do you know any other medicinal uses for salt?*

(Information on this site is provided for informational purposes and is not intended to diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat, or prevent disease or other conditions. It is not intended to substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professional. )