Tag Archives: orange

Halloween Pumpkin Candle Holders Made From Oranges

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Use fall leaves and twigs to landscape a backdrop for a group of unique candle holders. Elevate some of the oranges on boxes and urns for height variation.

 

This Halloween, scare up a batch of bewitching little candle holders to add a ghostly glow to a table or mantel. Made from oranges, these little jack-o’-lanterns are so small that you can use them in multiples for big impact. To create a seasonal centerpiece, cluster them among leaves on a platter or cake stand or simply use individual candle holders to mark place settings at a Halloween supper.

It lakes just minutes to make each one. First. cut a slice from the top of an orange, and scoop out the contents, saving the fruit for cooking or a salad. Cut out spooky eyes, a nose, and mouth from each orange with a craft knife. For the candles, use tea lights, the type of small candle that’s enclosed in aluminum to contain the melting wax. Use dried leaves and berries in combination with the jack-o’-lanterns, being careful to keep all flammable materials well away from the heat of the candles. To prevent the lightweight oranges from being tipped over, place a piece of sticky florist clay on the bottom of each one.

Step 1: Use the top of a spice jar as a guide for drawing a circle around the top of an orange. Then draw a face onto one side, (A pen or felt-tip marker works best.) Slice off the top of the orange. Scoop out the contents with a melon ball cutter, using a knife to cut the fruit away from the sides of the orange.

Step 2: Place the curve of a large spoon inside the orange, against the drawn face. Using a craft knife, cut out the features of the jack-o’-lantern. (The spoon gives a surface to cut against and protects your fingers from the knife.)

Step 3: Set a tea light candle inside the orange. Use a small piece of florist clay to keep the jack-o’-lantern fixed to the spot where you’re displaying it.

Green Cleaning

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It’s time to get your home spring-ready. More than likely you have been buying the same cleaning products for years. However, it’s a good idea to consider switching to cleaning products tagged green or good for the environment. They aren’t just at specialty stores anymore; they’re popping up every day at grocery stores and supercenters. With more options comes confusion and uncertainty.

To cut through it all, we talked to Matt Pliszka, a scientist with Simply Safe Products. His company’s mission is to bring green cleaning to the mass market at an affordable price.

What should you look for in a green cleaning product?

First, look at your mainstream traditional brands. If the label says “warning, corrosive, danger,” that should be a big tip-off. If it burns the skin, then chances are it’s not good for you or the environment. Things to look for on the label are “non-hazardous,” “mild or nonirritant,” and “neutral pH.”

What does neutral pH mean?

A pH in the 7 range, that’s the pH of water. Alkalinity can cause skin irritation and other issues. Generally, if there is no mention of pH, then the product is either an acid or alkaline.

If it has a neutral pH, how does it clean?

Neutral pH cleaners use detergents and get underneath the soil to loosen it from below. Then wiping takes soil away. The detergents release the soils from the surface.Chemical cleaning agents attack the soil and surface, which can be very aggressive. Chemical cleaning also doesn’tjust stop at soil, which is why the surface you’re cleaning can become marred or ruined.

I have noticed a lot of cleaners use citrus or say they are all-natural. Are these green?

There’s an assumption that if it’s all-natural, it’s safe and environmentally friendly. Not necessarily true. Many orange cleaners use d-limonene from orange peels. It is a great cleaning agent for grease, but it’s flammable and an air pollutant. If you see a cleaning agent that says all-natural, be suspicious; there’s a lot of chemical processing involved in converting fruits into cleaning agents. Likewise for nontoxic because household cleaners are never meant to be consumed.

Which cleaning products are the biggest offenders?

Drain cleaners are the most hazardous. There really is no other option, so buyjust enough for one use. Of the most commonly used products, dishwasher detergents, tub-and-tile cleaners, and toilet bowl cleaners are the worst. Look for dishwasher detergents that contain no phosphates. Waste-treatment plants cannot remove phosphates, so they end up in natural water areas. •