It’s a basic fact of life — the house must be cleaned! Today's commerically produced cleaning products pollute homes with toxic, unpronouncable ingredients leaving many people searching for green alternatives. Homemade green cleaning products are not only better for the environment and safer for your family, they also cost less than commercially produced products. Read on for green cleaning tips and recipes.
Ingredients Grandma Used to Use
Let's face it, Grandma had to be resourceful! In doing so, she pinched pennies and used household products for to keep the house clean and smelling fresh. When making your own green cleaning products, consider the following:
- Baking Soda - cleans, deodorizes, softens water & fabrics, scours
- Cornstarch - starches clothes, absorbs oil and grease
- Lemon Juice - cuts through grease, removes perspiration & other stains, bleach alternative, effective against most household bacteria
- Salt - abrassive
- White Vinegar - cuts grease, water softener, removes grease, odors, mildew and wax build up
- Various Herbs and Essential Oils - disinfect and add fragrance
- Reuseable, washable clothes
Green Cleaning Recipes
Now that you know what ingredients to use, you'll need to know how to use them.
- Simple Air Freshener: simmer cloves, cinnamon sticks, allspice or any combination in a pot of water for 1-2 hours.
- Lemon-Baking Soda Spray: dissolve approximately 3 teaspoons of baking soda in two cups of hot water, add lemon juice and pour into a spray bottle; spray into the air as air freshener.
- All-Purpose Cleaner: dissolve four tablespoons of baking soda in one quart of warm water and use as a general all purpose cleaner
- Disinfectant: a few drops of lavender essential oil or tea tree oil in a spray bottle of warm water.
- No-Streak Glass Cleaner: combine 1/4 cup of white vinegar, 1 tablespoon of cornstarn and 1 quart of warm water. Pour into a spray bottle and use crumpled newspapers to buff to a shine.
- Scouring: Combine baking soda with a bit of salt, scrub with a damp cloth, rinse clean.
- Toilet Bowl Cleaner: Sprinkle baking soda into the bowl, squirt a bit of vinegar, scrub with a toilet bowl brush and flush
- Drain Cleaner: Pour 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain followed by 1 cup white vinegar. Allow the mixture to foam for several minutes and then flush with 1 gallon boiling water.
- Tub and Tile Cleaners: baking soda sprinkled on a sponge for tile shower walls; sprinkle in the tub, scrub with a damp cloth or sponge and rinse away; 1/4 cup of white vinegar mixed with one gallon of water. Place in a spray bottle, spray tile and rinse away; 3% straight Hydrogen Peroxide sprayed on shower doors, tile and grout, and tub, leave for 1-3 minutes, rinse away.
- Oven & Stovetop Cleaner: Sprinkle baking soda and let it sit overnight. Wipe away with a damp cloth or sponge in the morning, then rinse.
- Coffee Pot Stains: place a teaspoon of salt inside your glass coffee pot and use a damp cloth or sponge to gently clean the coffee stains away. Rinse with warm water.
- Furniture Polish: combine the juice from one lemon, 1 teaspoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of water. Apply a thin coat on your wood surfaces and let it sit for five minutes before buffing with a soft cloth.
As more and more people become aware of the toxins polluting their homes by using commerically made cleaning products, more "make-your-own" recipes become available online. Green cleaning is better for your family, the enironment and your pocketbook.
Leigh Vozzella - Homeschooling mom of four children; Board member of the Massachusetts Home Learning Association (www.mhla.org); former Publicity ...
