27 Oct A Green Way to Clean
A Green Way to Clean:
Making your own cleaning products at
home, can be a simple and easy way to purify the products you are using
to clean with. Natural homemade cleaners can impress you with their
cleaning abilities, feel free to start slowly trying one at a time.
Remember to personalize your blends with some wonderful aromas or
essential oils that delight your senses and energize your home. All you
will need is a few low price key ingredients to make most home cleaners.
Shopping list:
Baking Soda (water softener, scrubbing agent, & deodorizer)
Vinegar (acts like an all purpose cleaner when mixed with water, can kill bacteria & eliminate odors)
Lemon Juice (a natural bleach, deodorant, grease-cutter, & stain-remover)
Salt
Borax
Vegetable or Olive oil
Club Soda
Natural liquid soap or detergent (like Sal Suds or Dr. Bronners)
Tea tree essential oil and other aromas of your choice
Spray Bottles or glass jars
~Green Cleaning Recipes~
All-purpose cleaner:
one part water with one part vinegar, this can clean windows,
counter tops,
and floors. Add a little baking soda to clean toilets, sinks, &
bathtubs. You can soak this water/vinegar mixture with some orange peel
or lemon peel in a glass jar for a pleasant penetrating aroma.
Grease fighting cleaner:
Half
cup vinegar, quarter cup baking soda, one gallon of hot water, one
teaspoon natural liquid cleaner, & five drops of lemon juice or a
citrus aroma.
All-purpose disinfectant:
Two teaspoons of
borax mixed with four tablespoons of vinegar, in three cups of hot
water. You can also add one-quarter teaspoon of liquid soap to cut
through kitchen grime.
Windows:
Three tablespoons of vinegar
in one quart of water. If there is a lot of dirt on your windows add
one-half teaspoon of a natural liquid soap, with three tablespoons of
vinegar, & only two cups of water.
Remember to use your recycled newspaper in place of paper towels to stay streak free.
Kitchen or bathroom floors:
Half
cup of vinegar, two gallons of water, two tablespoons of natural soap,
quarter cup of baking soda, & 15 drops of an aroma like lavender.
Linoleum floors can also be cleaned with club soda.
Wood floors:
Half cup vinegar, & half cup vegetable oil mixed together
Carpets:
Sprinkle baking soda on your carpets & let it stand fifteen to thirty minutes, then vacuum.
For
heavy duty spot cleaning mix a paste from one-quarter cup of each salt,
vinegar, & borax. Rub into the spot & let dry before vacuuming.
Tubs & Sinks:
One
third cup of borax, one third cup of baking soda, 10 drops of lavender
or another aroma of your choice, & it’s optional to add one
teaspoon of liquid natural soap.
Another option is to just
sprinkling baking soda on the surface and scrub that surface with the
liquid soap on a wet cloth. Make sure you rinse well with water.
Toilets:
Let
a half cup of vinegar sit in toilet for thirty minutes, then scrub with
toilet brush or you can sprinkle baking soda in the bowl & use that
as a scrub.
Drain cleaner:
Pour half cup of baking soda,
followed by one cup of vinegar, let it sit for at least fifteen minutes
or longer for tougher clogs, then follow it with hot or boiling water.
Furniture polish:
Use one cup of olive or vegetable oil with half cup of lemon
Appliance polish:
Use club soda to both clean & polish your appliances, it can also be used on sinks.
Metals:
Use
sliced lemons to clean tarnish from brass, copper, bronze, &
aluminum. For deeper cleaning sprinkle the item with baking soda &
then rub with a lemon. For sterling silver line a plastic or glass bowl
with foil. Sprinkle the foil with a dash of salt & baking soda, then
fill the bowl with warm water. The tarnish will be drawn to the foil.
Rinse & dry the silver, then polish it with a soft cloth.
Oven:
You can place a cookie sheet on the bottom rack of the oven to catch spills.
One
cup of baking soda with water to make a paste, & you can add a
little natural liquid soap. The paste can sit overnight & then scrub
it out. Rinse well with water and natural soap.
Microwave:
Mix
two tablespoons baking soda or lemon juice & one cup water in a
micro-wave safe bowl. Microwave it for five minutes or until the liquid
boils & condensation builds up in the Microwave. Then wipe it down.
Refrigerator:
Half cup lemon juice, one tablespoon baking soda, & two cups of water.
Mold & Mildew:
Use
a dehumidifier or exhaust fan in humid areas to help prevent mold &
mildew . On areas of mildew or mold you can spray a mix of two
teaspoons of tea tree oil in two cups of water. Or you can spray
straight vinegar on the area, which kills 82% of mold. Do not rinse
these, the smells will dissipate after a few hours or days.
*A few other natural home cleaning tips:
Cutting boards: can be deodorized with either lemon, vinegar, or a baking soda paste
Coffee Maker: One cup of vinegar can be put through the coffee maker with at least two pots of water to clean it out
Blender: fill half way with hot water & a dash of vinegar, & blend the mix to clean
Kettle:
use equal parts water & vinegar, with three tablespoons of salt,
mix in kettle & simmer for twenty minutes. Leave overnight &
rinse well in the a.m.
Fabric softener: add vinegar to your rinse cycle
Dusting: re-use dryer sheets to dust