Clean and Green Part I

Use the ingredients listed below when making your own alternative cleaners, most are inexpensive and you probably already have many of them in your kitchen cupboards.

All can be found at your local supermarket, natural food store or drugstore. Used individually or combined, these cleaners are safe, effective and cost-efficient.

Ideas for Natural Green Cleaning

BAKING SODA (sodium bicarbonate): An all-purpose, non-toxic cleaner. Cleans, deodorizes, removes stains and softens fabrics.

BORAX (sodium borate): A natural mineral that kills mold and bacteria. An alternative to bleach, it deodorizes, removes stains and boosts the cleaning power of soap. Please note safety precautions at the bottom of this page.

CASTILE and VEGETABLE OIL BASED SOAPS: Cleans everything

CORNSTARCH: Starches clothes, absorbs oil and grease

HERBS and ESSENTIAL OILS: For disinfecting and fragrance

LEMON JUICE: Cuts through grease and removes perspiration and other stains from clothing.A bleach alternative.

SALT (sodium chloride): An abrasive

TOOTHPASTE A mild abrasive

VINEGAR (acetic acid): Cuts grease, removes stains and is an excellent water softener.

WASHING SODA (sodium carbonate): Cleans clothes, softens water, cuts grease and disinfects. Increases the cleaning power of soap.

Hints:

* To save time and money, make your cleaners in advance and buy the ingredients in bulk for cost savings and to avoid excess packaging..

* Make large batches of the recipes and store them in reusable airtight plastic containers and spray bottles. Using a pretty spray bottle or container makes cleaning days more fun and pleasant.

* Label all of your ingredients and keep them out of reach of children. While most of these all natural cleaners are not poisonous, some can be harmful or even fatal if swallowed by children or pets. See specific safety precautions at the bottom of this page.

* Add your favorite essential oils or herbs to any of these formulas for fragrance

Air Fresheners/Deodorizers:

1) Place cloves, cinnamon sticks, allspice or other favorite scented spice in a pot of water , simmer for 1-2 hours

2) Put a few slices of leftover orange or lemon rinds in a pot of water, simmer for 1-2 hours

3) Place baking soda in an open container of your choice. Good for closets, refrigerators and other small enclosed spaces

4) 2-3 slices of white bread absorbs refrigerator odors

5) Place lemon slices in an open bowl in the kitchen

6) Lemon and baking soda spray: Dissolve baking soda in 2 cups hot water, add lemon juice, pour into spray bottle, spray into air as air freshener

7) Place unscented kitty litter placed in bowls to absorb room odors

8) Vinegar in a cup or bowl rids rooms of odors

9) Charcoal placed in a bowl rids rooms of odors

10) Simply light a match for a few moments or burn a candle (scented or unscented). The flame from either will “eat-up” bad smelling gases in the air

11) Pour vanilla extract into a shallow dish and set in an out of the way place

12) Spin-Fresh Bathroom Deodorizer – Add a couple of drops of your favorite essential oil to the inside of the cardboard toilet tissue roll. With each turn, fragrance is released into the room.

All Purpose Cleaners:

1) Vinegar and Salt. Mix together for a good surface cleaner.

2) Baking Soda. Dissolve 4 tablespoons baking soda in 1 quart warm water for a general cleaner.

3) Baking soda on a damp sponge. Baking soda cleans and deodorizes all kitchen and bathroom surfaces.

4) Use liquid castile soap and baking soda or Borax in different ratios. Use a little soap and soda/borax with lots of water on floors, walls and counters. Use more soap, soda/Borax for tubs sinks, cat boxes, anything that can be well rinsed.

5) For a general, all-purpose cleaner, try a paste made from baking soda and water or mix salt and water with a little vinegar.

6) 3 tbsp. vinegar, 1/2 tsp. washing soda, 1/2 tsp. vegetable oil based liquid soap, 2 cups hot water. Mix ingredients in spray bottle or bucket. Apply and wipe clean.

Disinfectants:

1) Regular cleaning with plain soap and hot water will kill some bacteria.

2) Borax has long been recognized for its disinfectant and deodorizing properties. Mix 1/2 cup Borax into 1 gallon hot water or undiluted vinegar and clean with this solution.

3) Mix a half-cup of borax with 1 gallon hot water. Add a few sprigs of fresh thyme, rosemary or lavender. Steep for 10 minutes, strain and cool. Or add essential fragrant oils instead of fresh herbs. Store in a plastic spray bottle.

4) 2 tablespoons borax, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 2 cups hot water. Combine the borax and lemon juice with the water in a spray bottle. Use as you would any commercial all-purpose cleaner.

5) Isopropyl Alcohol is an excellent disinfectant. Sponge on and allow todry. Use in a well-ventilated area and wear gloves.

Glass Cleaners:

Windows and Mirrors:

1) Use undiluted vinegar in a spray bottle or

2) Equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle or

3) 1/2 lemon juice and 2 cups water in a spray bottle or

4) 1/2 cup vinegar or lemon juice, 2 cups water, 1/4 teaspoon vegetable oil based soap (such as Murphy’s Oil Soap)

5) Mix 1/2 cup cornstarch with 2 quarts warm water. Apply with sponge then wipe with absorbent cloth or towel. Do not wash windows or glass when sun is on them or if they are warm. This causes the solution to dry too quickly creating unwanted streaks.

6) No-Streak Glass Cleaner: 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 quart warm water. Mix the ingredients and apply with a sponge or pour into spray bottle and spray on. Wipe dry with crumpled newspaper, buff to a shine. (Use crumpled newspaper instead of paper towels for lint-free results.

7) Rubbing alcohol is effective in place of glass cleaner.

Scouring Powders:

1) Use a non-chlorine scouring powder such as Bon Ami

2) Baking Soda or Dry Table Salt. These are mild abrasives and can be used as an alternative to chlorine scouring powders. Simply put either baking soda or salt on a sponge or the surface, scour and rinse.

Non-Abrasive Soft Scrubber:

* 1/4 cup borax
* Vegetable-oil based liquid soap (such as Murphys Oil Soap)
* 1/2 teaspoon lemon oil

In a bowl, mix the borax with enough soap to form a creamy paste. Add lemon oil and blend well. Scoop a small amount of the mixture onto a sponge, wash the surface, then rinse well.

Bathroom Cleaners:

Toilet Bowl Cleaners:

1) Baking Soda and Vinegar: Sprinkle baking soda into the bowl, then squirt with vinegar and scour with a toilet brush. Cleans and deodorizes.

2) Borax and Lemon Juice. For removing a stubborn stain, like toilet bowl ring, mix enough borax and lemon juice into a paste cover the ring. Flush toilet to wet the sides, then rub on paste. Let sit for 2 hours and scrub thoroughly. For less stubborn toilet bowl rings, sprinkle baking soda around the rim and scrub with a toilet brush.

3)1 cup borax, 1/2 cup white vinegar. Flush to wet the sides of the bowl. Sprinkle the borax around the toilet bowl, then spray with vinegar. Leave for several hours or overnight before scrubbing with a toilet brush.

4) Denture tablets are an excellent substitute for toilet cleaner. Drop two tablets into the bowl and clean as you would with toilet cleaner.

5) Liquid castile soap and baking soda or Borax, scrub with a toilet brush.

Drain Cleaner:

For slow drains, use this drain cleaner once a week to keep drains fresh and clog-free.

* 1/2 cup baking soda
* 1 cup white vinegar
* 1 gallon boiling water
* 1/2 a used lemon

Pour baking soda down drain/disposal, followed by vinegar. Allow the mixture to foam for several minutes before flushing the drain with boiling water.

Tub And Tile Cleaners:

1) Baking Soda. Sprinkle baking soda like you would scouring powder. Rub with a damp sponge. Rinse thoroughly.

2) Vinegar and Baking Soda. To remove film buildup on bathtubs, apply vinegar full-strength to a sponge and wipe. Next, use baking soda as you would scouring powder. Rub with a damp sponge and rinse thoroughly with clean water.

3) Vinegar. Vinegar removes most dirt without scrubbing and doesn’t leave a film. Use 1/4 cup (or more) vinegar to 1 gallon water.

4) Baking Soda. To clean grout, put 3 cups baking soda into a medium-sized bowl and add 1 cup warm water. Mix into a smooth paste and scrub into grout with a sponge or toothbrush. Rinse thoroughly and dispose of leftover paste when finished.

5) Rub the area to be cleaned with half a lemon dipped in borax. Rinse well, and dry with soft cloth.

Porcelain Cleaner:

Cream of Tartar. To clean porcelain surfaces, rub with cream of tartar sprinkled on a damp cloth.

Plumbing Fixtures:

1) To clean stainless steel, chrome, fiberglass, ceramic, porcelain or enamel fixtures, dissolve 2 tbsp baking soda in 1 qt of water. Wipe on fixtures then rinse.

2) Vinegar and Paper Towels. Hard lime deposits around faucets can be softened for easy removal by covering the deposits with vinegar-soaked paper towels. Leave the paper towels on for about one hour before cleaning. Leaves chrome clean and shiny.

Shower Heads:

1) Metal Shower Heads:

To remove deposits which may be clogging your metal shower head, combine 1/2 cup white vinegar and one quart water. Then completely submerge the shower head and boil 15 minutes.

2) Plastic Shower Heads:

Combine 1 pint white vinegar and 1 pint hot water. Completely submerge the shower head and soak for about one hour.

Rust Stain and Hard Water Deposit Remover:

Apply full-strength vinegar or lemon juice and let stand until spot disappears, rinse. Repeat if necessary.

Mildew Remover:

Dissolve half-cup vinegar with half-cup borax in warm water.

Lime Deposits:

White vinegar

Kitchen Cleaners:

Oven Cleaners:

1) The first step is prevention. Put a sheet of aluminum foil on the floor of the oven, underneath but not touching the heating element.

2) Clean up the spill as soon as it occurs.

3) While the oven is still warm, sprinkle salt or baking soda on the spill. If the spill is completely dry, wet the spill lightly before sprinkling on salt. When the oven cools, scrape away the spill and wash the area clean.

4) Baking soda, water; salt; vegetable oil-based liquid soap. Sprinkle water on oven bottom. Cover with baking soda. Let sit overnight. Wipe off and apply liquid soap with scouring pad. Rinse.

5) Retard grease buildup in your oven by dampening your cleaning rag in vinegar and water before wiping out your oven.

6) Sprinkle/spray water followed by a layer of baking soda. Rub gently with a very fine steel wool pad for tough spots. Wipe off scum with dry paper towels or sponge. Rinse well and wipe dry.

7) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil-based liquid soap, 2 tablespoons borax: Mix the soap and borax in a spray bottle. Fill the bottle with hot water and shake well. Spray on oven and leave for 20 minutes. Scrub off.

8) LAST RESORT ONLY: Fill a small glass bowl with 1/2 cup full-strength ammonia, place in oven and close. Let stand overnight, then wipe loosened dirt with paper towels or newspapers. If necessary, rub surfaces with an abrasive, such as fine steel wool, then wash with warm soapy water and rinse. Repeat process if necessary. Provide plenty of fresh air and wear gloves.

Refrigerators:

1) To clean exterior and interior walls, dissolve 2 tbs. baking soda in 1 qt warm water and wipe all surfaces. For stubborn spots, rub with baking soda paste. Be sure to rinse with a clean, wet cloth. (This works well on other enamel-finished appliances as well.)

2) To clean interior fixtures, such as vegetable bins and shelves, wash in hot soapy water, rinse well and dry.

Counter Tops/Kitchen Surfaces:

Fragrant Kitchen Rinse

Use any of the following essential oils, alone or in a combination pleasing to you. Add 4 drops of oil to each pint of water. Pour into a spray bottle, store away cool dark place. Use as a final rinse after cleaning kitchen surfaces.

* Eucalyptus
* Pine
* Lavender
* Cypress
* Lemon
* Lemongrass
* Lime
* Thyme
* Grapefruit
* Orange
* Wintergreen
* Rosemary
* Sage

Pots and Pans:

1) Burned, and crusted on foods; Soak or boil a solution of 2 tbs. baking soda per qt of water in each pan. Let stand until particles are loosened, then wash as usual. Use a mild or moderate abrasive if necessary.

2) To clean a greasy pan easily, add 1 or 2 teaspoons of baking soda to the water in which it is soaking.

Copper pan cleaner:

Sprinkle surface of pans with coarse salt. Rub salt into stains with the cut half of a fresh lemon.

No-Stick Cookware:

To remove stains from non-stick surfaces, pour a solution of 1 cup water, 2 tbs. baking soda into a pan, simmer 5 to 10 minutes. Do not allow mixture to boil or to boil over the side of the pan. Wash in hot soapy water, rinse and dry. Apply a light coating of cooking oil.

Baking Dishes – Enamel, Ceramic or Glass:

Soak in hot soapy water, then scour with salt or baking soda and rinse thoroughly.

Dishes:

1) Use liquid or powdered soap instead of detergents – which are petroleum-based. In dishwashers, use equal parts borax and washing soda.

2) Use Baking soda and liquid soap

Drinking Glasses:

1) Occasionally soak drinking glasses in a solution of vinegar and water to really get them clean. Makes them sparkle!

2) When a quick dip for crystal glassware is needed, prepare a solution of baking soda in tepid-cool water (l level teaspoon to a quart) and brush with a soft toothbrush. Very good for glass coffee makers and thermos jugs too.

Spot-free Dishwasher Rinse:

Add 1 cup of white vinegar to the rinse compartment of your automatic dishwasher. Wash dishes as usual.

Coffee/Tea Stains:

To remove coffee stains from cups or counters, rub with baking soda paste.

Drain Opener and Garbage Disposal Cleaner:

For slow drains, use this drain cleaner once a week to keep drains fresh and clog-free.

* 1/2 to 1 cup baking soda
* 1 cup white vinegar
* 1 gallon boiling water
* 1/2 a used lemon

Pour baking soda down drain/disposal, followed by vinegar. Allow the mixture to foam for several minutes before flushing the drain with boiling water.

Read Clean and Green Part II here

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