Go Green!

Safer, Greener Cleaners Closer Than You Think

Last updated Friday, September 5, 2008 10:16 PM CDT in Your Home

By THE MORNING NEWS

The Internet is, of course, a great tool for finding of Earth-friendly tips. One good source is www.metro-region.org. And an Internet search engine will take you to many other sites.

Use these sources and recipes as a jumping-off point. There are many variations of the following recipes and techniques, and since you make them yourself, you can customize them.

Around The House

All-Surface Spray

• 2 teaspoons of borax (a common brand is 20 Mule Team, found in the laundry products section of many stores)

• Hot water

1/2 teaspoon liquid castile soap (a plant-based soap found at natural food stores and online; a common brand is Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps)

Put the borax in a 16-ounce spray bottle and fill with hot water. Shake until the borax is dissolved, and then add the soap. Spray on surfaces, let sit for a minute or two, and wipe off.

All-Purpose Liquid Cleaner

• 1 gallon hot water

• 1 tablespoon baking soda

• 2 tablespoons liquid soap or detergent

Fill a bucket with hot water, and then add baking soda and soap (add the soap last so it won't foam too much).

Glass Cleaner

• 1 cup distilled white vinegar

• 1 cup water

• 3-8 drops essential (optional)

• 1/2 teaspoon liquid dish soap (optional)

Fill a spray bottle with vinegar and water; shake gently. Essential oils will help mask scent of vinegar. If there is a waxy buildup left from traditional glass cleaners, add liquid dish soap. After the buildup is gone, soap may be left out.

Mildew and Germ Killer

• 2 cups water

• 1/4 teaspoon (about 25 drops) tea tree oil

• 1/4 teaspoon (about 25 drops) lavender oil

Fill a 16-ounce spray bottle with water, and then add the oils. Shake gently before each use. Spray on surfaces and leave to dry. Do not wipe.

Lemon Metal Cleaner (CAN CUT)

• Fresh squeezed juice of 2 lemons

• 1/2 cup baking soda

• 1 teaspoon fine salt

• 6 tablespoons clay powder

Mix all ingredients together into a paste. Add water or more clay if needed for consistency. Rub paste onto metal with very fine steel wool. Allow to sit for 15 minutes. Rinse off with a sponge and clear water. Polish metal with a soft piece of felt, flannel or wool. Paste is safe for all metals except aluminum. To clean aluminum, substitute cream of tartar for baking soda and leave out the salt.

Air Freshener

Fill a spray bottle with vinegar and several drops of essential oil in your scent of choice. Spray when and where odors occur.

or

Fill a jar or decorative box with baking soda and a several drops of essential oil. Leave where odors occur.

or

Set out a dish of vinegar or boil 1 tablespoon white vinegar in 1 cup of water to eliminate unpleasant cooking odors.

or

Pour vanilla extract on a cotton ball and place in a small dish.

Kitchen

Soft Scrubbing Cleaner

• 2 tablespoons baking soda

• liquid castile soap or dish soap

Put baking soda in widemouthed container and mix in the liquid soap a little a time until it becomes a foamy paste. Work onto the surface with rag, sponge or brush. Let it sit 1 to 15 minutes, and then rinse with vinegar. For surfaces sensitive to acid, such as tile, rinse the vinegar off with water.

Food-Safe Disinfectant Alternative

• white vinegar

• hydrogen peroxide (3-percent strength -- the same kind found in drugstores)

Pour both liquids into separate spray bottles (the bottle for the peroxide should be opaque to protect it from light, so a spray nozzle attached to the original bottle is an easy fix). Spray surface with vinegar and immediately follow with the peroxide. further rinsing is necessary. In addition to countertops (except marble and other natural stones) and other hard surfaces, this solution can be used on produce and raw meat.

Drain Cleaner

• 1/2 cup baking soda

• 1 cup vinegar

• water

Pour baking soda down drain, followed by the vinegar. The two will react, creating a lot of fizzing. After the fizzing stops, pour a kettleful of boiling water down the drain.

Bathroom

Soap Scum Spray (mild buildup)

Spray surface with undiluted, warm white vinegar, let it sit for 10 minutes, and then scrub with a nonabrasive sponge. Repeat as needed.

Soap Scum Scrub (moderate buildup)

Mix a cup of baking soda and water, slowly adding the water until it becomes a paste. Rub in the paste with a nonabrasive sponge. Rinse with vinegar and plenty of water.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

If there is any automatic toilet bowl cleaner installed in the toilet, remove it first and flush. Drop the water level either by turning off the shutoff valve and flushing, or by plunging bowl until it is nearly empty. Pour enough white vinegar into the bowl to fill it to its normal lever (this will take between 1/2 and 1 gallon). Let the vinegar sit in the bowl several hours or overnight. Scrub with toilet brush. Flush. If the toilet is very dirty, it may take several soakings to dissolve all of the mineral deposits.

or

Drop the water level. Use All-Surface Spray around bowl and under the rim using a toilet brush. Let it sit for five minutes, scrub again and flush. For especially tough stains, a pumice stone may be used (soak it in water first for 15 minutes to avoid scratching the toilet).

Showerhead Cleaner

Fill a plastic sandwich bag with vinegar and tie around the showerhead with a rubber band or other tie. Allow the showerhead to soak for several hours. Remove the bag and scrub the showerhead with a brush.

Laundry

Washing Powder

• 16 cups baking soda

• 12 cups borax

• 8 cups grated castile or glycerin soap flakes

• 3 tablespoons lavender, lemon or grapefruit essential oil

Combine baking soda, borax and soap flakes. Add essential oil and mix with a wire whisk. Use 1 1/8 cup of powder per load. This recipe makes enough powder to last a family of four one year.

Bleach/Brightener Alternative

• 1 cup hydrogen peroxide

• 1 1/4 cup lemon or grapefruit juice

• 12 cups water

Stores in a 1-gallon plastic jug. Add 2 cups for load.

or

Oxygen bleach (a mix of hydrogen peroxide and washing soda) is also an alternative to chlorine bleach.

Fabric Softener

Use 1/4 to 1 cup vinegar in rinse cycle (never the wash cycle). The vinegar won't leave any fragrance. A couple of drops of essential oil can also be added.

Tiny Tidy Tips

• Sprinkle salt on carpet, work it into the nap with a stiff broom and vacuum to loosen dirt and kill fleas.

• Baking soda works as a cheaper, healthier substitute for carpet sprinkles. Follow the same directions as with the salt.

• Faucets, mirrors and other shiny and glass surfaces can be cleaned with vodka.

• To remove crayon marks from walls, floors and furniture, rub area with toothpaste and a damp cloth. Do not use on non-vinyl wallpaper.

• Remove tarnish from copper by rubbing it with a lemon slice dipped in salt or baking soda. Rinse with water and polish dry.

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