Green Cleaning for a Healthy Home

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Most homes contain various store-bought products to clean their home effectively. Many of these manufactured cleaning products are toxic. You can replace these products with safer alternatives that are easy to make and economical too. The basic ingredients are items that are either readily available in your home or easy to find at your local grocery store. Homemade cleaners are versatile, so will require less storage space than all of your conventional cleaning products. The results are impressive and will equal and often outperform commercial cleaners.

Basic Ingredients Checklist

Baking Soda
Vinegar
Water
Lemon Juice
Ammonia
Salt
Borax
Vegetable or Olive Oil
Club Soda
Isopropyl Alcohol
Toothpaste
Spray Bottles

Tips Before You Get Started

Mix in a well-ventilated area
Label containers and store in a safe place
Use containers with tight fitted lids
Don’t reuse old containers from other cleaners
Don’t mix bleach and ammonia
Don’t store in food containers
Test an area before using any cleaner

Quick Tips

Dusting- Re-use dryer sheets for dusting instead of the new Pledge or Swiffer cloths.
Linoleum Floor- Use club soda to clean
Fabric Softener- Add vinegar to the rinse cycle
Microwave Cleaner- Mix 2T baking soda or lemon juice and 1 cup water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for five minutes or until the liquid boils and condensation builds up inside the microwave. Wipe down.
Chrome Cleaner- Toothpaste is great for cleaning chrome.
Dishwasher Rinse- 1 1/2 white vinegar added to the rinse compartment of your dishwasher

The following recipes are safe and non-toxic.

Glass Cleaner

1 gallon water
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon liquid dish detergent

or

1 cup rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol
1 cup water
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Mix and add to a spray bottle

Wood Floor Cleaner

1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Mix well

All-Purpose Cleaner

1 tsp. borax
1/2 Tsp. washing soda
2 Tbl. lemon juice
In a spray bottle, combine the ingredients with 1 cup of hot water and shake.

Furniture Polish

In a spray bottle mix 1 cup vegetable or olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
Shake well and apply a small amount to a cloth.

Multi-Purpose Deep Cleaner

1 cup household ammonia
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup baking soda
1 gallon warm water
Mix well

As you can see, homemade cleaners are simple and frugal to make. They are safe and effective too. Replacing even one of your conventional cleaners with a greener alternative can make a difference. You’ve got to ask yourself if you’re “killing yourself” trying to clean your house with commercial chemicals.

Article by: Sara Noel is a freelance writer and the Editor/Publisher of Frugal Village and Homestead Garden. Visit both these sites for information on getting back to basics through frugality, gardening, lost arts, simplicity, homesteading, and natural family living.

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