Green Cleaning

By: Rene Hernandez

Next time you go to scrub down your garage door, don’t use chemical filled cleaning supplies. Instead, try using cleaning supply recipes made up from ingredients you have lying around the house.

Enjoy these easily made green cleaning products.

Baking Soda and Water

Perhaps no home-made cleaning supply is as notorious as good old-fashioned baking soda and water. Baking soda and water is a cleaning secret our grandmothers used before us, and possibly their grandmothers used before them.

Baking soda and water is excellent for cleaning porcelain tiles, as are typically found in bathrooms and kitchens. This concoction can also be used to clean kitchen counters, oven tops, stainless steel sinks, refrigerators, cutting boards and plastic storage containers. Simply sprinkle the surface you wish to clean with baking soda and scrub with a damp sponge or wash cloth.

For areas with stains, work the baking soda and water into a paste and let sit for a while before scrubbing. If you’re dealing with a surface containing tougher grime, you can add a bit of kosher salt to the mixture. This will create a slightly tougher, more abrasive cleanser.

Lemon Juice or Vinegar

Another one of grandma’s secrets is using lemon juice or vinegar for getting rid of stains, grease streaks or mold. The acidic qualities of lemon juice and vinegar makes both natural degreasers. Lemon juice is also a natural bleach when used in the sun.

Vinegar can be used as a fabric softener- simply add a little to your washing machine during the rinse cycle. Vinegar can be used to mop floors, remove stains, and can be combined with baking soda to use as a toilet cleanser. Lemon juice and baking soda can be used to remove tarnish from silverware and jewelry.

Disinfectant

Rather than using bleach or other harsh chemicals, try making your own eco-friendly form of disinfectant. Combining two cups of water with three tablespoons of liquid soap and 20-30 drops of tea tree oil makes an excellent disinfectant that is non-harmful to the environment.

Another green disinfectant is hydrogen peroxide- especially if you need to remove blood stains. Peroxide has long had a reputation for being one of the best blood stain removers available.

As with any typical household cleaners, take care when mixing ingredients. Clean bottles should always be used, and storage guidelines followed. Cleaning your home doesn’t have to be harmful to the environment, as long as you use eco-friendly ingredients found around the house.