Five Green Cleaning Recipes To Save Your Health And Your Money
Green cleaning has become all the rage. (Forget baking soda for colds; how about for cleaning almost anything?) Even conventional grocery stores and Big Box discount department stores carry well-known brands that have gone “green”. But there are two big problems with buying household cleaners that claim to be good for the environment. First, those brands that actually are good for the environment – completely chemical-free – are expensive. Second, conventional brands that claim to have a healthier counterpart to their better-known toxic cleaners still contain toxic chemicals.
The solution? Make your own green household cleaners, of course! You will not only save a lot of money, but will avoid those chemicals that increase your risk of developing cancer, cause eye and skin irritation, disrupt hormone production, and so on. To help you on your way, I want to give you five green cleaning recipes I personally use – and that really work!
1. Toilet bowl cleaner
This works best if you turn off the water valve to the toilet and flush it first. But honestly, I never do. 😉
Pour one cup vinegar into the toilet bowl, followed by ¼ cup either baking or washing soda. Let sit for a couple of minutes, and then scrub clean.
2. Laundry detergent
Mix one part Borax and one part washing soda in a container. When it’s time to do laundry, put ½ to 1 tablespoon of the mixture in the washing machine, then add a squirt (about a teaspoon) of liquid castile soap. This is the cheapest laundry soap ever – and it works great!
3. All-purpose surface cleaner
This is a complicated green cleaning recipe, so get a calculator ready to figure out some complex mathematical formulas…KIDDING!
Mix one part vinegar with one part water. To boost its disinfectant properties, add a couple drops of either lemon or tea tree oil.
4. Homemade “Bon Ami”
This works great for burned-on foods in stainless steel saucepans, as well as any other hard surface. Sprinkle baking soda over the stain or rough spot. Sprinkle enough water over the soda to get it damp and pasty, but not runny. Let it sit for several minutes, then scrub.
5. Natural air freshener
We use this in the bathroom after someone has gone “number two”. It knocks the odor right out! Alos works great for getting rid of any other kind of offensive odor.
Fill a spray bottle with vinegar. Add a drop or two of lemon oil (make sure it doesn’t contain chemical fragrances). Spritz around foul-smelling air.
Put these green cleaning ideas to the test. They will not only save you money, but keep you and your family healthier. Enjoy!
