This is a great topic and one that I may have to make several updates to over the course of time. There's so many eco-friendly, non-hazardous, chemical-free cleaning tips out there that it could make for a whole blog in itself. ...Or a book. I actually have several of these books. I'll put down a few to get your imagination working and if there's a particular task you have in the future, maybe you'll be inspired to see if you can do it without the harmful chemicals.
You'd be surprised how easy it is to clean without using strong chemicals or ingredients that are bad for the environment, and for you. You see, dirt is caused by nature, and nature gave us what we need to get rid of the dirt.
Vinegar: (Almost) the Only Cleaner You'll Ever Need
Baking Soda: 27 Ways to Clean
· Equal parts of ketchup and Worcestershire sauce make a great copper cleaner. Mix together and apply with a cotton cloth. Rinse with water and dry.
· Equal parts of vinegar and salt clean brass. So does ketchup.
· You can clean out the innards of your dishwater by running it empty with a bowl of vinegar in it. Same is true for your coffee pot (except not the "bowl" part.).
· Coffee and tea stains can be cleaned by rubbing baking soda into them.
· Cleaning a microwave is a snap when a few spoonfuls of baking soda are put in a cup of water and then heated in the microwave until boiling. Just wipe those splatters away!
· You can put the last scraps of soap from a bar in a jar and add water to make liquid soap.
· You can clean blinds by putting on a rubber glove covered by an old sock. Just dip your gloved, socked hand into rubbing alcohol and start cleaning those blinds!
· Black scuff marks on the floor can be removed by scrubbing with a paste of baking soda and water
· You can remove soap scum from a faucet in 10 minutes by wrapping the faucet in paper towel soaked in vinegar.
· You can clear soap from a drain by pouring vinegar into the drain.
· A lemony spray deodorizer can be made with 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and 2 cups hot tap water. Put this in a spray bottle and spray as you would any deodorizer.
· The Amish make an all-purpose cleaning solution by combining 1/4 cup baking soda, 1/4 cup ammonia, 1/4 cup white vinegar and a gallon of water. Shake well and pour the solution into a spray bottle.
· You can make a carpet disinfectant from 1 cup cornmeal, 1 cup borax and 1/2 cup baking soda. Just sprinkle the mixture on the rug and rub it in with a cloth. Leave it alone for a few hours or overnight, then vacuum thoroughly.
· Baking soda and vinegar can be used to clean carpet spots. Sprinkle the baking soda on the spot, then pour on some vinegar. It'll bubble like crazy. Let it dry some and then vacuum. And make sure you test the color fastness of your carpet first - before cleaning the whole thing.
· Shaving cream cleans carpets. Rub some into a stain, and remove with a sponge. And guess what? You can use this on your sofa, too! Upholstery responds well to being cleaned with shaving cream!
· Your kids don't have to give up their favorite non-washable stuffed toys. All you have to do is put them in a plastic bag with some baking soda and shake the heck out of them. Open that bag outside and then shake the heck out of the toy to remove loose baking soda. Brush the rest off.
· Your silk flowers can be cleaned by putting them in a plastic bag with some salt and shaking the heck out of them.
· Small-necked bottles can be cleaned using a baking soda, vinegar and a secret ingredient - gravel! Fish tank gravel will do. Mix the three together (ratios don't have to be too precise) and shake them around inside the bottle! Clean!
· Olive oil can be used as a furniture polish on unvarnished wood.
In addition to using non-toxic household materials to clean, there are also products that help you get a clean home. I recently got a steam mop for mopping all the hard floors in the house (which is most of the house). Gone are all the toxic (and smelly) floor cleaners! Now I just use hot water! After some research I picked the Eureka 313A Enviro Hard-Surface Floor Steamer because its steam is hotter and it's more reliable than the other steam mops out there.
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