Green Cleaning-Kitchen

The kitchen can be easily cleaned and sanitized with green cleaners. Here are some suggestions for specific tasks.

Dish washing-use green vegetable based cleaners, check labels (I will share dishwasher soap recipe in another post)
Counters-use vinegar and water spray. Can add grapefruit oils to cleanser to give it an extra antiseptic boost.
Sinks-Wet sink, sprinkle baking soda on it and scrub clean.
Garbage disposal-sprinkle baking soda in it and let set to deodorize. Can also chew up lemon half for extra tough odors.
Kitchen floors-use a combination of 1/4 cup vinegar to 2 cups water. Increase proportionally for larger amounts.
Refrigerator- use green dish washing soap and water or add vinegar if needed. Use baking soda for deodorizing.
Oven-Wet down surface with water. Sprinkle baking soda or salt on tough stains. Let sit a couple of hours or overnight. Scrub clean.

Make sure to use reusable cleaning rags versus paper towels. This should get you started on green cleaning the kitchen area of your home. Happy cleaning!

Green Cleaning-Bathroom

I've talked about the different green cleaners and what they do. Let's put them into action and talk about cleaning specific things. Let's start in the bathroom.

Sinks/Mirrors/Glass-Combine 1 part white vinegar mixed to 3 parts water. Put in spray bottle, spray on surface and wipe clean with clean rag or newspapers (non-colored portion)
Toilet-Sprinkle baking soda around edges. Pour in white vinegar and let set for 15 minutes. Scrub with toilet brush and flush. (This one is a little science experiment each time you do it. Should bubble and fizz due to the acid/base reaction going on)
Bathtub-Pour in baking soda. Wet it a bit. Scrub. Will take some elbow grease. Can use vinegar on soap scum and mold. Hydrogen peroxide applied directly to mold will help clean off tough areas.
Tile Floor-1/4 cup vinegar with 2 cups water. Increase amounts proportionally for large areas. Use as mop water.

Happy green cleaning!

Green Cleaning

This week, I was able to cheaply buy a copy of Green Cleaning for Dummies and have enjoyed reading it. I would recommend it as a good read for those who want to "green" up their cleaning. The best part is that there is a whole chapter of recipes for green cleaners.

We have been using green cleaners around our house for several years because of the allergy factor here at our house. Commercial cleaner odors and chemicals set off our asthma and allergies so they have been banished for quite a while. We have used baking soda and white distilled vinegar as our main cleaning ingredients since that time. The best part is our bill for household cleaners is a small fraction of what it cost to buy the commercial cleaners.

About two years ago we started making our own bar soap. I finally had run out of options in the commercial variety department that did not make some of us break out in a rash. As we have delved deeper into green cleaning, we have started experimenting with making our own dishwasher and laundry detergent. We have found many of these cleaners work just as well or better than their commercial counterparts.

I would encourage you to find a copy of the book sometime or do an internet search for green cleaning recipes. I will also share some of our recipes and tips in future blogs.

Happy green cleaning!